Well you were given the wrong information on Andersen's warranty. It has always been 20 years on the glass and 10 years on the other parts. It looks like the stucco was installed right up to the bottom of the windows and now the framing lumber has shrank settled and the stucco has not moved causing the stucco to push up on the sills of the windows. That's why Andersen's installation instruction say to leave 1/2" clearance from the top of the masonry to the bottom of any portion of the sill. Failure to do so could result in product damage that is not covered by their warranty because it is an installation issue, not a product issue.
That's typically where the 400 series units crack at especially in hotter climates or where there are bigger temperature swings. Also if the exterior of the window is under stress from stone or brick being too tight that can also lead to cracking on the 400 series. Once they start cracking they're tough to seal up . I wonder if the fibrex windows which are the A-series or the cladded exterior windows which are the E-Series would have held up better however they are considerably more expensive than the 400 series
I'm sure Andersen knows all the short comings of the 400 series now. But how do you trust a company that does not support their customers who paid a premium for their "best" windows at the time of purchase? Of course they have a better product now. But at the expense of some customers who turned out to be the proving ground for R&D. At the rate of decline of the 400 series, they had to produce something better or risk going out of business. My windows were less than 10 years old when they started to crack. How can that be OK?
@@mikepayne2572 400 series is absolutely not their best. As a homeowner, I feel for you. But, For excessive heat areas, dealer should have sold you Eagle (E series), which it sounded like you thought you had. Eagle has Aluminum clad frames for heat. E series is also a division of Andersen and an excellent choice. At best, the should have offered you a new frame for the 400 series window under the 10 year mark, no labor. But someone would need to remove/uninstall the original, swap out sashes and hardware and install new framed unit. 400 series along with ANY vinyl window is not best choice for Midwest homes or areas with excessive heat. Typical life for windows in Arizona ONLY is 15-20 years maybe before the excessive heat, dark colors or reflective materials can begin to warp, bend or crack any vinyl, including windows made exclusively of vinyl. Windows should have been triple pane aluminum clad, my friend. Sorry this happened though. Best of luck.
i messed up & just bought anderson 100 windows for a new home. they had a display i saw & it worked perfectly smooth. my windows are teribly hard to open & close. wish i had seen this before i bought mine.
Andersen E-Series and 400 are different windows. E-series should have been your choice. They are more durable in your extreme climate. I agree that andersen should stand behind this product.
I can't believe this company sent you a freakin' puddy stick. So the options in the contract break down to either replacement or a puddy stick. Why would anyone think that was even a consideration when signing those papers? A puddy stick? Unreal. We won't be using these guys. Thanks for the education.
I've watched the video several time's, and I see a lot of variations in the gaps between the windows and the frames. Don't know if the windows were installed wrong or the house is settling, but know manufacturer is going to warranty it.
Thank you for watching and commenting. The windows were installed by a very large Andersen Authorized dealer. They did the entire install start to finish. They "guaranteed" all their work including the install, so they have no-one to point a finger at other then their own authorized dealer.
I totally agree with you, I have had to deal with Anderson and all they fo is make excuses for their windows and don't back up their product. I will never purchase them again and all they want to do is sell you more, they totally suck!!!
I'd go with aq silicone caulking. The stuff they sent you looks stiff/brittle and will dry out in the heat. Either way, I'd be pissed if they all start doing that.
My understanding is that E series and 400 Series are two different products. Looks like you have 400 series. Who ever told you it was Andersen's best available lied.
I think he said 400 with E glass? Non of it makes sense …. 400 is supposed to have “fibrex” not vinyl …. and many of the pics show warped and cracked vinyl. I’m confused.
So sorry for what you had to go through. Looks like that dealer sold you the wrong Andersen window for your climate. 400 series has a permashield/vinyl cladding that is a big NONO in Arizona. That sales rep messed you up not Andersen. He/She should have sold you the A or E series and if they didn't have access to those windows they should have referred you to a different dealer.
Thanks for watching and the comment. I'm not sure if they were installed correctly or not. A very large window company in the Phoenix metro area who sells for Andersen installed the windows. After the original install they looked true. The warping started within a couple of years. I believe the warping of the Vinyl is the design of the windows and poor materials. In the end, I'm sure of 1 thing. My Andersen Windows did not hold up. I'm looking at a large bill to replace an inferior product. Sending out epoxy kits for windows that fail, warp, and crack in less than 10 years is a poor corporate decision by Andersen.
