The windows in my place are a mix of replacement, original, and a few that were replaced with "new construction" windows... As a bit of background, here's what I'm talking about...
Original windows are the ones the place was built with... They are "new construction" windows that were put in when the house was built... In this case, they were the old double hung windows with the weights that hang in the side of the window...
Replacement windows are what you purchase to get rid of the original windows because they suck... Basically you take the windows out, and slide the replacement in, making your window slightly smaller, but it's simple, and you don't have to muck around in the walls, or with the outside of the house...
I was actually planning on keeping all the windows I had for the time being, and getting replacements when I could afford them... Unfortunately, the two original windows that were left had severe dry rot, and one of them fell completely apart when I took the plaster down... Two more were replacements, immediately next to the one that fell apart, but they were larger, making everything look "off". All four of the windows were single pane glass, so they would loose heat like a sieve... Once the one fell apart, that sealed the fate of the others, and stuck me with needing 4 new windows, pretty quickly...
I have pretty particular taste when it comes to windows unfortunately... I like Pella windows to be specific... I also don't like their cheap line, so I went straight to the middle cost windows... That line lets me put mini-blinds in between the panes of glass, so they stay clean, and the cat (which I will most likely get once the house is done) can't get at them to mangle them... That line also gives me aluminum clad exteriors, and raw wood interiors, so the outside already matches, and the inside gets stained with the rest of the moulding... The hitch in all this is that those 4 windows are going to cost just shy of 3 grand... The whole rest of the renovation may cost that much... What it means is that the money I would have used to do the kitchen, and bathroom is now gone... It means I'm stuck with that mess until I can save another 3 grand, and have the time to tear everything apart again... Yes, I could have spent a ton less on them... The reason I went that way is that I only want to do this once... Once this house is done, it will be perfect from the structural, electrical, plumbing and functional viewpoints... I wouldn't say my decorating will be perfect, as everyone's tastes vary, but it will be impossible to have a problem with the physical end of things...
All in all, I think I need to give myself a raise at the shop so I can get this house done a bit sooner...
If you are replacing your windows with Pella windows you will be replacing them again. The Pella aluminum clad sash is made from roll form aluminum. Roll form is about like taking a coke can and wrapping it around wood. That doesn't sound so good does it? Also, the way the clad overlaps is backwards. It allows water to penetrate which causes them to rot. If you want to be done for good buy Marvin Windows.
Posted by: bl at May 22, 2005 02:04 AMI just wanted to get in my two cents worth on Pella windows. We have worked for over 5 years replacing all of our home windows with Pella.......each addition of 2 or 3 windows was a financial set back, but we were certain it was the right move. Just recently we finished replacement process with the purchase of our last 4 windows and what a pile of crap Pella has produced! We preferred the blinds that only open and close (versus the up and down) and you talk about a cheap, cheap product. The new design for the blinds is a huge flaw and the follow through to ensure customer satisfaction is completely void! They sent a service person out to fix all of the malfunctioning blinds (and it involves all of our windows...all of the blinds)and the man didn't know how to repair any of them! So here we sit with malfunctioning blinds that cost a fortune. We are currently in negotiations to resolve this issue, but are very disappointed in the inferior changes made by Pella. If you are seeking window replacement....be sure to look around at other options....Marvin may have kept their quality? not sure of anyone anymore.
Sorry to hear you got burned on the new Pella's... You hit the nail on the head though with the service guys not knowing how to deal with the new models... My guy came back 3 times to fix various issues... The main issue was a snapped release latch, whichshould have been a breeze to fix, but it took the guy and I forever to figure out how to get in to the window since the release feature was the broken part... Next they shipped the wrong color hardware, so he had to come back to swap that, and once we got everything working, I had him tweak how the casements sit in their frames...
I got in very early on the run of these windows, as it seems you did too... I'm guessing they'll get the bugs out of the system soon, and if not, they're going to get pushed aside by the other manufacturers...
The customer service reps were always a pleasure to deal with though, there was never any issue of sending a tech out, and there's no charge, so now that they're in good shape, I suspect they'll outlive me...
Would've been nice if they had worked out the issues before starting to ship the windows though...
Posted by: Tim at August 24, 2005 09:53 PM