Exasperated with window repair

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youknowwho
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Joined: Sat Apr 10, 2021 9:13 am

Exasperated with window repair

#1 Post by youknowwho »

Hi All!

Thank you in advance for any guidance and suggestions! Here goes...

My new home is still under warranty and I've had issues with the builder and shoddy after-sale care in the form of unreliability, or in this particular case, shoddy worksmanship? ...and that's why I'm posting here. The specific issue I have is a warranty repair on one of my windows -- double-paned -- which would not stay open without sliding down a bit. The builder finally got around to getting a window contractor rep out yesterday to fix the issue. He replaced the balance on one side and when that didn't work, he proceeded to use a crowbar between the window frame and window jamb, and pry the frame closer to the window and sink a few long screws between the frame and jamb. I wasn't close enough to see why or where he needed to sink the screws. (see pics of craftsmanship).

Needless to say, I'm beside myself due to the "hack" nature of the repair, especially when he said that 9 other windows in my home have excessive free play/spacing between the window and its frame and required repair. Was this a legit fix, or was this a complete hack? Before anyone comes back out to cosmetically repair the frame, I want to make sure this was the best, or only fix...or if something more benign would've remedied the situation.

I appreciate the advice and help. Thank you.
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HomeSealed
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Joined: Mon Feb 15, 2010 3:46 pm
Location: Milwaukee, Madison, SE Wisconsin

Re: Exasperated with window repair

#2 Post by HomeSealed »

Sounds like the side jambs were bowed out and needed to be brought back in. Will this fix be sufficient? Hard to say. There should be shims in there, if only screws were used to "suck" the frame in that isn't ideal long term... and especially if the windows were installed with nail fins. The question is if the entire side jambs were needing to be shimmed in, if so, the nail fin is still holding them in the original position and this just twisted the inside to make that half get better contact. His fix works a little better on replacement style windows with no nail fin, even if not ideal then.

The other possibility is that the window is so poor (in conjunction with insufficient shimming), that even though the nail fins were set in the proper place, the inside half of the frame bowed out anyway.

The iron clad fix IMO is to unsecure the entire window including nail fins, dial in, shim, insulate, re-secure. If you are confident in the warranty from these guys then you can probably wait and see if their fix holds, although new home warranties aren't typically long or great.

Those gaps and caulking should be addressed as well.

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Windows on Washington
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Re: Exasperated with window repair

#3 Post by Windows on Washington »

Who did that caulking work?

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youknowwho
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat Apr 10, 2021 9:13 am

Re: Exasperated with window repair

#4 Post by youknowwho »

Thank you both for responding. I'm by no means intimate with window technology, but my background is in mechanics and electronics, so I have a pretty good sense of what is the correct way to assemble/repair something and what is a hack. Given the few warranty items I'd already had fixed, it's apparent the builder -- or subcontractors -- weren't paying close attention to detail, or they just decided to let the buyer deal with it under warranty. No confidence vote here.

The fella who was out here yesterday represented the installers said he was going to file a report with them and that another crew would come out to dress up the gap and caulking (@Windows on Washington >> original sloppy caulking by installers).

@HomeSealed >> seems to me -- given the amount he pulled one side in -- that both sides should've been addressed so it wouldn't look like the repaired side of the frame was bowed in...which by extension, would support your "...unsecure the entire window including nail fins, dial in, shim, insulate, re-secure" scenario."

If I could fix it myself, I would, so it gets done right, but this is clearly not a quick fix for the uninitiated. Thx again.

youknowwho
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat Apr 10, 2021 9:13 am

Re: Exasperated with window repair

#5 Post by youknowwho »

...one more thing...was it not possible to re-tension the spring in the balance? Thx.

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HomeSealed
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Re: Exasperated with window repair

#6 Post by HomeSealed »

Its possible that only one side was bowed so both didn't need to be addressed, although its certainly also possible that they took the path of least resistance which again isn't likely to offer a long term solution.

Regarding the balance, it depends on the system, some can be "adjusted", some cannot. Either way they are rated to a certain weight and not designed with much adjustability. More importantly though, if there were gaps between the sash and frame causing the loose operation, getting those closed up was the proper fix even if it wasn't executed optimally.

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Windows on Washington
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Re: Exasperated with window repair

#7 Post by Windows on Washington »

+1 to HomeSealed feedback.

As a general observation, I am not sure much is going to be "adjustable" given the haphazard manner this was originally installed.

youknowwho
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat Apr 10, 2021 9:13 am

Re: Exasperated with window repair

#8 Post by youknowwho »

Thanks, all!

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