CertainTeed Windows Lifetime Limited Warranty
with 1-year SureStart™ Protection


Overview of Lifetime Limited Warranty:

This warranty covers CertainTeed NewBridge™ and Montclaire™ vinyl windows installed in the United States of America. CertainTeed Corporation (CertainTeed), subject to the conditions and limitations set forth below, warrants its high performance solid vinyl windows (except for the Insulate Series of vinyl windows, which carry a separate warranty) to be free from manufacturing defects during the lifetime of the original purchaser so long as he/she retains ownership of the property in which the windows were installed. CertainTeed will repair or provide replacement product, at its election, free of charge, for any window proven to be suffering from a manufacturing defect during the applicable warranty period up to a maximum liability which shall be equal to the cost of the window required to replace the defective product.

Labor charges and expenses under Lifetime Limited Warranty:

CertainTeed shall in no event be liable for labor charges or other expenses whatsoever in connection with removal or installation, except as specified under SureStart™ protection (see SureStart™ section on this page) of either the original or replacement product. However, in lieu of replacement or repair, CertainTeed, at its sole discretion, reserves the right to refund the amount paid by the original purchaser for the defective window (but not including any installation cost).

Lifetime Limited Warranty and property sale:

In the event the original purchaser sells the property in which the windows are installed, the coverage provided by this warranty will be limited to the subsequent owner and will be 20 years from the date of product installation (or 10 years from the date of product installation for decorative/leaded glass units, or product utilizing wooden seatboards or CertainTeed applied or authorized exterior coatings).

Lifetime Limited Warranty and commercial property restrictions:

The lifetime coverage offered by this warranty is designed to cover individual homeowners only. In the case of vinyl windows purchased by, or installed upon property owned by, corporations, governmental agencies, partnerships, trusts, religious organizations, schools, condominiums, co-operative corporate housing arrangements, apartment buildings, commercial construction or any other type of building or premises not used by individual homeowners as their residences, the warranty period shall be 10 years following the date of installation of the vinyl windows.

Vinyl frame/sash coverage under Lifetime Limited Warranty:

Lifetime coverage against manufacturing defects such as peeling, flaking, blistering, or color degradation is included with certain exceptions (see limitation H).

Hardware coverage under Lifetime Limited Warranty:

Lifetime coverage against manufacturing defects to the hardware, including corrosion, is provided with certain exceptions (see limitation E).

Standard insulated glass coverage under Lifetime Limited Warranty:

Except for products containing PrismGrid™, lifetime coverage against manufacturing defects which may result in obstruction of vision by film formation, dust or moisture within the air space of the sealed glass. Glass breakage is not covered by this warranty with one exception (see limitation B).

Additional warranty for vinyl windows containingPrismGrid™:

Except as otherwise stated in Limitation I, CertainTeed warrants only that the PrismGrid™ optical beveled glass (enhanced with 3M™ Accentrim™ products) installed in its vinyl windows will perform as follows for 20 years from the date of window manufacture:

1. The PrismGrid product will not expand or contract by more than .007 to .003 of an inch.
2. Neither the adhesive nor the structure resin will separate from the film backing used in the PrismGrid product.
3. The PrismGrid product will not lift from the glass.
4. The color used in PrismGrid product will not migrate.


Continuation of Lifetime Limited Warranty after repair orreplacement of product:

In the event of repair or replacement pursuant to the terms of this warranty, the original warranty shall apply to the repair of replacement product and will extend for the balance of the warranty period in effect at the time the product was proved defective.

One-Year SureStart™ Protection

CertainTeed NewBridge and Montclaire windows are covered by SureStart™ Protection for a period of one (1) year following the date the installation has been completed. Under this warranty feature, CertainTeed, at no charge, will repair or replace, at its option, any window proven to be defective during the one-year SureStart™ period. CertainTeed’s maximum liability under SureStart™ will be equal to the reasonable cost to repair or replace the defective product at current value, including labor, in connection with the repair or removal of the original product or installation of the replacement product.

