Category: Window Warranties

Provia Endure Windows Reviews

Provia Endure is a window line that you may not be familiar with. While traditionally known as a door manufacturer Provia expanded into windows several years ago. The Endure line is their top of the line window model. Is it worth the cost and nicer than the competition? Is it worth the additional cost compared to the cheaper Provia Aspect window? We’ll see.

If you’ve recieved a quote for Provia Endure windows you probably heard all sorts of claims from the salesperson. The in-home window salespeople can be a tricky bunch. It’s certainly possible that the salesperson overhyped the products to try to get the sale.

Provia Endure window brochure and reviews.

What are the highlights?

In their marketing materials Provia talks about many features that are also available from many other window manufacturers. Things like 3-1/4″ jamb depth, upgraded balance mechanisms, reinforced sashes, dual vent locks, etc are all pretty common. A salesman might act like these are unique features but they’re not.

As an example, if you’ve seen their brochure for the Endure model you’ve probably seen this picture. It’s showing their sash reinforcement that they call Innergy compared to an aluminum reinforcement. The picture is meant to show you that the non-metallic reinforcement is much more efficient. What they forget to mention is that almost no nicer vinyl windows are using metallic reinforcement anymore except in specific situations.

Provia Endure features and options along with cost and warranty info.

As you can see in the picture the non-metallic reinforcement is better than aluminum but nobody really uses aluminum anyway so not too relevant.

In a similar strategy the brochure talks about Neopor foam insulation and barrier-fin weather stripping, both also very common options.

In short it’s a decent option but doesn’t really offer anything that you can’t get from many other manufacturers.

Do they offer blinds in the windows?

Provia does offer blinds in the Endure line, but that’s an option you might not want to rush into.

Provia Endure blinds in the windows.

While a lot of prospective customers ask about blinds in the windows it’s important to remember Provia only offers a 10 year warranty on them. 10 years can sound like a long time but it’ll go by in a flash. Blinds in windows can be a pretty expensive option too and if you need to replace them in 11 years get ready for a big bill.

If they expected the blinds to last longer they’d offer a longer warranty. By offering a short warranty they’re telling you that they don’t expect the blinds to hold up very long. I’d avoid that option.

What about the color options?

You can see the available colors for this window model below. Exterior colors have become increasingly popular and Provia offers a range of color options similar to most manufacturers.

Provia Endure painted exterior color options.

One nice feature is that the Provia window colors can match the door color options. That can let you get an exact match in your windows and doors which is unique.

Keep in mind adding exterior colors can add $200 or more to the cost of your Provia windows. You might consider white windows with a different color exterior trim as an option to keep costs down.

What should Provia Endure windows cost?

As you might expect lots of people ask us about replacement window costs and there isn’t always a simple answer. Everything is custom made and remodeling projects can be unique so prices can vary.

I’d say a reasonable cost for a white window with basic options would be in the range of $400 -$500 before installation. Some companies won’t want to break out their installation costs separately which can make things harder to compare. I’d say maybe $600-$700 per window installed is a typical cost.

Is there a Provia Endure patio door?

They do also make a Provia Endure patio door line and we’ll be completing a review on that product soon.

What about the Provia Endure warranty?

The warranty for the Provia Endure is the same as the Provia Aspect and it’s pretty decent. Like most manufacturers they offer lifetime warranties on their windows. There are however a lot of limitations.

For example, if the purchaser doesn’t live in the house, say it’s a rental, the warranty is only 5 years. In that case the warranty on the blinds goes from a short 10 years to a very short 5 years and there is no glass breakage warranty.

We’ll have a more thorough post on the Provia window warranties online soon. For now I’d say it’s a decent warranty but certainly not unique or any better than the warranty you’d see from any other nicer manufacturer.

So, what’s the bottom line?

Ultimately there aren’t really any patents in the vinyl window business. Most manufacturers offer a range of models to cover a range of price points. The Provia Endure window is perfectly nice but not really remarkable in any way. You can get basically all of the same features and options from many companies so there’s no need to fall in love with this one.

If you’re shopping for windows I do always suggest finding a great installation company before you fall in love with any particular window model. There are plenty of great window options out there but not as many local companies that are great to work with.

To find our recommended window companies all over the country check this section. If we know someone in your neck of the woods they’ll be listed there and they’ll be happy to help.

If we don’t know anyone local to you be sure to let us know who you find. I’m sure you’re not the only person looking.

