4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Chucky Mama]

Our house is double glazed but we have 3 windows that have steamed up, 1 French window that was recently shattered by stray stone & lawn mower and a bedroom window that lets a gale through it. I think that we need to get replacement windows. Any recommendations. I looked at a couple of companies online and after starting an online quote started getting phone calls (have to say I was rather rude and they have stopped phoning now). I have also requested a quote from Kingfisher as my neighbours used them. Does anyone have any advice on who to use, what to avoid etc?

[C&T]

We used a well recomended local company.

 

We saw/got quotes from a few national ones, but the local company was a good price, highly recomended, and they seemed to care about what we wanted.

 

They also only asked for money at the end, rather than at the beginning - and were quite happy saying that we should not pay them until we were completely happy with our new windows.

 

The National companies wanted most of not all the money up front.

 

You live a long way from us, so no point me recomending my company, but I would say try local and get recomendations.

[abwsco]

Would give the same advice as C&T. Again we're too far away to recommend the firm we've always used.

[The Dogmother]

If the double glazing unit in the windows has blown (which is what it sounds like) then you just need to get the unit replaced, not the whole window, frame and all.

 

Save yerself some dosh and get prices for a replacement glazed unit; it'll be a fraction of the cost.

[Cinnamon]

Indeed, as Claret says, just replace the unit, not the entire window if it can be helped.

 

Look for a well recommended small local company , go for word of mouth & avoid Everest et al

[Chucky Mama]

I would get the unit replaced but most of the frames are shot, many are rotten in places and all need painting.

[The Dogmother]

Are they not hard wood then?

 

TBH, the windows in my Victorian house were replaced by the previous owners and are still sound; I'm not a fan of UPVC and am saving up to replace them with hardwood double glazed sash windows, so that they are back to the original style. I have replaced the units in a couple just for the time being while I am saving.

[Chucky Mama]

I don't know to be honest, the house is only 11 years old. I am suprised that they have blown but apparently it can happen after 10 years. The paint just seems to fall of the wood after a year or 2, maybe we are not using the right sort. It is high street bought but maybe that isn't all it is cracked up to be.

[The Dogmother]

What primer and undercoat are you using? It should last, even in an exposed position.

[Chucky Mama]

Just B & Q bog standard primer and paint.

[The Dogmother]

it ought to last longer than that TBH, can I sugest that you wash the wood down with sugar soap first? Just in case there's a greasy residue.

[Redwing]

If you go for new windows I agree with a couple of the others, go for a local company that is recommended by local people and definately not a national company

 

Go with gut instinct, if they send a flash salesman in a posh car ask yourself what profit they are making (I worked for a double glazing company and the boss had a 'poor' car for visiting customers leaving his brand new Freelander behind though )

 

A small deposit up front is normal and when the job is complete hold back a small amount until you are satisifed with the product and fitting as is sometimes hard to get them back otherwise

 

If the salesman wont leave your house switch everything off and go to bed leaving him some milk and cookies in the kitchen

[poachedegg]

We went with a local company - the salesman was friendly, informative & polite, not at all forceful. No deposit to pay, just when the job was complete.....we should have been on commission, 3 other neighbours have used them on our recommendation. Word of mouth is the best recommendation.

[Cinnamon]

We went with a local company - the salesman was friendly, informative & polite, not at all forceful. No deposit to pay, just when the job was complete.....we should have been on commission, 3 other neighbours have used them on our recommendation. Word of mouth is the best recommendation.

 

That is exactly how we work - word of mouth & thats it

[TheGirlsMum]

As above go with a small local company you can go to them and camp outside if you were to have a problem but ours has been great replacing a sealed unit at 5 years with no quibble, but be very careful of companies that change their name regularly but operate from the same office.

[P&P]

Depends whereabouts in Wiltshire you are - we've used Permaframe in Frome (Somerset, but quite close to the border) for a couple of jobs, including double glazing. As well as doing a very good neat job for what seemed a price that compares well with other local firms, their after-sales care is excellent: they have replaced a couple of handles that were getting tarnished, as well as sorting out sticking rollers and replacing a lock that jammed (both probably caused by us!) some years after the job was done, with no extra charge.

 

Pauline

[dippy bird]

Whoever you use - make sure they are FENSA registered and request proof! We used a company a few years ago who told us they were FENSA registered, but we never got the certificate - when we came to sell our house we had to chase the company for the certificate but they then told us that they weren't registered!! We ended up having to pay to get the windows checked before we could sell the house.

[Chucky Mama]

Whoever you use - make sure they are FENSA registered and request proof! We used a company a few years ago who told us they were FENSA registered, but we never got the certificate - when we came to sell our house we had to chase the company for the certificate but they then told us that they weren't registered!! We ended up having to pay to get the windows checked before we could sell the house.

 

Thank you for that one dippy bird, I will check this.

[Cinnamon]

Whoever you use - make sure they are FENSA registered and request proof! We used a company a few years ago who told us they were FENSA registered, but we never got the certificate - when we came to sell our house we had to chase the company for the certificate but they then told us that they weren't registered!! We ended up having to pay to get the windows checked before we could sell the house.

 

 

OK, they should NOT have told you that they were registered, but a lot of small companies, mine included, aren't because we simply cannot afford it

 

Any company you see should be askes about FENSA, but do be prepared for them to ask you to sort out the certificate yourselves - they should provide the relevant paperwork or contract to aid you in this, but the expense may be down to you.

 

It costs a lot to become FENSA registered, for what as we see it, as very little gain to the business. We have never lost a sale due to not being registered, & its as simple as anything for the home owner to clear the windows themselves through building regs (our officer rarely even comes to check ours, as he knows the standard of our work)

 

Hope this helps.

[Chucky Mama]

The company that is coming to quote should I think be large enough to have become registered, if not it will be interesting to see if they give an honest response at least.