Kolbe Windows and Doors Reviews
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Kolbe conducts deceptive business practices. They deliberately misinformed me about delivery timelines for over 6 months. They began having glass shortages in April 2022. The issue worsened by the summer of 2022 but they allowed me to enter into a contract with a 16 week delivery date knowing they could not deliver product.
When the delivery date passed and I had no product, they provided me with false deadlines week after week. In total it took 10 months for my order to be completed. They hide behind not being responsible for material delays that they source for their products. I understand supply chain issues. Knowingly misleading customers about timelines and making deliberate false statements in NOT a supply chain issue. It is Deceptive Business Practices! The retailer that I utilized to purchase from Kolbe will no longer sell their product. They are not alone in this decision. Do Not Buy from Kolbe. Deception is not related to supply chain issues. Deception is simply greed.
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!
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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.
Kolbe sent their rep and he tried to adjust the doors saying they needed heavier wheels. He came out again and said he couldn't install them but he could suggest that we sand the door so they would slide smoother. Then denied he said it when Kolbe responded to our concerns. They refused to replace the one door out of seven. You have to pay them in full so when there is a problem they can walk away because they got paid and don't care. Way to stand behind your product. Worst company I've ever had to deal with. I will never recommend or use Kolbe again and I will make it a point to make sure everyone I know doesn't as well!!!!
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.
On installation, I insulated the area between the windows frame and the rough frame. It's a mystery to me. But now that I’m reading all these reviews describing similar problems, I think that it is not my house but the window that is causing the issue. It's now 2019 so the windows are now 25 years old, but still, you would think they would last the lifetime of a house... Why wouldn't they? I'm going to try and replace all the gasket/weatherstripping materials on a few of the worse offenders to see if that helps. I would not purchase any Kolbe and Kolbe products in the future and would not recommend them.
Kolbe Windows and Doors author review by Sally Jones
Kolbe Windows and Doors was founded in 1946 by brothers Herb and Ervin Kolbe, who were Wisconsin dairy farmers. Working out of their mother’s washhouse, they began repairing broken window frames and building new window sashes. Today, the company has grown into an international window and door company with seven locations in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Colorado.
Varied offering: Kolbe manufacturers six different window lines in a wide variety of sizes, shapes and styles. The company also offers a line of high-quality, low-maintenance fiberglass entry doors that feature a realistic wood-grain texture with stained finish.
Energy-efficient windows: Energy-efficient windows meet government specifications that may qualify for tax rebates. Kolbe offers windows in every imaginable shape and size, including all-wood windows, all vinyl windows and aluminum-clad wood windows in a choice of nine different wood species.
Customizable accessories: Consumers who want to emulate a specific architectural style can choose from a wide range of stylish handles, grills and seal types to help create the look they want.

Sally Jones is a writer and editor with a focus on homebuying, mortgages and warranties. She has a BA in writing and literature from Columbia University, and her work has been published in Realtor, Family Handyman, Reader’s Digest and elsewhere.
Kolbe Windows and Doors Company Information
- Company Name:
- Kolbe Windows and Doors
- Year Founded:
- 1946
- Address:
- 1211 Depot St.
- City:
- Manawa
- State/Province:
- WI
- Postal Code:
- 54949
- Country:
- United States
- Website:
- www.kolbewindows.com
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