The best window warranty in the window business

If you are in the market for new windows, and you plan on living in your home for a while, then it’s essential that you look into the product and installation warranties offered by the companies that you are getting quotes from. Warranty periods should not be implied and sellers should not purposely neglect to inform you about important warranty details.

Many companies claim to have the best window warranty in the business. Unfortunately, the warranty language used can be vague or inferential and full of fine print that is difficult to interpret. Every window company is different and even companies that sell and install the same product will practice differing warranties.

It’s in your best interest to scrutinize the warranty information that you are provided with and to ask lots of questions when dealing with a window company. Below are some points to consider when looking at warranty information.

What is the best warranty in the business?

When it comes to choosing new windows, it's important to know what to look for to get the best quality, best value and best warranty. With so many components and installation options, it can be overwhelming. To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a list of the typical maximum standards for each window component. With this knowledge, you can confidently choose the best windows for your home.

Product

• Lifetime window warranty against all product defects that affect stated performance ratings at the time of manufacturing
• Lifetime thermal pane replacement - gas leakage, cracks or obvious visual defects
• Lifetime hardware replacement - screws, handles, gears, locks
• All warranty registration will be done for you by the company that sells and installs the product
• Free transferable warranty (remaining balance on lifetime warranty)

Labour & installation

• Lifetime installation warranty - against defective installation that may result in damage to the window, frame and finishing
• Lifetime no charge labour on warranty repair work
• Lifetime no charge on repair materials required to perform the warranty repair work

What is a lifetime warranty?

There’s much confusion regarding what a lifetime warranty is and unfortunately, to date, there are no government standards to police them. For most window manufacturers, a lifetime warranty (25 years) is an expression of their commitment to the quality and longevity of their products and their support to their customers, should an issue arise. Ask your window consultant for more information.

What’s not typically covered?

Damage to windows from acts of nature such as hail or extreme wind or accidental damage from flying projectiles.

A comparative sampling of Ottawa area warranties

The table above shows various local Ottawa area installers and manufacturing/installers. They have been shown incognito to avoid showing bias.

If the warranty is important to you, then do some comparative homework and ask your window consultant lots of questions. Be sure you know exactly what you are getting so that there are no surprises if something goes wrong in the future.