We’re installing some vinyl tilt-pac kind of windows in our house, and I’m wondering what folks’ experience with Jeld-Wen windows are. I’ve installed one, which was pretty decent quality and went fairly smoothly. Do they hold up?
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Replies
I don't see why they wouldn't hold up, if you've installed them to modern day standards. I'm a fan of vinyl windows but I have wood in the place I'm in now.
blue
"...if you just do what you think is best testing those limits... it's pretty easy to find exactly where the line is...."
From the best of TauntonU.
I think Jeld-Wen used to be "Wenco", but I'm not certain.
I used some Wenco windows, and I'd say they were below average in quality. But that's been a while back.
One nice thing about replacement windwos - They're pretty easy to replace.
(-:
The neo traditional neighborhood with the 1 and 2 mil houses near me uses Jeld wen- I thought they were only wood windows.
Yup. Jeldwen is the parent company for Wenco, Summit, Pozzi, Caradco, Norco, and I'm sure a few others. They've dropped alot of the former names and call them all Jeldwen now with different line names. We used Norco for years and dropped them for quality issues (seal failures), switched to Caradco....dropped them after they became Jeldwen and we found a better product. I have Caradco windows in my current house with no complaints. I had Norco in my last house and replaced 2 sashes for seal failures after 5 years. No real complaints.
http://www.jeldwen.comJohn
J.R. Lazaro Builders, Inc.
Indianapolis, In.
What better product are you using? I'm looking at Jeld Wen because they do make wooden windows (what's spec'd for this job) and the jambs are super pressure treated AuraLast.They are changing the names of Pozzi, Caradco, and Norco to something like Premium Wood, Custom Wood, Holly Wood?The last Norcos we used had to have some impossible pans (spec'd in the installation liturature, which our inspectors HAVE to see), made interior trim way difficult.I was going to use Hurds, but they've quit making wooden sliders. "But to be honest some folks here have been pushing the envelope quite a bit with their unnecessary use if swear words. They just put a character in to replace a letter. But everyone knows what they're saying." Sancho FREE CAROLE
Snort,
We are using Biltbest. We used them in the 70's and they were an OK window if they were taken care or. My mom's house was built in '76 and still has the original windows with a couple of seal failures starting now. Anyway when our Jeldwen salesperson came to us raving about his new window line (he didn't really want to say the name), we were happy with Jeldwen. So we took a look at the Biltbest and they are VERY well built and have had zero problems in the year that we have started using them. For the last 5 years or so we have been using clad wood windows exclusively. Most Homeowners don't or won't take the time to properly take care of a wood window.
The impossible pans you refer to are on ALL Jeldwen windows. My rep told me just last weeek that they lost a lawsuit in CA (I believe) because their install instructions were not thorough enough, so they went way the other direction to cover their butts.
Another wood window we used recently per customer spec was Windsor. Very nice and the slider was phenomenal. Also have used Marvin and was impressed.
John
J.R. Lazaro Builders, Inc.
Indianapolis, In.
Hmmmm...I may just stick with the wood/fiberglass clad Hurds. Thanks for the info. "But to be honest some folks here have been pushing the envelope quite a bit with their unnecessary use if swear words. They just put a character in to replace a letter. But everyone knows what they're saying." Sancho FREE CAROLE
One of our suppliers just gave me the prices for a house full of BiltBest casement and sliders...very reasonable. Thanks for the tip.So,are there any installation idiosynchrosies I should know about? "But to be honest some folks here have been pushing the envelope quite a bit with their unnecessary use if swear words. They just put a character in to replace a letter. But everyone knows what they're saying." Sancho
Nope....a very good product. The ONLY problem we've had has been with the sliders. The tolerances on the head jamb have been too tight. We've either had to rip them down(1/16") or move them out a bit. I think you'll like them.
Good luck,John
J.R. Lazaro Builders, Inc.
Indianapolis, In.
