Kolbe Windows and Doors

My Kolbe windows have always been very difficult to open and close and I was told that is "just how they operate". When I asked to purchase the jamb liner for a non-operable window, I was told that the jamb liner was discontinued and that there was no solution other than to purchase new windows or leave the window permanently closed. This isn't a Boeing jet engine, this is a sash with a pin on it, that slides up and down inside a jamb liner. The punchline is, the customer service rep and then one of Kolbe's tech's had no interest in helping me find a solution for my problem. As someone who has spent 10's of thousands of $s with Kolbe, I will never purchase another Kolbe & Kolbe product again!

Do not purchase anything from Kolbe Windows and Doors as you will not get anything but the runaround and no specific help from their so called customer service. As a professional painter with over 35 yrs experience they would not give any specifics on what stain and finish products they use on prefinished windows and doors. The products that were delivered over 30 windows and doors, were dinged and scratched prior to installation and in need of finish touch up and repair. They did not offer assistance or specific information at all, and only gave unusable information. The client who spent over $50,000 on their products had no such luck trying to get similar help. So please save yourselves the hassle and do not purchase anything from Kolbe windows or doors. They are horrible to deal with, if there were a zero star rating for this review I would chosen that for sure. Be warned, this is an honest and home finishing pro assessment.

Ordered a set of Kolbe retractable doors from the local dealer in Las Vegas for a customer we were doing a remodel for. Doors were delayed and when they did arrive they came in pieces to be put together on site. This would not have been a problem except they did not send all the parts. Upon install the local dealer admitted the doors were bowed slightly but said they would not be a problem because they were within industry standards. This of course was a problem that no one will take responsibility for.

I am a retired architect with over 45 years experience. Purchased Kolbe doors on my personal residence. All have leaked during rain storms. After careful review I discovered the door design was flawed, allowing rain water to flow down the door face into a channel that overcame the drainage in the door threshold allowing water to flow into the interior. The ground floor doors leaked destroying the wood floors and the upstairs door caused mold and rot in the walls below. When I contacted Kolbe the said the warranty was expired and would not honor any compensation.

We installed quite a few Kolbe windows in our new home. We move in last December. The initial set of screens didn't fit. They sent out a team to remeasure and sent another crop of screens... Most of them didn't fit either. Now the salesman won't return our contractor's calls. The windows have a design with a lip at the top and bottom to hold the screens. With no lip on the side, the screens have to fit to prevent bugs coming in. We have too many bugs. The windows are beautiful, perfect for a modern home but the screens have been just awful.

I have Kolbe Windows throughout my house. One window was opened and the hardware came out of the bottom of the sash. I found it was totally rotten. I checked the rest of my windows and found four sashes totally rotten in the bottom. This included a stationary window. One sash was rotten across the bottom and six inches up the side. Kolbe offered less than a 20 percent discount on their ridiculously expensive replacement sashes. I would not chose these if I were installing new windows.

I spent a fortune on aluminum clad, wood casement windows when I built my house. I have 33 windows. They leak inside from condensation frost on the outside. They are drafty and the screens are so flimsy they fall apart when cleaning. I would not use this product again!

We had a custom home built in 1999 and used all Kolbe and Kolbe windows. The home is large and because we like light and the view we installed a total of 29 on the upper level and 17 on the lower walkout level. About one third crank out the remainder are fixed. In 20 years we have replaced only one fixed pane because it developed a gas leak. We live in Iowa hence we have brutal winters. All seal well against drafts. The secret is good initial installation to prevent air and water leaks. YES, happy after 20 years!

New home built in 1994, I purchased brand new Kolbe and Kolbe single sash casement windows for new construction. These are aluminum clad wood, double glass glazings with a metal bead separating the two glazings. I precisely installed these windows myself so I know it's not an installation issue. Every window operated perfectly when I first installed them. About 1 year in, many started to become difficult to close. This is when I first noticed the amount of water being held inside the sash. I thought I had a high humidity level so I started running ventilation. It hasn't helped. I live in PA and as soon as the weather starts turning cold, I get an amazing amount of "dew" developing on the bottom inch or two of glazing and if I open the window, it contains about two shot glasses of water all along the inside of the frame and sash. The moisture is condensing on the cold surfaces. I don't know where the cold is getting thru.

Almost all of my windows blow cold air in. I have to put towels and tape to minimize the cold air. None of them align correctly to lock properly but one will not lock at all, resulting in noticeable wind blowing in my bedroom. These windows leak like sieves and are worst than 1940s casement windows I once had.