passivhaus timber windows and doors supplied and installed with sensible payment terms (alu-clad finish ideally)

[marmic]

Hi all, have added my question to an existing discussion but thought worth posting new too:

 

Any recommendations please for passivhaus timber windows and doors supplied and installed (properly!) with sensible payment terms (alu-clad finish ideally). Had been talking to a company which seemed a likely choice, but rather arrogant in end with full payment required in advance of install, and won't budge. And stating they won't make mistakes and if there is an error it will be the fault of the timber frame company!

 

many thanks..............m

 

[markharro]

Uniwin - near Edinburgh

[Russell griffiths]

Norrsken 

but you have to pay for them before install. 
isn’t this a bit like buying sausages and not wanting to pay for them in case they don’t taste good. 
you can probably pay for installation separately, but windows will need payment in full before release from the factory. 
 

to get a good install YOU need to know how it’s done, do your research find out the right and wrong ways, then question how they intend to do it, question them again until you know exactly what they intend doing and you are happy with it. 
 

there are hundreds of posts on here with people being unhappy about something, but they did zero research and then got a surprise when the install wasn’t done as expected. 
 

 

[marmic]

thank you for responses - any more recommendstions welcome please.  will be trying to find time to make some calls tomorrow.

 

ref payment terms on supply and installed nothing like buying sausages! More comparable perhaps with a meal in a restaurant - you woudn't accept or pay for it if dished up on a mouldy plate or it was raw chicken with grass sprinkles for veg!  Yes a ridiculous analogy I know - but would you pay in advance for say some decorating work - the answer has to be no!   I work in the construction industry (mainly commercial) for a specialist sub-contractor and agent for a number of manufacturers -  it's completely normal not to pay in full until work complete and to a satisfactory standard and handed over snag free, then generally retention (often at 5%) for defect period. usual scenario is 50% released at project PC, 50% at 12 months!  terms usually agreed on credit checks / risk - so yes occasionaly in full in advance with stage payments. Vesting certificate generally then required. The window company mentioned didnt even know what that was!  So yes I'm finding it a bit of a culture shock how suppliers and manufacturers treat self builders and it seems quite a number of them assume we'll all do exactly as we are told!  Yes of course payment terms will be less generous as companies need to protect themselves to an extent against individuals not paying, but paying for everything in advance is not reasonable if supply and install! Which I see as a de-risking exercise (as long as payment terms leave something on the table!). Supply only yes a different conversation, but then if a third party used for install and it goes wrong they will be blaming each other.  And yes everything will be throughly checked for correct install and procurement undertaken with very careful due diligence! Timber frame terms renegotiated - everyone happy.  Another timber frame company nearly secured the order until they insisted on a ridiculous contract being signed (putting all risk on me and making a mockery of a so called fixed cost) and unreasonable payment demands............ The customer should be issuing the contract!      BE CAREFUL OUT THERE 😀