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jdeday

Pella Window Rot

9 years ago

I have 3 Original Pella Casement Windows and 2 Pella Designer series windows that have the typical bottom part of the sash is rotting. The local Pella distributor visited my home and quoted the following:

$320 each sash for replacement 25x65 Designer Series

$409 each sash for replacement 29x59 Original Pella

$420 each sash for replacement 29x65 Original Pella

The sashes are standard single pane glazing (without the interior storm panel), with primed interiors and do not include labor to install.
These prices seem high for just replacing a sash.
Pella is not offering me any discounts, even though my initial contact with the local rep indicated he was going to offer a discount and help me with the pricing.
I also contact Pella corporate Customer Service and they also indicated that they would not help me with the cost.
Options?

Jeff

Comments (16)

  • PRO
    9 years ago

    Not overly high for a sash. The sash is the most expensive part (i.e. the glass).


    The more important question is what do the rest of the windows look like? If they are of the same generation and lineage, you might want to select a replacement product that you are going to be running with on the remainder items.

    jdeday thanked Windows on Washington Ltd
  • 9 years ago

    Thank you for the replies. Attached are photos from 2 of the sashes. The one frame I repaired using epoxy due to the fact that the 70% of the bottom was completely rotted.

    The rep told me that rot this is not a common issue in my area. Pella wanted to sell me an entire replacement unit for the one window that had the frame rot. I was debating on going that route but after Pella's poor customer service interaction I decided that if I am replacing a window it will not be with a Pella unit.



  • PRO
    9 years ago

    Has nothing to do with the "area" of the country and everything to do with the window. If one of them is rotting, any of the remaining units with similar weather exposure will be well on their way to that same fate.

  • 6 years ago

    My Pella Proline sliding glass door is rotting out as well. The glass has held up fine.This is a well known issue w Pella, there was a class action lawsuit in the past.

    Pella sent a rep out who documented the case and said she would submit a warranty claim. It's been 3 weeks, I keep following up but no one returns my calls. I called the Grapevine TX local headquarters and asked for the sales manager but still no response.



  • 6 years ago

    Unfortunately, lack of customer service is one of the things Pella is well known for.

  • 6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    Here is one of my Pella Proline wood-clad windows before I replaced them all. As Windows in Washington said above, if one is showing rot, they likely all are, or are on their way. I got no help from Pella on this. Even the people who won in the class action suits got little other than discount coupons for more Pella windows to replace the rotten ones. I just wanted that bad vibe (and the water) our of my house, so I didn’t spend time waiting for Pella. @jft1314 - even if you finally get ahold of Pella, they’re not really going to help you, and they’ll drag it out too, hoping to exhaust you out of keeping on contacting them.



  • 6 years ago

    Thank you for the response. Do you think anyone could repair the doors? I know Pella will not repair.

  • PRO
    6 years ago

    At what cost is the larger question. What is the cost and is the inactive panel showing the same rot?


  • 6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    @jft1314 - as you can see from my photo above, my windows were beyond repair, so I had to replace. I wonder though if for you the repairing might be a “penny wise pound foolish” choice. Because by repairing, you likely are not fixing the underlying Pella manufacturing issue. I’d be afraid the rot will show up again in a year or two, maybe in a different spot. It’s a gamble. But if the rot does show up later after you’ve repaired, then your money you spent on the repair was a waste.

    Is it just your sliding glass door that is having the problem, or all your windows? If just the sliding glass door, why not get some bids on a new one (not Pella; look at Andersen, Marvin or Kolbe if you want to stay with wood-clad). Then see if the cost of the repair and the potential future risk, plus the aggravation and stress, is that much of a better deal than replacement.

  • 6 years ago

    What you just wrote makes perfect sense. I have been shopping for replacement sliding glass doors. Thinking about getting aluminum to avoid maintenance issues.

    My windows are all fixed pane commercial, I replaced several of the original single pane with cardinal glass and the seals fail every 7 to 8 years. So I'm not impressed w energy savings. My Pella doors have the original double pane glass I bought them in 1993.

    Thanks Again for the advice.

  • 5 years ago

    tfh

    Unfortunately, we had a similar issues of wood rot in in all three panels on the sliding glass door on the inside of the home. Pella was was contacted which they replied that the windows were out of warrantee and it would could $3000 per door panel + labor. I found out that there was a class action lawsuit settlement for said issue, but according to Pella its only for the casement windows. I argued that the manufacturing process is the same, wood the same, cladding the same, what's the difference? Pella class action settlement for casement widow only. So, got quotes for Anderson and Marvin, save my self $4500.
    These Pro-line doors were installed when the house was built in 2006, my fear is that this issue may arise in the 14 other Pella windows in the home.

  • 5 years ago

    "my fear is that this issue may arise in the 14 other Pella windows in the home."


    Reasonable fear and probably not far from the truth.

  • PRO
    5 years ago

    +1. Installed in 06, you are on borrowed time IMO.

  • 5 years ago

    Regarding Pella Proline windows, has anyone tried a new class action lawsuit? I've seen plenty of reports of Proline fixed, Lifestyle Series Dual-Pane and Pella®

    450 Series Fixed, and patio sliders which are not from The Pella ProLine Windows Class Action Lawsuit is Kent Eubank, et al. v. Pella Corporation, et al., Case No. 1:06-cv-04481, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District Illinois, Eastern Division. If interested please let me know and I'd be interested to participate. thanks .-Max