FHB Logo Facebook LinkedIn Email Pinterest Twitter Instagram Plus Icon Close Icon Navigation Search Icon Navigation Search Icon Arrow Down Icon Video Guide Icon Article Guide Icon Modal Close Icon Guide Search Icon Skip to content
Subscribe
Log In
  • How-To
  • Design
  • Tools & Materials
  • Videos
  • Blogs
  • Forum
  • Magazine
  • Members
  • FHB House
  • Podcast
Log In

Discussion Forum

Discussion Forum

Anderson Windows

ChrisV | Posted in Construction Techniques on October 6, 2004 08:32am

Hi All,

Well it’s late and I’m pissed. Several years ago I worked with contractors who loved Anderson Windows so when it came to window’s for my own house I went with them. I know there not the best money could buy but I always felt that they made excellent window.

With that said I installed some 3 – 200 series windows and 5 -400 series double hung/Tilt wash. Well finally after a year they have been installed I am getting around to putting in the interior wood grilles. On both the 200 & 400 series some of the vertical grille members are shore by +3/16″ overall!! I would expect some play but not this much! Realizing the 200 series is a cheaper line…ok..somewhat I guess… but on the 400 series…? Is it just me or has Anderson’s quality gone down?

Take a look at my attached photos, 119-1970 shows (200 series) the verticals of the top sash on the lower half and the bottom sash top half. The distance at the opposite ends of these is about the same.

119-1971 shows a 400 series with 1 of the verticals, opposite end is about the same distance..

Chris

Reply

Replies

  1. User avater
    jocobe | Oct 06, 2004 02:14pm | #1

    Call and b!tch.....they'll make it right.  They shouldn't have come out of the box like that but their level of service should resolve the issue.

    jocobe

    1. ChrisV | Oct 08, 2004 01:42am | #2

      Well I bitched and an Anderson inspector will be coming to the house. I will let you know the outcome.

      Chris

      1. User avater
        jocobe | Oct 08, 2004 02:15am | #3

        Cool deal! 

        I'm an Andersen Service Provider in Maryland......and committed to their level of service!  It's a great product!

        jocobe

        1. Schelling | Oct 08, 2004 02:38am | #4

          I am sure you do a good job, but this is not always the case. I have been waiting for over two years for a resolution of a complaint about delamination of the vinyl cladding on four doors. This is clearly a manufacturing defect and yet we are still waiting. Our supplier calls the Andersen service rep, "the Marvin salesman".

          1. User avater
            jocobe | Oct 08, 2004 02:52am | #5

            Forget the rep, call Andersen directly.........

          2. ChrisV | Oct 15, 2004 06:56am | #6

            Jocobe,

              The Anderson Rep came by today and inspected all the window grilles, he ageed that the gaps were excessive. He has to send me a follow up call, but it sounds like I will have a new order for grilles.

            What I don't get is I ordered standard sizes, therefore there must be other customers out there with the same windows w/these interior grilles....are they not complaining, are the installers accepting this as the norm? The GC's I worked for back east would never except this.

            Chris 

          3. User avater
            jocobe | Oct 15, 2004 01:45pm | #7

            Not very often, but from time to time, I'll see situations like that which baffle me.  I don't know why they happen.  I guess it's a big company and sometimes stuff slips throught the cracks.  Overall, I think they do a great job, especially with customer service.  Hope your grille issue is resolved to your satisfaction!

            jocobe

          4. jarcolio | Oct 15, 2004 06:03pm | #8

            Andersen has always been fair -- I like what they have and realize that it is not he cheapest but when I have a problem, I know that is why I had to pay a little more -- good example is a picture window we put in cracked on the outside pane, called Andersen and they were right out there with a new pane

          5. User avater
            Wayfarer | Oct 15, 2004 07:02pm | #9

            I went with Andersens on a 16' slider, and two other sliders (went Milgard with the windows) in a house I'm building--didn't pop for Andersens throughout the house.  A carpenter friend helped me (or I helped him) install all the sliders.  When setting in the four, four-foot panels of the 16' slider, we go to the second fixed panel and I hear this, "Oh no, it's cracked!" I'm thinking my buddy is having a go at me as we're clicking along with this install.  Nope, sure enough, there's a four or five inch crack/split in the framing of the this four by eight foot panel (I gotta imagine it was due to dropping this heavy panel somewhere along the way of being shipped and handled).

            I got the sliders at Home Depot and start the calls.  What a friggin' hassle; no return calls, no help, just no.  So I call Andersen directly and start working with them.  Each panel must run about $1200.  I suggest that I would be willing to repair the split/crack on my end if they would charge me say just $200 for the panel.  Nope, they'll have none of it, send me a new panel and don't even pick up the split/cracked one!

            I mentioned to the service rep that Home Depot (actually, one of the few Home Depot Pros) really wasn't doing them a great distributor service, and the rep replied that I should be working with Andersen directly on something like this.  I got the panel the following week and plopped it in myself.  Meanwhile, in the process, the HD rep kept calling me, always about two or three days behind of what was going on between me and the Andersen customer service rep.

