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WOOD WINDOWS AN overview

Updated 2/6/11

WARRANTY

 

WARRANTY

Manufacturer

Duration

Transfer-

able

Labor

Location

Service

Factory

Dealer

VINYL

 

 

 

 

    ----

Amsco

L-Lifetime

5 years

1 year

Utah

D

Amerimax

L-Lifetime

Yes*4

20 years

Woodland CA

D

American Integrity

F-Lifetime

5  years

Yes

Apple Valley CA

F

Anlin

F-Lifetime

Once

No

Clovis (Fresno)

D

Bede

F-Lifetime

Lifetime

Yes

Germany, China, Oceanside

F

IWC 

F-Lifetime

No

Yes

LA, Fresno, Phoenix

F

Jeld-wen (Window Master)

L-Lifetime

No

1 year

Vista,

El Cajon

D

Magic

L-Lifetime

Yes

No

Ontario,  Canada

F

Milgard

F-Lifetime

10 years

Yes

Temecula + 12 other locations

F

Pella--

ThermaStar

L-Lifetime

10  years

2 years

Portland, OR

F

Plygem*5

Certainteed

L-Lifetime

25 years

2 years

Corona CA

D

SilverLine*5

Anderson

L-Lifetime

No

No

New Brunswick NJ

D

Simonton

L-Lifetime

 

Yes*4

Yes

Vacaville CA

D

Superior*5

(Atrium)

L-Lifetime

Yes

Yes

Ontario CA

 

F

VinylMaster

Lifetime

 

 

San Diego CA

F

VPI

Lifetime

Called double

Yes*4

5 years

Spokane  WA

D

Windor

Lifetime

Yes*4

10 years

Orange County CA

F

COMPOSITE**

Amsco and

Pella Marvin

all have 

similar warranty 

   ----

Anderson

renewal

20/10 *

Yes

No

Bayport MN

D

WOOD***

 

 

 

 

   ----

Anderson

20/10

No

Yes

Bayport MN

D

Eagle

20/10

No

1 year

Dubuque IA

D

Pella

20/10

No

2 years

Portland, OR

       F

Milgard

veneer

F-Lifetime

10 years

Yes

Temecula &

 Tacoma, WA

F

Higher profits and sales commissions are made by selling a builder’s series windows at deluxe window prices

F-Lifetime = Full meets federal regulation, L = Limited don’t   - - -    Service:  D = Dealer, F = Factory

Federal regulation prohibits the use of the term “full” unless the warranty meets federal standards.  Lifetime, limited lifetime, and double lifetime are essential the same--a warranty more limited than “FULL”

 

How does one tell a contractor’s series

vinyl product from quality???

Price, warranty, and thicker flange are the 3

best indicators

WARRANTY

Labor and factory service are the most important issues. 

Labor runs about $125.  At $125/stop their service tech is making money for the company installing a $2 part or adjusting a lock.   Moreover, most manufacturers simply supply parts to local dealer, who charge for a service call.  Relying upon a dealer is iffy; having a factory service specialist, such as supplied by Milgard and IWC, is much better.  Don’t believe the word lifetime—read the small print, for some (Amsco & Simonton for example) have pages of clauses listing exclusions.

 No Mention of labor, means you are being charged for it

Builder series windows

Many manufacturers rely on low prices for marketing (their principle target is new housing, secondary target replacement market).  They cut costs by some or all of the following:  1) By using as standard 3/32 glass flimsy (thin) instead of the 50% thicker 1/8th glass.  2) Thin retro flange without chambers (Plygem, Simonton. Atrium, Jeld-wen, Amsco, Pella, IWC, Superior, Anlin, and others). They flex and can separate from the fresh caulk to allow water to seep in.  3) Saving on vinyl by adding filler to it and by having thinner walls and fewer chambers. 4) Cheap hardware that rusts. 5). Not including labor in their warranty. 6). Low workers’ pay entails poor quality control, poor follow on orders, shipping incomplete orders, etc.  7)  Limiting or excluding the transfer of the warranty. 

Milgard-they uses as standard 1/8 glass (3/16th on larger windows & door panels), has a multi-chambered retro flange, stainless steel hardware that won’t rust, excellent factory support & quality control.  Milgard has the strongest warranty in the industry: labor, lifetime, transferrable, very few exclusions, and factory service.   Being a better built window, they cost a little more--and they are worth it.

* 20/10:  (20 years glass, 10 years parts), standard for wood windows; however, Milgard is lifetime with labor.

**  COMPOSITE--Amsco & Anderson add sawdust to vinyl, call it a space-age polymer, and then charge double the price of their vinyl line, Pella’s Imperva is a resin composite.  They give you only a 20/10 year warranty WITHOUT LABOR--their warranty tells you how durable their composite is!  Milgard’s Ultra (fiberglass) Wood clad (wood veneer on interior of Ultra Series) comes with lifetime that includes both LABOR and accidental glass breakage. 

***WOOD WINDOWSwarping, binding, and wood rot are not manufacturer’s defects.  The glass units frequently fog-up because of the lack of drainage holes beneath the glass unit.  The old wood windows breathed.  They weren’t energy efficient, but with minimal maintenance I have seen many of them last over 100 years.  New wood windows have rubber gaskets to stop air infiltration, but they trap moisture.  It is not exterior moisture, but moisture trapped by the rubber gaskets that causes the problems.  Anderson, Pella and others have an exterior aluminum or vinyl clad.  This doesn’t stop the dew & dampness problem--just eliminates painting.  That is why warping, binding, and wood rot are not manufacturer’s defects.  Moreover, their warranty doesn’t include labor.  Milgard has the solution:  a fiberglass window with beautiful interior wood veneers.  Their rubber gaskets stop air infiltration, but unlike wood core windows, the fiberglass will absorb moisture (wont warp, rot, or bind) thus Milgard’s lifetime warranty with labor. 

*4   Simonton: to transfer the warranty requires both registration & a $50 check in the first month--similar requirements for VPi ($75), & Windor.  They also mail parts for the home owner to install.

*5   Jeld-wen, Plygem & Atrium have bought out numerous manufacturers including the local Window Master, Superior, Certainteed, and Great Lakes windows.  These companies all specialize in builder-series windows.  Anderson bought Silverline, and Pella bought ThermaStar windows.  In Home Depot Silverline and Lowes ThermaStar are carried in the standard builder series sizes with the new construction nail-on flange--retrofit custom sizes are much more.  It is not how they look today, but how well they operate tomorrow, and how many will need service.

* SAVE MILGARD’S PURCHASE ORDER NUMBER.  It is what they have in their computer along with production information.   Upon sales of home give this number to the new homeowner so that he can be covered as though the original owner.   My extensive experience demonstrates that Milgard, as part of their public relations, is glad to take care of all reasonable warranty issues. 

**** Simonton requires registration of new owner within 30 days and a $50 fee

*****  VPI  requires registration of new owner within 30 days and a $75 fee

Pella Imperva (5-10) white exterior, & white, brown, tan interior, fiberglass resin composite

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