Pella/Viking Rant

[Lettusbee67]

Fact: Pella bought Viking Windows so that they could compete in the low-end market

Fact: Pella's Thermastar line of windows, available at Lowes, use the same snap in vinyl glazing bead that viking windows from the late 1990s used.

Fact: Our fair city suffered a hail storm, where hundreds of viking windows from the late 90s got hammered, resulting in broken glazing bead.

Fact: I have a long list of customers waiting for me to show up at their house, glazing bead at the ready.

Fact so far: I am unable to purchase the glazing bead from Pella. They directed me to Lowes, which requires measurements of windows to purchase.

I am not going to these houses to measure, then order glazing bead. I should be able to order the glazing bead by the stick, in 6' or 10' lengths, like every other window company on the planet. The Lowes salesperson recommended that I simply order a bunch of glazing bead based on a 72" x 48" Slider, which I likely will end up doing, for lack of a better option.

But the fact remains, that these Viking windows are JUNK! same as their Thermastar counterparts, and Pella's service is useless!


GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF YOUR BUTT PELLA!

[TSJHD1]

A carpenter told me this in a dream about a year ago:

Paloo came out with a low-end, I guess you'd call it a "builder-grade" window, back in the 90's I believe it was, and my opinion of their company did a complete 180.

I could look right into the 45 degree cladding miters on the sashes and see wood. And the windows had absolutely NO lines to them. Very bland-looking.

They came with these fold-out (as in- you fold them out) metal nailing fins that I actually liked, but way too many framers wouldn't fold them out far enough, and then the window didn't get set far enough into the opening, making them extra hard to case.

Peela seemed to me to be lowering their standards beyond what they were known for, and I haven't liked their products since.

And I don't care how inexpensive they are, imo they aren't worth it. They won't last if water can get to the wood, so why even buy a window that's going to self-destruct in a decade or so? (Or less?)

Then I woke up and found out a builder friend of mine had exactly the same dream. Go figure.

Tom

[jimAKAblue]

I think Pella has been overrated since..forever.

[Andrew R.]

The Architect series were nice except when installed in areas where it rains.

[davenorthup]

The Architect series were nice except when installed in areas where it rains.

That made me laugh.

Never installed a Pella anything. I think I am glad for that... :)

[slimpickens]

The Architect series were nice except when installed in areas where it rains.

Laughing here.

[markhoni]

Pella sucks. A piece of 6 mil poly stapled over a window opening would be better than any of their windows.

[MKnAs Dad]

You would probably get better service with plastic too!