@@mikepayne2572 that’s tough man, honestly idk if you checked out Renewal it may of been a littler more but you’d be golden. But if you used a certified Installer everything should of been done to spec and they should take care of you
I feel bad for you. I have often said the best place to get ripped off, is with replacement windows.Proof: look how many replacement windows are used to replace other replacement windows. Built our house over 30 years ago. Wanted wide grids like Williamsburg Va.( historic look). Builder wanted the "new type". Went with all wood M&W historic style.Added storms. Oh, I has some issues with sills and brick moldings but never what you have shown. Storms are a bit of a pain but If I could get same windows on a rebuild I would. I cannot trust any of them. A tip: never buy a decking product that is a wrap. Watch what siding you use. Some of the new stuff is born to fail.
@@mikepayne2572 Good luck. It is a hard thing to deal with. They all seem to be full of crap and products they want you to buy are untested in the field. My son built a super expensive house and I told him windows were one of the top things to think about. They started fogging up the first year and company would not fix them. The builder did get someone else to replace them. A person should not have to buy windows but once in his life per house.
When i purchased the 400 series, it was sold to me as the best available. The Renewal series might be a better product. But what if it is not. History tells me not to trust a company as big as Andersen that does not stand behind its products with actions that support the customer.
Mike i use to be a custom home builder. it looks like you live in a extreme heat area maybe Arizona. Vinyl windows of any kind will warp in the heat. All the warranties from window companies are just like Anderson. If your looking to replace look into Milgard Fiberglass windows as fiberglass holds up better in extreme heat. BTW Pella would have responded the same way as Anderson has.
@@mikepayne2572 I believe Pella also makes fiberglass windows but I don’t like Pella as I’m a professional window cleaner and there not fun to clean as there’s 4 separate panes of glass to clean, not inexpensive for the homeowner either
@@tiajohnson3848 Im not sure how they will hold up for anyone. Yes, I do live in the desert of Phoenix, AZ. After "experimenting" with vinyl windows, I will never do them again. I was duped by the word "guaranteed," only to find out the hard way that the company does not back up its claims.
@@tiajohnson3848 Your in an extreme cold area and its not as bad on windows as extreme heat. That being said I'm looking into the Anderson 100or 400 series myself they are made of fiberon composite which is 40% wood and 60% vinyl. In your area I believe the divided glass is still very popular and they usually use single or double hung and not casement style. I myself look at the glass as being the most important part of window and recommend Cardinal glass! Hope this helps
Understood, however, I raised these concerns numerous times before I made the purchase. Andersen assured us they were very well proven to hold up in all climates. Hopefully others can save themselves from the same mistake.
@@mikepayne2572 THANK YOU for this video. You have literally saved me thousands of dollars, as I'm in the process of selecting replacement windows. I'll completely stay away from vinyl.
I have to say you did a very bad job applying the epoxy but on the other hand they should send a tech out there to do it for you. Shouldn’t put that in your hands.
Fair statement. However as stated in the video, I have tried numerous epoxies and attempts. I followed all of Andersen's instructions for the first 2 attempts. Those fixes lasted less than 3 months. The point of the video is to show the extreme warping of the windows themselves.
It's a shame that is what you got from the video. That is not the point of the video. How about spending 10's of thousands of dollars on windows that should last decades, only to crack and warp at less than 10 years old.
We received a quote from Renewal by Anderson of $56,000 for four plain jane french doors. We're still laughing and love our Marvin product .
Well you were given the wrong information on Andersen's warranty. It has always been 20 years on the glass and 10 years on the other parts. It looks like the stucco was installed right up to the bottom of the windows and now the framing lumber has shrank settled and the stucco has not moved causing the stucco to push up on the sills of the windows. That's why Andersen's installation instruction say to leave 1/2" clearance from the top of the masonry to the bottom of any portion of the sill. Failure to do so could result in product damage that is not covered by their warranty because it is an installation issue, not a product issue.
Should’ve gone with Renewal by Andersen and gotten Fibrex exterior. Andersen builder grade windows will do this. Fibrex will last a lifetime.
I have the same windows and have been having the same issue with them. I will be replacing them this year at great expense.
I had vinyl, not fiberglass like Anderson likes to boast about their windows, installed 25 years ago, still working and looking great.
Renewal by Andersen is the way to go
Andersen quoted gave me a quote saying my 8 year old home windows failed. The price was almost the cost of my home.
