Windows--is this "normal production?"

8 years ago

Super long story, but our builder ordered windows for our custom home and assured us that we could have them painted whatever color we wanted. The results were totally unexpected. When I questioned the result, the builder said they just needed to be cleaned. Of course, since the paint went behind the grids, cleaning wasn't possible. A group of window people visited our house to determine what was wrong. One of the men actually said that it was the worst window job he had seen in 30 years. Six weeks ago, they told us they were going to replace all the sashes and that production would make up a sample for us to approve.

Today, the window company's owner met with us and told us that they window manufacturers had decided not to replace our windows because they had determined that this was standard production. Every single window in our house has paint that seeped behind the grids. He told us that he felt sure that they just needed a good scraping. We told him that the painter had tried and a professional window cleaner had come to the house to see if he could do the job. He would not take on the job because he did not want to waste our money. He said replacing them would be the only option.

Today, the window company owner took a new scraper to demonstrate that the windows just needed scraping and saw for himself that it only makes it look worse. The pic I'm attaching shows that even with careful scraping, parts of the wood seem to break away.

We are distraught and don't know what to do. This is our dream home and we have put everything into it. I ask you...does this look like standard production? Every single window in our house looks like the pics I'm attaching.

Featured Answer

grapefruit1_ar

8 years ago

I think that your GC and window rep have to have a serious talk.

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Comments (13)

millworkman
8 years ago
Are these windows with surface applied exterior muntin only? No spacer bar nor interior muntin? Not really clear exactly what I am seeing. What are these windows made of? Who is the manufacturer?
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PRO
toddinmn
8 years ago
Not sure what I am seeing either, doesn’t look pretty though. Not sure. I would trust them with a scraper either.
Yayagal
8 years ago
Time to lawyer up.
PRO
toddinmn
8 years ago
Not if they haven’t been paid!
kay kin
8 years ago
So sorry. Your problems scare the crapola out of me. We are building a house also and ALL window manufactures sound wonderful until you read comments, mostly horror stories about customer service. By all appearances you will have major issues with air getting between the double glass. They will cloud up and nothing fixes that but replacing them. This is not 'standard production.' This is a law suit. What company?
PRO
toddinmn
8 years ago
Condensation between the glass has a very low failure rate with reputable manufacturers. Almost all warty for condensation for 20 years.
millworkman
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
"By all appearances you will have major issues with air getting between the double glass."

kay kin, what from that picture would give you the indication that there will be "major issues with air getting between the double panes"? Just curious as I am still trying to figure out exactly what were looking at and I have looked at windows, doors and glazing everyday for 30 plus years.
millworkman
8 years ago
Why would the windwo company be responsable for the paint running behing the muntins if the painter painter the muntins? That would have zero bearing or responsibility of the window manufacturer, period.
PRO
toddinmn
8 years ago
You are painting vinyl windows?
millworkman
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
This is a cross post as the same post with many different answers and responses is in thte Building a Home subforum. Here is the link to the other post by the op.
shadylady2u
8 years ago
From everything I've read, I'd say the contractor and painter are responsible, not the window manufacturer. Doesn't seem to have anything to do with them at all.
millworkman
8 years ago
I guarantee that the window manufacturer was not aware at the site that this was a field painted unit (how he would not tell that just by looking is beyond me) and or he was not really a rep from the window manufacturer.

"I no longer think this has anything to do with the window co."

I think that is an absolute fact. In fact you may never get that paint out without replacement of the sash. As I mentioned earlier removing those muntins most often will result in one of two things: a) either the muntin breaks or b) the glass breaks. Sorry three things, both break.