Frequently Asked Questions


All our windows are fully reinforced with steel, with every screw being firmly anchored into it.

The glass or panelled units in all the windows manufactured by Finesse Windows are all fixed into position using internal glazing beads. This crucial detail makes it impossible to de-glaze the unit from the outside – a burglars favourite method of entry.

Finesse Windows handles can be key locked to give you further protection and peace of mind. Key locking handles can often be a requirement of your home insurance policy.

All hinges used on our windows are fitted to high security specification. They add to the security of the window by locking the sash into position as it locates into the frame.

The Finesse Windows shootbolt locking mechanism ensures that the opening windows are secured at their most vulnerable points on the window.

Each sash has a series of security cams with mushroom heads. In addition to assist in compressing the double sealed gaskets forming an air tight seal they engage into high security keeps running along the opening side of the sash which drastically increases the windows security.

To provide maximum security at the locking handle area of an opening sash we install 2 high security claws that secure themselves to the fully reinforced frame, thus ensuring that a potential intruder will not be able to force the window open.

Our zinc cast keeps are extremely robust, and secure the shootbolts into our fully reinforced frames.

We fit these to all sashes to further protect against crowbar attack. The hinge protectors clamp together under attack, making it almost impossible to force the sash open.

Bifold doors are mostly used as back door, offering a large expanse of glass to see through! They hinge and slide, allowing you to fully open the door.  This is ideal for living areas and dining rooms where you want to create a sense of space.  Perfect for bringing the outside in.

Yes, our range of bifold doors offers excellent security, with Ultion locks fitted as standard across the range.  These locks pass all the British standards for security, allowing you peace of mind that your bifold doors are the most secure!

Yes, we have a range of colour options to use on the inside or outside of the frame.  See the range of colours on our Birmingham bifold doors page.  We also have a choice of glass options.  Why not try out special Shield Protection glass, offering a reduction in noise and UV rays – it is also much stronger than standard window glass.

We work throughout the Birmingham area and supply, fit and service doors in this area. Contact us to see if we are in your area.

You can either book an appointment for a free consultation at our showroom, or you can request a free home survey visit with our team.  Here you can discuss the options right for your home. Or why not come to see us at our showroom in Birmingham?  You can find the details for our showroom on our website.

Finesse Windows are a FENSA registered company. Upon the completion of your project we register your details with FENSA who will send your Certificate of Registration to you directly. We recommend that you retain this certificate in a safe place as they are important and are required by solicitors if you come to sell your property in the future.

Our skilled fitting team work diligently to reduce any mess or inconvenience to you and your property during fitting.

Our team will bring their own doormats and dustsheets and will vacuum and mess cause during the installation process.

Yes! Our fitters are very conscientious and will always cover your floor around the installation area with dust sheets. We also cover any other items you would like us to e.g. televisions / furniture / valuable items. We cover the route we are walking into the room we are working in too – this includes covering staircases as well.

In fact we also bring our own door mats – so that we don’t have to make yours dirty walking in & out of your home!

We come armed with dust sheets as a matter of course – but please do just ask our fitters for more if you have any concerns – they will be happy to oblige.

We strongly reject and never take part in the typical ‘double glazing’ pricing model of giving a high first price – only then to reduce the price based on fictional discounts or any other type of misleading sales techniques. We reject any type of pressure selling.

Instead we always take a full survey of the requirements of every job we are invited to quote for. We price each piece of work as competitively as we can to allow for the full and correct installation. We understand that customers will always naturally strive to gain value for money and we ensure that all our processes are designed to achieve exactly that.

We stand by our assertion that the products we manufacture and the service we provide is unparalleled in our industry. We charge what we believe to be a fair price for the level of quality that we deliver. We firmly believe that we offer extremely good value for money. Indeed – the latest numbers from over 2,000 reviews from our customers show that we are rated as 9.27 out of 10 in terms of ‘value for money’

All Finesse Windows installations are covered by an insurance backed 10 year guarantee covered by Fairtrades Homepro.

This independent insurance backed guarantee covers all parts and labour for all our window, door and conservatory installation.

An ‘A rated’ window is one that is exceptionally effective at gaining free heat energy from outside and then keeping valuable heat inside your home.

A window can only be classified as ‘A rated’ if it has been tested by an independent, certified organisation against energy efficiency criteria and been found to meet or surpass the specified requirements.

To enable a window to be classified as ‘A rated’ its various properties are measured and the results are then accumulated into just one simple figure. The figure dictates where the window can be classified on the A to G scale in terms of its energy efficiency. An A rated window is one that achieves an excellent score on this scale.