That's typically where the 400 series units crack at especially in hotter climates or where there are bigger temperature swings. Also if the exterior of the window is under stress from stone or brick being too tight that can also lead to cracking on the 400 series. Once they start cracking they're tough to seal up . I wonder if the fibrex windows which are the A-series or the cladded exterior windows which are the E-Series would have held up better however they are considerably more expensive than the 400 series
I'm sure Andersen knows all the short comings of the 400 series now. But how do you trust a company that does not support their customers who paid a premium for their "best" windows at the time of purchase? Of course they have a better product now. But at the expense of some customers who turned out to be the proving ground for R&D. At the rate of decline of the 400 series, they had to produce something better or risk going out of business.
My windows were less than 10 years old when they started to crack. How can that be OK?
@@mikepayne2572 400 series is absolutely not their best. As a homeowner, I feel for you. But, For excessive heat areas, dealer should have sold you Eagle (E series), which it sounded like you thought you had. Eagle has Aluminum clad frames for heat. E series is also a division of Andersen and an excellent choice. At best, the should have offered you a new frame for the 400 series window under the 10 year mark, no labor. But someone would need to remove/uninstall the original, swap out sashes and hardware and install new framed unit. 400 series along with ANY vinyl window is not best choice for Midwest homes or areas with excessive heat. Typical life for windows in Arizona ONLY is 15-20 years maybe before the excessive heat, dark colors or reflective materials can begin to warp, bend or crack any vinyl, including windows made exclusively of vinyl. Windows should have been triple pane aluminum clad, my friend. Sorry this happened though. Best of luck.
My install crew will not install any brand fiberglass/ fibrex material. They are life long master installers and say it simply cracks when installing.
Wrong
Thank you for sharing this. Unreal.
i messed up & just bought anderson 100 windows for a new home. they had a display i saw & it worked perfectly smooth. my windows are teribly hard to open & close. wish i had seen this before i bought mine.
Thanks for the warnings, I'm going with Magic Windows.
Did the same problem occur in covered areas?
Ed
Andersen E-Series and 400 are different windows. E-series should have been your choice. They are more durable in your extreme climate. I agree that andersen should stand behind this product.
Glad I watched this!! I'm going to pella.
I wonder how they warranty an aluminum frame..... if they even offer that??
Pella sucks
I can't believe this company sent you a freakin' puddy stick. So the options in the contract break down to either replacement or a puddy stick. Why would anyone think that was even a consideration when signing those papers? A puddy stick? Unreal. We won't be using these guys. Thanks for the education.
Castle windows bro! Only True lifetime warranty! Hope everything works out for you!! Beautiful home. Beautiful location!
Andersen you need to look at this!
Wow, a large company noy giving a shit about you once they got paid! Than never happens!!
I've watched the video several time's, and I see a lot of variations in the gaps between the windows and the frames. Don't know if the windows were installed wrong or the house is settling, but know manufacturer is going to warranty it.
Thank you for watching and commenting. The windows were installed by a very large Andersen Authorized dealer. They did the entire install start to finish. They "guaranteed" all their work including the install, so they have no-one to point a finger at other then their own authorized dealer.
Dig the Brady Bunch Astro Turf lawn.
I totally agree with you, I have had to deal with Anderson and all they fo is make excuses for their windows and don't back up their product. I will never purchase them again and all they want to do is sell you more, they totally suck!!!
I'd go with aq silicone caulking. The stuff they sent you looks stiff/brittle and will dry out in the heat. Either way, I'd be pissed if they all start doing that.
My understanding is that E series and 400 Series are two different products. Looks like you have 400 series. Who ever told you it was Andersen's best available lied.
I think he said 400 with E glass? Non of it makes sense …. 400 is supposed to have “fibrex” not vinyl …. and many of the pics show warped and cracked vinyl. I’m confused.
Thank you sir for sharing. Just waiting for quotes with Andersen . We build a house in California, so looks like may have same problems.
I thought Andersen 400 is fibrex. WHy is it vinyl?
It's the Home Depot grade or not Andersen.
So sorry for what you had to go through. Looks like that dealer sold you the wrong Andersen window for your climate. 400 series has a permashield/vinyl cladding that is a big NONO in Arizona. That sales rep messed you up not Andersen. He/She should have sold you the A or E series and if they didn't have access to those windows they should have referred you to a different dealer.
Have you tried Big Stretch by Sashco? Once it dries it does not crack just stretches like rubber.
Thank you, I will give this a try.
i have the new andersen windows and they are leaking cold air into our home !!!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I worry that this is more indicative to using vinyl if anything. Fiberglass is much better.
Agreed, as I have now learned the hard way.
Looks like you had a contractor put them in, not to spec and with crappy install materials.
