House Window Class Action Suits
Aluminum clad window class action law suits, status and warranty information
Hurd
Hurd Inert Gas-Filled Window
Hurd Millwork Company, Inc. reached a class action lawsuit settlement over allegedly defective inert gas-filled insulated glass windows and doors. The Hurd window settlement resolved a 2004 class action lawsuit, entitled Douglas Barden v. Hurd Millwork Company, Inc., that alleged the inert gas-filled insulated glass windows and doors manufactured by Hurd did not retain the inert gas and allowed the gas to leak out over time, thus, reducing their thermal rating and efficiency. Hurd denies any wrongdoing, but agreed to provide a $1.65 million class action settlement fund to resolve the litigation.
Class Members of the Hurd window class action settlement include all current owners of homes, condominiums, apartment or commercial building have inert gas-filled insulated window and door products manufactured by Hurd between January 1, 1994 and December 31, 1998.
Kolbe & Kolbe Millwork Co.
All-wood, wood and aluminum window product lines
It has been alleged that these windows can leak, rot, crack and/or warp after installation.
In February 2014, property owners in Wisconsin filed a class action lawsuit claiming that Kolbe failed to properly design, manufacture and test the windows and is therefore responsible for property damage caused by their defective products.
A class action lawsuit has already been filed alleging that both Kolbe's all-wood and wood and aluminum products suffer from defects in their designs. Specifically, the lawsuit alleges that the wooden portions of the windows are inadequately preserved and protected, meaning they can rot and warp even when properly installed. In light of these allegations, Kolbe customers who experienced problems with their windows may be able to take part in a class action lawsuit to recover compensation.
MI Windows
8500/4300/3500 single hung windows
It has been alleged that MI Windows and Doors' 8500/4300/3500 single hung windows contain a defect which may allow water to leak inside the home and seep into structures which are fitted with these windows. The formation of mold and mineral deposits have also been reported by homeowners with MI Windows complaints.
Consumers who own a property installed with 8500/4300/3500 single hung windows manufactured and sold by MI Windows and Doors may have legal recourse. According to a MI windows class action lawsuit, the windows are defective and may allow water to leak inside the home. Because the company allegedly released a defective product into the marketplace, consumers who experienced problems with these windows may be able to file a claim seeking compensation for property damage, replacement costs and other losses.
MW Manufacturers, Inc.
MW Freedom or Freedom 800 vinyl-clad windows
It has been alleged that certain MW Windows in its Freedom line are prone to chronic air and/or water infiltration following installation, causing them to fail, rot or leak.
It is believed that MW Manufacturers sold windows with vinyl-clad wood frames and vinyl-clad wood sashes with the "Freedom" brand name from 1987 to 2003, and from 2003 until at least 2009, with the "Freedom 800" brand name.
Property owners whose house, office or other building is outfitted with certain windows sold by MW Manufacturers may have legal recourse. It has been alleged that the company's MW Freedom and Freedom 800 vinyl-clad windows are defective, as they are prone to chronic air and/or water infiltration following installation. Allegedly, as a result of the defects, property owners have or will have to spend their own money to remove and replace the windows, damages that could be recovered through a class action lawsuit.
One class action lawsuit has already been filed in Massachusetts, alleging that the windows are failing, sometimes on their first day of use, even if installed properly in ideal conditions. According to the suit, the windows were defectively designed in that they cannot be properly sealed. As a result, water and air can leak through the sashes, causing the wood portions of the sash and other wooden parts of the windows to rot, according to the suit.
It has been alleged that MW Manufacturers is failing to uphold its purported 10-year, 20-year or lifetime warranties. According to complaints, the company has uniformly failed to pay their customers for the full measure of their losses.
Pella
Architect, Designer, and Proline Window Series
It has been alleged that water can penetrate the windows, causing the interior wood to rot.
Lawsuits have been filed over Pella's Architect, Designer, and Proline ranges of windows. In June 2014, the 7th U.S. Court of Appeals overturned a settlement involving Pella's Proline windows for issues unrelated to claims that the product is defective. The overturned settlement does not mean Pella is protected against future lawsuits over its Proline windows and does not affect ongoing litigation against Architect and Designer windows.
A number of class action lawsuits have been filed against Pella Corporation alleging that the company's Architect and Designer Series windows are defective. According to the suits, the alleged defect allows water to penetrate and leak behind the windows' aluminum cladding, exposing the interior wood to moisture. This, in turn, can cause the wood to rot and otherwise damage both the windows and the property on which they were installed, the lawsuits claim. It has been alleged that Pella Corporation knew the windows were defective, but took no action to inform consumers of the defect, recall the windows, or honor warranty claims to repair and replace the windows.
How Can I Tell If My Windows Are Rotting?
It has been alleged that because the aluminum cladding on the windows covers the exposed wood, consumers will not be able to notice any problems with their windows until the rotting has progressed significantly. (The cladding sits around the perimeter of the window and is sealed to the glass. It is designed to divert water away from the interior wood of the window frame.) Consumers have complained that by the time they realized the wood was rotting, their warranties had expired and they were left no choice but to repair and replace the windows at their own expense.
It has been alleged that Pella Corporation's Architect and Designer Series Windows contain both design and manufacturing defects. As a result of these defects, installed windows are likely to fail before their reasonable life expectancies and have, for many consumers, already started to rot, the class action lawsuits claim. If consumers do not have their windows repaired and replaced quickly, the rotting will allegedly progress to the windows' frames and adjoining structures. Unfortunately, due to their design and manufacture, the windows may not exhibit any visible signs of rotting until years after installation.
Windsor Windows
Windsor Pinnacle Select Windows
It has been alleged that Windsor's wood and wood clad windows are defective and allow water to penetrate the windows' frames and sashes. Property owners allege that, as a result, their Windsor windows leaked, rotted and grew mold and mildew that damaged the windows and other surrounding property, such as drywall and flooring.
Windsor Windows is currently facing a class action lawsuit alleging that the company's wood and wood clad windows are defective and can fail prematurely. According to the lawsuit, water can intrude the windows' frames and sashes, which can cause the windows to leak, rot or degrade. In addition, the water can allegedly spread to surrounding property, such as drywall and flooring, and cause extensive water damage. While the lawsuit alleges that Windsor knew or should have known about these problems, the company never recalled these windows and, in fact, makes it extremely difficult for property owners to file warranty claims to have their windows repaired, according to the suit. As a result, consumers claim that they've spent thousands of dollars repairing windows that failed well before their expected lifetimes.