Remember, for more great window company info you can find our suggestions for the best local companies in your area right here. There’s no need to work with a company that gives you the run-around or makes the process difficult. There are plenty of fish in the sea as they say. The best way to get started is to check out our list of great window companies.

Provia Window Warranty Review – Endure & Aspect

Is the Provia window warranty any good? Let’s find out! Here we’ll look at how Provia plans to stand behind their products both for owner occupied houses and for rentals or commercial properties. Hint: there’s a pretty big difference.

For starters, we’ll talk about the warranty for their most popular product lines the Provia Endure and the Provia Aspect windows. Then, we’ll cover the Provia ecoLite and Aeris window warranties in a future post.

Provia window warranty for Endure and Aspect windows.

Jumping right into it, you’ll see Provia offers a pretty standard “lifetime warranty” for these windows, but there are some important limitations to be aware of. If you’re wondering how long a lifetime warranty really is, we’ll tell you here.

First, the lifetime part of the lifetime warranty refers to the time that you own and live in the house. That’s important because if you rent the house one day the warranty will change.

What parts of the Provia windows are covered for my lifetime?

Not all of them and that’s worthwhile to understand. The Provia window warranty states that the vinyl structure, the insulated glass unit and the hardware are guaranteed for life. That’s pretty good as some companies will have shorter limitations on the hardware, but most cover the frames and glass.

You do also get a lifetime warranty on glass breakage and the screens are covered too but you should note that torn screens are not covered. That’s also pretty standard. No company covers ripped or torn screens anyway.

What are the Provia window warranty limitations?

It’s a common window salesman line to say that whatever warranty they’re offering is “unlimited”. If anyone told you that you should show them the door because that’s not how warranties work.

There are many limitations to the Provia window warranty. For example, the warranty wouldn’t cover damage caused by fire, windblown objects or lightening. That’s all pretty common as your homeowners insurance would cover that stuff.

Interestingly they also don’t honor the warranty if the windows are installed in ships or vehicles. So, don’t put them in your mobile home or yacht.

Perhaps more relevant, the warranty on the blinds in the glass is only for 10 years. That’s not very long especially for an expensive option.

Also, the painted finishes are covered for 15 years on vinyl windows and 10 on wood windows.

So, there are definitely limitations. The biggest limitation is for rental houses.

What is the Provia window warranty for a rental house?

It’s not great. If you’re renting your house now or if you might rent in the future this could be a big deal. The coverage is limited to 5 years for the windows, 10 years for the insulation glass, 1 year for the hardware, and there’s no glass breakage coverage at all. There’s also no labor coverage to fix an issue.

Ultimately by offering such a short warranty for rental houses, or any house owned by a business, church or organization, they’re telling you that they don’t want that business.

This makes sense since they’re usually priced high enough that a landlord wouldn’t by these windows anyway, but it’s something to be aware of.

Do they cover labor under the warranty?

No, there’s no labor coverage at all. That means if there’s a problem down the road that is covered Provia will ship you the parts but you’re on your own to get it fixed. That might be expensive, especially if the dealer you bought the windows from has vanished. That happens more than you might expect.

You may see that the dealer offers their own labor warranty. That can be great, but you’d want to get it in writing and then you’re still taking the gamble that they’ll be around down the road.

You’d also want to confirm in writing that their labor warranty covers repairs of a manufacturing issue. They might just be talking about their installation labor which will still leave you out of luck in certain circumstances.

What’s the bottom line?

I’d say the Provia window warranty is pretty unremarkable. You’ll find the same or better warranties from most of the nicer manufacturers out there so there’s really nothing special about this one. The lack of any labor coverage and the severe limitations on rental houses mean this is probably at the back of the pack when compared to some others out there.

That doesn’t necessarily mean you shouldn’t buy Provia windows, but when comparing your options the warranty probably doesn’t help their case.

For more detailed window reviews including many warranty reviews check this section. You can also find info on common window sales tactics here and you can find our list of recommended window installation companies here.

Have fun!

Andersen E-Series Window Warranty

The Andersen E-Series window warranty is definitely not as good as many other window warranties that we’ve reviewed. There are a handful of pretty major drawbacks.

Note: This post is talking specifically about the warranty on these windows. You can also find our reviews of the Andersen E-Series windows here.

When comparing window warranties it’s important to understand the limitations of different window materials. For example, wood windows like this one will basically always have much shorter warranties than vinyl windows. That doesn’t mean wood windows are bad or that I’m pushing vinyl, but it is important to understand the differences.

Here we’ll start by looking at how long the warranty lasts, what is covered and what is not covered by this warranty. First, we’ll look at how your rights under this warranty are limited and how you can change that if you act fast.

