Passivhaus window suppliers to UK - recommendations

[Thorfun]

  On 19/02/2022 at 19:40, Rishard said:

@Thorfun- I agree, nothing more re-assuring then personal quality testing! Who did you have in your top 5 list? I once visited a lovely conversion with 3g windows by George Barnsdale who have been making windows since 1884. Very efficient and well engineered. 

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Internorm, Norrsken, Gaulhoffer, Idealcombi and Rational.

 

there are so many companies that some got cut just coz we didn't like the pushy salesman. others just coz we'd had enough of walking around a show! not very scientific and we may have missed a potential gem but we just couldn't visit them all.

[Simon R]

  On 19/02/2022 at 17:17, Rishard said:

Are the velfac windows a good spec? 

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Yes, they are good quality. We looked at a whole raft of window suppliers and ended up with Velfac. The quality is certainly comparable to Internorm and Rationel, for our build they came in at 20% less money. Having said that it was a very painful pricing process, started out at 25k and reduced to 15k. We also have roof lights from RoofMaker that we are very happy with.

 

[DragsterDriver]

  On 19/02/2022 at 21:04, Simon R said:

Yes, they are good quality. We looked at a whole raft of window suppliers and ended up with Velfac. The quality is certainly comparable to Internorm and Rationel, for our build they came in at 20% less money. Having said that it was a very painful pricing process, started out at 25k and reduced to 15k. We also have roof lights from RoofMaker that we are very happy with.

 

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did you have two different Velfac dealers?

[craig]

  On 19/02/2022 at 21:04, Simon R said:

very painful pricing process, started out at 25k and reduced to 15k.

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I’m curious. Why did they drop the price by £10K and did it not ring alarms bells? 
 

That’s basically £10K profit they’ve dropped or they bought the project, so how much did they and are they marking up in the first instance?
 

 

Edited February 20, 2022 by craig

[Simon R]

All the Velfac windows came drrectly from Velfac. The roof lights were a separate order not part of the 15K. 

[Simon R]

  On 20/02/2022 at 20:35, craig said:

I’m curious. Why did they drop the price by £10K and did it not ring alarms bells? 

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No reason for it to arise alarm bells. We found that windows are like kitchens people charge what they think the market can bear. After going to multiple companies we settled on two and it was in the six months haggling that reduced the bill. Norsken the other company we shortlisted got very close to Velfac's price, we went with Velfac as they give a six year warrantee if their windows are installed by one of their approved installers. We used Wescott Construction, not cheap but very much worth it. They were the most professional builder of the whole project.

 

[craig]

  On 21/02/2022 at 08:41, Simon R said:

We found that windows are like kitchens people charge what they think the market can bear.

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That's the scary thing. Manufacturers/suppliers that take the utter **** and those customers that haven't received multiple quotes or are fairly happy with the product and pay the price they were supplied. They shouldn't have been in a position to knock £10K off to get your business. If they were comfortable with £15K in the first instance, then why did they "try" and fleece you for an extra £10K in the first place?

Edited February 21, 2022 by craig

[Simplysimon]

  On 21/02/2022 at 21:37, craig said:

then why did they "try" and fleece you for an extra £10K in the first place?

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profiteering, from as you say, those who don't know better

[Rishard]

  On 14/02/2022 at 15:20, Chanmenie said:

Thanks for the info guy's

 

I have asked Norrsken and Nordvest for quotes so will see what happens 

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@Chanmenie- did you get quotes back from the above? Cheers 

[Chanmenie]

Only Nordvest so far

 

But I have had a quote from Ecowin and Ideal Combi 

[Nickfromwales]

  On 22/03/2022 at 08:43, Chanmenie said:

Ideal Combi

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Seriously unimpressed with their detailing for the seals on the double ( aka french ) doors. Sliders appear OK, windows too.

[Rishard]

  On 22/03/2022 at 08:43, Chanmenie said:

Only Nordvest so far

 

But I have had a quote from Ecowin and Ideal Combi 

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How are your quotes stacking up against each other? 
 

[Nickfromwales]

Rational windows are fully factory-bonded, which I learned recently. Smash a window ad you’re into removal / replacement of the entire unit.

Anybody know if this is practiced by other manufacturers? I am told Velfac are not factory bonded units.

 

[ProDave]

  On 07/07/2022 at 21:10, Nickfromwales said:

Rational windows are fully factory-bonded, which I learned recently. Smash a window ad you’re into removal / replacement of the entire unit.

Anybody know if this is practiced by other manufacturers? I am told Velfac are not factory bonded units.

 

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Who told you that?

 

Watch this 

 

 

[Nickfromwales]

I will ask again. Was defo the case with the french doors. Thanks for that.

[Chanmenie]

  On 07/07/2022 at 20:55, Rishard said:

How are your quotes stacking up against each other? 
 

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Difficult to compare Ideal combi are quite different to the others, didn’t like the way the frames join together if you have an opening next to a fixed.

Allan Brothers are cheapest so far but their showroom is so far away, so not likely to see their products in the flesh.

Norssken were competitive but again not actually seen their product in the flesh, other than what they had in a display house at Swindon.

Kloeber we’re very nice but higher end price wise 

 

I have found a local supplier for Scandinavian Alu clad timber who’s also does Reynears lift and slide doors so will probably go with them.

[CalvinHobbes]

So is 0.95 useless for a house aiming to get near passive?

[craig]

  On 06/10/2023 at 17:53, CalvinHobbes said:

So is 0.95 useless for a house aiming to get near passive?

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Overall (average between all windows/doors), no. You have to take it in context. What is the PHPP saying, what is your heating demand, what is you air exchange etc. A window is tested at 1230w x 1480h to obtain the results in the certificate, smaller windows are generally a higher Uw than that tested, larger will generally be lower (more glass than frame, is better than more frame less glass).

I wouldn't say they are useless, as there are so many other factors to consider.

Edited October 8, 2023 by craig