Are ALL Alside Windows Junk?

7 years ago

We have old M&W windows (30 years) and called a local glass company to come and fix a pane that had seal failure. The guy came highly recommended - the house is in a rural area and we are not locals so I always try to get recommendations from those who are.

He said the M&W windows are all due to fail soon and suggested we think about replacing them. He suggested the Alside Sovereign windows. I think its all he sells. He claims that is their top of the line model and the best window he's ever seen.

We are in the process of a major remodel and I have been wanting new windows for a while - old ones don't tilt to clean and are wood inside and out - in need of painting anyway. We think we should go with new windows but when I read the comments here on Alside I stopped dead in my tracks.

If they are not good windows, what else should we look at? The cost he quoted for the Alside was 348 ea + 45 install (40 x 55), low-e with grills on the top. Sounds like a great price but what do I know. I'm not looking for the cheapest price BTW.

Also looking for installers who service this area if we bypass the "local" guy. We're on Lake Gaston, in NC.

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PRO

HomeSealed Exteriors, LLC

7 years ago

Junk may be a little harsh, but I would not put any of their windows in the upper tier of choices personally. The Sovereign is typically sold as Revere, and is a rebranded Alside sheffield/ultramaxx. It a pretty old design, bulky, has a pocket-capture sill, and the performance ratings are nothing to write home about. The 8000 series is Alside's best window IMO, and even the Mezzo is better by the numbers...

You'll need to bump up the budget for a good window installed by a reputable company. Call someone that specializes in window replacement, not glass replacement company. Some excellent brands to consider are Sunrise, Okna, Softlite among others.

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Comments (6)

numbersjunkie
Original Author
7 years ago
OP here - just want to mention that Lake Gaston is about midway between Richmond VA and Raleigh NC,
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numbersjunkie
Original Author
7 years ago
Thank you Homesealed. I suspected the prices reflected the quality. I just wish I knew who to call in this area, So far, the replacement window companies I am finding near me all list Alside as the brand. I checked the websites for Sunrise and Softlite and they both show no dealers in this area. Not sure how far their searches went from my zip. Okna doesn't seem to have a place to search for dealers.

Help locating a "reputable" installer/dealer would be appreciated.
PRO
User
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
The problem with Alside: lets start with the Mezzo. The keeper which is the part that the lock engages with is very flimsy and bends rather easily. They also have to glue unightly square fuzz pads all over the corners of the window in order to help prevent air from coming into your home as well as help the air infiltration rating. Without those pads, the air infiltration rating will go up dramatically. The problem with those so called " fuzz pads", not only do they cheapen the look of the windows, they eventually fall off which requires the homeowner to glue the pads back on. You can literally glue pads on the worst window in the world and that will make the air infiltration number look good; but wait til they fall off....

those pads are always a red flag.

none of the higher quality vinyl windows need to use those pads. They design and engineer their windows in order to maintain structural integrity and low air infiltration ratings.

the sheffield and ultramaxx are so darn bulky i sometimes wonder if they were meant to be installed in prisons. They also use the always undesirable pocket sill or snap in sloped sill. You always want a welded sloped sill with no weep flaps.

the alside 8000 series is a decent window.

anyone that installs a window for $50 is a nut job and needs to take a class in personal finance. The installation material alone is almost $50 bucks.

you could even find a homeless man to install a window for $30. Im sure people have tried that.
numbersjunkie thanked User
numbersjunkie
Original Author
7 years ago
Ok. Understood. Forget the first guy and look elsewhere. Headed in to Raleigh today to check out an okna dealer. Thanks everyone!
numbersjunkie
Original Author
7 years ago
Looks like it's going to be tough to get a reputable installer who carries a quality product to venture the 1-1/2 hrs from a major city to do our job. We're halfway between Raleigh & Richmond. Any suggestions?

Are ALL Alside Windows Junk?

HomeSealed Exteriors, LLC

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