Amerimax vinyl replacement window vs Milgard Tuscany

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Windows(SouthernCA)
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Amerimax vinyl replacement window vs Milgard Tuscany

#1 Post by Windows(SouthernCA) »

I think Amerimax is a better quality vinyl window. Standard superspacer, Brass rollers, triple weather stripping, cam locking system, double strength glass standard, available in 9 colors. Amerimax is a very nice window for the money.
Milgard Tuscany is a good window much better than the old Classic line. Milgard Tuscany has intercept Aluminum Spacer standard (superspacer available only on windows), nylon rollers, double weather stripping, lock is cool but I just dont trust it fully locking, single strength glass, only white and tan available. Milgard is a national brand with a name so people think its better but if you look at the features Amerimax is a much better window.

micman82
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Re: Amerimax vinyl replacement window vs Milgard Tuscany

#2 Post by micman82 »

My experience with Amerimax in cold weather has been pretty bad.

I've posted this on 2 other threads, but I'll re-post some things here.

The weather stripping on Amerimax is horrible, you can feel cold air coming in.
Right now, I have ice on the inside of my new Amerimax windows. Granted, it's sub-zero out there right now, but I expected more out of Amerimax. I was just in my neighbor's house. Their cheapo, vinyl clad aluminum windows from Home Depot have no ice and little draft.

Maybe Amerimax is great for southern California. But if you live anywhere where it gets cold, forget about them. Actually, the same principle would apply to hot climes too. I suppose if you didn't want your AC bill increasing after an the installation of Amerimax, as my heating bill has, then you should also forget about Amerimax.

Skydawggy
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Re: Amerimax vinyl replacement window vs Milgard Tuscany

#3 Post by Skydawggy »

Have you contacted Amerimax and asked what they will do to resolve your problem? If so, what has been the response?

micman82
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Re: Amerimax vinyl replacement window vs Milgard Tuscany

#4 Post by micman82 »

Skydawggy wrote:Have you contacted Amerimax and asked what they will do to resolve your problem? If so, what has been the response?
Not yet. Tonight was the first time I saw ice on the windows. Kind of the straw (if you can call it that) that broke the camel's back.

I'll call them on Tuesday and post back here their response.

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Window4U (IL)
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Re: Amerimax vinyl replacement window vs Milgard Tuscany

#5 Post by Window4U (IL) »

Ice can be a indicator of poor windows, or it can be an indicator of excess humidity in the home.

If you have a humidifier in your home or on the furnace, turn it off and see if it makes a difference. You may also want to vent the home once in a while with a bath or kitchen fan or by cracking open some windows to get rid of excess humidity if you find the humidity levels are the problem.

micman82
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Re: Amerimax vinyl replacement window vs Milgard Tuscany

#6 Post by micman82 »

Window4U (IL) wrote:Ice can be a indicator of poor windows, or it can be an indicator of excess humidity in the home.

If you have a humidifier in your home or on the furnace, turn it off and see if it makes a difference. You may also want to vent the home once in a while with a bath or kitchen fan or by cracking open some windows to get rid of excess humidity if you find the humidity levels are the problem.
Good tips. It's pretty dry here in Fort Collins, CO in general, and there are no humidifiers in my place. We have a forced air furnace with no moisture sources near it. Wife complains about dry skin daily.

Even if a home is that humid, would you expect new and allegedly quality windows to be less than 32 degrees on the inside?

For reference, it's -10 outside, and the thermostat 15' from the windows is set at 67.

micman82
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Re: Amerimax vinyl replacement window vs Milgard Tuscany

#7 Post by micman82 »

Skydawggy wrote:Have you contacted Amerimax and asked what they will do to resolve your problem? If so, what has been the response?
Okay--here's been the response from Amerimax.

They sent out a technician to look at my windows (took 3 weeks from the time of call until he came).
He came out, felt the draft coming through the windows, looked at the photos I had of ice on the glass and the post and remarked, "There's definitely a problem, I'm shocked to see this on new windows." Went on to say that he'd seen stuff like this before, but only in older windows.

He said he'd perform a 'SOP for air' and contact higher ups if that didn't work.
The SOP for air included
Articulated foam in weeps
Weather stripping in corners and weather lock
Inspect post for bent gasket
Liquid vinyl on post.

So the tech was helpful and honest. That was about 3 weeks ago.
Unfortunately, while the treatment reduced the draft, it was still noticeable.
Another cold spell hit (temps to 0), and we had ice on the window again (no sources of moisture where the windows are, and in Fort Collins, CO, a dry climate). I called to tell them this.

2 weeks later one of the higher ups calls and says "ice on your windows is normal. It's just natural condensation."
So I relay to him that our house is actually very dry and that my neighbors Jeld-Wins didn't have any ice. "Are you windows worse than Jeld-Win?"
"No. But there's nothing we can do."
"I have thermometers in the window wells that consistently show the temp next to the window almost halfway between that of the thermostat 15' away and the outdoor temp."
"There's nothing we can do."
"Did you tech tell you about the ice on the post?"
"No"
"Did your tech tell you that he noticed a draft?"
"No. But there's nothing we can do."

He said he was going to try to talk to the tech more.
I'll keep you posted.
But I can't currently relay any confidence in the window or the company.

ziptoe
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Re: Amerimax vinyl replacement window vs Milgard Tuscany

#8 Post by ziptoe »

Micman: interesting comments. Had the same issues with my Amerimax Windows (installed two years ago)...drafty by the track, dirt blowing in and piling up in the track and sill with stong winds but I did not have the ice problem. Last week tech came out and did the same fixes you had done. Draft was reduced considerably. Where the beading strips on the fixed panel meet in the corner, there were a few windows where the beading strips did not "butt" up completely. I applied a small bead of caulk to seal these small gaps which seemed to help (even though the tech said the beading was cosmetic and caulk unnecessary).

