Invest in long-lasting vinyl windows, doors
Purchasing vinyl windows and doors for your Honolulu home should be for a lifetime. After all, every window salesman and advertisement that we see tells us this. But is there really any lifetime warranty available on vinyl windows and doors? When researching this, we decided to ask the experts. But our biggest problem was finding one. Sure, we found many window salesmen who claimed to be experts, but does that really make them experts? So, we decided to critique the so-called experts with questions.
Here are questions we asked hoping to find a real expert on whether there really is a lifetime warranty for vinyl windows and doors.
1) How long have you been in the window business — 10, 20, 30 years?
2) How many windows have you installed? If you have never installed windows — how do you know what is necessary when you look at the job?
3) Are you a licensed contractor? If not, what makes you an expert?
4) Are you insured and bonded?
5) Are you an owner of a window company?
6) What are the building codes and permitting requirements for a home?
7) Do you have any certifications with factories or the Glaziers Union?
8) Do you have union training?
9) Have you ever designed a window for a factory to manufacture?
10) Have you ever owned or been part owner of a window factory?
These are great questions and we knew we would have an expert when we found the person who could meet all the requirements. After much research on the Honolulu industry, we found only one expert.
Matthew Houar is the owner of Tropical Windows and Siding, a contractor who has installed thousands of windows himself as well as owned the first vinyl window factory in Honolulu. Houar has multiple contracting licenses and has won numerous awards in the vinyl window and siding industry. But the real proof was Houar has been in the vinyl window and siding business in Honolulu for over 40 years.
So after finding Houar we asked, “Is there really a lifetime warranty on vinyl windows and doors?”
And here is what Houar said, “Certainly there are lifetime warranties on vinyl windows and doors, just not normally in Hawaii.”
“What is the reason for this?” we asked.
Houar says, “Because of Hawaii’s salt air conditions, almost every mainland factory voids warranties in Hawaii. If there are any warranties in Hawaii, most are given by the small satellite contractor selling their favorite brand of vinyl windows and doors.
This means the factories are still voiding their warranties. In fact, if any factory warranties are given, normally the hardware and screen parts are only warranted for one year.”
At this point we asked, “Are there any warranties backed by a major factory?”
Houar says, “There is only one I know of Simonton Windows and Doors.”
“Where can we find these vinyl windows and doors?”
“At Tropical Windows and siding. Tropical is the first to bring, design and manufacture vinyl windows and doors in Hawaii. Go to 1351 S. Beretania St. and get the finest vinyl windows and doors. Tropical also installs at a reasonable price with the best local installers on the Island. Our motto is ‘buy local.”
At that point, we knew we had the real expert and recommend Tropical for all your home improvement needs when it comes to buying lifetime-warranted vinyl windows/doors.
