Window (and door) woes

[Tom]

Sigh....

So, the slow motion car crash of our glazing seems to finally be coming to some sort of climax.

 

Firstly, Internorm windows and doors supply and fit by local (large) firm. Started badly as they fitted into the Nudura opening without any of the recommended Illbruck tape/trays, just a bead of silicone. Cue them having to take them all out and redo. Since then the two doors with large sidelights have continued to leak - firstly around the door sash itself, and also also between the frame and the tray (they cut the tray at the back for some reason, then tried to fill the gap with a wodge of silicone). They have been back multiple times to try and readjust the doors - now they are very hard to open/close as everything is so tight, and they still leak. In addition, they didn't like the idea of fitting on to the horizontal Nudura EPS cavity closer, so unilaterally took the decision to remove this and replace with a length of 6x2. This has spent the whole winter getting wet because of the various leaks, and is now looking decidedly green in places. At the time I suggested using compacfoam, but they were adamant they weren't fitting "on to foam, mate".

 

Secondly, the large triple glazed sliders (total 6m and 4m runs meeting at a moving corner). For these we agreed a price with a London-based suppplier at the back end of 2021. We paid a deposit, best part of 6k - they don't take credit cards, of course. Due to all the delays etc we are only now anywhere near getting the site survey and the things fitted and they, I guess reasonably, said they would have to reprice it due to the time elapsed etc. They have now come back and they are 65% (!) more. I just got a revised quote back from the firm they were originally bidding against (but that we didn't go with), same doors etc and only a 24% increase. I just had it out with them on the phone, asking how they can possibly justify a 65% increase. Usual guff about glass and aluminium costs going up - though I pointed out that if the increase was based on this, then it would be over a 100% mark-up on these costs. I said we would have to ask for our deposit back and walk away, and of course they say non-refunable etc. I said they have a moral and likely legal obligation to refund, and that if it went to law I was very confident it would come down in our favour. They have now gone back to their estimator and will get back to me.

 

 

So, basically, I am feeling absolutely shafted at the moment and thoroughly pissed off. I feel that the door company are blatantly profiteering as we are on the hook with the deposit. (65% FFS!) Has anyone any experience of small claims in these circumstances? Would we be in a good position to claim our deposit back if push came to shove?

 

Also, the Internorm doors. I have tried to reach the installation manager multiple times over the last few days and he isn't picking up and when I leave messages at the office he isn't returning the calls. At what stage can I tell them I will get another firm to rectify and present them with the bill? I kind of want the units to come out, compac foam (or at the least concrete) to replace the soggy timber, and eveything back in as it should.

 

On top of all that, my beard seems to be going grey with all this stress. Gaaaghh!

[Redbeard]

"On top of all that, my beard seems to be going grey with all this stress. Gaaaghh!"

 

I greatly sympathise. My user name is not 100% accurate!

[Conor]

All of our internorm windows and doors were fitted into the EPS reveal formers and on compact foam blocks. Not a single issue. Definitely crap installation. Have you rendered yet and put sills in? That got rid of any little leaky bits we had.

[Tom]

No external finish on the Nudura yet, but we plan a mixture of metal sheets and vertical timber cladding. No sills either, apparently can't go on until walls clad. By the way @Conor, assume your build is Nudura, did you find the odd drip of water making it's way through the blocks? Certain areas seem to let water in, particularly where there is a concentration of water falling down the external walls (no gutters yet). On the SW aspect in the prevailing wind I even find the sill EPS closers get completely waterlogged, guess water making it's way to the vertical closers and then tracking down. I'm keeping my fingers crossed it will all stop when the gutters are on and the walls felted and clad...

 

It's certainly been a long winter walking around a deserted site looking at drips coming down the walls.

[Tom]

3 hours ago, Redbeard said:

"On top of all that, my beard seems to be going grey with all this stress. Gaaaghh!"

 

I greatly sympathise. My user name is not 100% accurate!

Just For Men group buy?

[Conor]

@Tom no, amvic. But same principle. Yes, house was soaking until we'd finished all the rendering etc. Water will get in through the gaps in the Eps, down through the wall plate etc. Our basement has a couple inches of water in it until we finished off all the sills and reveal details. 

[Redbeard]

1 hour ago, Tom said:

Just For Men group buy?

 

I find general building dust is often just the right colour! (Or else turns the red grey to match the rest!)

[Chanmenie]

I was completely grey, hair and beard before I started my build so no one has noticed any change.