You can get a hell of a lot of repair work done for half of what new is. I'd investigate.

And what would possess you to use a company that already had their product crap out. Gotta love folks recommending TDL when they aren't spending their own money.

Thanks for the reply. Who would undertake a repair? Installers? The wood at the bottoms of the casements is getting spongy. These windows are all-of-a-piece, with divided lights. Pella doesn't make the style anymore, or yes, I'd thought we could just replace the casements below the archtops -- but nothing would match.

You would need a lights out carpenter.

Windows on Washington -- Sorry, just seeing your comment. What is a 'lights out' carpenter please, and where would I look for one? Referrals from a lumber yard?

IDK how one would fix a simulated true divided light casement that is spongy at the bottom -- isn't the whole framework compromised?

I'm unimpressed with replacements using wood now that I'm told the wood is new growth pine. Same fine quality that goes into making *paper*? Is fiberglass so awful? We aren't planning to stain the interior after all -- just paint it.

Lights out would mean someone that can machine their own profiles and is a trim level professional.

@chisue Given the poor performance of these 'clad' products, is plain wood a viable option? You can buy a lot of paint for this kind of money.

Like most products, aluminum clad windows are not all built to the same specifications.

For example a comparison between Marvin and another well known aluminum clad window brand.

Marvin Ultimate is on the left, the "other" company on the right.

chisue -- my reply was specific to the different types of aluminum cladding used by different window manufacturers and not related to different types of glass packages. Marvin uses an extruded aluminum cladding that minimizes contact between the metal and the wood parts of the window. Long term this does help significantly in avoiding the type of rot damage that you have seen in your windows. Andersen E series (aluminum clad) uses a similar style cladding as does Kolbe and others.

On the other hand, Pella uses roll formed aluminum cladding set directly against the wood as shown in the picture. Other companies such as Jeldwen and Weathershield also wrap their aluminum cladding directly against the wood structure of the window which is potentially much more likely to result in wood rot.

Curiously, Pella, Jeldwen, and WeatherShield all advertise how good their proprietary wood preservatives are at preventing wood from rotting, yet Marvin, Andersen, and Kolbe don't. Perhaps there is one obvious and very good reason for that related to how the windows are designed and built.

Also I wasn't suggesting that you should go with Marvin windows to replace the windows that you have now, I truly hope that they can be repaired, but just wanted to comment that there is no reason to avoid clad windows just because yours very unfortunately failed. .

oberon476 -- I appreciate your information. If our windows can't be *repaired*, I'll need all the help I can get with replacements. I still can't get over the idea that only one manufacturer guarantees their product for more than ten years. How are these manufacturers allowed to use the term "Lifetime Warranty"? I think it was Milgard that says its windows are guaranteed forever to the original owner, then for ten years to a subsequent owner. I don't think that brand is offered in Illinois though. Who expects to spend tens of thousands to replace a basic part of a house in such a short time? And, aren't our landfills already past capacity?

Wood has limitations. I don't care who makes it. Will extruded cladding, assuming design is adequate and comparable, last longer...most definitely yes. But wood, even good manufacturers, in an exterior building material selection is engineered replacement. This isn't your grandfathers timber any longer.