ALSIDE SHEFFIELD OR CHAMPION??? HELP!!

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pearlseeker
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ALSIDE SHEFFIELD OR CHAMPION??? HELP!!

#1 Post by pearlseeker »

I got cut off before I was finished...so, to continue:

I have read that it is extremely important to have your window installed by a professional.
Well, the Alside would be installed by a man who has had his own window installation business for over 25 years and has excellent references. He does his own installations...and he highly recommended the Alside Sheffield window saying it has better quality than the highly advertised Champion.

BUT the Champion people claim their window is the superior one and the ONLY window we should consider since the others all leak and have condensation that causes mold, etc. The Champion people (in Indiana) have their own installers. How experienced they are....I do not know.

So, help! What do you all think...many of you are experienced about this. I am a newbie.

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Windows on Washington
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Re: ALSIDE SHEFFIELD OR CHAMPION??? HELP!!

#2 Post by Windows on Washington »

The simple answer is this.....Neither.

The Sheffield window is a poor design and the Champion window is, at best, average. "Factory Installation" means squat and will not turn an average performer into an above average performer.

Combine and average window and charge an exorbitant price for it and I am not sure how they continue to produce.

Would you put any stock in a person who claims that their window is the only one that does not leak or cause condensation? Have the Champion engineers figured out what has escaped all other window engineers? That mis-information and outright lie would be enough for me to invalidate everything that person has to say from the outset.

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Re: ALSIDE SHEFFIELD OR CHAMPION??? HELP!!

#3 Post by Skydawggy »

+1. I couldn't agree more.

The best way to fight back against companies that use shady tactics is to refuse to do business with them.

pearlseeker
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Re: ALSIDE SHEFFIELD OR CHAMPION??? HELP!!

#4 Post by pearlseeker »

I have done some research and found that Alside Sheffield is an excellent window except for the fact that the design is outdated....meaning it loses more glass space than other windows. He would prefer to sell me the Excalibur..by Alside...because it would show more glass. And he said he can get other brands, like Softlite, but he said the Sheffield is one of the only good companies that offers brown on the outside and beige on the inside.......which is what I wanted.
He likes dealing with alside because the reps. for the company are in this area and they give excellent service. And he loves their Excalibur and Sheffield windows.

But that is why I am on this board. I need other good opinions. I find this all extremely confusing.
One article online said that if you have big windows, like I do, that I would not even notice the loss of glass that much. My old windows now have glass about 35" wide and 40" long (with both top and bottom hung total glass.) The top sash is 20" and the bottom is 20".

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Re: ALSIDE SHEFFIELD OR CHAMPION??? HELP!!

#5 Post by Windows on Washington »

He is wrong about the brown outside and white inside. Virtually every window manufacturer does that in some capacity and Soft-Lite is one of them.

You are going in reverse if you go from the Sheffield to the Excalibur.

pearlseeker
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Re: ALSIDE SHEFFIELD OR CHAMPION??? HELP!!

#6 Post by pearlseeker »

I called my installer and he said that he could get the soft lite like you said...he was double-checking. He also recommended Alliance. Have you ever heard of them?
He is going to measure a Sheffield and a Soft Lite and let me know how much glass I would be losing if I went with the Sheffield. This man has excellent references. He said he wants to make sure I am happy. Since my windows are so large, he does not think it would make A LOT of difference.

pearlseeker
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Re: ALSIDE SHEFFIELD OR CHAMPION??? HELP!!

#7 Post by pearlseeker »

Do any of you have any opinions about all of this....like have you ever heard of Alliance?

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Re: ALSIDE SHEFFIELD OR CHAMPION??? HELP!!

#8 Post by pearlseeker »

Is soft lite a good replacement window? Have any of you had them in your home? Would they be better than Sheffield? I live in Indiana and the dealer is in Michigan. Do you think that would be a problem if I need warranty work? One thing my instller liked about Sheffield was that he bought directly from the Alside Co. and the company has reps. in our town. He said I could get a quality window like sheffield for a fair cost because there was no dealer (middleman) to pay.
And if there was any problem with the sheffield window, the service would be better because the local rep. was very good.

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Re: ALSIDE SHEFFIELD OR CHAMPION??? HELP!!

#9 Post by Windows on Washington »

I am not familiar with the Alliance window.

The Soft-Lite Imperial LS and Bainbridge are lightyears ahead of the Sheffield and 100 out of 100 times would be the window that I use if those were my choices.

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Re: ALSIDE SHEFFIELD OR CHAMPION??? HELP!!

#10 Post by HomeSealed »

EcoStar Windows wrote:+1. I couldn't agree more.

The best way to fight back against companies that use shady tactics is to refuse to do business with them.
+100 :!:

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Re: ALSIDE SHEFFIELD OR CHAMPION??? HELP!!

#11 Post by HomeSealed »

pearlseeker wrote:I have done some research and found that Alside Sheffield is an excellent window except for the fact that the design is outdated....meaning it loses more glass space than other windows. He would prefer to sell me the Excalibur..by Alside...because it would show more glass. And he said he can get other brands, like Softlite, but he said the Sheffield is one of the only good companies that offers brown on the outside and beige on the inside.......which is what I wanted.
He likes dealing with alside because the reps. for the company are in this area and they give excellent service. And he loves their Excalibur and Sheffield windows.

But that is why I am on this board. I need other good opinions. I find this all extremely confusing.
One article online said that if you have big windows, like I do, that I would not even notice the loss of glass that much. My old windows now have glass about 35" wide and 40" long (with both top and bottom hung total glass.) The top sash is 20" and the bottom is 20".
Where on earth did you find ANYONE other than the people selling them say that the Sheffield is an excellent window??? It is not just outdated, it is a poor design, poor quality, and fraught with all kinds of issues... I speak from experience, as I used to sell this product. I regret it every time I get a new service call... That product is a shining example of why the ratings, while very important, don't mean everything.

pearlseeker
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Re: ALSIDE SHEFFIELD OR CHAMPION??? HELP!!

#12 Post by pearlseeker »

I read it on Consumer's Report in 2007...Oct. They recommended Alside highly.
Have you heard anything about Alliance windows?

canuck

Re: ALSIDE SHEFFIELD OR CHAMPION??? HELP!!

#13 Post by canuck »

Alliance is a low grade window as well;same as alside. consumer reports is so biased itsa joke and no pro worth his salt pays any attention to it.

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Re: ALSIDE SHEFFIELD OR CHAMPION??? HELP!!

#14 Post by Skydawggy »

The reason most pro's don't consider Consumer Reports as a very good source of information is because they only test windows sold through retail outlets like Home Depot and Lowes. That means that windows that are clearly superior to other brands like Softlite, Gorell, Simonton, Sunrise and Okna are never tested, The reason CR only tests retail store windows is because they don't test anything custom made. When CR tests an automobile, they simply buy it from a local dealer without disclosing who they are. It's the only way they can be sure they are getting a true representative sample.

Unfortunately, too many people erroneously believe CR goes out and buys windows from over 1200 window manufacturers and then reports on the best. All one has to do is read the reviews of the windows they rate as the best to know that's not true.

So if you are looking for a good buy on windows, toss the CR in the trash and start to educate yourself. CR is for people either too naive or too lazy to do the research themselves.

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