How does Andersen limit your rights under this warranty?

Andersen warranty waivers. If you want to maintain your rights under the Andersen E-Series window warranty you need to opt-out of this restriction.

The very fist paragraph in bold specifically says you can’t be involved in a class action suit and you can’t elect to have a jury hear your case if you were to sue. I’m no lawyer, but these don’t seem like restrictions you’ll want to agree on.

One can only assume they try to limit your rights in this way because they’re concerned about an expensive class action suit. That may not be a great sign for the customer. You can maintain your rights by opting out of this restriction and I would suggest that everyone do that asap. If you wait you might be out of luck.

How long is the Andersen E-Series window warranty?

You might see this advertised as a 20 year warranty that that would be partially true. The longest coverage is 20 years on the insulated glass units and some other components. 20 year coverage on insulated glass is a long time, but many manufactures offer lifetime coverage so it’s not remarkable.

The wood and composite portions of the window frame come with much shorter coverage.

The wood and composite frames have relatively short warranties. Wood frames only 5 years and composite only 10 years.

As you can see above, the composite frame is covered for 10 years and the exterior wood frame is only covered for 5 years. For windows this expensive that’s pretty short coverage. 5 or even 10 years will go by pretty quickly and then you’ll be out of luck if there’s a problem.

For all the talk about the composite frames from some of these salespeople I would have expected to see longer coverage.

You’ll also see the coverage on blinds and screens is pretty short. Can you believe the warranty on the retractable door screen is only 1 year? I bet that’s not included in the standard sales pitch.

Note some commission based in-home salesmen might tell you that “lifetime” warranties are actually only 7 years. This is not true, but it’s something we’ve ben hearing these guys say for many years. Andersen does not offer a lifetime warranty on these windows.

Hardware, weatherstripping, blinds and screens all have shorter warranties from Andersen.

Can you transfer the Andersen window warranty?

You don’t need to transfer this warranty. One way that many manufacturers will make warranties sound long is to require them to be transferred when you sell the house. They know people will forget to do that and then when there’s a problem there’s no warranty coverage. This is a little tricky in my book, but many manufacturers do it.

To their credit Andersen does not require you to transfer the warranty. The warranty stays with the windows when you sell the house and there’s no work required. That’s an advantage to this warranty over many others.

What is not covered by the Andersen E-Series window warranty?

There are limitations to any warranty and this one is no different. Andersen doesn’t cover things like glass breakage some other manufacturers will cover. Most of the other limitations are pretty common. For example, there’s no coverage for labor and no coverage if bugs get through the screen.

Interestingly there’s no coverage at all for paint on adhesion of paint or stain to wood products.

There’s also no coverage at all for trips to your house to show you how the windows work. If that sounds silly to you it does to me too. They actually list this twice in the same list of warranty exclusions. Maybe they get a lot of calls looking for in-person instructions on how to use windows?

Limitations to the Andersen E-Series window warranty. No coverage for glass breakage or instructions.
Here is the exclusion for trips to your house to show you how windows work. This is on page 2 of the warranty.
Repeating the same limitation to the Andersen E-Series window warranty. They really don't want to give you instructions.
Here is that same exclusion listed again on page 3. It’s actually listed twice in the same list. I guess they get a lot of calls for window instructions.

What’s the bottom line?

Overall this warranty isn’t great. That’s especially true considering the cost of these windows. As I mentioned in the Andersen E-Series windows reviews the windows are really pretty.

If you want the look and you’re less concerned about the price and the longevity these might be a fine choice. Otherwise I’d look elsewhere. If you’ve already bought these windows be sure to opt-out of the limitations on your rights. It looks like you only have 1 year to do that. I don’t know if that would hold up in court, but that’s what it says. Good luck out there!

Other Andersen window posts you might find helpful:

How can you find a great window company?

That part is easy.  Check this section for recommendations of window companies all over the country. There’s no better way to get new windows.

Other posts you might find interesting:

Soft-Lite Windows Warranty Review

Here we’ll be looking at the Soft-Lite windows warranty review to see if the warranty on these windows is any good. You’ll hear a lot of claims about window warranties from the commission based in-home salesmen so it’s important to understand what is actually covered, and what is not.

Before we get into that there is another important risk to consider. Soft-Lite is a relatively small window manufacturer which is risky. They were recently purchased by Harvey Industries in New England and that may provide additional stability. I suppose the jury is still out on that.

How long is the Soft-Lite window warranty?

