Making The Right Choices
| Dear Homeowner: | |
| I want to thank you for considering Fleetwood as the door and window products for your home. I know there are many choices out there and it can be intimidating and confusing. I want to bring your attention to a few areas that will help you make the best choice and will make your buying experience pleasurable. It all begins by ... | |
| Choosing The Right Manufacturer | |
| · | Fleetwood is family owned and operated since 1962. Ask about years of operation. |
| · | All windows and doors are made in the United States of America. |
| · | Product design focus is the luxury home market. |
| · | We offer products for the whole house, not just a few door or window choices. |
| · | All products are designed with a “make it better, not cheaper” philosophy. |
| · | Fleetwood offers a straightforward Limited Lifetime Warranty. Other companies that make a cheaper product try to entice consumers their direction by playing the warranty game. Consider the car industry and how the cheap cars play this game. |
| · | Once the window and door manufacturer is selected, then you need to make certain you are Choosing The Right Dealer. |
| Choosing The Right Dealer | |
| · | Make sure they have current displays; especially full size displays so you will know what you are buying. Nobody's product looks as nice or performs as well as Fleetwood's! |
| · | Make sure you DO NOT pick the cheapest dealer. "You get what you pay for" is true with most things in life and we encourage you to select a dealer who will provide even better service after the sale. |
| · | Make sure you choose a dealer shown on our website. Unless your project is outside the posted states/zones you want to select from this short list because we have pre-qualified them as the best of the best. If you are outside any of those areas contact Inside Sales, for assistance on finding the right dealer for your project. |
| · | Make sure your dealer is RESPONSIBLE for installation EVEN if they are not providing it. Some dealers do not offer in-house installation so make certain they can manage your project from start to finish. |
| · | Some products do not carry a factory warranty unless installed by an Authorized Dealer. Make sure your dealer can satisfy the requirement. |
| · | Make sure your dealer will be there to provide FREE labor on warranty issues. |
| · | Make sure your dealer knows the product exceptionally well. We encourage you to challenge them in this regard and if they do not pass the test, find another dealer. You are relying upon their professional know-how to help you in Choosing The Right Product. |
| Choosing The Right Product | |
| · | Choose aluminum because of its stamina. Regardless of temperature or corrosive environs (salt air), aluminum will last decades longer than most other window products. |
| · | Make sure you choose aluminum if your home is in a fire hazard. Wood or vinyl are quickly damaged by heat and embers, allowing fire to enter the house and more oxygen to feed that fire. Extruded aluminum retains its form at over 1000 degrees Fahrenheit thereby protecting your home. |
| · | Make sure the doors and windows are factory glazed because some dealers can buy their own glass. Nobody can glaze our products as well as we can nor does the factory warrant that glass. |
| · | Make sure you order “shop drawings” to insure you get the reveals, sightlines and wall conditions you want. This process adds a few weeks to the lead-time BUT it will save hours of “I wish I had…” situations in the field. |
| · | Selecting the right hardware is another area you want to make sure you take an active role. For example, casement windows are offered in roto gear operation and “push out” operation. In the roto gear mode, you have less ventilation because of the hardware limitation. |
| · | Make sure you review each product brochure for available options. We often hear “I wish I would have known that was available because I would have selected it…” |
| · | Get educated. Our website offers vast amounts of product information to help you with your choice. For example, everyone loves the “hidden track” of the 3050 sliding door BUT are sometimes surprised when they learn it does not keep out the rain. This door is designed without water performance to maximize one of its greatest features…no sill. We have your solution though! Our Series 3070-EX provides a low profile sill but still is designed to evacuate water. Get educated. |
| · | Other helpful documents: Fleetwood Fixed System Vs Storefront, Fleetwood Hinged Door Vs Storefront, "Green" Conscious, Fleetwood Vs Bi-Fold and Lift-n-Slide. |
| · | Once you have selected your windows/doors then you can concentrate on making sure you are Choosing The Right Delivery. |
| Choosing The Right Product Finish | |
| · | Make sure the finish is a factory finish and warranted because some dealers have access to other painters or anodizing companies. If you are selecting an anodized finish, be aware that Clear Anodizing reveals the natural character of the aluminum extrusion process such as cooling lines. |
| · | Make sure the product you select offers a factory finish that does not require refinishing (e.g. wood or fiberglass). |
| · | Make sure the product you select offers the color you want. Fleetwood offers thousands of choices. |
| · | Make sure the product finish has exceptional Performance. |
| Choosing The Right Delivery | |
| · | Make sure your products are shipped directly to the project. Fewer hands means less damage. |
| · | If a factory to job delivery is not available, make sure your products are factory cartoned to insure protection of glass and finish till it arrives to it’s intended opening. |
| · | Part of choosing the right delivery is to make sure you are Choosing The Right Installation. |
| Choosing The Right Installation | |
| · | Make sure your dealer provides either a state glazing license or an AAMA Installation Masters certificate and make sure they follow the installation instructions for your specific window/door products. |
| · | Before installing Fleetwood aluminum doors/windows you need to be aware of a few potential installation mistakes. Avoiding these pitfalls will maximize the longevity of your products. Galvanic Corrosion |
| · | Make sure the builder has prepared the openings to be plumb, level and square. The less "tweaking" the installer has to do to make the product fit into a poor opening the greater your product performance will be. |
| · | With your new windows/doors installed, now you need to make sure you are Choosing The Right Safeguards. |
| Choosing The Right Safeguards | |
| · | Make sure your builder protects the doorsills from damage by other trades. Wheelbarrows, foot traffic and construction debris will all damage your new products. |
| · | Make sure your glass and metal parts are protected against corrosive agents such as concrete and stucco. Contact will damage anodized finishes within minutes. Consult our Care & Maintenance Instructions. |
| · | Make sure no caustic chemicals or abrasive materials come in contact with the glass or finish during the clean-up stage. This is also a time where glass scratches occur so make sure you only use window-cleaning professionals. |
| · | Nearing the completion of your Fleetwood project it is important for you to make sure you have the Right Quality Perspective. |
| Choosing The Right Quality Perspective | |
| · | As much as we want to make a flawless product we cannot. On painted products you should expect hairline scratches in out of the way areas and expect imperfections, thus "character" in anodized finishes. All glass has natural imperfections and we suggest Glass Blemish Detection. |
| · | Understand that Fleetwood products are sometimes shipped in sections rather than single units. Large sizes may require some field assembly so it is not damaged during shipment. Make sure the dealer you choose is able to perform this service. |
| Most companies would never provide this "insider information" because it might seem to reflect poorly on the manufacturer. We believe, however, that knowledge is power and that honesty upfront is the only way to conduct business. We want our potential customers to know what to expect so they can plan for it. | |
| We are so confident in the design excellence and exceptional quality of our products that we are willing to take such a risk. It kind of makes you wonder why the other guys don't. | |
| Good luck on your search. | |
| Mark S. McCoy | |
| Vice President-Sales | |