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Re: GBlist: Window Warranties 101 - Draft 1
Hi Chris,
I have three things to add from my own experience with windows:
1) I do not like seal failure on insulated glass. The SIGMA numbers from
1995 indicate an average failure rate after 15 years of around 5% for CBA
rated units and 13% for C and CB units. (The rate seems to be heavily
influenced by the San Francisco Bay area). My own experience in the
northeast is similar to these figures 5% to 10%. I've used Anderson (which
had an essentially zero failure rate back in the welded edge glass days -
although I had some of the ones that turned blue), Weathershield, Eagle,
Hurd, Pella (whose air - vented units survive transient fog), Hobeka and a
bunch of others whose names I no longer remember and they all had failures
within 10 years. The glazing, sash and frame elements of a window last
decades longer than that. I've restored or reused windows that were 50 or 60
years old. I think I'm going to take another look at air vented windows.
2) Some IG units are far harder to replace than others. Sometimes the sash
and associated components that actually hold the glass are designed so that
it is difficult or impossible to replace the IG unit without modifying the
sash or replacing it entirely. I'd ask about the ease of replacement.
3) A warranty is of no value if the manufacturer is out of business.
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