Lifetime warranties from Okna, Sunrise etc...

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calgal
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Lifetime warranties from Okna, Sunrise etc...

#1 Post by calgal »

I love these lifetime warranties, but was also advised to be cautious since these companies are smaller and therefore it is harder for them to stay in business long term. The warranty isn't any good if the Company no longer exists in 10-20 years. They quoted Gorell windows as an example of that. I really like the fact that Okna, Sunrise, Softlite etc... have such good recommendations from installers, so I was all set to go with one of them until I came across that caution. Now I'm undecided. If it would be better to go with a big name well-established company, are there any of them that are good and have a 50 year or lifetime warranty??

Any thoughts on this?

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Windows on Washington
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Re: Lifetime warranties from Okna, Sunrise etc...

#2 Post by Windows on Washington »

Plenty of 50 year companies that have gone out of business.

Best thing you can do is take a look a the window and the company critically. Are the windows well built, do they skimp on stuff, what is the installer feedback, etc.?

Is the company growing, innovating, and pushing the edge of the technology curve?

Those are the factors that I would weight that decision by.

masterext
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Re: Lifetime warranties from Okna, Sunrise etc...

#3 Post by masterext »

Far too many consumers place an unrealistic emphasis on a warranty. While it may offer some peace of mind, a well build window with a good reputation is a much better harbinger of future performance than a warranty. That said, the 3 window companies you mentioned ( okna , sunrise, soft lite) all have solid warranties.
Remember, a good window stops air infiltration, not a warranty..lol

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HomeSealed
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Re: Lifetime warranties from Okna, Sunrise etc...

#4 Post by HomeSealed »

+1. That just sounds like a tactic from a competitor selling an inferior product. Softlite has been around forever and is very financial sound, as are Okna and Sunrise who have also been around for 20+ years and are growing.
Like WoW, I'd recommend a thorough vetting of both the manufacturer and installation company that you intend to use, but all of those are very solid. I'd also mention that some of the larger companies and more common household names are not exactly bullet-proof. Class-action lawsuits, re-organization proceedings where warranties are wiped out, etc.

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Re: Lifetime warranties from Okna, Sunrise etc...

#5 Post by randy »

I agree with the others. As an additional consideration, none of the three companies mentioned are heavily (or even moderately) dependent upon the new construction market that can put more financial stress on a company due to it's more cyclical nature.

Warranties are written to protect the manufacturer, not the consumer. A well built window is more unlikely to have a warranty issue in the first place, and the three manufacturers mentioned are top tier in that regard.
Last edited by randy on Tue Jul 01, 2014 9:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Lifetime warranties from Okna, Sunrise etc...

#6 Post by TheWindowNerd »

I agree with the other pros.

And I had a thought, look out world.
Pella, Marvin, Andersen all have 20 year seal failure warranties and 10 year parts and frame warranty.
So you are worried about a lifetime warranty on a $700 window but will accept a 3 year warranty on a $30,000 car.
Hardly makes sense.

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