When I built my house in 1990, I installed Hurd Windows. They were the “early” model sunbelter with only a 5 year warranty. Now almost all the seals have failed causing fogging. I need advice on how to replace them. Should I use a local fabrication company? How can I locate someone who can replace these panes properly?
I need 6 large fixed panes, 5 small casements, 6 large casements and 2 circle tops.
Please help me get our views back!
Replies
in my city of 300,000 there is only one glass fab place, they sell thru all the glass shops. their prices vary. ask around
Call around and find a shop that makes insulated units. Most will either install themselves or will recommed someone.
Ask what the warrenty is on the replacement glass, most is for only 5 years. Your looking at a bill of around $4,000.00 for your repairs... are the windows worth getting repaired?
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In my opinion, I paid for great windows when I built my house. The first pane failed after 6.5 years and 6 years later all had failed. I can't believe that local replacements would perform any worse. I agree that replacing the glass is expensive, but how much would new windows run? Indeed, when I bought my windows new, several publications listed them as top of the line. Should I expect a "top of the line" replacements from some other company to perform any better?
Andersen has a 20 yr guaranty and you may be able to just buy their sashes and install. It may would be worth doing the measurements and then going to a place where you could see demo units and check sizing. Or call HURD; if they have any standards, they should work with you -- I'd think they would want you espousing their response even though they were out of warranty -- might not be free like a warranty situation but they may offer a deal to protect their good name -- if you can't get anywhere with a cust rep ask for the supervisor.
Should I expect a "top of the line" replacements from some other company to perform any better?
Had a customer, after a lot of research, replace their 24 windows with Pella double hungs. Problems with the alarm and no alarm co. so I went over to help. I managed to crack one insulated unit by simply pushing the magnet into the minimal frame. I figured it'd be no big deal to get a replacement glass until I realized these didn't come apart.
Only solution was to buy a new slider from Pella, who won't sell without installation. Now the cost has gotten to several hundred dollars for one 3/4" corner crack in a small window. Yeow! Customer likes me and decided to live with the crack. I found rare-earth magnets for the rest of the windows. He's decidedly unhappy with his window choice.
Get some replacement glass for what you have if the windows are in good shape. The glass won't be all that expensive. Take a good look at whatever seals it. And when you come up with an alternative to replacing all the lites every few years, please let me know. There's a lot left to be desired with this system. I've got 8 failed window seals (3'x7'). Just replaced the lites in our doors and my wife is thrilled. PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
you wonder what process the glass companies use to make double pane glass. There seems to be no national standard.
the energy wonks who push DP glass ignore the cost of replacing te panes. Mine seem to fail only on the side of the house where the sun sihines on the window. Should a window be able to stand up to sun shining on it >?????? well maybe yes.
i have also never seen any study in a magazine on which method of manufacturing DP glass is better?
Mine seem to fail only on the side of the house where the sun sihines on the window. Should a window be able to stand up to sun shining on it >?????? well maybe yes.
We don't have any windows that don't get sun, but the majority of our failed lites are on the S. side. These were custom manufacture with a 5 yr warranty, just like the next ones will be.
When I enclosed a porch for my mother she found a Peachtree source for sliding door lites that had a no time limit warranty. Too soon to tell how the it'll work for those 8 lites. The ones I just stuck into my woodframe doors were only 5 yr and if I'd wanted low e, the price would have quadrupled. This program sucks.PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
I've been using hurds for years and have been happy with them. I have gotten replacement glass and all other parts from them for units as much as 15 years old. I think your best bet is to contact Hurd.
Mine are 20 years old with no failure.
Jeff
Spudco,
I kind of wandered over from the Knots forum..
I have the misfortune of having Hurd windows with heat shield 88 installed.. Builder insisted that they (Hurd) were the best windows ever, I wanted Pella.. I have replaced a slider that totally rotted (in 8 years) and fixed 4 others that leaked...
Getting to the point, I know that Hurd had a class action suit against them for the Heat Shield 88 seal failing (yes I have one seal failure). Might want to see if they will replace the product for you, or maybe the class action suit might help
The first windows to fail on my house were souther exposure as well. In 2000, I contacted the Hurd distributor in a city 2 hours from my house. I thought the company might wish to help me out. Indeed, I had convinced several people to use Hurd products on new homes across the years. According to their area sales rep, the "best deal" was replacement glass at a "slight discount" if I picked up at a distribution center and paid for installation labor. At that time, only 5 large panes and 4 smaller ones had failed. Since the "deal" only applied to those windows and the company had changed the product so that the window tint was different from my older panes, I decided to wait until I could afford to replace all the glass at once.
For me, this is a matter of quality and pride in my home. I designed and built this house to the highest standards I knew on a farm that took me 10 years to find. Whenever I do any maintenance or improvements to my property, money is a secondary consideration to getting the job done well. With that in mind, I believe I'll give some other company a chance.
Try this. Get the name of someone in corporate. VP of customer service, or sales, or manufacturing. You can probably find this on their web site. If not and if they are public corp them you can find it from their SEC files or many of the finacial/investing sites.
Or call corporate headquarter and ask for the office the VP of marketing. Then as the assitant for the VP's name and mailing address.
Then write then a letter about the problem and ask for assitance in solving it.
No guarantee, but certainly worth 37 cents.
And they can make things happen that won't happen going bottom up.