Double Glazing Problems

C

Caz

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Hi, I'm in the middle of refurbishing an old house. We got in double glazing and the company have been terrible communication wise and I'm not sure they've done a good job. I would never recommend them and will not be paying the full balance. My builder also says he's never seen anything like it. I'm just wondering, when the windows are fitted all the foam is visible and nothing has been covered. Is it up to me to cover that or should they have done it?
 
The covering up depends on what was there when they installed them.

Are the walls plastered? etc. More info needed here.
 
It's an old house so just concrete. It was ok on some of the windows because we were getting insulation so we were covering them but on other windows at the side where they're installed all the foam is sticking out with nothing covering them so we'll have to cover it. Should they have put o reveals or something to cover them?
 
Normally no. Their job is to fit windows not much else.

I renovated an old house. Windows replaced - steel nails and brackets used & foam used to fill in holes etc.

We made the rest good ourselves as plastering etc. was done afterwards.
 
But say I was just living in the house and not getting anything else done, surely they couldn't just leave them like that?
 
If you were living in the house; then plaster work , windows boards etc. should be made good.

(Any chance of a pic of showing how they were left?)
 
If you are not happy with the work, tell them so and ask them to come back and fix it. If you don't give them the opportunity to put things right, they will have a good legal case against you no matter what state they left it.
 
So I've uploaded a few photos. One is of the back door, then there is a photo of the bottom of the window where there is a gap. You'll see that the new floor has been laid so should be right up against the window so there's no gap.
 

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from the pics inside plastering (hardwalling) has been done before windows and doors have been fitted. This shouldn't have been done till after fitting and foam etc could have been covered.
 
roncondon said:
from the pics inside plastering (hardwalling) has been done before windows and doors have been fitted. This shouldn't have been done till after fitting and foam etc could have been covered.
Click to expand...
No plastering was done. They removed the old windows and put the new ones in and what you see is how they left them. Is this how they should be left? Surely they shouldn't look like that? Thankfully I've a builder who will cover them up but my point is that he shouldn't have too.
 
Mr Wednesday worked for a window company for many years and I have seen his work, in fairness it is VERY similar to your photos. The problem with an older house renovation is that the walls very rarely run true and can cause issues. The foam had to be left to fully set otherwise you could have draughts. The bulging bits in pic 57 can be smoothed off easily with a blade now it's completely set. I would contact the window crowd and explain that you're disappointed with the finish to see what they can do for you. Generally on a renovation, like PaddyBloggit said, you would be plastering etc after changing the windows. Best of luck.
 
To be honest Caz, I think they've been as neat as they possibly could have been.

They look to be fitted properly and as building work is still going on your builder should have no problem finishing up around them.

The windows are fitted better than some other fittings I've seen.

I think the installers did a good job.
 
Thanks for the feedback, much appreciated. My builder and kitchen fitter thought they were poorly installed. They think some of the windows were too small. Gaps at the bottom of the windows shouldn't be there and in the living room where there seems to be a big gap at the side suggests to me that they underestimated it. Ignoring the door as there's a lot of work to be done on that wall, I wouldn't have been happy with the living room window being left like that if I wasn't getting work done.
 
You've two choices Caz ... create a stink or move on and deal with what was installed.

If you create a stink, the outside chance is a total removal and new windows etc. with no guarantee that the new will be fitted any better.

I also think this is a non runner as the issues (IMHO) are too small to warrant such drastic action.

The most you could expect would be a little off your bill and I don't think you'd be offered much here either.

Personally, I think you should move on and deal with making good what you've got.

Who is to say that the builder or carpenter are any more expert than the window installer?

As an aside, who supervised the installation on the day? Was a comment not made to the installer on the day?

(The one thing I've learned as I get older ... the small things don't bother me anymore. Make a decision, move on and forget about it.)
 
Thanks Paddy Bloggit, I've decided I will move on. They were terrible to deal with and even when I made a complaint at the beginning they didn't acknowledge it. They didn't deliver all the windows on the day, they never rang me to tell me and I got no phone call or email to say when they would arrive. It was 7 days later before one of them arrived, others were still missing, then a window was cracked on the first day and they didn't replace that for another 2 weeks. They billed me for the balance and said the snag list was complete, one of the windows didn't even open! It took them 4 weeks from arriving at the house to install the windows until all issues were cleared up. Not once in those 4 weeks did they contact me to update me, I was basically left to guess when they would arrive. They arrived every Wed for some reason.

They offered me a discount of €200 for all of the above, which personally I think is a joke. I don't mind any company messing up, these things happen, but it was their management of it and one excuse was that they were very busy!! Two people that I know were looking for their contact names as they wanted to get their windows replaced, they will now be looking elsewhere!
 
That's the unfortunate side effect of dealing with people - more often than not it brings confusion.

I think you've made the best decision. Move on and be happy that their business etiquette will eventually bit them on the proverbial backside.

Dealing with trades' people can be a pain but focus on the end result and you'll get there.
 
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