Common misconceptions

Many people mistakenly talk about ‘A rated glass’ or ‘B rated glass’. This is largely born from the fact that most people think that the energy efficiency of a window depends solely on the glass being used. This is a common misconception. There is actually no such thing as ‘A rated glass’.

When a window is being assessed to judge its energy efficiency rating a number of factors are considered and measured, not just the glass. The other components of a window that are just as important as the glass are:

  • the UPVC being used – including how many internal insulating chambers it possesses
  • the reinforcing material being used inside the UPVC to give the window strength
  • the effectiveness of the window to form a tight seal when closed – eliminating draughts
  • and finally the glass type is considered as part of the overall window composition

Free energy!

The testing procedure to gauge the energy efficiency of a window is designed to not only look at how effective a window is at keeping valuable heat inside your home – it is equally designed to assess how well a window can capture free heat energy from the sun. This free energy is described as solar gain (g). The solar gain factor has a large influence on the overall rating given to a window.

Yes, we are able to remove all existing hardward and in the cases of replacement porches and conservatories bases should this be required. We have processes in place whereby we currently recycle almost XYZ% of project related waste.

All of our doors are available in a large range of colours, allowing you to match the colour to that of your home’s decor, inside and out; you can even select a colour combination with one colour for the inside and a different colour for the outside.

From standard colours, such as white, black and grey to the more modern on trend gun metal grey and soft natural green. We can also match to exacting colour requirements but this will have an effect on lead time and costs.

Finesse Windows are proud to manufacture our windows and doors in our Kings Norton, Birmingham factory. This single facility covers both the show area, where people can see our work in action and experience various materials and techniques to assist in making a decision of their own, and also the manufacturing area. We really do it all under one roof! There, customers can see first-hand just how much care and effort goes into every project that we undertake and even get to know the people that will be responsible for making their home improvement dreams into a reality. From our windows to our UPVC doors in Birmingham we’re proud to do every step.

If you are having new windows installed upstairs and downstairs we would always prefer to start on the upstairs windows first and then work our way downwards. We would always advise against fitting new windows downstairs and then ripping out windows above them – because of the danger of dirt falling downwards on to the newly fitted windows below.

If you are having Roofline (fascias & soffits) installed as well as new windows – we would always try to fit the roofline first for the same reasoning as the explanation above for the windows.

We will always seek to work with our clients to make sure that we follow a convenient route around their home if there is a particular requirement. e.g. If you prefer that we start in a bedroom first thing to allow you to use an office space in the morning – or if you want us to avoid a kitchen area at lunch time – just ask us and we will do our utmost to accommodate.

The answer to this question depends entirely on the features you choose to include in your conservatory build.

If you do intend to use your conservatory throughout all the seasons the most important things to consider are 1) how can you insulate it to make it useable in the Winter and 2) how can you keep it cool in the Summer.

Taking each point in turn there are various ways in which your design choices can make or break the usability of the room you are building:

Insulation in Winter. 

The features you need to build in to your design include, adding at least 50mm of insulation into the base of the conservatory floor; adding at least 50mm of insulation into any brick walled areas; using A-rated windows in the sides of the conservatory to retain as much heat as possible inside the room; using a good quality insulating glass unit in the roof. And finally you do need to add at least one heat source into the room. Underfloor heating is a good, non-intrusive option – but you may find that you also need to add a secondary source of heating too. You may consider adding an electric radiator or even extending your home gas fired central heating into the new room too. This is allowable as long as the radiator can be isolated from the main home heating.

If you use a good mix of these insulating and heating features you will find that your conservatory is a room you can comfortably enjoy throughout the Winter.

Cooler in the Summer.

The main area you need to address to achieve this is to concentrate on the roof. The roof design is a crucial component in this respect because its location & positioning dictates that it bears the brunt of the heat from the Sun. It is advisable to invest in a high quality glass solution for the roof which is designed to reflect as much of the Sun’s heat as possible. This is achieved by the coating that is placed on the face of the glass. The coating also cuts out much of the glare from sunlight that can make it uncomfortable to be inside the room.

The ultimate way to ensure that a conservatory is usable all year round is to consider adding a ‘solid roof’ instead of a glazed one. The addition of a solid roof is by far the most effective way of blocking out the effects of the Sun and also to provide the maximum levels of insulation possible.

Our Design Team will advise you on whether or not planning permission is needed and/or building regulation approval is required. As part of our service, we apply and manage this process on your behalf.

Lead time on conservatories is very much dependent on your chosen design and particular specific requirement, plus if we have to apply for building regulations approval.

