I have been trying for over 17 months to get warranty out of the Shield Family of windows--working with the SW sales manager. I would think twice about ever using any of their products again, unless you don't care about warranty and honesty.

I am very dissatisfied with my purchase of Pozzi windows. I spent $30,000 for windows and doors in 1991 for construction of my new home. I was general contractor. These were premium double insulated low-e windows. The circle top double hung windows ran just shy of $600 each in 1991 and the palladium window ran $2000. Weathershield bid around $750 for the same direct set window. The workmanship and materials for the product was inferior. I'll start off with discussing true and square. The carpenters installed the windows using levels they referenced to the sills. I watched them check their levels before they started. They checked them many times to prove they read correctly when swapped end for end. Carpenters leveled each sill from the outside and then they set the right hand molding true level. From the inside, none of the windows were true and square. Many of them were so far out that the gasket could not seal. I put a level on the sill and sure enough it's perfect. I put a level on the inside and the inside box is not level and the jambs are not plumb. It fastening the outside brick trim to the window, Pozzi fabricators eyeballed the pieces instead of fixturing or measuring. Some are out by 1/4" or more top to bottom between inside and outside. The story gets worse as I investigated. And the carpenters were wondering why I was cutting the nails to windows they had just installed with perfect level sills to true them up. The top of the sash has a wood a different length from the bottom of the sash. The left hand jamb has a different length than the right. All four pieces making up the windows are mismatched lengths. This isn't obvious until you examine why they don't seal properly top and bottom. It becomes obvious when you try to set all four edges and two diagonals correctly inside. It can't be done. I cut all the nails and tried to true them, but of course when what is supposed to be a rectanglular box is really made with four different lengths of wood, there is no correct setting for plumb and level. I would have sent it all back for refund, but it took six weeks to custom order this junk. I couldn't tell the carpenters the project is on hold for six weeks, go on vacation. You can't shut the job down when junk like this is delivered. If I could have shut the project down, these would have been refunded and I would have bought some other brand after what I saw. Some of the circle tops brick trim pieces had bandsaw marks in the face. Pozzi sent service folks out who instead of replacing the sloppy part, sanded the front the the mold, thust sanding out the front profile details. While they were here, they reinstalled two doors that were made incorrectly, so they were doing them over. They failed to seal the sill extension with the result that my hardwood floors are ruined in front of these doors from rain leaking in. Every time it rained, water passed through the crack in the aluminum sill extension plate and into the house. The jambs are extended with strips of wood nailed on a standard unit. Those extensions are rotting out. These windows are assembled using finger jointed wood. The finger joints swell and crack. The paint cracks and water gets into the wood causing rot. At best, the finger joints show through the paint. Where brick trim contacts the sill, the windows are rotting. This is because Pozzi didn't seal the end grain of the brick trim. They just slapped it on fresh off the chop saw. They butted raw open wood grain against the wooden finger jointed sill. Water wicks in this joint where it then can't get out. Since moisture above 18 percent causes rot, the windows are failing. This moisture causes both the brick trim and the sill to rot out. Over half of my 40 windows have some sort of rot in them now fifteen years after installation. And it's all due to shoddy sealing of a wood window product. So I have at least twenty of 40 windows that require brick molds to be replaced or sills to be swapped out. Some genius ran a drywall screw through the corner miters at the tops. These screws are covered by brick after installation, so you can't get them out. The only way to remove the trim is to split it open at the miter with a chisle. That leaves the screw fastened to the other trim piece, so there is still a problem. Typically, the top trim gets damaged in the process of removing a rotted vertical trim part, so the repair grows in scope. The brick trim isn't a standard brick trim profile either. It has slightly softer radius edges than anything on the market with a standard WM molding number. So if you replace one stick of molding, you have a mismatch unless you replace all three. Operation of these windows is nothing like the display model at the building supply store. They don't pivot open readily for cleaning or service unless you have just sprayed them down with dry silicon spray. That only lasts briefly and then they are sticky again. Often when pivoted open, they tear a chuck of vinyl out of the brittle jamb tracks. The older the windows get, the more brittle and problematic this vinyl becomes. Now we'll talk about service from Pozzi/Pella/JenWeld. I emailed them on May 24th about my direct set paladium window that has water condensation inside. This window failed at around the fifth year with occasional fog at the bottom. This last year, both inside and outside glass are raining between the panes. They finally responded on June 19th by email to my May 24 inquiry stating they had tried to phone me. I'm home 24/7 and there were no calls. And I have caller ID so I know damn well no one called. So I call back the number on the contact email to talk about service for these windows that were advertised as having 20 year warrantees. I'm told in a round about fashion that there's no warranty on the labor to replace the glass, so I will have to pay the labor. Then a bit later I'm told there's no warranty on the glass either so I'll have to pay for the glass too. But they will supply the glass if my contractor will call them. After more questions, they explain they will fabricate the plate glass for the glass mechanic. I ask when their shop can come repair the unit. They have no one to do the repair. Pozzi recommended a glass vendor nearby, saying this is a vendor who has done a number of repairs for them. I call this vendor and he advises he does not do repairs for homeowners. He only repairs product he has provided major builders. So, I'm pretty well left out in the cold with absolutely no support, no warranty and a home full of junk windows that are rotting. Anyone considering Pozzi/Pella/JenWeld, give this extra research. As I talked over my problem with these windows with my carpenters, they said they had seen worse delivered to another job by Pella. This is 1991 and things change. It seems like service has change to zip.

I'd recommend looking at JELDWEN's Siteline EX product. I used to sell Marvin's for years and still do once in awhile. In my area, I sell almost 7 figures a year in JELDWEN windows. I can say that their quality is near Marvin's and is 30% less. They also have a color called "Artic Silver" which looks like clear anodized but is an applied finish. Anodized coating SUCK as they scratch easily and cannot be touched up. If you don't believe me, ask your dealer what they warranty is on anodized product. If they don't say 5 years or less, ask for it writing prior to ordering. Artic Silver is a 10 year warranty through JELDWEN(20 years if you look at their Custom series product, which is equal to Marvin). As for Hurd, if they're close to the same price as Marvin I would pick the Marvin if you're not interested in JELDWEN. Hurd is a crappy brand name and what's the point of buying "knock offs" if there's not enough savings to justify it? I don't go to the flea market and expect to pay 10% less. My advice, look at JELDWEN's Siteline EX product. If you don't like the quality, buy Marvin. Find a GOOD dealer in your area that knows what he's doing and you feel you can work with. Call the manufacturer and see who they prefer in your area(they'll give you their best dealer who buys the best). Lastly, remember pricing isn't everything. One mistake can easily suck out what you saved by "shopping around"...

You can't go wrong with either. This is really a function of which one you like the look of better. I could see a rationale for the fiberglass/wood if you live in a coastal environment with salt spray and water, but if that isn't the case....either will work great.