alside mezzo

[newhomeowner1234]

I don't see anything in here on the alside mezzo. I read a review saying the mezzo corrected some of the old alside design flaws. I only have one himark dealer willing to bid out on my two windows and they are extremely pricey compared to all other estimates. (Not because of the windows, the company in general has comments on angie's list that they are pricey). So I feel stuck not being able to get the himark window that almost all posters on this site recommend!

So without any other options, i have a company that will install the alside mezzo or should i go with a pella window? which is the lesser of two evils!? or i have someone who will install a Viwinco. and please help me understand why not just post "they are junk or garbage." Thank you!

[Windows on Washington]

Copied from the other site:

The Mezzo is a big step up for Alside and a solid mid grade window. We have not installed it but I have more than kicked the tires on it.

I am concerned about the mil thickness on the vinyl and what feels like an overly malleable frame. The sill is quite thin and was easy to manipulate. If that sill is set on a brick or crowned sill, I can see it twisting and coming out of shape long term.

What Pella window? The only decent vinyl window in their offering is the 350 and I still don't care for the pocket sill. If it is down to the Mezzo and Pella 350, I am probably going with the Mezzo.

What is "pricey" when it comes to the HiMark? It is one of the 2 or 3 best vinyl windows out there if you ask me and should come at a premium to that extent. If the company is well rated, I would imagine they would be a bit more expensive too.

The old saying that you don't get something for nothing holds true here as well. If you want a premium product and a great company (if that company is good), you can count on paying a bit more for it.

You will only be buying windows once if you do it right so it usually seems like a good investment if you ask me and it is within reason.

[masterext]

The alside mezzo isnt even available in triple pane glass, not that you want triple pane. The only reason i can think of as to why alside doesnt offer triple pane for mezzo is the frame isnt strong enough. That implies to me that the frame is flimsy and weak .
The mezzo also isnt available with a foam filled frame.
Always expect to pay a premium when only dealing with 2 windows. The cost of sending out a crew for only 2 windows isnt justifiable for many companies and is why many companies mandate a 5 window minimum.
Viwinco is junk.

[HomeSealed]

Great advice above. The fact that it is not available in triple pane is very telling to me. Performance Ratings are improved, but it is still a thin, flimsy product in my estimation, made by a company that has built an empire primarily on selling "price point" windows. My question for you is why would you think that it would be any different? Tigers generally don't change their stripes, and while Alside generally offers pretty good customer service, the quality control and quantity of service items that I've experienced with that brand is far worse than the higher end lines that are almost universally recommended by pros. You aren't going to go to Applebees (or whatever chain style restaurant is in your area) and order a steak and expect it to be the best thing you've ever eaten. There is a place for products like this, but it is not being shopped/compared to true high end, high performance windows.

[randy]

I'm with HomeSealed, and would NEVER again recommend any Alside product. Their customer service is among the worst in the industry from my experience. You've heard the saying, "you can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig"? I think it's appropriate here.

[newhomeowner1234]

My question for you is why would you think that it would be any different? Tigers generally don't change their stripes, and while Alside generally offers pretty good customer service, the quality control and quantity of service items that I've experienced with that brand is far worse than the higher end lines that are almost universally recommended by pros.

[TommyJ]

My question for you is why would you think that it would be any different? Tigers generally don't change their stripes, and while Alside generally offers pretty good customer service, the quality control and quantity of service items that I've experienced with that brand is far worse than the higher end lines that are almost universally recommended by pros.

Well...that is for a number of reasons. Normally I wouldn't post anything on the subject matter but the fact is that this site is far from impartial.

The site operator used to be a manufacturer's rep for Alside. I would say that probably colors the opinion a bit.

Secondly, the site owner is also the owner of a company that sells and installs Alside windows only.

I am all for information being distributed and the more information (as long as it is accurate) the better.

That being said, if you read the reviews on that site, you will find that they are overwhelming positive about one particular brand (Alside) and critical, or outright false, about other brands.

The site is far from impartial or accurate and I would question anything that is referenced from that site as accurate.

If you want a long term history of Alside, read the feedback on that brand that has been out there long term.

A company does not change its stripe overnight and make a fantastic product when they have been making crap for years and years.

I would also suggest that you look at their service history.

[masterext]

I looked at his site and it is overwhelmingly biased. The operator obviously sells alside and had/ has a relationship with alside. Another telling sign, there is absolutely NO contact info on that site. That site is as biased as they come. Why he chose that window to offer his customers is not only a mystery but a disservice in my opinion. Im sure he gets that window very cheap and his motives could very well be profit margin driven.

[HomeSealed]

I agree with the above. I would take anything from that site or others like it (privately owned, one-man blogs) with a grain of salt.
Certainly everyone has a bias in one form or another, but sites like this one that draw dozens of contractors and hundreds (thousands?) of consumers sharing actual experiences should be given proper weight... And on that product, don't take the word of a few guys on this thread, nor of the one guy on that other site, there is years and years worth of info and comments from pros and consumers across the web. Some people will have suspect motives to be sure, but when there is a pretty strong consensus it is very telling.

[fridge2020]

That fella posted here briefly. Didn't hang around very long because it was obvious that all he was trying to do was promote the product that he sold. Apparently he decided to start his own site where people can't call him out for his BS.

On the window, if you want it, got to window world and get it for $189 installed. Cheap window, cheap installation. You get what you pay for.

[newhomeowner1234]

And on that product, don't take the word of a few guys on this thread, nor of the one guy on that other site, there is years and years worth of info and comments from pros and consumers across the web. Some people will have suspect motives to be sure, but when there is a pretty strong consensus it is very telling.

Where do you recommend I start looking that isn't biased. I looked at consumer reports, but it seems they only rate certain windows. Or maybe I need to be a paying customer to see more.

[Windows on Washington]

I think between this board, its sister board, and some of the other homeowner interface sites, you have a pretty broad based contractor sampling and customer feedback resource.

Has anyone near you or friend or family done windows?

Personal feedback on the company and install is valuable as well.

[masterext]

The reason why this board and similar boards are so valuable is because all the feedback and opinions are from actual contractors who perform installations and have actually worked with numerous brands of windows. When they say certain windows are weak, flimsy, and poorly designed, thats from personal experience, not an assumption. Thats why a true window pro like the guys on this board as well as others provide True feedback.
Many homeowners will say xyz is a good brand just because it was cheap and was better than what they had. That is NOT a reason to invest in windows, you want your investment to render the best dividend for your money.

[HomeSealed]

I think between this board, its sister board, and some of the other homeowner interface sites, you have a pretty broad based contractor sampling and customer feedback resource.

Has anyone near you or friend or family done windows?

Personal feedback on the company and install is valuable as well.

Great advice...

Sites where you have a wide variety of both contractors and consumers from across the nation and where anybody can join and post should carry sufficient weight. As I mentioned before, you should be hesitant to completley trust one person or one site regardless, but most of the time you can establish a pattern among multiple sources and come up with a cummulative determination.

Consumer reports is fairly useless for windows. They only look at products that are widely available (box stores etc) which eliminates most higher end choices. In addition, the quality of a window really starts to show after 10 years or so, which is really not reflected in those reviews.

[newhomeowner1234]

thank you everyone!