Finesse Windows will always attempt to work to your preferred timescales however an average timescale would be approximately 8 – 10 weeks from confirmation of order.

Yes, in 2017 we added a new range of Solid-Roof Conservatories to our Conservatory offering. A Solid-Roof extension gives almost endless options and there is plenty of scope for design enhancements which our Design Team would be please to discuss with you. Click here to see our range.

Noise pollution is a big problem, especially in busy towns and cities.  Triple glazing can have some success in reducing noise, however because it is produced with an extra layer of glass, it can end up just exacerbating the vibrations from external noise!

Our special acoustic glass is made up of 3 parts – 2 layers of glass which sandwich a layer of PVB (Polyvinyl Butyral) which really helps to minimise external noise.

We are the premier window and door installers in Birmingham, offering a fantastic range of windows, doors and conservatories. We have an excellent track record and have won the Which? Trusted Trader of the Month award! We offer our windows and doors at exceptional prices with a friendly service our customers love.

We are easy to get hold of – simply contact us using our website form, call us on 0121 222 1584 or come to visit us in our Finesse Showroom! Details can be found on our site on the contact us page.

The cost of double glazing a house in the UK can vary depending on the size and style of window chosen. However, don’t forget that the price you can expect to pay will also include the labour and materials.

The cost to double glaze a window can vary greatly depending on the design, size, shape, style and materials required.

Some factors that can affect the final price include the following:

The number of panes of glass (more panes means a higher cost)

The type of glass used (toughened or safety glass will be more expensive than standard glass)

The type of frame and trim used (metal frames are generally more expensive than wood or uPVC frames)

The complexity of the design

Triple glazing can add an extra layer of security to your home, as well as better sound and thermal protection. In the winter, triple glazing can keep your home warmer, and in the summer, it can keep it cooler. It's also been shown to reduce noise levels by up to 50%. So, if you're looking for a more comfortable and energy-efficient home, triple glazing is definitely worth considering.

It depends on your specific situation. If you have older windows that are drafty and need to be replaced anyway, then it might make sense to do them all at once. However, if your windows are in good condition and don't need to be replaced yet, you can probably get away with just replacing the ones that eventually break or become damaged.

Replacing all of your windows at once can definitely be more convenient in the long run, since you won't have to worry about doing it again for a while. But if money is tight or you don't want the hassle of dealing with a major home renovation project, then it's perfectly acceptable to wait until later and just replace one or two at a time.

The cost of double glazing a house in the UK can vary depending on the size and style of window chosen. However, don’t forget that the price you can expect to pay will also include the labour and materials.

The cost to double glaze a window can vary greatly depending on the design, size, shape, style and materials required. Some factors that can affect the final price include the following:

  • The number of panes of glass (more panes means a higher cost)
  • The type of glass used (toughened or safety glass will be more expensive than standard glass)
  • The type of frame and trim used (metal frames are generally more expensive than wood or uPVC frames)
  • The complexity of the design

It depends on your specific situation. If you have older windows that are drafty and need to be replaced anyway, then it might make sense to do them all at once. However, if your windows are in good condition and don't need to be replaced yet, you can probably get away with just replacing the ones that eventually break or become damaged.

Replacing all of your windows at once can definitely be more convenient in the long run, since you won't have to worry about doing it again for a while. But if money is tight or you don't want the hassle of dealing with a major home renovation project, then it's perfectly acceptable to wait until later and just replace one or two at a time.

This is depending on the individual requirements of your project – our Customer Relationship Team will keep you informed all along the duration of the project.

After agreeing a contract we then take a 25% deposit which is then covered by a statutory 14 day cooling off period, whereby you can cancel the order if you wish with no financial repercussions.

During this 14 day period we carefully measure the exact sizes of all items to be manufactured by way of technical survey. We double check everything that has been agreed and ensure that all the specifications match your expectations. We also take the time to carry out a risk assessment of your property.

Finesse Windows then start the manufacturing process, ensuring at every stage we are working to our high quality standards. During this manufacturing process, we will contact you to arrange and confirm the Installation Date. Before each and every Window leaves the factory our Factory Supervisor personally checks every single manufactured item to ensure it is perfect. We contact you by post to offer you a firm installation date which you can confirm or re-arrange. On the day of installation our fitting team will work with you to ensure minimum disruption and mess to your family and your home. They bring their own doormats and vacuum. Upon completion the Installation Team will do a final review with you by taking you around your installation in your home and showing you all aspects of the installation to ensure the expected high quality levels of finish have been met.

