Problems with Shuco?

[DaveR]

I had a reputable installer in the area recommend Shuco windows, including the slider that I was very fond of.

Then I had another reputable installer tell me that the Shuco slider has a very poor design and many people experience problems with it. He said the mechanism is difficult to operate and it is easy to pull the window off the track and then it is a pain to get it back on.

Is this true? I really like the look of the slider and it was a perfect solution for one of my rooms.

He also told me that because Shuco windows have metal in the frame, it conducts heat and cold and thus is not as good an insulator as those with fiberglass reinforcement. Is this true?

At this point I am deciding between Shuco, Seaway Accolade, and Great Lakes PLYGEM and having a tough time... Any advice would be appreciated.

[randy]

The Schuco in-line slider is a great window for homeowners, but it can be very difficult for the installer. The window must be level and plumb with NO deviation. Properly installed, it is a window that you will thoroughly enjoy.

As to the metal reinforcement vs. fiberglass. The NFRC numbers tell the truth. Compare the ratings and you'll see that the sales rep is wrong. While fiberglass conducts less than metal, the difference in the overall efficiency of a window, is negligible.

[WindDoze]

The Schuco in line slider, in addition to requiring extra attention from the installer as mentioned by Randy -- also really needs a quick operation lesson for the homeowner after installation. If you don't know what you are doing, the sash will fall out in your hands and it can be tricky to put back in.

If your installer, or sales rep, explains how the window operates to you -- you shouldn't have any problems.

[bstuhlsa]

I bought 5 of them in Oct of last year. But it has been dry, and we have been in a drought in Minneapolis. There are only 2 companies that install them here. I went with Seal Guard Systems. They did the song and dance, and we bought them. In the last 4 days we have had 2 rainy nights, and somehow water is getting past the seals. Water is filling up in the sliding tracks in the "In-Line Slider" and water is getting through the handle in the "Casement" window. It appears that the vinyl cut-out for the handle is a bit too big and there is a slight hole under the handle where water is coming in. I had a comany come out to take carpet and pad back and dry things out. The windows have been great for the noise reduction, and they seemed warmer to the touch than my other std windows in my house. But something is wrong with their seals. I'm calling the sales guy tomorrow morning.

[ppj]

Sounds like a manufacturing problem. Not a problem with the company you went with.

Give their service department a call and they should fix things for you.

[bstuhlsa]

I put the call in at 9:00am today, and got a call back tonight around 8:30pm by Service Dept. They are coming out tomorrow to check things out - kinda cool that they are up late ironing things out. He said he would take care of us. I looked up Seal Guard on Better Business Bureau and they had I think 7 incidents closed this past year - I sure hope it doesn't have to come to something like that to get a mediator involved.

I had my wife 1.5 stories below shoot water up from a garden hose from below on 2 of the windows, and in about 30 sec to 1 min, the in-line sliders filled up with water - and ready to overflow and go back into the house. 1 window did not drain, and the other drained slowly. The cheap, original double-pane window right next to it doesn't have this problem. Maybe they made a whole batch on the assembly line incorrectly.

In the mean time, I have the carpet and pad torn back, blowers going everywhere, trying to dry out sheetrock and carpet, and I also took off the bottom jam and trim - they are all wet. I am depressed. I had some extra money, and decided to spend it on 5 new windows. If they worked well, I was going to buy more either this year or next when I saved up another $6,000. Maybe its bad luck, or I need to follow the saying, "If it's not broke, don't fix it." I just saw the stuff on Good Morning America, and heard about the energy efficient house, and said "I gotta have those windows," and paid cash for what I could afford.

[Window4U (IL)]

I had an issue with a couple orders where somehow the frames were not punched at the factory for drainage. Have the installer take the weep hole covers off the exterior and see if this is what happened. If so, oblong holes need to be made with a drill behind where the weep hole covers are and the windows will be operating as engineered.