SoftLite advertises this as a lifetime transferable warranty and that’s exactly what it is. The warranty clearly states that it’s good for as long as the original purchases owns and lives in the house.

Soft-Lite window warranty lifetime coverage and limitations.

It’s also transferable one time and then it’s good for as long as the second owner owns and lives in the house. Also, pretty good.

If a competing salesman tells you anything about a lifetime warranty only being good for a certain number of years he’s lying to you. We’ve heard that claim for years and have never seen any documentation to back that up. So that claim in is just a lie in my book.

Are there limitations to the coverage term?

Yes. If you don’t live in the house full time the warranty is only 10 years from installation and it’s not transferable. That’s a big difference. They also state that if the house is used for long or short term rentals the commercial 10-year warranty would apply. They even specifically mention VRBO and AirBNB so if you rent a room on the side your warranty might be very limited. Something to be aware of.

Here’s the relevant section on that limitation:

SolfLite commercial window warranty limitations.

What is covered by the Soft-Lite window warranty?

The coverage of this window warranty is pretty solid. They cover all of the vinyl frames, moving parts and insulted glass for the full term of the warranty. That’s relatively common in this industry, but we do see some window warranties will shorter coverage.

There are some important limitations and you can find those below.

What is not covered?

There are a few important limitations to the SoftLite window warranty. For example, the warranty on the internal blinds is only 10 years. That’s shorter than some other manufacturers, but similar to what many companies offer.

Another important limitation is that shipping of parts or labor to install the new parts is not covered. That means if there was some substantial failure down the road you could still be responsible for a substantial cost to fix it. You’d get the parts for free but the labor and shipping costs could add up.

There is also only 10 year coverage on painted exterior frame. That’s also relatively common.

In addition to that, glass breakage is not covered unless you purchase a glass breakage warranty with the windows. Without that optional warranty the only glass breakage coverage would cover a stress crack within 1 year of installation.

Soft-Lite windows warranty glass breakage coverage.

How do you register and transfer the Soft-Lite windows warranty?

This is an important aspect to note. The Soft-Lite warranty must be registered within 60 days of installation in order to be valid. If you don’t do that you might get no coverage at all.

Also, if you transfer the warranty to the next buyer of the house there’s a $250 fee. The transfer also must be completed within 6 months of the transfer of property ownership. If that step doesn’t happen the new owners would have no warranty at all. Fees for warranty transfer are pretty common, but $250 is on the expensive side

How to transfer your Soft-Lite windows warranty.

What else should you be aware of?

There are a couple more interesting aspects to the warranty. For example, if you have a problem and they deny your claim you can’t sue them. The warranty says you need to pursue your claim through arbitration. And, you need to do it in Ohio.

Arbitration is often confidential so you wouldn’t be able to see what problems other customers have had. They also say you can only enter into arbitration as an individual so there’s no opportunity for a class action claim. We recently saw Renewal by Andersen add this language to their warranty too.

I’m not a lawyer, but this aspect of this warranty doesn’t seem to be great for the customer.

Finally, they note that the foam filled cavities may not actually be filled with foam. That’s been the subject of lawsuits against other window manufacture. These other companies were advertising foam filled windows that were not actually foam filled. It sounds like Soft-Lite is trying to make sure they don’t get sued over that.

Soft-Lite foam filled windows warranty limitations.

What’s the bottom line?

Overall the warranty is perfectly decent. If you’re planning on renting the house or putting it on AirBnb I might suggest looking elsewhere but for an owner occupied house it’s a perfectly good warranty.

It does sound to me like they’re trying to make sure they have ways to deny claims down the road, but I suppose every company does that. Be sure you understand the limitations and requirements and you’ll probably be just fine.

How can you find a great window company?

That part is easy.  Check this section for recommendations of window companies all over the country. There’s no better way to get new windows.

Other posts you might find interesting:

Sunrise Windows Warranty Review

Understanding the warranty is an important part of buying new windows and this Sunrise windows warranty review is here to help you make sense of the options. We’ll look at the Sunrise warranty to see what is covered and what is not. Understanding the warranty is the best way to avoid disappointment down the road if something goes wrong with your new windows.

How long is the Sunrise windows warranty?

This is a lifetime warranty which means it covers the windows for as long as you own and live in the house. It says that right on the very top of the warranty document. It’s possible a competitor could tell you that a lifetime warranty is only good for 7 years, but that is not true. I’ve never seen any real info to support that claim so I’d avoid any company telling you things like that.

