Windows....which company did you choose and why?

[Onoff]

Microsoft 

[Robert Clark]

We’re looking at Rationel and Green Building Store 

[Reiver]

On 29/01/2020 at 17:16, Onoff said:

Microsoft 

I hope they're old windows then otherwise you'll be woken early one morning by some installers arriving unannounced and unrequested saying "we've come to update your windows". After that lots of things won't work quite right and you'll have to spend 40 minutes a day on hold for several weeks trying to get through to customer support to fix the problems.

[RandAbuild]

Take a look at Idealcombi  https://idealcombi.com/domestic/

[Robert Clark]

On 17/06/2020 at 23:32, RandAbuild said:

Take a look at Idealcombi  https://idealcombi.com/domestic/

I’ve asked them to quote for our new windows. Will be interesting to see how they compare with Rationel 

[Bored Shopper]

whoever you choose, just remember that you must check everything and don't rely 100% that someone would check all the details for you. Our supplier/installer (quite a big name) managed to sell us a door which not only did not match the BC regulations on clear opening, but was even manufactured with a visible difference to the spec declared on the drawings! Naturally, in comes a BC inspector and says no, i won't sign this off! Follows a lengthy discussion with the supplier another month of wait, cutting an enlarged door opening and re-installing a newly produced door. We thought they'd know their Part M Diagram 1.1, but... well, now we know.

[Temp]

+1

 

and measure your openings. Our very experienced builder never purchased anything based on the plan dimensions. He always measured what had actually been built. He'd been caught out too many times.

[Thorfun]

5 hours ago, Robert Clark said:

I’ve asked them to quote for our new windows. Will be interesting to see how they compare with Rationel 

we've had a quote from idealcombi and it's very competitive. I like the idea of all the profiles being the same regardless of being inward, outward or fixed windows. they're definitely going on the shortlist and we'll probably end up having a showroom visit to see them in the flesh.

 

oh, and for us Rationel couldn't do the large size panes of glass for our entrance hall, nor the large sliders so they quoted for Solarlux for the slider which were astronomical! as such, Rationel are no longer being considered for us.

Edited June 20, 2020 by Thorfun

[Thorfun]

for those on the forum that have bought an Idealcombi front door are you able to comment on the quality of it? the quote we have for the front door is about £2k and the Internorm front door is about £5k! I was just wondering if you can notice it's a £3k cheaper door?

 

from my reading so far I think I've found @Moira Niedzwiecka, @RandAbuild, @mvincentd, @Mr Punter and @Fallingditch have first hand experience of IdealCombi. 

[RandAbuild]

We have sliding doors in our kitchen to the patio. 4 panels 900 x 2145, centre 2 open giving an opening of about 1500. Triple glazed aluminium/polyurethane/timber. About £3.5k three years ago. Beautifully made by Idealcombi, but you have to clean and lubricate the runners to keep them running smoothly. We use them a lot - opening slightly gives some ventilation, but not as controllable as a conventional window casement.

 

Another downside with any sliding doors is they are obviously not as robust as normal french doors - if anything goes wrong and you can't shut them, it's quite a security risk.

[Thorfun]

2 minutes ago, RandAbuild said:

We have sliding doors in our kitchen to the patio. 4 panels 900 x 2145, centre 2 open giving an opening of about 1500. Triple glazed aluminium/polyurethane/timber. About £3.5k three years ago. Beautifully made by Idealcombi, but you have to clean and lubricate the runners to keep them running smoothly. We use them a lot - opening slightly gives some ventilation, but not as controllable as a conventional window casement.

 

Another downside with any sliding doors is they are obviously not as robust as normal french doors - if anything goes wrong and you can't shut them, it's quite a security risk.

did you get the Idealcombi or choose another manufacturer for the front door?

[RandAbuild]

We had a bespoke oak door made by another company. Like many companies, Idealcombi's front doors looked pretty commercial, like what you'd find on a block of flats...

[mvincentd]

Our main front door is actually Hormann, but we do have a back door by IdealCombi.  It's the Nation IC model fully glazed.  2 years ago it was £858 ex vat, plus £253 ex vat for 3 sets of keys... so in total £1333 inc vat.  I think it's better than the Futura+ items we have and good for the money, however i'd overall characterise IdealCombi as very good for the money but not premium products.

[Moira Niedzwiecka]

@Thorfun I am really happy with my doors & windows from ideal combi. Been in for 2 1/2 years now.

Not had any problems. They look great. The large sliders work really well. I just hoover the track to get rid of any dust & leaves every few months.

The locks & handles re really robust.

Front & back doors also great.

A self builder friend has Internorm & there is no noticeable difference in quality in my opinion.

I had ridiculous quotes from Internorm.

Velfac are very similar to ideal combi.

I managed to knock them down on price considerably by playing them off against the quote from Velfac.

