Rotting pella windows
jimt
11 years ago
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Comments (70)
EcoStarRemodel
11 years agomultitasker
11 years agoRelated Discussions
2 Pella problems need help
Comments (20)Over the past nine years I have purchased and paid for installation of 26 Pell Designer series windows and a patio door. I was replacing Rockwell windows which had rotted, warped, leaked and were clouded between the glass. The windows I purchased from Pella are aluminum clad outside and wood trim inside - all casements. I purchased the Pella rol-screens when available and mini blinds between the glass, also when available. But here are the significant problems. Yesterday I discovered the interior wood trim on the portion of the window that cranks out is peeling off. On a guest bedroom window that is used rarely I discovered the trim is completely off. That caused me to inspect the other windows and discovered 16 windows in total are peeling from 2 inch to 8 inches starting from the top and working down. Some of these windows have been in as briefly as 5 years, some up to 9 years. This is the final straw in a series of disappointments. The first disappointment was cosmetic - the realization that I could not get the mini blinds on all sizes. So the cohesive, clean, contemporary look I was striving for is unattainable. The second was quality - 22 of the windows have blinds. The blinds are poorly constructed - some of them do not drop all the way to the bottom of the window - this appears to be a matter of mismatched tolerances, a manufacturing problem. About half of them have the protective piece installed over the string mechanism falling off, a materials/adhesive problem. Some of them have warped blinds, blinds that have never been outside the glass are distorted. On these "older" blinds, the strings are a hassle - they blow between the window and its frame and they tangle, and washing the window around the hooks provided to wrap the string is cumbersome. Which is the third frustration - when Pella introduced their new design without strings, they left all the earlier customers without an opportunity to upgrade. And I repeatedly asked for an upgrade plan. Finally I reached the phase of replacement where we were installing tall narrow windows, and then I discovered Pella doesn't offer true casements. The benefit of casements is that you can wash both sides from the inside - but not with Pella. Pella provides you a casement window with a butt hinge which means you are (I am) dragging out the ladder and buckets to wash these windows from the outside - and yes, blinds are not an option for these windows either. Oh, and to lock them requires multiple mechanisms. After being surprised when the first set of windows arrived with butt hinges, I waited four more years for Pella to get with the program. Finally I replaced the remaining nine windows with Andersen windows. Should have done that in the first place - the Andersen windows have a great strong hinge, open for ease of washing, have a single mechanism to lock the tall windows (vs multiple on the Pella), have more glass for light and view than the comparable Pella windows, and were clad by Andersen to match my existing investment in Pella. No, I am not employed by Andersen - I am just tired of being ripped off by supposedly credible companies like Pella. Pella got over $50K of my money and I got a series of problems and disappointments....See MoreTo Pella (Again) or Not to Pella?
Comments (3)I have also noticed many people bashing Pella, we install multiple lines of windows and Pella being one of them, that being said Pella is a great window. It is my belief that more than likely the people who are unhappy with Pella actually have installation issues, regardless of what they may say or who may have looked at the problems. Any wood window if not installed properly will begin to rot, if installed properly a wood frame window with a cladding on the outside will last for a lifetime when properly installed and maintained...See MoreRotting Pella windows
Comments (1)If you want wood or fiberglass, go with Marvin. If you want vinyl, go with Simonton, Okna, Softlite, PGT, Gorell, Great Lakes or Sunrise....See MoreRotten windows
Comments (9)Hi Izzie, you have three main choices for replacement windows - wood (with or without exterior cladding), vinyl, and fiberglass. Custom sized wood is usually the most expensive, standard size wood (depending on the brand) and fiberglass are mid-priced, and vinyl is the most competitively priced (usually). There are some brands of vinyl however that run $1,000 per window installed, and conversely there are some brands of wood that cost about $400 per window installed. So wood can actually be the least expensive (Menards and Lowes for example sell Pella wood/clad windows starting for about $125 each plus installation). I wouldn't generally recommend wood exteriors though, getting a clad exterior on wood is much better. Anywho, generally speaking vinyl is the least costly, is low maintenance, and a great value. As for your question about cutting off the flanges, there are reasons that someone may have to do that for installation, but there's about a 80% chance that the installation is not done to perfection when the flanges are gone. LEAVE THEM ON if possible. The normal way to install a full tear-out window (getting rid of the old sill, frame, etc.) is to nail the window into place through the nailing flanges. It helps create a water and air infiltration barrier. If you had a good reason for taking them off so be it, but it had better be a good reason. However if it is a replacement window going into the existing window frame, then those types of windows do not have flanges at all; they're meant to go into a frame without them and install just fine. Perhaps that's what you were referring to but I don't think so. Heather, I'd have to respectfully disagree with some of what you said: "Dont buy wood windows" Geez. Wood windows look GREAT, add value to a home, can have low-maintenance exteriors, etc. etc. You chose pretty strong wording. I have three different brands of clad/wood windows on my home - they work great, they're maintenance free (except for washing which is done from the inside), no rotting issues (ever), and anything else would look tacky on my home (you'd have to see it to see why). "You want to buy Vinyl windows" Whenever a salesperson tells ME what I want I get a different salesperson, or a different company altogether. I think it's better to give people the info they request, and let THEM decide what they want or need. "They are the most durable, cost efficent and will not rot." I agree that generally they are the most cost efficient, and yes they will not rot. However depending on the brand they can be the most expensive. And they are not the most durable. Wood and fiberglass are both stronger than vinyl; in fact fiberglass is 8 to 9 times stronger than vinyl. It's more scratch resistant, more impact resistant, less susceptible to softening in extreme heat, and has much much less expansion and contraction compared to vinyl. Vinyl is still a fine choice and would be my recommendation to Izzie, but to say it's the most durable is just not correct. "Pella windows are good but the problem with them is that they dont offer many replacement parts" That statement is so wrong. Pella is one of the few wood window companies that has a service department that makes house calls. They have hundreds of parts (maybe thousands?) and not only do they offer the parts, they will offer to provide the service guy to install the parts. Most other wood window companies don't make house calls; they would recommend a glass company, handyman, etc. to do the work. "They are also one of the most expensive windows on the market right now." They can be one of the most expensive, especially if one gets their triple glazed with blinds between the glass. However, as I mentioned earlier they can be one of the least expensive if you're not getting the bells and whistles. Menards & Lowes sell them starting at about $125, and when Consumers Report magazine rated windows a few years ago not only was Pella their recommended window, it was the least expensive wood window of the 20 or so windows they tested. "I recommend vinyl windows, if you like to wood look - there are color options avail. they look like wood." Finally something we agree on. Vinyl is (usually) competitively priced, and the woodgrain look should satisfy most people expect purists and wood fanatics. I happen to have wood (clad wood) in my home and love them, but I recognize that it's not for everyone these days. Again, I'm not trying to be a snot; I'm sure your intentions were good in giving vinyl advice, but your statements were not entirely correct, and since it's a Saturday morning and cold outside and I have 2 hours to kill before going outside, I thought I'd offer my two cents. Izzie good luck with your research and decision....See MoreTrapper1
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