So, the warranty is good for as long as you own the house and it’s also transferable. When you sell the house you can advertise it as coming with a warranty on the windows and that might help your resale value. It can’t hurt anyway.

Note that when the warranty is transferred there is a $150 fee that is to be paid to Sunrise. If that’s not paid promptly I would assume they’re not going to cover the windows down the road. That’s pretty common and I think it’s a way for manufacturers to avoid covering windows down the road.

What is covered by this warranty?

The Sunrise windows warranty covers the window frames, the glass, screens, hardware and moving parts. Overall it’s pretty comprehensive. It even covers their Madera window trim.

What is not covered by the Sunrise windows warranty?

There are a few things that are not covered so you’ll want to be aware of them. First, condensation on the outside of the sealed glass unit is not covered. This could be on the inside of the house or on the outside.

Condensation can occur on a window for a few environmental factors. Usually it’s a result of excess humidity. It could also be an indication of a problem with a window, but the condensation itself is not covered.

They also don’t cover caulking which is pretty common.

In addition there’s no labor coverage which is also pretty common. If you have a problem down the road they’ll provide you with the parts needed, but you’ll need to pay for labor.

What’s the bottom line?

Overall this is a pretty solid window warranty. It’s comparable to what you get from other companies and it’s better than some. We do see the commission based in-home salesmen often being a little misleading with warranty info.

If someone tells you this warranty is “unlimited” or that a lifetime warranty is 7 years you can probably discount everything else they’ve told you. Once these guys lie once you can be sure there’s another one coming.

On the other hand if someone accurately describes what is covered and what is not then they’re being straight with you and that’s a good sign.

Other popular posts about Sunrise Windows:

How can you find a great window company?

That part is easy.  Check this section for recommendations of window companies all over the country. There’s no better way to get new windows.

Other posts you might find interesting:

Great Lakes Windows Warranty Review

The warranty is a critical part of buying new windows and this Great Lakes windows warranty review is here to help you make a smart decision. Many people don’t think much about a window warranty until it’s too late.

We see a lot of comments on the site from folks with window problems who are frustrated that they can’t get warranty coverage. There is one easy way to avoid that fate. Understand the window warranty before you buy to avoid frustration later.

I wrote a Great Lakes windows review yesterday where I said the warranty wasn’t as good as some others. In rereading the warranty today it seems I may have been a little too critical. Or, maybe not. Let’s find out.

How long is the Great Lakes windows warranty?

Like most warranties this is called a “lifetime warranty”. What does that really mean? You might hear a competing salesperson tell you that a lifetime warranty is really only 7 years. It turns out there’s no truth to that at all.

The warranty on these Great Lakes windows, and most other windows, is good for as long as the original purchaser owns and lives in the house. That’s a critical distinction because if you rent the house or if it’s a second home the warranty term is much more limited. You can see that specified in the actual warranty here:

If you don’t live in the house as your primary residence the warranty is only 10 years. This may sound like a long time, but in year 11 that distinction will be pretty important.

The term is also more limited after the warranty is transferred. More on that below.

What is not covered by the Great Lakes windows warranty?

The number one way to avoid being unhappy down the road is to understand what is covered by your warranty. There’s no point in being mad about something not being covered years down the road. Understand the coverage now so you won’t be frustrated later.

When you read the Great Lakes windows warrant you’ll see that there is a lot of language that will allow them to deny coverage down the road. That might make someone nervous about future coverage.

As you can see here, there are many ways for them to avoid coverage.

In the text above you can see they don’t provide coverage for things like “normal deterioration”. What exactly is normal deterioration and how is it different from abnormal deterioration? I have no idea.

Also important to note other limitations. For example the coverage on interior blinds in patio doors is only 10 years on the blinds and 1 short year on the exterior handle. That seems pretty short to me.

There is no coverage for condensation outside the sealed glass unit and no guarantee that the claimed efficiency ratings will be realized in real life.

Also, there is no coverage for caulking (this is very normal), no coverage for labor and no coverage of the installation.

There is a glass breakage warranty but it’s optional. Interestingly it only covered 5 broken sashes. That is a lot of broken sashes, but I haven’t seen other manufacturers limit the total coverage like that.

If you think glass breakage coverage is included you’ll want to get that in writing and that coverage is not transferable. More on transferable window warranties below.

Is the Great Lakes windows warranty transferable?

Yes. Like many warranties it does get more limited when it’s transferred. This usually isn’t a huge deal as the buyer of your house probably doesn’t know that and probably doesn’t care all that much. When you advertise the house you can say the windows come with a warranty and that’s usually where that conversation ends.