 

[Thorfun]

4 hours ago, Moira Niedzwiecka said:

@Thorfun I am really happy with my doors & windows from ideal combi. Been in for 2 1/2 years now.

Not had any problems. They look great. The large sliders work really well. I just hoover the track to get rid of any dust & leaves every few months.

The locks & handles re really robust.

Front & back doors also great.

A self builder friend has Internorm & there is no noticeable difference in quality in my opinion.

I had ridiculous quotes from Internorm.

Velfac are very similar to ideal combi.

I managed to knock them down on price considerably by playing them off against the quote from Velfac.

 

 

thanks for the response @Moira Niedzwiecka. can you comment on the sound reduction from the IC windows? I couldn't find any info on their website as to what sound attenuation they give. I would assume it's not as good as alu-clad timber due to the alu-alu makeup with PIR in the middle.

 

also, the problem for us with IC now is they can't do a corner opening that we're after. in fact there aren't many companies that do! I started another thread on the topic.

 

 

Edited June 30, 2020 by Thorfun

[Mr Punter]

I have some Ideal Combi windows.  The sound attenuation seems very good.  I think the glass does most of the job.  Triple glazed.

[Moira Niedzwiecka]

@Thorfun My windows are IC Futura so they are aluclad timber, triple glazed.

Sound eduction seems very good but I do live in a rural location, so not much external noise.

 

[Thorfun]

47 minutes ago, Moira Niedzwiecka said:

@Thorfun My windows are IC Futura so they are aluclad timber, triple glazed.

Sound eduction seems very good but I do live in a rural location, so not much external noise.

 

that's interesting. doesn't look like you can get them anymore. it's the Futura+ now which are fully aluminium with the PUR (idealcore) insulation. their alu-clad windows are now called Nation IC and Frame IC.

[Mr Punter]

11 minutes ago, Thorfun said:

that's interesting. doesn't look like you can get them anymore. it's the Futura+ now which are fully aluminium with the PUR (idealcore) insulation. their alu-clad windows are now called Nation IC and Frame IC.

 

They do Futura+ which is outward opening timber inside, PUR insulation and aluminium outside.

 

They also do Futura+i which is inward opening / tilt turn with aluminium inside, PUR insulation and aluminium outside.

 

They are not really alu clad, more composite windows, like Velfac.

[Thorfun]

2 minutes ago, Mr Punter said:

 

They do Futura+ which is outward opening timber inside, PUR insulation and aluminium outside.

 

They also do Futura+i which is inward opening / tilt turn with aluminium inside, PUR insulation and aluminium outside.

 

They are not really alu clad, more composite windows, like Velfac.

yeah. it's the Futura+I that we've been quoted for. seeing as the alu-clad timber windows normally have a better U-value due to the timber I think the Futura+ and Futura+I windows have really good U-values, are very good value for money and look good too! it's just the darn lack of big corner opening sliders that are an issue. but as we're now looking at Solarlux/Reynaers/Schueco all aluminium corner opening sliders (as a I've heard from a few different sources that timber corner opening sliders are hard to make air/water tight) IC might be back on the cards.  

[Mr Punter]

There is nothing that says you need the same brand of windows / doors throughout, so maybe get the corner openers from one firm and the others elsewhere.

[Thorfun]

13 minutes ago, Mr Punter said:

There is nothing that says you need the same brand of windows / doors throughout, so maybe get the corner openers from one firm and the others elsewhere.

Yeah, agreed! It’s the avenue we’re now heading down. 
 

cheers. 

[GaryM]

I'm looking for two glazed gable ends, total area of 33m2, one has a front door, the other one or two sliding doors. The quotes I'm getting to supply range from 20k to 42k, which is £600 to £1,280  m2, this is for aluminum with double glazed solar glass and other than the door all fix panes, so not that special. 

 

I can't work out if I have complex design (I don'r think so) or have prices all been jacked high recently, looking at other people prices my quotes seem double.

 

So far the best  quote is idealcombi, but it still seems high

 

One thing I have just realised my cost include VAT as we are extending upwards.

 

Edited July 30, 2020 by GaryM

[Thorfun]

our large gable entrance hall windows and doors from Norrsken (alu-clad triple) came in at around £11k (excluding VAT and fitting). drawings of it are attached.

 

     

think it's about 32m2 in total.

 

[GaryM]

4 minutes ago, Thorfun said:

our large gable entrance hall windows and doors from Norrsken (alu-clad triple) came in at around £11k (excluding VAT and fitting). drawings of it are attached.

 

     

think it's about 32m2 in total.

 

Thanks for the reply, I think that is in the region of my lowest quote 11k + vat will be 13.2 + 5k for install. so 18K, but that is for triple glaze. I will give them a call.

 

The layout is below, but I'm happy for the supplier to simply  it to help reduce cost