NA Home Window Repair Frustration NA

Graueradler

Graueradler

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Graueradler
I know this is an aviation board but there are people on here who know something about almost everything and people are responsive.

I have a 30+ year old house (1985) with double pane sealed windows in aluminum frames. Some of the window seals have failed at various times and I have had them repaired. The frame with the fogged up panes goes to a local (either of two) glass shops and comes back with new sealed glass.

Unfortunately, the repaired panes, or sliding doors, almost always fail again. They last several years, enough to get past the guarantee time of course. There have been no additional failures of original panes for a long time.

Anyone have any hints on how to achieve long term successful repairs.
 
Hire a guy to replace them with the latest and greatest, I'm not that guy so probably no real help
but My buddy does the swap outs and from what he says they will pay for themselves over time in energy savings
Also I hear it's not real pricey but never followed up on it, and that term it's different for everyone depending on squeak factor. :)
 
Depends on the series of andersons, think it's like 200 and 400 series.

Up here in the real weather most everyone has Anderson windows and doors, all my windows and opening 3 point locking glass doors are Anderson varnished 400s with full brass hardware, I've been very happy with them and I'll be buying more when I remodel the guest house.
 
Are they South or West facing windows? They can take a lot of abuse from the sun. Some people put window tint film on the interior pane which generally voids the warranty because it causes heat buildup between the panes and can damage the seal. You can get energy efficient windows that have a tint applied to the inner surface of the outer pane.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
Sick of my windows, about to spring for all new Pellas
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+1.

Installed Pella windows on my last two builds.
I'm in a location where winter temps can get down to -30 deg.
Made the mistake of trying something else on one of my small outbuildings. Never again.
 
The Pella or Anderson windows you get in Minnesota are not the same as the Pella or Anderson windows you get in Texas. These brands have several manufacturing sites and make windows for the respective markets. Also, all of them have different lines sold through different outlets. Makes it difficult to issue general proclamations about quality.

As for your problem: With standard sizes, you can at times replace the entire pane for not much more than a re-seal. If you dont get good mileage out of the seal jobs that may be a more economical option than replacing frames and all.
 
Shepherd said:
Pella or Marvin. Andersons are not as good as they used to be.
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Pella makes a good window but their customer support sucks big time. I replaced my 30 year old Anderson builder's grade (admittedly crap) with that, going through the Pella-branded local distributor who did an absolutely **** poor installation and refused to fix issues. Subsequent issues (broken pane, failed casement actuator) was a pain in the butt. National Pella won't deal with individuals and the local guys are unresponsive. Sorry, but I'll never buy Pella again.

My Anderson architect series are marvelous. All my windows and "patio" doors are these Anderson. Great experience here.
 
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Nearly all of the windows face west. The house was built when energy was cheaper. Every room has a sliding glass door facing the lake except the living room. It has two, one facing south, the other north. It is Arkansas so we have moderate winters but sometimes ice forms on the inside of the aluminum frames. These must be contractor grade windows but I don't find any brand marking.

It seems like I should be able to just replace the removable parts (panes with their individual frames) without having to replace the framing built into the house.

The reviews that I see on the internet vary widely on all brands. It must depend on which line of a brand you buy

What type of frames are preferred if I just replace them all.
 
Graueradler said:
The reviews that I see on the internet vary widely on all brands. It must depend on which line of a brand you buy

What type of frames are preferred if I just replace them all.
Click to expand...

If ice forms on them in the winter, a replacement is going to pay for itself.

I've had anodized aluminum outside and stained wood inside which was the prettiest and very durable. In the current home it's just all white vinyl. Don't care much for the look but you can't beat the ease of maintenance.
 
we had a few windows that formed that "film" on the inside of the double panes. None were repaired. The manufacturer sent someone out there, and they were replaced. Granted, our house was newer, but my point being that they didn't even bother repairing them. Either it's cheaper for the manufacturer to replace them or repairs don't hold up as well. I'm guessing a combination of both.
 
We have Simonton windows, 43 to be exact, they have a lifetime warranty, we have a had a few that have lost the seal over the years and it is hassle free to get the replacements, even after 15 years, My window guy who works for a large building suppy house wholesaler told me the key is to keep your paperwork, he also told me that Simonton are as good as any others out there, he has seen Pella and Anderson lose the seal fairly quickly so it is a crap shoot at best
 
Graueradler said:
Nearly all of the windows face west. The house was built when energy was cheaper. Every room has a sliding glass door facing the lake except the living room. It has two, one facing south, the other north. It is Arkansas so we have moderate winters but sometimes ice forms on the inside of the aluminum frames. These must be contractor grade windows but I don't find any brand marking.

It seems like I should be able to just replace the removable parts (panes with their individual frames) without having to replace the framing built into the house.

The reviews that I see on the internet vary widely on all brands. It must depend on which line of a brand you buy

What type of frames are preferred if I just replace them all.
Click to expand...

Pella has a distributor in North Little Rock just off I-430 on Maumelle Rd. They have a showroom as well if you want to look and touch.

http://www.littlerockwindowreplacement.com/
 
If the rest of the window is in good shape, the pane should be able to be replaced and not fog up. Something is goofy. A good window/glass guy should be able to figure it out. There may be something about the window construction that is conducive to water getting inside the double pane. Double panes can be totally sealed shut, I believe.
 
I thought the only "repair" for a double-pane window was to replace the glass as a package. Once the seal breaks, it's done. Moisture/condensation gets inside and shows the insulating air gap isn't working the way it's supposed to. Aluminum frames will transfer heat pretty quickly, you said you'd get ice on the inside. Maybe look at a vinyl or wood door next time. They might be able to use the same tracks. The low-e types will also have that IR reflective tint on the inner surface of the outer pane.
 
Matthew said:
I thought the only "repair" for a double-pane window was to replace the glass as a package. Once the seal breaks, it's done. Moisture/condensation gets inside and shows the insulating air gap isn't working the way it's supposed to. Aluminum frames will transfer heat pretty quickly, you said you'd get ice on the inside. Maybe look at a vinyl or wood door next time. They might be able to use the same tracks. The low-e types will also have that IR reflective tint on the inner surface of the outer pane.
Click to expand...

The repairs have been a total replacement of the glass unit with new sealed double pane glass. I'm going to take some pretty exact measurements and see if I can fine replacement panels
 
Sealed insulating glass units don't last forever. The shop should be using synthetic sealants (urethane or silicone based) and those should have at least a 10 year warranty. If they're still using organic sealants find a new glass shop. There's desiccant inside the spacer metal to absorb any moisture and once that's saturated you see fog. Try getting argon filled IG units and make sure the clearance in your sashes allow for some expansion/contraction. If you're using a glazing compound that hardens you may be causing the failure. Try setting the new glass in glazing tape and seal the exterior stop edge with a small heel bead of silicone.
 
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