But, it’s worthwhile to understand the limitations after the warranty is transferred. For example, there is no glass breakage coverage once the house is sold.

The term of the warranty also gets much shorter after it has been transferred. See chart below for insulated glass coverage.

As you can see, the original purchaser gets full coverage, but the next owner gets a prorated warranty on the glass. Again, not a huge deal in my eyes, but something to be aware of.

Are the warranties for all Great Lakes window models the same?

Basically yes. There are some differences in the actual wording since some features like painted exterior or internal blinds are not available in the cheaper model. Overall the coverage for available features is pretty similar.

What’s the bottom line?

The Great Lakes windows warranty is pretty decent. There are a fair number of limitations. It also looks there are several ways they could avoid coverage down the road if they wanted to. That might not be 100% ideal, but it’s something you’ll find in many window warranties.

One real upside is that the company is owned by Ply Gem, a very large manufacturing company so you’d think they’ll be around for a long time.

Overall I would say you should understand the limitations and I would not let the warranty keep you away from these windows.

Other posts about Great Lakes windows that you might find helpful:

How can you find a great window company?

That part is easy.  Check this section for recommendations of window companies all over the country. There’s no better way to get new windows.

Other posts you might find interesting:

Polaris Window Warranty Review

Find our Polaris window warranty review here to see if these are the best replacement windows for your home. The warranty is an important aspect of a replacement window purchase. The windows will be in the house for decades. The warranty tells you how long they’re actually expected to last and what you can do if there’s a problem.

We know that the commission based in-home salesmen will sometimes make a lot of claims about their windows and warranties. That’s not unique to folks selling Polaris windows. It happens with just about every manufacturer.

That’s why it’s important for you to understand what the warranty actually covers and does not cover. Otherwise you may be in for some serious disappointment (and big bills) down the road.

What is covered by the Polaris window warranty?

It’s critical to understand what is covered and what is not covered by your window warranty. The Polaris window warranty will cover the window frames and sashes (the vinyl parts) for as long as you own the house.

The Polaris window warranty is more limited than you might expect. There is lifetime coverage for the vinyl parts but not much else.
Here you can see the extent of the lifetime warranty coverage. There is no mention of coverage for other components of the windows like locks, latches, balances, etc.

They also cover the insulated glass units for 30 years from the date of installation. That’s pretty good coverage, but other manufacturers will offer lifetime coverage on the glass as well.

That’s about the extent of the coverage. Note, there doesn’t appear to be any coverage of the locks, balances or other moving parts.

What is not covered by this warranty?

There are a few things that are not covered by the Polaris window warranty and the most important is labor. There’s no labor coverage at all here so if you have a problem they will provide the parts but not the service.

This isn’t totally unique as most replacement window manufacturers will limit labor coverage. You will sometimes get labor coverage from the dealer who is selling you the windows. Just be sure you get any claims about labor coverage in writing as it will not be covered by Polaris.

If the dealer is offering a labor warranty that’s great, but it’s important to remember it’s only good as long as that dealer is around. Those window sales companies can easily come and go. They are also heavily incentivized to make all sorts of promises as they want to get the sale. That’s why it’s important to have labor coverage promises in writing.

There is no glass breakage or labor coverage in the Polaris window warranty.

It’s also important to note that glass breakage and screen damage are not covered by this warranty. Those can be issues that come up more frequently than other problems.

As I mentioned earlier there also appears to be no coverage for locks, balances, latches or other moving parts. They only list the vinyl and the insulated glass as items that are covered.

Condensation is also not covered by the Polaris warranty.

Condensation on the inside of the house is also not covered by this warranty. That’s something that is not covered by any window warranty and it can be a common customer complaint.

How long is the warranty?

Polaris windows and patio doors come with a lifetime transferable warranty. That means it’s good for as long as you own the house and you can transfer it to the next owner when you sell the house.

This type of warranty is pretty common in the window business and you’ll see it offered from many manufacturers.

Once the warranty is transferred it gets shorter which may or may not be of concern to you. More on that below.

Is the Polaris window warranty transferable?

Yes. The you can transfer this warranty when you sell the house. It’s important to note that you (or the new owner) will need to mail a form to Polaris along with $100 in order to transfer the warranty.

In my opinion, companies will add these steps to the warranty transfer process in the hopes that some people won’t do it. If the warranty is not properly transferred and then the new owner has a problem with the windows they’ll likely be out of luck.

