Shoddy windows

thebaldwindowfitter

take a spirit level with you check for level and plumb both ways .Sometimes installers put frames in slightly out of level in houses that have subsidence so as they dont look out with the brickwork but they should still be square corner to corner . Check for draughts around the windows with the back of your hand .Tell him your going to get somebody in the trade to check them if your not happy with inside .My earlier post regarding man with van installer is due to the growing amount of labour off building sites setting up doing domestic work who dont have necessary insurances and just working for a wage .Yes there are good sole traders i was one for 23 years until last year when due to turnover my accountants said i should go ltd .We installed windows doors and roofline on an extension before christmas on that job there was a supposed joiner and mate who were doing plastering yet couldnt a fit latch in an interior door so i did it .Later found out hed been suspended as a school caretaker for stealing

diamond_dave

Thanks for your interest Bwf. You are spot on. Last weekend the wind was blowing something rotten and the sashes were whistling and leaking like a sieve. I did what you suggested and checked with a level - all the frames were miles out of true and that screwed up the way the sashes were positioned in the frames.Today, I checked again after he'd taken them all out and replaced them they were absolutely true. Why did he not do this first time around?

nickcc

Had a similar problem with a cowboy builder who built our extension. Part of the job was to supply and fit two sets of French UPVC doors with full length windows either side of the doors. Apart from the doors being fitted out of square, damaged by the chuck of his drill, glass being installed the wrong way round and both doors jammed due to him filling the large gap at the bottom with expanding foam which bent the bottom frame upwards, he did a wonderful job which, of course, we refused to pay for. We were fortunate and found a one man band window fitter who managed to refit the doors correctly and hide most of the damage.

leveller2911

diamond_dave wrote: »

Thanks for your interest Bwf. You are spot on. Last weekend the wind was blowing something rotten and the sashes were whistling and leaking like a sieve. I did what you suggested and checked with a level - all the frames were miles out of true and that screwed up the way the sashes were positioned in the frames.Today, I checked again after he'd taken them all out and replaced them they were absolutely true. Why did he not do this first time around?

Maybe he left his spirit level at home on the day he was fitting..

Years ago I sub-contracted to a building company, one afternoon the brickies returned from a job and the oldest brickie in his early 60,s took his tools out the truck ready to put them in his car and one of the labourers backed the van over his spirit level , its was bent by about 6mm in 4ft. The brickie pulled out his club hammer and hammered it straight.:rotfl:The boss cringed as he looked on in horror.

The following day the company boss walked up to him and gave him a brand new Stabila 4ft level, the brickie was so touched by the "gift" ,almost tearful he thanked the boss and shook his hand........

The boss said "You don't have to thank me, you have worked here for years we will deduct £5-00 a week from your wages to pay for it".:D

diamond_dave

cracked up at the brickies spirit level story. Perhaps the bubble in the level my guy was using was defective!!

thebaldwindowfitter

Once replaced a door in an extension where there was a 75mm architrave over the door .this believe it or not was used to hide an old stabila i beam type level which had been used as a lintel

nickcc

thebaldwindowfitter wrote: »

Once replaced a door in an extension where there was a 75mm architrave over the door .this believe it or not was used to hide an old stabila i beam type level which had been used as a lintel

You could have sold it on eBay under antiques:D

Grovey1

leveller2911 wrote: »

thebaldwindowfitter wrote: »

By what im reading between the lines here you have bought on price and this guy is a man with a van type installer we are up against these cowboys all the time .


Just to balance the post ,there are some shocking large/medium sized companies out there and some excellant sole traders.Don't think that just because a guy is a sole trader he will be a cowboy.

Many sole traders rely on a good reputation as they don't have a marketing arm or a expensive website.

Good luck Dave, hop you get it sorted. As already mentioned get some legal advice.

Excactley even the big firms use contractors and get it wrong I work for my self from a van and do very good and get a lot of recommends it is like any trade. Baldwindow fitter you must have started somewhere.

diamond_dave

I agree with everything you say BUT why do a job poorly when you can do it right? If I do a job for someone and there's a problem i discuss it with the householder. Sometimes with old houses the walls and ceilings are out of true/square and you might have to adjust things somewhat, but if you tell the householder the problem things are usually ok.In this case I believe that the installer thought that the property was rented and that the tenant wouldn't care what the job looked like and tried to snow me over the quality of the job. An elderly woman( man) would not have complained as much as I did, I guess.Finally, FENSA are a waste of time - no help whatsoever. Any Fensa reps on here care to reply?

nickcc

Unfortunately we used a builder that could talk a good job and also had good references. Our problem started when the builder started running out of money and could no longer afford to pay the skilled staff that had worked on our extension so he was left to finish the Job off on his own but, as it turned out, he was only capable of carrying out ground work or labouring. Finally, left with unpaid wages and tax bills etc to pay, he declared himself bankrupt.