Andersen 100 Series Warranty: Glass, Fibrex & Who Pays the Labor

Coverage at a Glance

Terms below are taken directly from the manufacturer's written limited warranty. All periods run from the date of purchase from the retailer or dealer.

Most window warranties are read for the first time on the day something breaks. We would rather you read this one before you buy, because the Andersen 100 Series warranty is genuinely good, and it is also narrower than the way it gets described in a sales pitch. Here is what the document says, section by section, and what it means in a Treasure Valley home.

The Glass Warranty, in Detail

The 20-year glass term is the headline, and it holds up. It covers the insulating glass unit itself: dual-pane, Low-E, SmartSun, HeatLock, PassiveSun, the patterned glass options (obscure, fern, reed and cascade), Finelight grilles between the glass, and the tempered version of any of them. Two things are promised. First, the glass is free from manufacturing defects. Second, it will not develop a material obstruction of vision from premature failure of the glass or the organic seal. That second promise is the one that matters on a 15-year-old west-facing window that has started to fog. Patterned glass gets one more line: no material change in appearance from a manufacturing or seal defect.

Three glass situations fall outside the standard warranty. Special-order glazing carries its own terms that you have to request from Andersen. Impact-resistant glass is excluded entirely. And glass that was not factory installed by Andersen is not covered, which is worth knowing if a previous owner had a unit reglazed by a glass shop.

The remedy is Andersen's choice among three: ship a replacement glass unit to the dealer you specify, authorize a factory repair of the existing glass at no cost, or refund the original purchase price. Whatever they replace or repair is warranted for whatever is left of the original 20 years, not a fresh 20.

Components Other Than Glass

Everything that is not glass gets ten years: non-electric operators, locks, lifts, balance systems, hinges, handles, insect screens, weatherstripping, exterior trim, and the sash and frame members themselves. The same three remedies apply, parts to the dealer, factory repair, or refund. The one carve-out is the finish on bright brass and satin nickel hardware, which is not covered at any age. Tarnish and corrosion on hardware finishes generally are excluded as well.

The Fibrex Exterior Finish

This is the section that separates the 100 Series from vinyl in a way the warranty actually backs. For ten years, the color finish on the Fibrex frame, sash, panel, sill and grille exteriors is warranted not to flake, blister, crack, peel, pit, corrode or lose adhesion. Andersen also puts a number on fade: no more than 5 delta E measured to ASTM D2244, which is roughly the point where a color shift becomes obvious side by side. That is the promise that lets Andersen sell black and dark bronze exteriors with a straight face.

The finish warranty does not extend to weatherstripping, hardware, insect screen frames, patio door sills, hinges, handles, trim sets, lock components, exterior trim profiles, or aluminum coil stock. The remedy list has one extra option: Andersen may refinish the product, and if it does, labor is included. The document notes the refinish will use standard commercial techniques and may not match the original factory finish. Repair, replacement parts to the dealer without labor, or a refund remain on the table.

What the Warranty Does Not Do

The exclusion list is long and worth reading once. Anything that changes the glass, such as tinting, films, security systems or insulated coverings, voids coverage on that unit. So does improper installation or mulling by anyone other than Andersen, non-Andersen hardware, use beyond the published performance specifications, and water infiltration that is not traced to a manufacturing defect. Condensation is excluded outright, as are damage from chemicals, salt or acid rain, brickwash, razor blades, sealants or sanding, plus delivery by others, accidents, acts of God, and normal wear.

Then there is the labor section. Andersen excludes labor to replace sash, panels, glass or other components, labor and costs to remove and dispose of defective product, and labor and materials to paint, stain or do carpentry around a repaired or replaced unit. Add the exclusions for slight glass curvature, minor scratches that do not obscure vision, grille bars rattling inside the airspace, and insects passing through or around a screen, and you have the complete picture: Andersen stands behind the parts for a long time, and beyond the first two years the work of installing those parts is between you and your dealer. Which brings us to the dealer part.

Two Years of Labor, If You Buy From an Authorized Dealer

Here is the part that does not appear in the warranty document, because it is not a product term. It is a dealer term. When Andersen products are purchased through an authorized Andersen dealer, Andersen covers the labor to perform covered warranty repairs for the first two years. Wood Windows has been an authorized Andersen dealer for decades, so every 100 Series window we sell comes with that coverage: if a glass unit fogs or a balance fails in the first two years, Andersen pays for the part and for our installer's time to replace it, and you pay nothing.

That is a real difference from buying the same window at a big-box store or from an unauthorized reseller, where the written warranty still ships you the part but the labor to install it is your problem from day one. It is also the honest answer to the question of why buy from a dealer when the box says Andersen either way. The window is the same. What stands behind it for the first two years is not.

How We Handle Andersen Warranty Work

If Wood Windows sold and installed your 100 Series windows, call us first. Our Garden City office opens the claim with Andersen, matches the Product ID label to the original order, and schedules one of our own installers to swap the glass or the part when it arrives. Inside the first two years that visit is covered by Andersen. There is no third-party service network in the middle. If the windows were sold by another dealer, or the house came with them, Andersen's service center at 1-888-888-7020 can take the claim directly, and we can still do the installation work as a service call.

Andersen asks for the same information every time: the exterior color, unit type and size, inside visible glass measurements, the Product ID label, the glass logo etched in the inside corner of the pane, a description of the problem, and the purchase date if you have it. Registering your windows at andersenwindows.com/warranty is optional, but it puts the order on file so none of that has to be reconstructed later. When coverage is unclear, Andersen may charge an inspection fee for a site visit, waived if the inspector finds a covered defect.

One last note on the fine print. The warranty includes a dispute resolution process with class action and jury trial waivers. Homeowners can opt out at andersenwindows.com/optout within one year of purchase, and opting out does not change any of the coverage above.

Last reviewed 2026-09-16 by Wood Windows Inc — (208) 376-2200