Horrible Marvin Ultimate quality
Lauren Ploch
2 months ago
last modified: 2 months ago
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toddinmn
2 months agoRelated Discussions
Marvin Ultimate wood interior/aluminum clad exterior
Comments (6)Hmm, but do they last? I had not realized that the warranty was rather short. I just looked at the warranty on the Marvin site, and it has different time periods for different things, from 5 to 10 and up to 20 years. However, to pay all that money for a shorter, confusing warranty does not seem to make sense. I don't want to do this again in 10 to 20 years. Hopefully never again. So, I think I'm back to my Sunrise/Vanguard/Restorations questions. Is the Vanguard (http://vanguardwindows.com/doublehung_windows.html) window really better than the standard Sunrise (http://www.sunrisewindows.com/windows/double-hung.aspx)? Where do Restorations fit in? I did just get pricing for the Sunrise: 3 fixed picture windows, 1 casement window, 8 double hung windows, and 1 half round window. Sunrise Windows. Brazilian Pecan interior/Earthtone exterior. Glass is; Ultra U 12 with argon gas. Quote totals include all labor, materials, options, and all clean up. $10934 How does that sound? This company does not intend to replace the brick molding. Is that OK? (The house is 20 years old. From what I've seen, the brick molding looks OK.) My city requires a permit, but some contractors are saying not to bother or I should get it? What do you folks say is the best practice on this?...See MoreCost of Marvin Ultimate vs. Marvin Integrity
Comments (8)windowshopper- I don't know if the dealers will compete. I have about the same number of windows as you, 3 of them are arched casements, plus 7 sets of French doors (5 of them are stationary). I was told that Integrity didn't make the arched windows I needed & I would need to go with Marvin Ultimate for those. I consulted with 4 different dealers-everyone had a different price and no one was willing to compete. One of them deals pretty much just with Marvin & he was the highest of the bunch! When I tried to negotiate and let him know he was significantly higher than other dealers and frankly he was even higher than the quote I got from Pella (which was through the roof), his response was he may not be the least expensive, but I was paying for quality. Quality? No matter where I get the Integrity, it's the same window quality, right? My framer is installing, so installation quality doesn't enter into it. Then he tried to talk me into all Marvin Ultimate because using Ultimate for the 3 arched windows & Integrity for everything else just wouldn't look right. When I let him know there was no way I could afford all Ultimate, he again went on and on about quality & making room for them in the budget. Obviously, he had an agenda & it didn't match mine. With that being said, one dealer is working with the area Integrity rep to see what they can do about getting a better deal especially on the French doors. They came in about double the cost of Jeld-Wen Siteline, M&W Mira & M&W Freedom 800, and just above the Pella Architect price. The windows were all less expensive than the Siteline, Mira, and Pella. We shall see what they come up with! But absolutely nothing wrong with shopping around--if you don't ask for a better deal, you can't expect them to voluntarily offer you one. Let me know how things go & if you find a dealer with rock bottom Integrity & Ultimate pricing!...See MorePricing on Marvin Ultimates seems high
Comments (14)Here's the deal with windows, and it's quite simple. If you will be owning your home for more than 7 years, you need to spend the money. Vinyl windows don't last, clad windows don't last, Andersen windows might last for 10-15 years. Marvin Infinity is a true lifetime window. I have never had one fail, and I have installed maybe a hundred of them throughout projects over the years. Either new construction or replacement. When I have used Milgaard, or Andersen, or Pella--which is to say, if I still own the building--I have had to replace them after 7-10 years. It stinks. So if you are on a budget, and see yourself selling the home within 5-7 years, certainly, do not spend the money on Marvin. But if this is your home, and you are in it for the long run, the cost is cheaper to buy Marvins, because you'll never have to mess with your windows ever again in your lifetime. Marvins cost twice as much. The installation costs the same. But if you are spending, say, $15,000 to replace your windows every 10 years, not to mention living through the headaches of maintenance and seeing problems, and dealing with customer service people, where is the savings in that? If you would just spend $30,000, you'll never have to think about it ever again. And living with gorgeous functionally perfect windows that look and feel like real windows--not the plastic junk--is really very nice. If you do sell, come resale time, buyers react subconsciously to nice windows. They do. If they are well informed enough to be conscious of what brand window you used, they might say, "Gee, if these people spent the money on Marvins, they probably really maintained the rest of the house." True that. So it's your call. There are great reasons to buy lower end Andersen and Milgaard windows. If you're selling your house and won't have to deal with them, who cares, go ahead and save your money. But if it's your home, and you see yourself there for a while, do the right thing....See MoreMarvin Windows - order of Ultimate, Integrity, Infinity
Comments (3)Sounds like you spoke to a guy that can't sell Infinity, lol.... That said, its not far off. Ultimate is the flagship regardless, and then Infinity and Integrity are really separate branches on the tree IMO. Infinity is a window designed for the replacement market, and they have exclusive territories etc. It's kind of off on its own in that regard, whereas the Integrity can really be purchased anywhere Marvin products are sold, much like the Ultimate. Personally I prefer the real wood interior on the Integrity if I'm choosing form over function, but I'd also choose the Infinity ultrex over the Integrity all ultrex. In a nutshell, all are well made by a great company in Marvin, none are sensational in terms of performance ratings like you could find in a premium vinyl line or some Canadian fg units, and the "levels" of these three products are not linear from top to bottom....See Morechispa
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Lauren PlochOriginal Author