OK, so I had a house built for me. The builder recommended and installed vinyl WeatherShield “Vision” windows. I paid extra for the argon gas and low e coating to meet the recommended NRC???? window rating.
Now I am in the house and it is getting cold here in Michigan, I am not sure if I like the performance of the windows.
How are the Weathershield brand windows??? I originally though they were a decent brand. I know Anderson are good but they were cost prohibited.
Am I expecting too much??
Any and all comments are welcome.
thanks
Replies
I've heard others make negative comments about WS windows but they never say why other than poor customer service, which can be a local thing. I've used WS satisfactorily several years ago and I also have them in my house performing well.
What is the nature of your speific complaint? or what symtoms lead you to believe they should be performing better?
and
Are these authentic divided lites?
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My major complaint is with my double hung windows. Some of the lower sashes do not fit tight when closed and locked. You can move them side to side and feel the cool air coming in the gap on the side between the frame and the lower sash, where the weather strip is not thick or bushy enough.
I also have a top shsh where every time I slide it down, it fits so tight that the weatherstrip is pulled out of the sash and stay at the top of the window.
I have contacted the window salesman and he is suppose to be coming out to look at them, sometime??
authentic divided lites?
they were ordered specifically for my house it that is wht you mean.
authentic divided lites?
He probably means "true divided lite" (TDL), as opposed to simulated divided lite (SDL).
In the old days, when a window sash was divided up with muntins (bars), each piece of glass was individually glazed. This is "true divided lite" construction.
With modern work (especially double-pane), manufacturers will sometimes just apply a wood grid over a single piece of glass (and a spacer in the glass sandwich directly under the grid) to simulate the appearance of divided lite construction. This is known as simulated divided lite.
TDL & ADL are interchangeable terms, depending on which manufacturer is talking
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No, If each sash - top or botom operating unit is made a full sheet of glass with no doviding muntins you do not have any kind of division.BUt to emulate the look of colonial or georgian home3s from back when it was not possible to make a sheet of glass that large, windows sashes were divided into smaller sections with muntins between making the individual lites somewhere around 7" x 10" or whatever.With insulated glass, most manufacturers went to using applied muntins over the glass to simulate that look and keep a stylew of appearance. This often came out looking cheesy though.Many customers would be demanding authentic divided lites which means that each division had an independent pair of insulated glass at thesize, and something like six of them in each sash. But this also came off looking bad because the muntins ended up about 1-1/4" wide as opposed to older crafted muntins about 3/4" wide. The metal frame in the insulated glas made this necessary tho.Weather shield was the first to come out with insulated glass lited with smaller metal frames so that they could make true divided lites in responce to customer demand for this sort of detailing. They got muntin size down to about 7/8"But this sort of construction had it's own technical problems which I believe was the source ofmost complaints and troubles.I have not seen a new WS for seveal years so I don't know if what you say is a common problem or not. The symptom of the sash wiggling back and forth sounds like the window in question ( is it one or two or is this with every one of the DH windows?) was not installed with enough shim at the middle of the frame. take measurements to check.
Say if the topand bottom measure 31-7/16" apart but the center measures 31-3/4" or so apart, that extra 5/16" or more of spread is an installers problem, not the makers.
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I have weathershield.
Their warrenty isn't worth the paper it's written on.
Pro rated repairs and parts??? To replaced fogged glass after 5 years they were more expensive per pro rated IG unit then a local glass shop.
The one good part is they stamp the mfg date on the spacer bar... since all the units made on the same day failed it made budgeting their replacement costs easier.
Oh and at least on my windows, many of there parts were not generic and no one makes them any longer. I've had to scavange parts to keep lower sashes operating and screwed the uppers permenantly closed.
Wouldn't use them again if they were free.
Never used their vinyl windows, have installed some wood and clad weathershields. Always thought that they were a good middle of the road window.
Edited 11/5/2006 9:30 pm by BarryE
It could be the windows (defective, or improperly installed), or the immediate area around the windows (lack of insulation infill around the opening), or the walls near the windows ( lack of insulation in the walls), or the ceiling above ( lack of insulation around the perimete of the ceiling or lack of insulation in the ceiling if the attic is above), and HVAC system sized and installed with a "gut feeling". What I'm saying is it can be a number of things that were done wrong. Did you actually build the house or did you have the house built? I'd talk to the GC.
If it is the windows, contact the manufacturer, let them know of your problems, and also let them know that you have also used FineHomebuilding to get input from those in the trades. They will response quicker knowing that their product and sevice reputation is being discussed by a great number of people in the trades who have the power of God to spec out a window manufacturer base on performance, preferance, and what they hear from other respected sources, everybody that exchanges their experience in these discussions. I did that with Marvin windows and they sent someone to replace the defective sashes in a week.