Log in or create an account to post a comment.

Sign up Log in

Become a member and get full access to FineHomebuilding.com

Video Shorts

Categories

  • Business
  • Code Questions
  • Construction Techniques
  • Energy, Heating & Insulation
  • General Discussion
  • Help/Work Wanted
  • Photo Gallery
  • Reader Classified
  • Tools for Home Building

Discussion Forum

Recent Posts and Replies

  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
View More Create Post

Up Next

Video Shorts

Featured Story

Balancing Density and Privacy in Los Angeles

Four 2200-sq.-ft. detached homes provide flexible open-plan housing on this Los Angeles block.

Featured Video

Builder’s Advocate: An Interview With Viewrail

Learn more about affordable, modern floating stairs, from design to manufacturing to installation.

Related Stories

  • Podcast 551: Power Tool Batteries, Building as a Third Career, and High DIY
  • Podcast 551: Members-only Aftershow—Badly-Built Homes
  • Podcast 550: PRO TALK With Carpentry Program Instructor Sandy Thistle and Graduate David Abreu
  • Podcast 549: Energy Upgrades, Chimney Inspections, and Questions About a Home You Might Buy

Highlights

Fine Homebuilding All Access
Fine Homebuilding Podcast
Tool Tech
Plus, get an extra 20% off with code GIFT20

"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters

BOOKS, DVDs, & MERCH

Shop the Store
  • 2023 Tool Guide
    Buy Now
  • Pretty Good House
    Buy Now
  • 2022 Fine Homebuilding Archive
    Buy Now
  • Code Check Building 4th Edition
    Buy Now
  • Shop the Store

Fine Homebuilding Magazine

  • Issue 314 - April/May 2023
    • 7 Options for Countertops
    • Tool Test: Wood-Boring Bits
    • Critical Details for Ductless Heat Pumps
  • Issue 313 - Feb/March 2023
    • Practical System for a Seismic Retrofit
    • Fine Homebuilding Issue #313 Online Highlights
    • Practical System for a Seismic Retrofit
  • Issue 312 - Dec 2022/Jan 2023
    • Tool Test: Cordless Tablesaws
    • Gray-Water System for a Sustainable Home
    • Insulate a Cape Roof to Avoid Ice Dams
  • Issue 311 - November 2022
    • 7 Steps to a Perfect Exterior Paint Job
    • Options for Smarter Home-Energy Tracking
    • The Fine Homebuilding Interview: James Metoyer
  • Issue 310 - October 2022
    • Choosing a Tile-Leveling System
    • Choosing Between HRVs and ERVs
    • Custom Built-in Cabinets Made Easy

Fine Homebuilding

Follow

  • twitter
  • facebook
  • instagram
  • pinterest

Newsletter

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters

Membership & Magazine

  • Online Archive
  • Start Free Trial
  • Magazine Subscription
  • Magazine Renewal
  • Gift a Subscription
  • Customer Support
  • Privacy Preferences

Taunton Network

  • Green Building Advisor
  • Fine Woodworking
  • Fine Gardening
  • Threads
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Careers
  • Copyright
  • Terms of Use
  • Site Map
  • Do not sell or share my information
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility
  • California Privacy Rights

© 2023 The Taunton Press, Inc. All rights reserved.

X
X
This is a dialog window which overlays the main content of the page. The modal window is a 'site map' of the most critical areas of the site. Pressing the Escape (ESC) button will close the modal and bring you back to where you were on the page.

Main Menu

  • How-To
  • Design
  • Tools & Materials
  • Video
  • Blogs
  • Forum
  • Reader Projects
  • Magazine
  • Members
  • FHB House

Podcasts

  • FHB Podcast
  • ProTalk

Webinars

  • Upcoming and On-Demand

Podcasts

  • FHB Podcast
  • ProTalk

Webinars

  • Upcoming and On-Demand

Popular Topics

  • Kitchens
  • Business
  • Bedrooms
  • Roofs
  • Architecture and Design
  • Green Building
  • Decks
  • Framing
  • Safety
  • Remodeling
  • Bathrooms
  • Windows
  • Tilework
  • Ceilings
  • HVAC

Magazine

  • Current Issue
  • Past Issues
  • Magazine Index
  • Subscribe
  • Online Archive
  • Author Guidelines

All Access

  • Member Home
  • Start Free Trial
  • Gift Membership

Shop the Store

  • Books
  • DVDs
  • Taunton Workshops

More

  • FHB Ambassadors
  • Reader Projects
  • Podcast
  • FHB House
  • Customer Support

Account

  • Log In
  • Join

Newsletter

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters

Follow

  • twitter
  • facebook
  • instagram
  • pinterest

Join All Access

Become a member and get instant access to thousands of videos, how-tos, tool reviews, and design features.

Start Your Free Trial

Subscribe

FHB Magazine

Start your subscription today and save up to 70%

Subscribe

We hope you’ve enjoyed your free articles. To keep reading, become a member today.

Get complete site access to expert advice, how-to videos, Code Check, and more, plus the print magazine.

Start your FREE trial

Already a member? Log in