ComplaintsforEast Bay Glass Company

• Initial Complaint

  12/14/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We contracted with East Bay Glass to install new dual pane vinyl windows in our home.All of the the sliding glass windows that were installed are leaking and need immediate replacement. We contacted East Bay Glass and they came out to assess the situation. The East Bay Glass representative, *******************************, Superintendent, who visited our home to review the problem agreed that the windows were manufactured and installed incorrectly and needed to be replaced. He stated that the East Bay Glass owner would contact us and propose a solution for replacement. He has never called back and repeated calls to the business are not answered. We would like the Better Business Bureau to intervene and help us resolve the leaking, defective window issue. This is urgent since rains have returned and the windows continue to leak.Thanks for your assistance..

  Business response

  01/10/2022

  In response to complaint ID #:********, ********************** feels that there is confusion in the complaint, versus the service that was provided to the client in response to reports of leaking windows. East Bay Glass company had received the complaint and on 11/15/2021, 2 technicians were dispatched to remove dirt, sediment, sealants, and other various debris from the tracks of the window system we manufactured and installed. All of the windows we manufactured contained weeping systems, that is, there are holes in the track which allow water taken on by the system from either a spill into the track from the interior, or rainwater hitting the track from the exterior, to be wept out of the system and onto the window sill, and ultimately out to the exterior. Now, when these drains are blocked by debris, or in some cases intentionally sealed, the water backs up into the track, and spills over into the interior, this may sometimes present itself as a window leak, however, it is merely a window failure to drain. In acknowledgement of the lack of care instructions for the window system, East Bay Glass Company provided over 8 billable hours of service free of charge to ********************, all of which were spent cleaning out tracks and weep holes that had taken on what appeared to be many years of buildup from lack of general cleaning maintenance.

  
  In reviewing our internal service tag you will notice language in reference to cutting tracks down and removing caulking. This is in reference to the technicians having to strip off what appeared to be a sealant product that was applied post-manufacture to the outermost extremes of the window track, presumably in an effort to prevent leaking, the 1/16" gaps on either side of the track are intentional, and meant to wick water from the top of the track, down into the weep system in order to be drained to the exterior. Sometimes, handymen or painters hired to do leak service mistakenly exacerbate leaks by plugging the weep holes with sealant rather than clearing the debris and ensuring the weep passage is cleared. We performed the service and after tests, the water was weeping out of the system as expected. There are many cases, and this is definitely not a failing on the lay person, but when the weep system is working, there are sometimes streaks of water coming down the exterior of the window sill that follow the contours of the building and terminate at the foundation, this may give the illusion that the window is leaking, however this is how the weeping system releases water taken on by external forces.

  
  As far as the condition of the vinyl windows go, the frame, glass, and weather seals are intact and have not been compromised, and I believe the only miscommunication may have been in why the tracks had been cut down some. This was to increase the weeping capacity, as well as due to hard to remove sealants applied by an outside vendor. The product is intact, and still within the manufacture warranty. The glass and labor warranty have expired, and while the service to clean out the weeping system should have been billed for, I have waived it in the interest of good business, and please just let it be known to the client that the windows are a maintenance item, and the tracks should be checked for debris and buildup at least once every 6 months.

  
  We feel that the service complaint was handled appropriately, and if there still remains a complaint of leaking, we have no problem conducting a water test to rule out the origin, and if the issue falls within our scope, we will do everything we must in order to remedy the situation

  Customer response

  01/10/2022

   
  Complaint: 16363036
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  The problem with the leaking windows is not due to failure to perform routine

  cleaning. The problem is due to poor window construction which allows for air and

  water to pass through the gaps in the window frame structure which also makes opening

  and closing the windows difficult. Furthermore, the representative from East Bay Glass who came

  out to inspect the problem stated that the construction was uneven and after cleaning the weep holes

  water was sprayed on the windows and he noted that the windows continued to leak because the glass frames

  were uneven. For the record, ALL of the sliding windows exhibit the same defect.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************************

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