Find our Soft-Lite windows FAQ below. Here we’ll look at all of the common questions we get about Soft-Lite windows. If you have a question that isn’t answered we invite you to post a comment at the bottom to ask your question. We read all of the comments and will be happy to answer your question for everyone to see.
Vinyl. Soft-Lite windows are vinyl windows. Vinyl is the most popular option for windows because it is durable, energy efficient and cost effective. Other options like fiberglass or composite windows are typically more expensive and less energy efficient.
Yes, they’re perfectly nice windows. Soft-Lite makes a range of options and some are defininltey nicer than others. Some of their designs are a little older than what you will see from other manufacturers with newer designs. Find our Soft-Lite windows reviews for more detailed info.
Soft-Lite is owned by Harvey Building Products. Harvey is a manufacturer and distributer of windows and other building products in the Northeast and they purchased Soft-Lite windows in 2016.
Soft-Lite bought the assets of Gorell windows when Gorell went out of business several years ago. That always seemed like a questionable business strategy because nobody wants to be associated with a bankrupt window manufacturer. It appears that the acquisition didn’t work out very well because Soft-Lite was later acquired by Harvey Building Products and they are no longer an independent company.
The pricing for custom made windows like Soft-Lite will vary quite a lot depending on the local dealer, the salesperson and the nature of the project. Soft-Lite dealers have been known to start out at very high prices and then use special sales and pricing gimmicks to get customers to buy on the spot without time to consider their options. This is a tactic used by many window sales companies and it is an indication that they are offering a bad value. You can find more info about common window sales tactics here.
That depends on the dealer you’re buying the windows from. Some Soft-Lite dealers can be very pushy with many pricing gimmicks like special sales that end today. If you get any of that nonsense from a window company you should move on and look for someone else. If you find a Soft-Lite dealer that has reasonable prices and a good reputation they might be a good choice. You can find our recommended options and even get quotes completely online with no pushy sales people here.
Yes, every Soft-Lite window is custom made to fit in your home. There are many available options, features and configurations for Soft-Lite windows. When your dealer submits an order to Soft-Lite they’ll submit the exact size and configuration needed for your project and then the windows will be custom made.
Do you have a question about Soft-Lite windows that was not answered?
Post a comment below to let us know. We’ll add your question to the list so everyone has more info. If you think we’re wrong about anything post that too and we’ll be happy to address your concern.
You can also find detailed window reviews here, recommended window companies here and common window sales tactics here.
Happy window shopping!
Hi I live in the Denver Metro area, and contacted Zen Windows here per your recommendation. They sell Soft-lite. I have a quote for 11 windows, and can share that if you would like. Both installed and uninstalled (I have a friend who is a former Window World installer, and still does side-gig window installs…and have seen his work so I am confident I will get a good install.). The cost for an uninstalled window is roughly $150 less per window than an install cost. Their warranty is ‘lifetime’ for the life of the house – fully transferrable to next owner(s), glass breakage, the whole thing. What happens if Zen goes out of business, and then I refer to the Soft-lite warranty; and what if they go out, too? (Please let me know if you want to see the quote I have…happy to share it with you.) Your site has been so incredibly helpful to me to get educated about different manufacturers and quality. Thx!
Hi Amy, I’m glad you’ve found the site to be helpful. The main warranty to look at is the Soft-Lite warranty because they’re the ones that will provide new parts if needed. If Soft-Lite were to go away then you’d typically be left with basically no warranty at all. That’s the case with every manufacturer so it’s not unique to Soft-Lite.
Feel free to send over any additional info if you’d like and I’ll be happy to help with anything.
While shopping to replace the windows in our home, I was seriously considering going with a Soft Lite window, the Imperial Elite. I stopped in at a local dealer and come to find out that this window no longer has a super spacer, but rather has been replaced with a stainless steel spacer. The dealer said that it was a supply issue due to Covid. Should I be concerned with the performance of the window and the construction using this new spacer?
I don’t think the spacer type makes a huge difference in ratings so it’s likely not worth worrying too much about. The difference between the Super Spacer and a stainless steel spacer is pretty small. The downside to the Soft-Lite Imperial LS window is the thicker frame it uses. I’d look at the VT rating to understand how the thick frame will impact visible light. It can sometimes make more of a difference than you’d expect.
I am curious, what is the VT rating? I spoke with a salesman today and specifically asked if the view would be diminished. He said, no. I don’t want to lose any view! Thanks!
VT stands for Visible Transmittance. It’s a measure of how much light gets through the window. It takes the frame and the glass into account so windows with darker glass and/or thicker frames will have lower VT ratings.
It’s most helpful when comparing options for new windows. You won’t know what the VT rating of your old windows is so it’s not too helpful when comparing your old windows to new windows. When comparing one new option to another it can be very helpful.
You can also look at the frame dimensions of the new window vs your existing to get a better idea of the potential difference.
Do your current windows have metal frames, or wood, or vinyl? That can be an indicator of the difference in glass area that you might see.
Hi. I also live in the metro Denver region just below 6000 ft. Zen quoted SoftLite windows without capillary tubes. Another vendor said I needed capillary tubes above 5000 ft. Reading online, most seem to recommend capillary tubes. I called SoftLite and asked. They referred me back to the local vendor, Zen. Any recommendations for argon filled vs capillary tubes at 6000 ft altitude? Do you know if SoftLite makes a version with capillary tubes? And finally, what that would do to window efficiency?
Hi Scott, windows without capillary tubes will be more energy efficient. If the local dealer, who has presumably installed thousands of windows, has an option that will work without capillary tubes you’ll be better off. For piece of mind I’d read the actual window warranty to see if there are any limitations. If not then you have the local dealer and the manufacturer telling you it’ll be fine. I’d say that’s a good indication that it’ll work out great.