Manufacturer Profile:
Milgard Windows

Milgard offers two product lines of energy-efficient vinyl replacement windows that are custom made to your specifications: the Tuscany series and the Style Line series. The Tuscany series has a traditional look with even sight lines. The Style Line series offers a narrower-profile vinyl replacement window with a more modern look, featuring sleeker lines and greater glass area. Both can be built to meet or exceed Energy Star standards in all climate zones.

Milgard facilities manufacture virtually all components of their vinyl replacement windows including the glass, the vinyl and the frames. The company also tempers its own glass, with two facilities devoted to this process. Milgard states it is an advantage to have one manufacturer creating all of the elements of the window, as it allows for greater oversight and control. Milgard has been the recipient of Builder magazine’s "Best Quality in the Nation" award six times.

Warranty

Milgard offers a Full Lifetime Warranty for as long as you own and reside in your home. Milgard claims their warranty is preferable to a “Limited Warranty” by stating the following:

“Full warranties meet certain federal minimum standards for written warranties on consumer products while limited warranties do not. This means that, among other things, under a full warranty, the warrantor must repair or replace the products at no charge to the consumer, and may only refund the purchase price in fulfillment of the warranty when that's what the consumer requests. In contrast, under a limited warranty, the warrantor may charge service costs and fees related to repair or replacement. And even if parts and labor are provided at no charge under the limited warranty, the limited warrantor may reserve the right to refund the purchase price to the consumer in fulfillment of the warranty rather than making the repairs or replacing the products at no charge.”

Milgard’s window warranty commits to repair or replace any defective window, free of cost to the original homeowner—parts and labor included. If repair is not commercially practical or cannot be made in a timely fashion, Milgard will replace the product at no charge unless you request a refund of the purchase price instead. In addition, if you sell your home, Milgard will automatically extend full warranty coverage for 10 years from the effective date of the original warranty to the successive owners, free of charge.

Special Features

Weep Drainage System: Milgard vinyl replacement windows have a specially designed “weep” drainage system with vented slots on the exterior bottom of the frames. The weep system allows water to drain to the outside as it builds up. Keeping the sill or track clean, along with the weep holes, is important for proper functioning of this system.

Energy Efficiency: Many Milgard vinyl replacement windows are designed to meet Energy Star guidelines. You also have the option of two additional energy packages that Milgard claims to “offer superior levels of efficiency”: 3D and 3D MAX. These two packages address energy efficiency through the three dimensions of a window: frame, product design and glazing. Milgard states that components in a package could include technologies such as low-e glass, argon glass, and special spacer technology. Milgard will combine various elements of the vinyl replacement window to come up with the best “recipe” based on several factors, including your climate, the design of your home and how it is oriented. Milgard can then work with the components of the vinyl replacement window, such as glass coating, frame design, spacers and gas fill to create the most energy efficient window. The company claims that these enhanced, custom-made energy packages provide the following benefits for vinyl replacement windows:

• Energy efficiency
• Protection of furniture from ultraviolet (UV) rays
• Year-round comfort

Convenience

Milgard’s claims its SmartTouch window locks are the “easiest, smartest way” to lock and unlock windows. This lock has been awarded the IDEA award (International Design Excellence) from the Industrial Designers Society of America. Milgard was also awarded the Arthritis Foundation Ease-of-Use Commendation.

The SmartTouch hardware is available only on Milgard’s Tuscany and Montecito vinyl replacement windows and doors. The mechanism is incorporated into the window sash and operates with a single motion to open or close the window.

Company History

Milgard Glass Company was founded in Tacoma, Washington in 1958 by Maurice Milgard, Jr. and his son Gary. In 1962, Gary started his own company called Milgard Manufacturing to make aluminum windows. A few years later, Milgard Manufacturing began making sliding glass doors. While aluminum was traditionally used only in warmer climates, the company created a new type of aluminum frame that worked will in cold weather regions. Milgard got into the vinyl window business in 1989 and came out with a line of fiberglass windows in 1990.

The company still operates out of Tacoma, but now has several locations throughout the country. They include Phoenix, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, Chicago and Fredericksburg, Virginia. Masco Corporation purchased Milgard in 2001. Masco owns other consumer manufacturing companies including Delta Faucets and KraftMaid Cabinetry.