When you’re looking for replacement windows to protect and beautify your home, what’s the first thing you look at? In a catalog, it’s probably the window’s appearance. But, there’s something you really need to check before you buy a new window for your home: the warranty. Is the window a “lifetime warranty window” or a limited warranty product that is only covered for a handful of years.
If you have a choice, it’s best to get a window that has a real lifetime warranty instead of a window that lacks such a long-term guarantee.
Why?
There are a few reasons to get a genuine lifetime warranty window over on that only has a five to ten year warranty:
Why You Need Lifetime Warranty Windows: Factory Defects
Factory defects happen even with the best impact window manufacturers. When a factory plant is pumping out hundreds or even thousands of windows of varying sizes with different customization options, defects are bound to happen.
However, the factory defects that manage to get past the factory’s, installer’s, and your own personal quality control checks are typically things that are so small or well-hidden that they go unnoticed for years at a time.
When such small or unobtrusive flaws in a window are present, it can take years for them to become an issue. You can probably see the problem: if a factory defect only causes a noticeable issue years after the installation, will the window still be in warranty when you go to make a claim?
If you have a window that has a shorter-term warranty, odds are that your window might be out of the warranty period by the time you make your claim. In which case, the manufacturer can choose to refuse to provide any kind of warranty replacement or repair service.
In some cases, you may be able to hold the manufacturer responsible for issues caused by defects even outside of the warranty period, but it’s often difficult to do so. As noted by Finch McCranie, LLP: “to successfully prosecute the case, the plaintiffs need to prove that their injuries result from the specific defect.”
In other words, unless there’s an injury caused by the defect and you can clearly link the defect to that injury, you won’t be able to rely on a product liability claim. Also, any court case to get money to cover the cost of replacing a defective window will likely cost more than the window itself absent some other cause of action for injury.
Why You Need Lifetime Warranty Windows: Installation Errors
In addition to getting windows with a lifetime warranty covering the window itself, it’s important to have a warranty that covers issues arising from installation errors. However, this is usually something that the manufacturer doesn’t cover.
Instead, manufacturers typically only cover defects in materials and their own factory’s workmanship. Installation errors would be defects in the installer’s workmanship. And no company is going to willingly assume liability for a third party’s quality control (or lack thereof).
This can be an issue because even the best installers can make mistakes. We’re only human, after all. If an installer has as little as a 0.1% error rate for their window installation processes because they’ve done thousands of windows over the years, that still means that they’ve likely made hundreds of mistakes during installations spread across their entire career.
For example, Karoly Windows & Doors has installed roughly 125,000 windows over the last 25 years. If 0.1% of those windows had an installation error, that’d be 125 windows with problems requiring replacement. Not a lot compared to the total number of installs, but it isn’t zero.
So, how do you get a lifetime warranty for window installation? By ordering from an installation company that has their own, independent labor warranty policy that lasts a lifetime!
We know that errors can happen despite how much we try to prevent them. That’s why Karoly Windows has a lifetime labor warranty for window installations. For up to 25 years after the install date, if there’s a problem with the installation, we’ll come back out to fix it at no additional labor cost to you.
So long as the window manufacturer doesn’t strictly prohibit installers from performing warranty work, we’ll provide the labor for your warranty repair or replacement.
Why You Need Lifetime Warranty Windows: For Greater Quality
The strength of a window company’s warranty reflects the level of faith that they have in their products. Companies with strong lifetime warranties that don’t have a million different exclusion criteria typically have better quality products. Meanwhile, companies with short warranties that include a lot of odd or nonsensical exclusions that void the warranty often fall short of the mark on quality.
Why?
Because, the company that makes great products knows that it won’t have to perform warranty work, even when the warranty period runs long. They have confidence that their windows will last you for years and that their manufacturing is consistent enough to ensure that their rate of warranty claims will remain low enough to be easily managed.
A company with a weak warranty, on the other hand, knows that if their warranty period and terms were more generous, they’d be drowning in warranty claims.
So, one of the biggest reasons to look for lifetime warranty windows is to ensure that the windows you get are high-quality and reliable.
What to Look for in a Window’s Lifetime Warranty
Okay, now that we’ve covered some of the reasons why it’s a good idea to look for windows that have a lifetime warranty, what should a warranty contain? Here are a few things to look for in a window warranty brochure:
Warranty Labor Coverage
Does the warranty provide coverage for the labor to repair or replace defective windows? If not, how much is the labor rate under the warranty? Or, does the warranty allow your installation company to provide the labor or does it require you to use the manufacturer’s dedicated warranty service team?
These are questions that you’ll want answers to before you order your windows, as it could mean that ‘warranteed’ window repairs or replacements could still end up costing you money for the labor.
Actual Warranty Coverage Period
The thing is, the term “lifetime warranty” doesn’t necessarily mean an actual human lifetime. In many cases, it just means the expected life of the product or however long you’ll probably own it for.
So, when you look at a lifetime warranty for a window, be sure to read exactly what the manufacturer means when they say “lifetime” in their own words.
For top-end window manufacturers, a “lifetime” warranty typically lasts about 25 years. That’s enough time to go from being a newlywed to having kids and watching them go to college or start their own families.
Meanwhile, another manufacturer might say they have a window lifetime warranty, but the warranty is only good for like 10 years or parts of the warranty conclude much earlier than others.
The point is that, even if a manufacturer boasts about having a “lifetime warranty,” it’s important to check the fine print to see how they’re defining the word ‘lifetime.’ Because different manufacturers will define the term differently.
Warranty Exemptions
What does the warranty explicitly not cover? Every warranty should have a clear list of exemptions where it becomes null and void. Even the strongest warranties won’t cover things like the homeowner intentionally damaging the window.
So, check your warranty for a section detailing its exemptions or for passages stating “this warranty will be rendered null and void if…” and see what they’re exempting.
Some exemptions make perfect sense—like not covering damage caused by intentional acts of vandalism/arson.
Others, not so much. Like the warranty being voided if the window is exposed to water. It’s a window. In Florida. Water exposure should be assumed.
By checking for exemptions in the warranty, you can avoid getting windows that won’t actually be covered for common, everyday events.
Get Impact Windows That Have Lifetime Material and Labor Warranties!
Want the best warranty for your windows. To get actual lifetime warranty windows that cover both labor and materials? Reach out to Karoly Windows & Doors today to discover how you can get new windows with warranties that last for decades while covering your parts and labor for fixing any warranty-covered issues!