Limitations:

CertainTeed shall have no liability under this warranty for:

A. Defects or failure caused by improper handling or storage or by installation not in strict adherence with CertainTeed’s written instructions.
B. Any damage to the product caused by impact of foreign objects, acts of God, or by fire, explosion or other casualty. Glass breakage for any reason is not covered except if a stress fracture occurs within 12 months following installation. In that case only, CertainTeed will provide replacement glass unit at no charge. Labor costs to install the glass are not included except as specified in the SureStart™ section.
C. Windows that have been painted, varnished or similarly coated over the original vinyl surface.
D. Damage caused by failure to protect wood surfaces against moisture.
E. Corrosion of any metal parts, otherwise known as hardware, when installed within two miles of the seacoast or anywhere in Hawaii.
F. Defects or damage caused, in whole or in part, by the addition of applied tints or films to glass.
G. Defects in insect screens that occur more than 12 months from date of window installation.
H. Defects or damage caused by the effects of air pollution, exposure to harmful chemicals or normal weathering* caused by exposure to the elements.
I. PrismGrid warranty does not apply to windows that are not positioned vertically, such as skylights.

CertainTeed shall have sole discretion to determine, based on reasonable criteria, whether the product has experienced normal weathering. If the product weathers to a degree determined by CertainTeed to be beyond normal, CertainTeed shall select, at its sole discretion, one of the following options: CertainTeed will repair or provide replacement product, at its election, free of charge, for any window proven to be suffering from a manufacturing defect during the applicable warranty period up to a maximum liability which shall be equal to the cost of the window required to replace the defective product. However, CertainTeed shall in no event be liable for labor charges or other expenses whatsoever in connection with removal or installation, except as specified under SureStart™ protection (see the SureStart™ section on previous page), of either the original or replacement product. However, in lieu of replacement or repair, CertainTeed, in its sole discretion, reserves the right to refund the amount paid by the original purchaser for the defective window (but not including any installation cost). Condensation on interior or exterior glass surfaces of windows, which may occur as the natural result of humidity from interior/ exterior temperature differentials, does not indicate a manufacturing defect and is not covered by this warranty.

CertainTeed reserves the right to discontinue or modify any of its products, including the color thereof, without notice and shall not be liable as a result of such discontinuance or modification. Nor shall CertainTeed be liable in the event replacement material may vary in color or gloss in comparison to the original product as a result of normal weathering.

* Normal weathering is defined as exposure to sunlight and extremes of weather and atmosphere, which will cause any colored surface to gradually fade or accumulate dirt or stains. The severity of any condition depends on the cleanliness of the air in the area and other influences over which CertainTeed has no control. CertainTeed replaces any product under this warranty, it may substitute products designated by CertainTeed to be of comparable quality or price range in the event the product initially installed has been discontinued or modified.

Other Conditions

THIS WARRANTY IS EXPRESSLY IN LIEU OF ALL OTHER ORAL OR WRITTEN WARRANTIES, LIABILITIES OR OBLIGATIONS OF CERTAINTEED. PERTINENT STATE LAW SHALL CONTROL FOR WHAT PERIOD OF TIME SUBSEQUENT TO SALE A CUSTOMER MAY SEEK A REMEDY PURSUANT TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL CERTAINTEED BE LIABLE FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING ANY DAMAGE TO THE BUILDING, ITS CONTENTS OR ANY PERSON THEREIN, RESULTING FROM THE BREACH OF ANY WARRANTY SET FORTH HEREIN. NO FIELD REPRESENTATIVE OR DISTRIBUTOR OR DEALER OF CERTAINTEED IS AUTHORIZED TO MAKE ANY CHANGE OR MODIFICATION TO THIS WARRANTY. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW LIMITATIONS ON, OR THE EXCLUSION OF, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO THE ABOVE EXCLUSIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

This limited warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights which vary from state to state.


How to Make a Claim

The property owner must promptly notify in writing the contractor or builder who installed the window in order to provide an opportunity to investigate the claim and examine the product claimed to be defective. CertainTeed and/or its licensed fabricator who manufactured the window will be notified of the claim by copy of the contractor/builder’s report to the distributor. CertainTeed or its licensed fabricator will then investigate the claim. If a defect covered by this warranty is confirmed, CertainTeed shall, within a reasonable amount of time after inspection, either repair or replace the defective window or refund that amount paid by the original purchaser for the window, per the terms of this warranty. In the event that your contractor is no longer available or if you don’t know whether CertainTeed or one of its licensed fabricators manufactured your window, please call one of our Consumer Services representatives at 1-888-454-7218.

This warranty is effective on NewBridge™ or Montclaire™ windows installed subsequent to January 1, 2005.

For windows installed prior to January 1, 2005, the warranty that was in effect at the time of the window installation is the warranty that applies.


436 ©2005 CertainTeed Corporation 1/05