Alpen is the new company that either bought or was renamed from Serious (cannot remember which). They also own the technology and trademark rights to Heat Mirror Glass. As I remember they make a fine window and the glass does carry high rating for efficiency while it never truly caught on with the masses.

+1

They seem to have run a pretty solid company by all accounts.

The association and resultant negativity of that association between Alpen and Serious should not be brought to bare on the Alpen brand.

Despite the full weight of the Presidency being thrown behind Serious, they couldn't turn a profit.

Oberon and Millwork,

Thanks for the feedback. I've come across some of the information elsewhere.

How difficult would it be to find someone to measure and install a window that they do not know? Is this risky that they do not have a distribution network where I am. Or is it just better going with Marvin given they are cheaper by a significant %, and given Marvin presence where i am at? Also is the performance worth the 40% upcharge?

Thanks in advance

The Alpen seems like a much better product than the marvin and much more energy efficient. By the way, the marvin integrity is not a good fiberglass window. The Alpne is one of the best fiberglass windows available from what i have seen so far.

I am really appreciating the input! Thank you.

I still am nervous that I have to find a contractor to install these windows and the lack of a distribution network where I live. I can see this being risky.

For Branlance:

What makes a "good fiberglass window?" What others would you put on your "good" list? What makes the Marvin Integrity not good? Is it just sheer performance #s? Is it the way they are made? In practical terms, am I really going to notice a difference if I were to go with the Integrity over the Alpen? The review on here seem positive for the Integrity. Are they misinformed?

Yes branlance, I was going to ask the same questions of you?

Can anyone comment on the status of warranties through multiple transitions of ownership? I believe that many if not all of those homeowners are in limbo (if not SOL) on coverage. The end of the article states that Alpen will "service future warranties", however Serious will be responsible for Serious fiberglass warranties. Serious has since sold off the vinyl business as well that was mentioned in this 2012 article, and to my knowledge they are no longer in the window business at all. Too much uncertainty to recommend either of these companies IMO.
Regarding the product itself, it is decent, but the Heat Mirror film has a documented high failure rate.
Sketchy warranty, ownership that changes with the wind, and a product that has a history of being unreliable all = no recommendation from me.
The Marvin Integrity is a few steps behind in performance, but its a proven quality product.

Here is a link that might be useful: serious/alpen warranty

Karateguy,
Thanks for this article.

Also, the things you mentioned above are the sort of things you think about in making a decision to buy windows. You need to ask if the company is going to be around if you have issues with the window, warranty or no warranty. I've read enough to know Marvin is far from perfect, but you are right, you have to give them the nod when it comes to longevity and stability. Score one for Marvin in that respect!

Also, thanks for reminding me that buying windows is not just about performance numbers, but a whole host of other things.

Southwall tech who manufacture heat mirror have done a great job with quality control. Years ago there were issues with yellowing and wrinkling; that has basically been eliminated by adding titanium to the film which protects it from UV rays.

We just installed Alpen windows for our new house. They were 46% more expensive than the next latest and greatest option, but energy efficiency is really important to us so we went for it. I have not been too impressed. The glass looks weird from a certain angle, the red color on our frames constantly chips off (they gave us a can of paint to fix the frames because this is a common problem!) and our giant sliding glass door was defective and the two glass panes actually scratched one another inside the door! It has been really hard to get this fixed through their warranty process and they are only willing to re-install the glass for free but not replace the glass (they want us to pay for it). It is hard to justify the price markups with such lackluster customer service.

Is this just a regional company? The window looks well out together.

Hi @Eartale - I'm thinking of Alpen windows for new home construction now. Were your issues taken care of? Are you happy with window performance? Thanks