Return to the Windows Forum
| Post a Follow-Up
Ply Gem Windows
| | |
Posted by
ratucker3 (
My Page) on
Thu, Feb 10, 11 at 8:52
| Has anyone within our forum had any experience with Ply Gem Windows please? |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Ply Gem Windows
| | |
| PlyGem has many different lines of windows and several of them are solid. What models were you looking at? |
RE: Ply Gem Windows
| | |
| Thanks for your response.....have not selected one to date...our proposed builder has utilized their contractor line in several custom homes.....had good success installing them. I don't know that we would use the contractor grade in our new house; but it does seem to me that proper installation of whichever brand we end up with is important....and if he can do a good installation with one of their better grade products, I would consider the Ply Gem window. The andersen product we seem to like is the 200 line tilt to wash. Thanks for any input. ratucker3 |
RE: Ply Gem Windows
| | |
| We recently (still going on) installed 20 PlyGem windows and two slider doors. I did a lot of studying at their site to select ours. I wanted the Premium line which is their top-of -the-line. The next line down in our are (West Coast) is the Pro 200. The only PlyGem installer in our area never had installed a Premium window. After a lot of insisting they finally bid on the Premium line in triple pane. The "craftsmen" they sent brutlized our house. Tore out bricks getting the old windows out; had to cut the drywall and tile inside the window opening because the new window frames were thicker than the original. In the latter operation they didn't have a tool that had a guide, so they freehanded the cuts and tried to follow a chalk like, but failed, zig zagging as much as a half inch. They used copious caulk and packing foam to fill the gaps. Then two weeks after they finished I got a call frem PlyGem. They said they were coming to replace the 4 large picture windows because someone at the factory had used the wrong glass and the windows would not qualify for an energy rebate. We are waiting for this nightmare to end. Be VERY sure of your instllation contractor. We had talked to three friends that had used ours and they were all happy. I think the permanent contractors that are listed in the yellow pages have a problem retaining help and must use new employees or subs to do the job so things can change. |
RE: Ply Gem Windows
| | |
| Thank you for sharing your experience. We are in the final planning stage of a new (retirement) home on our farm on the Bama/Fl line.....our builder is local to that area, has done good work for family members and acquaintences in the past. He uses this PlyGem brand in a very occasional spec home when he is not occupied with a custom build....and on two custom houses he recently installed this brand. Obviously I am nervous not to purchase a major brand of such an important item in a new house. The contractor has such a good reputation and solid installation experience with PlyGem brand......am I placing too much importance on his demonstrated ability to properly install this brand or do all new windows install pretty much the same in a new construction regardless of the window brand? thanks again for the info....I hope your situation gets favorably resolved soon. |
RE: Ply Gem Windows
| | |
| Installation is probably 60% of a good window system. So, by know means are you diminishing this part of the equation. |
RE: Ply Gem Windows
| | |
| I agree. You can purchse the best, most expensive, most energy efficient window on the market but if you don't get a top notch install, you will be very disappointed and it will turn into the biggest nightmare you can imagine. You will also notice the friendly builder get's very difficult to get in touch with when things go sideways. |
RE: Ply Gem Windows
| | |
| Thanks to everyone for your input.....we've had good luck in prior homes with andersen and (believe it or not) even pella. I am naturally concerned about deviating from one of the major brands, I'll wait until quotes come in and decide.....the nfrc label on what should be lower price PlyGem brand is in line with major offerings. |
RE: Ply Gem Windows
| | |
| If you want decent quality vinyl windows, then avoid Andersen and Pella. They are trying to compete in the lower end market for vinyl windows and their offerings are very poor in that market. |
RE: Ply Gem Windows
| | |
| Thank you.....I am not knowledgable enough to know if we should buy vinyl or aluminum clad???? please share opinions. |
RE: Ply Gem Windows
| | |
| If you are talking aluminum clad then it's a wood window with exterior surfaces covered in painted aluminum. This is a different thing altogether. Although you don't have painting to do on frames, the inside rot problems are still a worry. I don't know if such windows have a longer life expectancy than wood windows. In vinyl, there are many posts on this forum and at http://www.replacement-windows.com/ to give you a good idea about the relative quality of various brands. There are big differences from what I have read. |
RE: Ply Gem Windows
| | |
| I will only say 1 thing about ply gem windows. Look very closely at their warranty. Everything you need to know about their windows is contained in that document. |
RE: Ply Gem Windows
| | |
| When I contacted our local public utility for information about energy rebates for the various windows that were proposed for our house by several installers, their agent told me that PlyGem was just as good a warranty as Milgard and sent me copies of both to read. I couldn't tell what was wrong with the PlyGem one. Looked like both had the same kind of weasel words. I heard from a couple of people that had each brand that the companies stood by the warranty and replaced the glazing when the insulating strip failed. |
RE: Ply Gem Windows
| | |
| We have ruled out Andersen and Sears for our replacement vinyl windows and are now looking at PlyGem from Lowe's or Pella from the local dealer- we live in the NE and it gets pretty cold here. Any recommendations? I never heard of Ply Gem until yesterday. I like the fact that like Pella they are made in the US. |
RE: Ply Gem Windows
| | |
| Personally I would not put Pella in my outhouse, do a search on here for yourself. |
RE: Ply Gem Windows
| | |
| There are a alot of windows that are made in the USA, my personal option of Ply-Gem is not too high, (I've seen them change color in less than 6 months here). I wouldn't recommend Pella vinyl to anyone, but I would put them in my outhouse as if I had to HAVE an "outhouse", I probably would buy the cheapest windows I could find. |
Post a Follow-Up
Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum. If you are a member, please log in.
If you aren't yet a member, join now!
Return to the Windows Forum
Instructions
- You must be a registered member and logged in to post messages on our forums.
- Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review the contents and make changes.
- After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it.
- It is illegal to post copyrighted material without the owner's consent.
- HTML codes are allowed in the message field only.
- No advertising is allowed in any of the forums.
- If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum.
- If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help.