Thanks for watching and the comment. I'm not sure if they were installed correctly or not. A very large window company in the Phoenix metro area who sells for Andersen installed the windows. After the original install they looked true. The warping started within a couple of years. I believe the warping of the Vinyl is the design of the windows and poor materials. In the end, I'm sure of 1 thing. My Andersen Windows did not hold up. I'm looking at a large bill to replace an inferior product. Sending out epoxy kits for windows that fail, warp, and crack in less than 10 years is a poor corporate decision by Andersen.
@@mikepayne2572 that’s tough man, honestly idk if you checked out Renewal it may of been a littler more but you’d be golden. But if you used a certified Installer everything should of been done to spec and they should take care of you
This is the reason why I didn’t pick Andersen windows. If a company can’t support their warranty from this example I will look for another one.
I agree. Thanks for watching and commenting.
I feel bad for you. I have often said the best place to get ripped off, is with replacement windows.Proof: look how many replacement windows are used to replace other replacement windows. Built our house over 30 years ago. Wanted wide grids like Williamsburg Va.( historic look). Builder wanted the "new type". Went with all wood M&W historic style.Added storms. Oh, I has some issues with sills and brick moldings but never what you have shown. Storms are a bit of a pain but If I could get same windows on a rebuild I would. I cannot trust any of them. A tip: never buy a decking product that is a wrap. Watch what siding you use. Some of the new stuff is born to fail.
Thanks for watching and the comment. I will definitely do windows differently in the future.
@@mikepayne2572 Good luck. It is a hard thing to deal with. They all seem to be full of crap and products they want you to buy are untested in the field. My son built a super expensive house and I told him windows were one of the top things to think about. They started fogging up the first year and company would not fix them. The builder did get someone else to replace them. A person should not have to buy windows but once in his life per house.
Should have gone with Renewal by Andersen instead. There is a difference
When i purchased the 400 series, it was sold to me as the best available. The Renewal series might be a better product. But what if it is not. History tells me not to trust a company as big as Andersen that does not stand behind its products with actions that support the customer.
You can only get RbA from RbA
Mike i use to be a custom home builder. it looks like you live in a extreme heat area maybe Arizona. Vinyl windows of any kind will warp in the heat. All the warranties from window companies are just like Anderson.
If your looking to replace look into Milgard Fiberglass windows as fiberglass holds up better in extreme heat.
BTW Pella would have responded the same way as Anderson has.
I agree. Thanks for commenting. I will take a look at fiberglass when I finally pull the trigger to replace.
@@mikepayne2572 I believe Pella also makes fiberglass windows but I don’t like Pella as I’m a professional window cleaner and there not fun to clean as there’s 4 separate panes of glass to clean, not inexpensive for the homeowner either
How do you think these windows would do in Maine? We are getting ready to build and were leaning towards these, but now I’m hesitant.
@@tiajohnson3848 Im not sure how they will hold up for anyone. Yes, I do live in the desert of Phoenix, AZ. After "experimenting" with vinyl windows, I will never do them again. I was duped by the word "guaranteed," only to find out the hard way that the company does not back up its claims.
@@tiajohnson3848 Your in an extreme cold area and its not as bad on windows as extreme heat. That being said I'm looking into the Anderson 100or 400 series myself they are made of fiberon composite which is 40% wood and 60% vinyl. In your area I believe the divided glass is still very popular and they usually use single or double hung and not casement style. I myself look at the glass as being the most important part of window and recommend Cardinal glass! Hope this helps
In the desert and complaining about the vinyl windows. Go figure
Understood, however, I raised these concerns numerous times before I made the purchase. Andersen assured us they were very well proven to hold up in all climates. Hopefully others can save themselves from the same mistake.
@@mikepayne2572 THANK YOU for this video. You have literally saved me thousands of dollars, as I'm in the process of selecting replacement windows. I'll completely stay away from vinyl.
It’s a scam Anderson is a scam
I have to say you did a very bad job applying the epoxy but on the other hand they should send a tech out there to do it for you. Shouldn’t put that in your hands.
Fair statement. However as stated in the video, I have tried numerous epoxies and attempts. I followed all of Andersen's instructions for the first 2 attempts. Those fixes lasted less than 3 months. The point of the video is to show the extreme warping of the windows themselves.
It's a shame that is what you got from the video. That is not the point of the video. How about spending 10's of thousands of dollars on windows that should last decades, only to crack and warp at less than 10 years old.
Your mom failed
MARVIN ARE SO MUCH BETTER