Mi Windows and Doors review: Horrible service 9

I have been in my home for 9 years. I have recently contacted MI Windows and Doors about the seals on their windows. They are stating that the windows are covered under the warranty and that they will replace them. However, I have to measure, pay for the shipping, and install or have them installed myself. Keeping in mind that any error in measuring would be at my expense. Also, when I asked why I would have to pay for shipping they stated that the warranty just changed as of 1/1/10. How does a warranty change? Shouldn't they be responsible, and stand behind their work? Any advise would be helpful!

The 8500 series window is an average product, it is what it is, a single-hung vinyl window that goes up and down and fills the hole in builder-grade applications. When they wind up in expensive homes that is where the deception starts. If you have 14 pieces of failed glass (could be 28 if both pieces are bad in each window - not likely) the cost to replace them should be no more than $2000 for material and labor. If the other glass has not failed, you should be okay for the forseeable future. I sold MI and Capitol windows for 15 years and they are not the best or the worst out there. They are certainly better than Jeld-Wen vinyl (real cheap junk) or Silver Line ( slightly better junk).

My home was built in 2008, and also has the Capitol 8500 series windows. Every winter since living in the house (in Wisconsin), we have had not only condensation on the frames as well as the glass...but also ice when the weather is really cold. This is on the inside surface of the windows - all of them. I am only in the beginning stages of dealing with this, but MI doesn't seem to be too eager to deal with the problem thus far. Our window installer believes this is due to seal failure as well. We are the original owners of the home, so I hope MI will not be difficult to deal with!

To KHPB - Your comment showed up in my e-mail this morning; I had forgotten about my post about these Capitol (MI) 8500 windows. I have been a window "guy" for 22 of my 42 years so I guess that makes me something of an expert. If you have condensation inside the house (as opposed to in between the panes of glass which is a "seal failure") you have a humidity problem, not a window problem. With a house built in 2008, I am sure your house is extremely-well insulated. The problem is that when you cook, shower, and do laundry, the moisture in the air has nowhere to go, so it finds its way to the coldest surfaces in the house - which is the glass and frames of your windows. You need to run the fans in the bathrooms when you shower, the range hood when you cook, and make sure your dryer is vented properly to the outside and not kinked or blocked (which also is a fire hazard, not just a humidity source). And if you have a humidifier as part of your heating system, turn it down or off all together! I am willing to bet that your problem will go away or get much better if you do these things. If your windows are constantly wet, you run the risk of mold growth, which could be a big problem in its own right.

To PaulNSJ - Believe it or not, I have already done all of the things you have mentioned, and continue to have a problem. My husband and I only take 1 shower each a day, we leave our bath fans running for well beyond 15 minutes after showering, we use our range hood fan while cooking, etc. We have the dryer vented outside (and I just cleaned out the exhaust hose this past summer), and we also have one bath fan that is set to run continuously. Our hygrometer reads within normal range for relative humidity. We have tried running a dehumidifier, too, but it was barely pulling anything out of the air...which makes me wonder how humid our home ever was? There must be something else that can be checked/something else causing our problem?

KHPB - What is the normal humidity %? if it is a really cold day like you get in WI, the "normal" range for humidity needs to be toward the lower part of the scale, which is about 25%, to totally avoid condensation. Our winter in NJ this year has been quite mild, barely getting below freezing most nights. Here in the summer, we get some swampy 78 degree nights with high humidity. In houses where the central A/C is cranking, windows will actually sweat on the exterior of the glass! Obviously that is not a window defect. I hope you get some resolution to your problem, just keep an eye on any mold growing as that is a real issue. And if the windows are showing condensation between the glass panes, that is absolutely a warranty item.

To PaulNSJ - Funny thing I thought I'd share with you...I was given the wrong information about my windows, and it turns out that we actually have Silverline Windows! It took 2 months for me to just get that info straightened out! Most of them are 2900 series, and one is 2800 series.
We have had mold in the past, especially on the bottom sash and windowsill. This has improved just from making sure we open the curtains and blinds every day. When we wipe off the condensation from the windows, 5 minutes later there's a new haze forming in the same spot...any thoughts on that?

we replaced aluminum windows in our mid 70's ranch with MI triple pane, double hung windows in 2010/11 and couldn't be happier. We had some problems after installation but the field guy came to the house, evaluated the problems and resolved the issues.It seems that a Texas facility had recently been brought on line and the bugs weren't worked out. I wouldn't hesitate to buy MI windows again. KenO

I have the same problem. We bought 12 windows in 2008 through a local business in Albany, NY. Two windows had seal failures anout 2 years ago and now a third with the additional problem of the balances failing on two others. They tell me I will have to pay for shipping. The local company says they don't deal with them anymore so I will have to. It is all BS. When you are told you have a lifetime warranty there should be no reason to pay anything much less fix it yourself!
DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THIS COMPANY!