New Marvin casement won't close properly - help w/ adjustment?

7 years ago

I had a brand new all wood Marvin push out double casement installed. The jamb was installed square, level, and plumb. The left sash bottom rail hits the bottom of the frame. The right side sash hits the top rail on the frame. It appears to be off by maybe .125" at most, but clearances are tight on modern windows and their adjustments are very limited.
My contractor followed the provided installation instructions and then spent several hours on hinge/track stud adjustment procedures in the instructions. I verified all of his measurements as well.

He has installed multiple other Marvins for me this year and none of them had this problem.

After having my $3000+ window unable to close for a day, I finally had to remove the internal casement stay to get the left sash to close and basically forced the right sash closed tweaking some weatherstrip because there was a rain storm bearing down.

I don't think this is 100% the cause, but I will say that Marvin do not upsize their window materials for larger size sashes. In this window, each sash is 35.5" wide by 54" high (total window size of 71"x54"). The sash width is within .5" of their maximum width (36").

I bought another brand new Marvin casement (20wx30h) and its sash and jamb dimensions are all identical to the bigger window. I can pick up the little window with one hand where as this larger window sash was a major team lift due to all the glass.

I would never buy a casement approaching their max sizes again as I don't see how this will last without bowing from all the weight. I would recommend mulling smaller casements to reach larger widths such as 3 casements each 23.5" wide.

Also the window mounting system to the frame is completely ridiculous - each ~100lb window rides on an upper and lower 1.5" wide metal "shoe" that slides into a metal channel running down the top and bottom of the frame. Metal on metal is not smooth so to prevent it from scraping there is quarter inch strip of hard plastic over the shoe. I can see that lasting for about 6 months.

My Marvin dealer (a lumber yard) doesn't have real tech support for windows so I contacted Marvin directly - waiting for resolution.

In the mean time, wondering if anyone has any tips for getting adjustments done to get it to close without more damage.

Comments (5)

PRO
Windows on Washington Ltd
7 years ago
Can you post up a picture. There are hinge and hardware adjustment points on casements that allow for incremental adjustments.
roof35
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
By your description of the left bottom and top right hitting, it sounds typical of the installation being wracked/racked. Measure diagonally corner to corner, both sides. They should be exact to each other.
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HomeSealed Exteriors, LLC
7 years ago
+1 to roof35's comments. Sounds like a botched install. Plumb and level are of little consequence (within reason of course), the main concern is that its square. Your installer should have put his level away and adjusted the window based on the sash to frame reveals which would have alleviated this.

Regarding the hardware, Marvin uses the same (or similar) hardware as any other window company. I can see why you might think that is looks insufficient, however it is all engineered with maximum capacities based on size, weight, etc. Reputable manufacturers like Marvin are very conservative in staying well within those parameters for long term performance.

It sounds like you are now stuck in the unfortunate situation where you sourced the windows and hired a guy to install them. This situation results in failure at a very high rate and inevitably ends in finger pointing. Your best bet at this point is to get the installer and a manufacturer or supplier rep there at the same time to hash things out and come up with a gameplan to address.
PRO
Marvin
7 years ago
Hi brickinballard, I'd be happy to connect you with a customer service expert to discuss the issues you're experiencing with your casement window. Could you please email vanessadb@marvin.com with your contact information if you haven't already spoken with someone on the Marvin team? Thanks!
pdhubbell
8 months ago
A small flat-head screw on the underside of the casement control arm comes loose and blocks the window from closing fully.

With the window wide open, tighten that screw without stripping it, then place a small strip of Scotch tape to prevent it from turning loose again.

Problem solved for both my Marvin casements.

New Marvin casement won't close properly - help w/ adjustment?

Comments (5)

Windows on Washington Ltd

roof35

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