Thanks John, I have to see if their U value is low enough. but other wise, they look good. Are you ripping the tops of the sliding sashes, or the keeper strips? Got about 17 sliders spec'd...
"But to be honest some folks here have been pushing the envelope quite a bit with their unnecessary use if swear words. They just put a character in to replace a letter. But everyone knows what they're saying." Sancho
U values were a little bit of an issue. The last house I had rated the window tags said U=.41 and SHG = .35 . But I was told that Biltbest was not happy with test results and they were getting retested.
Are we talking sliding windows or doors? I was talking doors. We pull off the top stop that holds the door in, pull the weatherstrip out of the kerf, shave a sixteenth of the inside, and replace the weatherstrip.John
J.R. Lazaro Builders, Inc.
Indianapolis, In.
Hey John, I am looking at sliding windows, I'm seeing specs for their casements w/low e, which look pretty good...I've just got to dig around a little more... "But to be honest some folks here have been pushing the envelope quite a bit with their unnecessary use if swear words. They just put a character in to replace a letter. But everyone knows what they're saying." Sancho
Jeld Wen owned several companies under different names. One of those was Wenco. They also bought out Frank Paxton Lumber then eventually sold it because they knew nothing about the hardwood lumber business. Just to show you how stupid they were. The first manager they hired had been a manager for Safeway grocery store. They ran it down and then sold the majority of it. A number of the older employees returned once it was sold to someone else. It is doing much better today. One of the first things they did was to bring in cheaper material and hire temporary help. We never thought much of their ethics of telling a salesman to work harder and harder until they ran him off. One of the top men had been with Paxton Lumber for 23 years and within six months he left because of their ethics.
I used to work at the Big Orange Box here in Toronto, they carried JELD-WEN and Farley windows. Between the two companies Jeld-Wen had the most complaints, their service department was horrible and impossible to get a hold of. The biggest complaints were the service calls (manufacturer following up with the customers was brutal). The hardware was pretty much the same across the board (Truth hardware for both manufacturers...I believe). Farley offered the better warranty and the Windows were better priced. On the bright side the majority of the complaints we got were for their wood windows, not the vinyl.
Hope this helps.
One of the brand names that Jeld Wen bought up is DF Windows, out of La Pocatiere Quebec (or that area). We've had good service with them, even replaced one under warranty that was more likely my fault than not.
Thats some valuable real world insight Diomedes. Thanks.
blue"...if you just do what you think is best testing those limits... it's pretty easy to find exactly where the line is...."
From the best of TauntonU.
Jeld-Wen is striving to provide quality and customer service.
They have made a few changes to some of thier designs to improve overall satisfaction.
Their customer service was phenomenal in my case.
They sent a rep to my house, ASAP. Problem solved. In 2 weeks I had a brand new octagon replacement and 3 transoms (the originals had some gooey, tape stuff on them from the shipping material and the hot FL sun)
just my .02
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WWPD
Read their warrenty. That will tell you more then anything how they expect their windows to preform.
I particularly like this little gem...
"If it is determined that the product does not have a defect covered by the warranty, JELDWEN may charge an inspection fee for any onsite inspection that is required or requested by you."
Jeld Wen bought Frank Paxton Lumber when I was working there and the place became a nightmare. They brought in a lot of temporary help and poor material. A lot of customers started complaining and dropped us. Paxton lumber had some of the top people in the business until Jeld Wen bought them out. Within a short time the mangers of each branch left or were fired. The first person Jeld Wen hired to manage one of their branches was a man who had managed a Safeway store. They ran the company down and eventually sold 1/2 of the company to another company who is now in the process of doing a great job. When they bought companies out they would require more and more of their salesmen until the salesman left and moved on. Jeld Wen hires a lot of business majors from universities.
Jeld Wen had posted on their website for awhile that they were an ethical company. Any company that does that tells you what they are not. Paxton Lumber proved it when they were given the Phillips Award for ethics in business ethics award in business which few other companies have gotten. Ask Jeld Wen if they have been given any award for ethics in business.