oriel glass box frameless window installation

lovestogarden

I have commissioned a bespoke oriel window in my new extension and the building inspector says it's been installed incorrectly and is the wrong size to fit the opening. The suppliers have made the aluminium frame so that it is too short to be fixed into the brickwork of the structural window opening.  The fitter has angled screws into the frame in an attempt to anchor it to the outer brickwork which has caused the bricks to blow and the screws are clearly visible from outside. There are gaps all around the frame which are to be filled with sealant.  I have been told that this is fitted well and once the exterior decorative wall cladding is placed, it will hide the sealant and blown bricks with exposed screws. The window costs £7500. My builder says that no matter how they disguise the gaps, he cannot apply plaster to the inside of the frame because it extends beyond the outer skin of bricks.  It would not be damp proof and would not be thermally sound. I feel that a bespoke, surveyed window that is reported to be millimetre perfect, should actually fit without all these gaps around the whole window. 
Does anyone have any advice about this installation?

grumpy_codger

As a newbie you aren't allowed to post photos (and links). Upload them to some other website and post edited/disabled links.

secla

Did the supplier measure/fit the window ?
If so i would be getting them to replace, If the builder or you supplied measurements I would double check and make sure it has been supplied the wrong size and if it has they should replace.

Only time you should really be footing the bill for it is if you supplied the measurements and they were incorrect

WIAWSNB

lovestogarden said:

I have commissioned a bespoke oriel window in my new extension and the building inspector says it's been installed incorrectly and is the wrong size to fit the opening. The suppliers have made the aluminium frame so that it is too short to be fixed into the brickwork of the structural window opening.  The fitter has angled screws into the frame in an attempt to anchor it to the outer brickwork which has caused the bricks to blow and the screws are clearly visible from outside. There are gaps all around the frame which are to be filled with sealant.  I have been told that this is fitted well and once the exterior decorative wall cladding is placed, it will hide the sealant and blown bricks with exposed screws. The window costs £7500. My builder says that no matter how they disguise the gaps, he cannot apply plaster to the inside of the frame because it extends beyond the outer skin of bricks.  It would not be damp proof and would not be thermally sound. I feel that a bespoke, surveyed window that is reported to be millimetre perfect, should actually fit without all these gaps around the whole window. 
Does anyone have any advice about this installation?

We really need photos or a very good sketch to understand this.
Is it the window projection dimension that's wrong? So, to maintain the desired protrusion, it needs positioning further out than intended, hence struggling to catch the outer skin?
Is your plasterer's concern that part of the outer wall skin will now be effectively internal as a result?
Do you have Legal Protection in your house policy? If so, get the facts - as asked by others above - correct, and call them up for advice.

RedFraggle

Who measured it? There's various bits that go into measuring for windows and it isn't a case of just using the dimensions of the opening in the wall.
With it being a new extension is the opening the size intended?

lovestogarden

The window suppliers charged me to survey the window opening and they took the measurements.  The projection is wrong and so the frame is external to the opening instead of fitting into the opening.  I couldn't post pictures as I'm only just registered for the forum.  Now they have been back to cover over their fittings with rubber and sealant.

lovestogarden

I haven't taken photos of the outside view since they finished but it is approx 150mm of rubber attached to the wall and around the frame with sealant.  One of the screws on the frame actually wobbles! Probably because it isn't attached to the brickwork.

stuart45

Are the window company still insisting it's been correctly fitted?
Do you know if the company are FENSA or CERTASS?
Why did the builder mix bricks and blocks in the wall? When you tie a brick wall into a block wall it should be tied every other block, not every 2 blocks.
I can see why he's tied in every 2, as he's used old Imperial sized bricks, which are bigger than Metric.

gzoom

Nice window but clearly not fitted the way it should be.

You really only have 2 choices, get the window remade to fit the opening size or get the builder to rebuild the opening to fit the window.

Either way someone is going to have to do some extra work, the question is now who and how it's paid for!

Good luck!!

lovestogarden

the supplier repeatedly says that the window has been measurd and installed according to the manufacturer's nstructiions and the manufacturer says it has been correctly installed and that it looks great! They want the final payment of £777 or will impose extra costs.

gzoom

^Oh in which case you are really stuck. Short of taking the case to the trading standards ombudsman looks like you have no real options .

Is the builder happy to just crack on?