Does anyone have comments about Kolbe Windows? are they just as good as Marvin windows

I am doing a comparison on window istallation and window manufacturers.  A company that a neighbor used installs Kolbe windows and I wanted to know what the word is on Kolbe windows?

bedstuyborn

in Doors & Windows 13 years and 6 months ago

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christimody | 7 years and 2 months ago

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We have had problems with our Kolbe leaking– finding that they were not properly manufactured with sealant on the wood and lack sufficient “hardware” to shed water where our transoms meet the operation window.

Guest User | 7 years and 2 months ago

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Don’t even tghink of buying them. Ours are so frail. Some don’t close properly. One won’t even open. They leak. Support is non-existent, after the first few months. The mechanism is obscure, but Kolbe Kolbe won’t share any info about how to work on these windows … and they want exhorbitant prices for thewir staff to come and do what I could do if they published some information.

BrooklynButler | 13 years and 6 months ago

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I used to consider Marvin, Pella, and Kolbe to the be the big three for replacement windows.  I’ve heard, however, that Kolbe recently starting having quality control problems.  When I compared Kolbe to Marvins, I thought the details were better on Marvins than Kolbe.

rh | 13 years and 6 months ago

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Mopar, no I don’t have multiple panes. I like that look, but it just seemed too reproduced. The pane wood wasn’t doing it for me. We have LePage in the front of the house and they are much larger than the ones in the back. For the rear, we went with Marvin. Reason being, the front was all custom. The LePage is solid wood and the Marvins are wood veneer inside…fiberglass exterior(?) or was it aluminum? Bathrooms are Marvin fiberglass. They look too clean and perfect to be the originals but they are historically correct and really gorgeous. Now my facade is looking crappy compared to the windows. You know how that goes. If anyone wants to see, I do recommend S&E….send me an email and I’ll give you my address. If you want to see from inside, you will have to bring me a gift. ; ) infoATreclaimedhomeDOTcom

callalily | 13 years and 6 months ago

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RH, so in the back your panes are smaller, right, since you have multiple frames within frames? Do you love the way the brick to brick replacements turned out — do they look just like regular original windows in the way they sit in the holes?

callalily | 13 years and 6 months ago

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Just FYI, you can do things about the gaps — weatherproofing of various kinds, such as those metal thingies. Don’t throw away your old doors! Or if you do, give them to me. 🙂

rh | 13 years and 6 months ago

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Well, at least it worked out in the end and the windows are doing their job. 🙂 Yes, come Spring it will be time to deal with the door situation. Fun.

dnk | 13 years and 6 months ago

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rh, last year we put in Marvins (radius tops) in the front, and Andersons in the rear.  I wish I read your post before we proceeded.  In the end everything worked out, but managing the installation was a nightmare, and the place we purchased the windows from (ProBuild in Brooklyn) was absolutely horrible.   Now that the windows are in, and the surrounding area is packed with insulation we notice the difference too.  And we’ve also got to tackle the exterior door situation — in our case, it’s the parlor, a beautiful original door, but the outside air pours right through the gaps.

Drew1 | 13 years and 6 months ago

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i work with both window manufacturers and find them both to be good companies.  the difference is Marvin is there for you after the installation for service and warranties.  Any questions feel free to ask

rh | 13 years and 6 months ago

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The windows are great! Big differece from our old windows when we could actually feel the draft. We did notice this winter that it was chilly when the temperatures dropped and we had to keep the heat on most of the time, but that was because we didn’t have a radiator in our hallway. It’s a garden/parlor duplex and the main problem was garden level where we don’t have the best exterior door (that’s next) and we keep our interior doors open. Now that we hooked up a radiator, it’s toasty and we don’t have to run the heat as much.

dnk | 13 years and 6 months ago

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rh, I just read your terrific blog post.  One question:  you had them installed over the summer.  Now that we’re in winter (and we’ve experience something like 1.5 halfway cold days), how have the windows held up?  Have you noticed anything?

rh | 13 years and 6 months ago

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Hey Hostile, I feel your pain. I was in your position last year. Loads of questions on the forum trying to find a way to save money, but at the end of the day I had to swallow that bitterest pill and cough up the dough. My blog post (with link to past article) goes over window and contractor options. Hope it’s helpful to ya: http://reclaimedhome.com/2011/08/09/new-windows-installed/