There are a few warranty limitations that will pop up when the warranty is transferred. For example, the insulated glass units will only be covered for 30 years from install or 10 years from transfer, whichever is shorter.

If you’re buying Polaris windows now and worrying about the transfer process later my advice would be to not worry about it. As the seller of the house you can advertise that the windows come with a warranty. You can leave the warranty form behind and it’ll be something for the buyer of your house to worry about. At that point it’s not really your problem.

What’s the bottom line?

Overall I’d say this warranty is not the greatest. With no coverage for glass breakage, labor or hardware and locks it’s much more limited than warranties you’ll see from other companies.

Usually you see smaller manufacturers making more generous warranty claims than larger companies, but that is not the case here.

Overall I’d say this warranty does not compare very well with other options out there. It’s better coverage than you’ll get from many new construction windows, but not on the same level as the coverage you see from most higher end replacement window manufacturers. You can find the complete warranty on the Polaris website here.

Other posts about Polaris windows that you might find helpful:

How can you find a great window company?

That part is easy.  Check this section for recommendations of window companies all over the country. There’s no better way to get new windows.

Other posts you might find interesting:

Vytex Window Warranty Review

Is the Vytex window warranty any good? We’ll find out here. It’s always important to consider the warranty when looking for new windows. Everyone hopes to never have a problem but issues can come up and a good warranty can make all the difference.

In my opinion, the Vytex window warranty will be a little weaker than some others because they’re a relatively small window manufacturer. Over the nearly 20 years I’ve been in this business I’ve seen many smaller window manufacturers vanish leaving all of their customers with no warranty at all and no access to replacement parts. That’s not ideal.

I don’t have any inside info into the finances at Vytex and I hope they’re doing great, but there is a risk there that shouldn’t be ignored.

What does the Vytex window warranty cover?

The Vytex warranty looks pretty good. It’s a lifetime warranty that is transferable when you sell the house. That’s relatively common in the replacement window business so this is good, but not really remarkable.

They do cover glass breakage and the glass breakage portion of the warranty is also transferable. That’s a nice feature, many manufacturers don’t do that.

Hardware and moving parts are also covered for as long as you own the house.

What doesn’t the Vytex window warranty cover?

There are some important limitations to the warranty that are important to understand. You can tell by reading them that they’ve dealt with the same type of warranty claims that everyone else also gets.

For example, they make clear that condensation and/or frost build up on the interior of the glass is not a warranty issue. It’s true that this is generally an HVAC issue, but I would say that’s not the case 100% of the time. Here’s the section.

Vytex window warranty limitations and exclusions.

They also do not cover caulking which is very standard. Caulking is usually part of a window installation, but it’s not part of the window so it would not be covered by the window manufacturer.

You’ll also see laminated and tempered glass are only covered for 10 years. It’s important to note that all patio doors have tempered glass. That means all of their patio doors only have a 10 year warranty on the glass.

You’ll also see the labor coverage is limited. If they installed the windows then they cover labor for 1 year. If another contractor installed the windows then there’s no labor coverage at all. You may not even know if they actually installed your windows as many of their customers will use their measure and install service and the installers will act like they work for the dealer rather than for Vytex. That part can get a little tricky.

What else isn’t covered?

Another notable exclusion is that crooked grids are only covered if they’re more than 1/8″ out of square. If the grids rattle inside the glass that’s not covered at all. I would say that’s not a big deal for 99% of customers, but occasionally there’s a customer who gets very concerned about both of those issues.

I would guess Vytex has dealt with enough of those folks over the years that they wanted to spell this out in the warranty. If you think you’d be concerned about grids that were 1/8″ out of square you might want to take note of that. See the exact wording below:

Vytex window warranty limitations regarding grids.

How do you transfer the Vytex window warranty?

When you do sell your house it’ll be a good idea to leave a copy of the warranty for the buyers so they can transfer the warranty. You can find the warranty on their website.

The warranty needs to be transferred within 60 days of the sale of the property. It’s also worth noting that the warranty on the insulated glass gets worse when transferred. After 10 years from install the coverage is only 50% of the cost and there’s no labor coverage .

You probably won’t care about that since you’ve sold the house. The buyers of your house probably won’t even know about it until they make a claim. I’d say that’s not a huge deal.

What’s the bottom line?

Overall I’d say the warranty from Vytex is pretty decent. It has some important limitations, but you’ll see that from every company. The insulted glass coverage is good. The glass breakage coverage is also good.

If you decide to buy from them you are taking the gamble that they’ll be around for the long haul. If they’re not you might find yourself out of luck.

