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RSIP Mechanical Issues

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Window and door mechanical issues, defined as material items on a window or door that are physically not functioning and would have been covered by the original manufacturer’s warranty and addressed by the manufacturer upon receipt of a valid warranty claim, have been reported by a small percentage of homeowner​s who have participated in the Residential Sound Insulation Program (RSIP or Program) and are not able to receive warranty service from the manufacturer. To date, the CDA has confirmed mechanical issues in over 1,200 homes. Homeowners that have had an odor confirmed in their homes may be eligible to receive repairs for their mechanical issues while they are awaiting window and door replacements. Warranty service work has begun in homes under the On-Call Warranty Services contract.
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In early February 2022, the CDA mailed warranty inspection notice letters to homeowners​​ who had RSIP-installed products from a manufacturer that is no longer in business and the products were in warranty on June 12, 2014 or later ("in warranty"). If you received this letter and you are experiencing any issues with your RSIP windows or doors, the CDA encourages you to contact the Program Office via email at [email protected]​ or call (773) 838-5632 for homes near Midway or call (773) 894-3636 for homes near O’Hare. The Program Office will coordinate with you to schedule a warranty​ inspection. If the warranty claim is validated, your home will be eligible to receive repairs from the CDA contractor. If you have already informed us of at least one mechanical issue for the windows or doors in your home, you do not need to request an additional warranty inspection. Please be aware that the timing of warranty service repairs is dependent on available funding and the scheduling of homes.

See the RSIP COVID-19 Response webpage for information regarding our ability​ to schedule appointments in homes. 

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Mechanical Issues Overview and Timeline

​For over 25 years, the RSIP has worked to mitigate airport noise on behalf of the communities near Chicago’s airports. The Program is designed to reduce the effects of aircraft noise inside the home, with the goal of achieving a quieter environment and better quality of life for residents located within the highest impacted areas affected by aircraft noise. To date, the City of Chicago​ (City) ​has sound-insulated more than 21,000 homes near O’Hare and Midway. Approximately 5 percent of the homes insulated, in which the manufacturer of the windows and doors went out of business, have experienced window or door mechanical issues.

RSIP Mechanical Issues Summ​ary

​The windows at these homes were manufactured by Sound Solutions Windows & Doors, LLC (Sound Solutions). Sound Solutions closed its window manufacturing facility in June 2014. At that time, there were over 99,000 windows in warranty at over 6,300 homes near O’Hare and Midway. Sound Solutions failed to honor those warranties, so the CDA decided to address the warranty service for homeowners who contact the Program Office by issuing field orders to current construction contractors. These warranty service repairs began in June 2014 and continue to be performed on windows that have safety, security, or water infiltration issues.

The RSIP-installed vinyl windows come with a 10-year manufacturer’s warranty. April 2014 was the last month that the RSIP installed windows that were manufactured by Sound Solutions; therefore, the last of the original warranties for those windows expires in April 2024.

In response to complaints reported by some residents experiencing mechanical issues with windows and doors installed as part of the RSIP, the CDA performed mechanical repairs in nearly 400 hom​es under previous contracts. Mechanical repairs, for RSIP-installed vinyl windows or storm doors, include the necessary repairs and servicing for valid warranty claims requested by the homeowner. The City awarded an On-Call Warranty Services contract this year to resolve these issues, as well as any future issues in homes that are still within warranty.​ ​Within this new contract, over 13​0 homes have already received repairs.​

If you are experiencing any issues with your RSIP windows or doors, the CDA encourages you to contact the Program Office via email at [email protected]​ or call (773) 838-5632 for homes near Midway and call (773) 894-3636 for homes near O’Hare. If your windows and doors are still within warranty, the Program Office will coordinate with you to schedule a warranty inspection.

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​Warranty Service Process 

​Since the City awarded an On-Call Warranty Services contract, the following typical steps occur in order to have service performed in homes that had products in warranty June 12, 2014 or later (applicable for products where the manufacturer is no longer in business):
  • ​​A Homeowner calls the RSIP to make a warranty claim and request a warranty inspection.
  • ​​The RSIP performs a warranty ​inspection to validate the warranty claim.
  • ​Following the warranty inspection, a scope development meeting in the home will be performed by the homeowner, the RSIP, and the contractor to determine what repairs are needed and determine what materials will need to be ordered for those repairs.
  • ​​The RSIP will call you to schedule an appointment for the contractor to perform the warranty service work.​

Common Questions related to Window and Door Mechanical Issues and Repairs 

NOTE: The phrase “Mechanical Issues and Repairs” refers to material items on a window or door that are physically not functioning and would have been covered by the original manufacturer’s warranty and addressed by the manufacturer upon receipt of a valid warranty claim. Mechanical issues may include, for example, broken parts or difficulty operating windows and/or storm doors.

QM01:      ​​Are my windows and doors under warranty? 
AM01:      The warranty duration, of your RSIP-installed windows and doors, can be​ found in the warranty package you received after the completion of the original sound insulation work in your home. If you cannot locate your warranty package or need assistance interpreting the document, please call the Program Office at (773) 838-5632 for Midway homes or (773) 894-3636 for O’Hare homes.
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QM02:     The manufacturer for my windows/storm doors went out of business and I am having issues with my window/storm door. Could you please provide me with more information? 
AM02:     If the original warranty period for your windows or storm doors was in effect June 12, 2014 or later from a company that is no longer in business, a warranty inspection can be performed in your home to verify your warranty claim. Please call the Program Office at (773) 838-5632 for Midway homes or (773) 894-3636 for O’Hare homes.  

QM03:     My windows are having mechanical issues. What can be done? 
AM03:     Please call the Program Office at (773) 838-5632 for Midway homes or (773) 894-3636 for O’Hare homes to see if the original warranty period for your windows is still in effect. If the original warranty period for your windows or storm doors was in effect as of June 12, 2014 or later from a company that is no longer in business, a warranty inspection can be performed in your home to verify your warranty claim. The City​ awarded an On-Call Warranty Services contract to perform repairs for valid warranty claims. ​​

QM04:     When did Sound Solutions Windows & Doors, LLC go out of business? 
AM04:     Sound Solutions went out of business on June 12, 2014. If you have any additional questions, please contact the Program Office via email at [email protected]​ or call (773) 838-5632 for Midway homes or (773) 894-3636 for homes near O’Hare. ​
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If you have any additional questions, please contact the ​Program Office via email at [email protected]​ or call (773) 838-5632 for Midway homes or (773) 894-3636​ for homes near O’Hare.​

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