I did have a problem with a couple of windows having water leaking through the glazing beading on the fixed panel (sliders) during heavy rains last summer. The tech came out and did some repairs but we haven't had any heavy rain so I don't know the repairs worked.

micman82
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Re: Amerimax vinyl replacement window vs Milgard Tuscany

#9 Post by micman82 »

ziptoe wrote:Micman: interesting comments. Had the same issues with my Amerimax Windows (installed two years ago)...drafty by the track, dirt blowing in and piling up in the track and sill with stong winds but I did not have the ice problem. Last week tech came out and did the same fixes you had done. Draft was reduced considerably. Where the beading strips on the fixed panel meet in the corner, there were a few windows where the beading strips did not "butt" up completely. I applied a small bead of caulk to seal these small gaps which seemed to help (even though the tech said the beading was cosmetic and caulk unnecessary).

I did have a problem with a couple of windows having water leaking through the glazing beading on the fixed panel (sliders) during heavy rains last summer. The tech came out and did some repairs but we haven't had any heavy rain so I don't know the repairs worked.

Thanks for the info ziptoe.
I thought maybe I'd ended up with a bad batch of Amerimax windows (if windows can have bad batches).
Now it sounds to me as if Amerimax windows aren't worth the $$$.
Wish I had gone with Simonton.


The tech put some liquid vinyl in some of the gaps you mention but not others. The difference is easily felt even on a 30 degree day. Our installers also told us it wouldn't make a difference. It does.

Door&WindowPlus
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Re: Amerimax vinyl replacement window vs Milgard Tuscany

#10 Post by Door&WindowPlus »

I have sold Amerimax in Southern California for the last 5 years and have had no problems. I sell Simonton, PlyGem, Milgard, Superior, Amerimax as well as many others. Amerimax by far has the least complaints and service issues. We don't have the extreme cold of Colorado. I know Amerimax offers a triple pane window in Colorado. Is that what we are talking about? Amerimax service is pretty good for us when needed. The Amerimax representative usually goes out to make sure a service is needed. If we installed our installer goes out to see if he can solve the problem first.

micman82
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Re: Amerimax vinyl replacement window vs Milgard Tuscany

#11 Post by micman82 »

Door&WindowPlus wrote:I have sold Amerimax in Southern California for the last 5 years and have had no problems. I sell Simonton, PlyGem, Milgard, Superior, Amerimax as well as many others. Amerimax by far has the least complaints and service issues. We don't have the extreme cold of Colorado. I know Amerimax offers a triple pane window in Colorado. Is that what we are talking about? Amerimax service is pretty good for us when needed. The Amerimax representative usually goes out to make sure a service is needed. If we installed our installer goes out to see if he can solve the problem first.
We're talking about a double pane window.

One person I talked to in California was very polite, understanding, and helpful.

The other frankly didn't want to understand the problem. He and the plant manager in Colorado kept focusing on the condensation, saying it was normal. But the real problem is a draft that can be felt readily anytime the temperature is below 50 degrees. They did not want to address that even though I made it clear that was a big problem that isn't going away.

The impression I got was that they didn't have a solution and they didn't want to back up their windows because they didn't have a solution.
Their tech came out and admitted there was something wrong with the windows. I'm sure he told his supervisor as much. But somewhere along the chain of command, for some reason :wink: , communication broke down.

I remain cynical about Amerimax, based upon my experience with them and what I view as $5000 wasted. In fact, if I run a simple linear regression with average daily temperature as an independent variable and daily heat use as a dependent variable, there is NO difference between slope or intercept from the period with 1970s aluminum windows to the period with new Amerimax windows.

I've invited the plant manager himself, who as far as I can tell has final say on warranty claims/repairs etc, to come out to my house on a cold day. But of course, no response. Frankly, I don't think they care.

Cormeister
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Re: Amerimax vinyl replacement window vs Milgard Tuscany

#12 Post by Cormeister »

I too had Amerimax windows installed after very long research, and I'm not sure if they were a good choice. Among several issues already said about draft problems, I have also had (have) a problem with my fairly large front 9'2"x5'8" The sliders are too tall for the locks to be installed only 8" from each end. This is very inadequate as the window bows enough in the middle to let draft in. After screwing around for three weeks trying to get someone out to look at the problem, a tech finally came out and agreed on the problem, only to come out a week later with new sliders with lock installed in the same positions. I called upper management and they said there was nothing they could do about it, even though the original installer said it could be easily fixed with a third lock.

Neither Amerimax or 303 Windows stand behind their products.

The windows are o.k. but next time I'm going with Oxford windows.

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Window4U (IL)
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Re: Amerimax vinyl replacement window vs Milgard Tuscany

#13 Post by Window4U (IL) »

Cormeister wrote: The windows are o.k. but next time I'm going with Oxford windows.
OMG, are you being sarcastic? :? If so, good joke.

TNT
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Re: Amerimax vinyl replacement window vs Milgard Tuscany

#14 Post by TNT »

I sell a few different types of windows in Loveland Colorado. The Amerimax windows are some of the better vinyl windows available and have had the least complaints of any that we have used. Jeld-Wen having had the most by far. They do have problems occasionally but have always taken care of them for our customers. They blow the Milgard Tuscany out of the water...

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