How can you find a great window company?

That part is easy.  Check this section for recommendations of window companies all over the country. There’s no better way to get new windows. You can find my company here and you can find recommendations of other companies in other parts of the country here.

Other posts you might find interesting:

Simonton Impressions Warranty Review

Is the Simonton Impressions warranty any good? Let’s find out. The warranty is an important part of a window purchase and it’s often overlooked until it’s too late.

You’ll notice the in-home salesman selling Simonton Impressions windows will typically talk about a “double lifetime” warranty. That can be a silly term, but what they mean is the warranty is good for as long as you own the house and it’s transferable when you sell the house. So, double lifetime. It is a silly way to explain a warranty term, but so much about this business is silly. It sort of fits.

Here’s a quick chart that outlines the basic coverage:

So, you get the lifetime warranty on the vinyl and the hardware. That’s pretty common, most manufacturers will offer that.

Then, you can see the glass warranty is prorated after 20 years which is more limited than many other companies. That means if you were to get a seal failure in 25 years you’ll be paying something to get it resolved. That might not be the end of the world, but something to be aware of.

Note the lines towards the bottom sowing the blinds in the glass only have a 10 year warranty, the factory applied colors and coatings are only 10 years too and that can be a little short.

You should also be aware that the commercial warranty is only 10 years. That means if you rent the house the warranty is MUCH more limited.

What is not covered by the Simonton Impressions warranty?

There are a few limitations that you should be aware of. Labor is not included that means even if there is a covered problem you’ll be paying someone to fix the issue.

Other limitations include the caulking and products installed over three stores off the ground.

Caulking can be a common window issue, but basically no window warranties will cover it. Caulking is just part of owning a house and you should check it out every year or two to make sure it’s still looking good.

What’s the bottom line?

The Simonton Impressions warranty is pretty decent, but it has many of the same limitations you’ll see from most warranties. The term “double lifetime” is a little silly and Simonton seems to really be leaning into it.

If the salesman makes claims that labor or caulking is covered by the warranty you’ll want to get that in writing. Then you’ll want to decide how much faith you put into the warranty from the small installation company as that is not coverage that Simonton offers.

Overall I would say the Simonton Impressions Warranty is perfectly decent and I wouldn’t let it stop you from ordering these windows.

Other posts you might enjoy:

Simonton Window Warranty Review Reflections and Asure

When comparing window options it’s important to understand the window warranty. Here we’re looking at the Simonton window warranty to see if it’s any good.

How long is the Simonton window warranty?

To get started, you’ll see the Simonton Reflections and Asure windows are sold with a “double lifetime warranty”. Sometimes competitors will say that lifetime warranties are limited to only being good for a few years, but that’s just not based in reality. This warranty is good for as long as you own and live in the house and then the warranty is transferable when you sell the house. So, it lasts a pretty long time.

Now, that’s only the case if you own and live in the house. If the house is a rental or owned by a business the commercial warranty is much shorter. The commercial warranty is only 10 years and there are other limitations as well.

What is covered by this warranty?

The coverage from the Simonton window warranty is pretty typical. It covers the frames, hardware and screens for as long as you own the house. The glass is covered for 20 years and then prorated for up to 50 years.

Here’s a quick chart that outlines the coverage:

Here you can see the Simonton window warranty coverage.

What is not covered by the Simonton window warranty?

The biggest component that is not covered by the window warranty is the labor. The installation coverage and the labor to fix a warranty issue are both not covered by the warranty.

Now, you may be able to get some labor coverage from the dealer selling you the windows. The risk there is that the dealer could easily vanish in a few years leaving you with no labor coverage at all. Unfortunately that happens all the time.

Is glass breakage covered?

Not really. You do get glass breakage coverage on the Reflections 5500 model for 3 years, but no glass breakage coverage on the other models. There’s also no glass breakage coverage included in the commercial warranty.

What’s the bottom line?

Overall the warranty on the Simonton Reflections and Asure windows is decent. You will see better coverage from some other manufacturers. The big advantage to the Simonton warranty is that it’s backed by a large company so they’re likely to be around a long time.

A “better” warranty from a small time manufacturer who goes out of business in a couple years isn’t actually better at all.

As long as you’re aware that there’s no labor coverage and the glass breakage coverage is limited to non-existent you should be in good shape. If your project is a rental or a commercial project the commercial coverage is also pretty limited, but that’s pretty common too.

I’d say the Simonton window warranty should not be something that prevents you from ordering these windows.

Other posts you might find interesting: