House window life expectancy
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URL: https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=209300
Printed Date: 16 Dec 2025 at 3:33pm
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Topic: House window life expectancy
Posted By: AC7060IL
Subject: House window life expectancy
Date Posted: 10 Dec 2025 at 1:58pm
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20 yrs ago, purchased 30 new gas-filled dual pane wooden outer vinyl clad double hung windows & installed them in our new home. Now some are beginning to rot(8~27%) in their bases of lower sashes. Not entirely rotted lower sash, just small pockets of bad rotted timber. House doesn’t have excess moisture. All windows received quality inner stain & sealed. Calling mfg resolved nothing, unless I wanted to part with +$300 per window for a lower sash replacement. I declined. Thinking minimum of 50 years should be their lifespan? Guess not. I plan to dig out rotted pockets & use an epoxy to fill voids. Then, drill new drain holes from exterior sash to base of dual pane castings to assist ridding any inner condensation. |
Replies:
Posted By: tadams(OH)
Date Posted: 10 Dec 2025 at 2:11pm
| Just make sure you don't drill into the window seal |
Posted By: Kenny L.
Date Posted: 10 Dec 2025 at 3:26pm
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We build our house in Sept of 2000 in put in Pella windows and doors, the windrows are still in great shape the doors not quite the same, the patio door need replacing but we're going to let it go for a while yet because it's not leaking into the house it's just the skin coming loose so put same glue in it and re corked it see what happens. |
Posted By: JW in MO
Date Posted: 10 Dec 2025 at 6:45pm
I did the same 29 years ago remodeling a 10 year old house, Pella, metal on the outside and wood on the inside, they still look like new when cleaned. If I had to replace windows now, at this point, I figure anything will run me out anyway. ------------- Maximum use of available resources! |
Kenny L. wrote:Posted By: Coke-in-MN
Date Posted: 10 Dec 2025 at 8:01pm
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Have 2 bow casement windows , 5 lite in each , one Anderson , other Weather shield , both are single pane with a storm glass - not thermopane - Had one outfit give me a bid to replace $30,000 , next was MAD CITY window , attractive lady giving a sales pitch for about a hour , wanted to save me money and replace with 2 sliders instead of bow windows - ONLY $22,000 12 Years back I replaced 10 sliders windows (thermopaine) for $210 each and 2 patio doors for $400 each using Kolby and Kolby units from local discounter for windows ------------- Life lesson: If you’re being chased by a lion, you’re on a horse, to the left of you is a giraffe and on the right is a unicorn, what do you do? You stop drinking and get off the carousel. |
Posted By: jaybmiller
Date Posted: 10 Dec 2025 at 8:16pm
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Sounds like you got 'hybrid' windows, wood outside, vinyl inside which isn't a good choice. The problem is wood expands/contracts differently than vinyl,so eventually ,with heat/cold/time ,they will separate(delaminate ), just a little but that's all that's needed and a drop of water gets in....time passes and once it begins.....well wood rots. Neighbour had that type and he spent a LOT of time,gouging out wood, filling in with epoxy,took him 3 years. I just replaced my 25 year old windows. Went with 'brick to brick (B2B) 'all vinyl, welded, aluminum capped. B2B means they removed all the original wooden frames( 1955 construction) ,new trim, foam,caulking, etc. They're definitely going to outlive me. I know there's high profit margin in 'new window installations' Renewal by Anderson quote me $84,000 for '13 window openings. Oh yeah, add another 13% for taxes. Fortunately I do a lot of 'help the neighbours' with my Kubota. One guy's dad cut me his 'family and friends ' discount. His company made money, he made a commission and I saved a LOT compared to Anderson. Quality.... same or better than Anderson. ------------- 3 D-14s,A-C forklift, B-112 Kubota BX23S lil' TOOT( The Other Orange Tractor) Never burn your bridges, unless you can walk on water |
Posted By: Darwin W. Kurtz
Date Posted: 10 Dec 2025 at 8:29pm
| 25 years is about the life span for non Pella windows. I saved a ton of money on generic windows about 25 years ago. Now some of them need to be replaced as the gas has gone out of them now |
Posted By: ACinSC
Date Posted: 11 Dec 2025 at 2:13am
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Just had all 10 windows replaced on the front of our house. Wife wanted Anderson so that's what we got. Very nice windows. Guys did an excellent job, but very expensive Think they have a 30 year warranty. Definitely outlast me. |
Posted By: DMiller
Date Posted: 11 Dec 2025 at 6:18am
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When built here used a local All Vinyl over aluminum support frame windows in a wood box that revealed inside the house. Full vinyl attaching webbing outside. So far at ten years actually installed have had three broken or seal broken by lawnmower discharge projectiles as reconstructed the lawn and two that the seals failed leaked off the gas in Three panel sealed panes. If even end up replacing will probably be Anderson at this point but are truly cost prohibitive. Pella has changed and have seen some going in I would not have bought. House was started in ‘14, finished in ‘15 so are getting past the 10 years installed mark and not really happy with what originally bought. Whatever end up doing I know will not live to see them replaced again. Doors on my workshop are same manufacture, steel body but have a pretty poor vinyl and plastic either 9panel or internal decorative structure that is also starting to fall apart. Front door will be the worst for individual price on house as has a overhead window as well two side light windows where will be well over $2000 just to purchase replacement not get installed. |
Posted By: Ryan Renko
Date Posted: 14 Dec 2025 at 6:54pm
| Everyone building a new home or just installing replacement windows usually has a budget. I was raised by a father that believed in using quality and doing it right the first time. The family home he built 56 years ago and my mother still lives in has Pella windows. The house at our family farm was built in '85 and has Pella windows. Yes they were more expensive but we have never had a issue of any kind. You get what you pay for. Ryan |
Posted By: KJCHRIS
Date Posted: 15 Dec 2025 at 2:08am
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Mine are the originals in this house, it's 70 years old. I've 3 that need replaced next summer, but I may do all. I plan to do siding at same time. The storm windows aren't glass but have plastic panes, never heard of that. One will get shrunk down, tired of the plastic sheeting on it. It's in NW corner of house and it is monster sized, @ 8' wide x 6'+ tall, uses 4- 22" H x 44"W glass panes and has louvered vents underneath. From the time before air conditioning. ------------- AC 200, CAH, AC185D bareback, AC 180D bareback, D17 III, WF. D17 Blackbar grill, NF. D15 SFW. Case 1175 CAH, Bobcat 543B, |
Posted By: Sugarmaker
Date Posted: 15 Dec 2025 at 7:06pm
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Our house was built in 81 with Anderson wood windows with vinyl on exterior I believe. Started to see some rot a couple years ago. replaced all of them with vinyl windows Not sure how long the new ones will last but I don't think I will be here when they need replaced. Very happy with them. I choose to use new construction type. same cost As the replacement inserts, ,maybe less but I was removing the exterior vinyl siding and changing the house color too. So had access to the framing as the old windows were removed. New windows were sealed with tape and calked and sealed as the old construction left gaps and air leak. Goal is to pay for them in 50 years with fuel savings:) As the winter wind whistles buy us on the hill I am very glad I did this upgrade. 20 year old shingles roofs are the next thing. But I wont be doing the roofing this time. Regards, Chris and Cheryl ------------- D17 1958 (NFE), WD45 1954 (NFE), WD 1952 (NFE), WD 1950 (WFE), Allis F-40 forklift, Allis CA, Allis D14, Ford Jubilee, Many IH Cub Cadets, 32 Ford Dump, 65 Comet. |