Renewal by Andersen

Renewal by Andersen of Central Pennsylvania operates a showroom and design center at 4856 Carlisle Pike in Mechanicsburg, along the busy retail corridor that runs west from Harrisburg through Cumberland County. The location functions as the regional hub for replacement window and patio door projects, handling in-home consultations, custom measurement, installation scheduling, and post-installation service for homeowners across the Harrisburg area and the surrounding counties. Customers can reach the office at +1 717-364-1880.

The business is part of the Renewal by Andersen network, the full-service replacement division of Andersen Corporation. Andersen has manufactured windows since 1903, when it began operations in Minnesota, and launched Renewal by Andersen in 1995 as a way to offer homeowners a single point of accountability for the entire replacement process rather than splitting responsibility between a manufacturer, a distributor, and an independent contractor. Under that model, the same organization designs the window, builds it to the measurements of the specific opening, installs it, and stands behind the warranty.

Products and Materials

The core product line consists of custom-manufactured replacement windows made with Fibrex, a composite material developed by Andersen that combines reclaimed wood fiber with thermoplastic polymer. The material is used because it holds its shape in the temperature swings common to Pennsylvania winters and summers, resists warping and rotting, and is rigid enough to allow narrower frames than many vinyl alternatives. Narrower frames matter in replacement work, since they let a new unit fit an existing opening while preserving more daylight and glass area than a bulkier frame would.

Window styles available through the Mechanicsburg location include:

• Double-hung windows, the most common style in the region's older housing stock
• Casement and awning windows that crank outward
• Gliding and sliding windows
• Picture and specialty shape windows, including arches, circles, and angled units
• Bay and bow window assemblies

Patio and entry doors are also part of the product line, including hinged French doors, gliding patio doors, and larger multi-panel configurations. Doors and windows can be specified with a range of exterior colors, interior finishes, hardware styles, and grille patterns, which gives homeowners working on historically styled properties the option to approximate original sightlines and muntin layouts.

Glass packages are a significant part of the specification process. Andersen's High-Performance Low-E4 glass options include coatings engineered to reduce heat transfer in winter and block a substantial portion of ultraviolet and infrared solar energy in summer. Additional glass configurations address specific concerns such as solar heat gain on south and west exposures, sound transmission on properties near highways or busy streets, and condensation resistance. For homes along corridors like the Carlisle Pike, Route 15, or Interstate 81, the acoustic performance of insulated glass and a tightly sealed frame can be as noticeable as the change in energy bills.

How a Project Works

Projects typically begin with an in-home consultation. A design consultant inspects the existing windows, identifies the causes of specific problems such as drafts, failed seals, fogged glass, sash that will not stay open, or rotted sills, and reviews style, color, and glass options with the homeowner. Because Renewal by Andersen sells directly rather than through retail dealers, pricing and product selection are handled in that same appointment, and homeowners receive a written quote for the scope discussed.

After a project is signed, a technician returns to take precise field measurements of each opening. Those dimensions go to the manufacturing facility, where each unit is built to size rather than pulled from standard stock inventory. Lead times vary with season and order volume, and the Mechanicsburg office coordinates the installation date once units are complete.

Installation is performed by crews trained in the company's replacement methods. The work usually involves removing the old sash and frame, preparing the opening, setting and insulating the new unit, and finishing the interior and exterior trim so the installation reads as finished rather than patched. Old windows and construction debris are hauled away as part of the job. Many installations of a handful of windows are completed within a single day, while whole-house projects are staged over several days.

Working with Older Homes

Central Pennsylvania has a deep inventory of nineteenth and early twentieth century housing, including brick rowhomes in Harrisburg, farmhouses in the Cumberland Valley, and Victorian-era houses in Mechanicsburg, Carlisle, and Camp Hill. Replacement work in these buildings presents complications that newer construction does not: out-of-square openings, plaster walls, original interior trim and casings that cannot be replicated, weight-and-pulley sash systems, and masonry exteriors that must not be disturbed. The custom-manufactured approach is well suited to this work, since each unit is built for the actual opening rather than shimmed into place, and crews doing this work regularly develop methods for protecting historic millwork and brickwork during removal.

Service Area

The Mechanicsburg office serves the greater Harrisburg metropolitan area and much of central Pennsylvania, including Cumberland, Dauphin, York, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry, Adams, and surrounding counties. Communities served include Mechanicsburg, Camp Hill, Carlisle, Harrisburg, Hershey, Lemoyne, New Cumberland, Enola, Dillsburg, York, Lancaster, Lebanon, and Gettysburg. All measuring and installation work is performed on site at the customer's property.

Practical Information

• Address: 4856 Carlisle Pike, Mechanicsburg, PA 17050
• Phone: +1 717-364-1880
• Onsite services available at customer homes
• Wheelchair accessible entrance
• Wheelchair accessible parking lot

Homeowners considering a project generally find it useful to have a few details ready before scheduling a consultation: the approximate number of openings involved, the age of the house and of the current windows, any known problems such as water intrusion or broken hardware, and whether the goal is a full-house replacement or a phased approach starting with the worst openings. Products purchased through the location carry Andersen's transferable limited warranty, which covers glass, components, and the installation labor performed by the company, with terms detailed in the documents provided at the time of sale.