CHARLOTTE — Two Indian Land homeowners are suing window manufacturer Ply Gem, claiming their double-paned windows are defective and develop a cloudy haze, which is an issue they believe could affect many others across the region.
Major construction companies install them, and home improvement stores sell them.
“It’s happened several times,” said homeowner Bill Lane. “I have several (foggy) windows. I have neighbors that have several windows.”
Action 9’s Jason Stoogenke started investigating this issue more than a year ago.
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He explains how this lawsuit could impact you.
The windows are double-paned but get foggy between the two pieces of glass.
“It kind of gets a cloudy feel and, for some reason, there’s like streaks,” Lane said.
The company, Ply Gem, made the windows.
“If it was just one, I could see, but this is a problem,” Lane said.
Lane and another homeowner are suing the company. They filed a potential class action lawsuit.
“Within just a couple years, many of these windows begin to go bad,” said Vincent Sheheen, an attorney for the homeowners. “You can’t see through them, which is the whole point of having a window in your house.”
The windows are supposed to be well-insulated, Sheheen said.
“That insulation is a gas contained within the window, itself, and sealed within the window and, if the windows aren’t properly manufactured, then those properties leak out,” the attorney said.
Stoogenke has visited several homeowners who have experienced this with Ply Gem windows, including Nicky Nilson.
“At first, I just thought they were dirty, so we had them cleaned and, no,” Nilson said.
In the past, Ply Gem told Stoogenke it stands behind its product, honored the warranty quickly, and provided replacement windows.
The company did not say why the windows get cloudy.
Now, Ply Gem won’t comment while there’s pending litigation.
“I’ve had homes before. I’ve never had to replace a window like this,” Lane said.
The plaintiffs in this case believe this is a widespread issue and there should be a class action, but a judge will ultimately make that call.
That can take months or even years, so Stoogenke will keep consumers updated on if that happens.
In the meantime, you can file a complaint with your state’s consumer agency or talk to a lawyer.
VIDEO: Another homeowner claims new windows are ‘cloudy, discolored’
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