Finesse Windows honour your 10 year After-Care service promise should you ever need to contact us. It is common for our clients to contact us two or three times during their ‘decade of care’ to attend to minor issues that emerge from time to time and to ensure the installation is maintained to a high standard.

Casement Windows are popular for kitchens along with sliding windows as you can place sliding windows above kitchen sinks and counters.

Kitchen sinks have always been placed beneath the window because the window is, of course, on an outside wall. The most efficient and cost-effective solution when it comes to waste pipes is to use as little a waste pipe as possible from the sink to the drains.

These windows are normally called casement windows. Casement windows open on one side and swing outward, unless it is a top hung window. They are simple to access and use with only one hand, which is excellent because reaching over a counter and sink might be difficult.

The best windows over a kitchen sink are garden windows, casement windows and sliding windows.

Kitchen windows are typically placed higher than windows in other rooms — 42 inches from the ground should give you room for lower cabinets, counters, and backsplash. When designing your kitchen, try to place windows to maximise access to natural light and weather patterns, which generally go from west to east.

Acoustic glass is a specialist glass sealed unit which is fitted into a window profile/frame which is designed to reduce external noise pollution.

At Finesse Windows we worked with GlassSolutions Saint Gobain to develop Shield Glass Units, with the goal to give unrivalled performance for your home in noise reduction but also in security and uv resistance.

In tests, Acoustic double-glazed windows made by Finesse Windows have been found to provide a further 20% reduction in Decibel levels compared to a standard A-rated seal unit.

However, even with the adding of noise reducing glass it is vital to ensure that the window in its entirety is also fitted correct by MTC accredited fitters who are regularly inspected by FENSA.

Yes, when it comes to soundproofing your home. Soundwaves are reflected, absorbed, and dampened by acoustic glass whereas triple glazing is designed to improve energy efficiency. Triple glazing, on the other hand, may even boost noise in your house by generating an echo chamber and amplifying the sound through vibration.

Acoustic glass, unlike traditional glass, is not only suitable for noise reduction, but also improves the safety of your home. In controlled tests, when comparing our ‘Shield Protection’ A Rated Acoustic glass sealed unit against a Standard A Rated glass sealed unit, it took an intruder 18x longer to gain access with the Shield Protection sealed units. Shield Acoustic glass also offers up to 99% protection from the Suns harmful UV rays.

Acoustic glass comes in a variety of thicknesses. Our Acoustic Glass is made up of 2 x 3mm Paniclear pane laminated with a 0.8mm PVB interlayer, coated with Planitherm Total+ coating on the surface on the inside, with a 18mm Swiss spacer with Argon Gas Fillm sealed with a 4mm Diamant Toughened Safety Glass.

You need to consider what your home looks like, where your home is and the colour of the brick and building materials of your home should also be considered.

A Finesse installation gives you peace of mind of an insurance backed comprehensive 10 year guarantee or as we prefer to call it our DECADE OF CARE.

Normally we would be expecting to have your new front door installed from about 4-6 weeks from order and survey – coloured doors and finishes will add 1-2 weeks to this. However, current lead times are nearer 10 – 12 weeks due to ongoing supply chain issues within the Fenestration Industry. Please speak to one of our Design Experts who will be able to offer a more accurate lead time.

A new front door can take anywhere from 4 hours to a full day for a complete install.

After agreeing a contract we then take a 25% deposit which is then covered by a statutory 14 day cooling off period, whereby you can cancel the order if you wish with no financial repercussions. 

During this 14 day period we carefully measure the exact sizes of all items to be manufactured by way of technical survey. We double check everything that has been agreed and ensure that all the specifications match your expectations. We also take the time to carry out a risk assessment of your property. 

Finesse Windows then start the manufacturing process, ensuring at every stage we are working to our high quality standards. During this manufacturing process, we will contact you to arrange and confirm the Installation Date. Before each and every Window leaves the factory our Factory Supervisor personally checks every single manufactured item to ensure it is perfect.

We contact you by post to offer you a firm installation date which you can confirm or re-arrange. On the day of installation our fitting team will work with you to ensure minimum disruption and mess to your family and your home. They bring their own doormats and vacuum. Upon completion the Installation Team will do a final review with you by taking you around your installation in your home and showing you all aspects of the installation to ensure the expected high quality levels of finish have been met.

Finesse Windows honour your 10 year After-Care service promise should you ever need to contact us. It is common for our clients to contact us two or three times during their ‘decade of care’ to attend to minor issues that emerge from time to time and to ensure the installation is maintained to a high standard.
 

We often find out that garage doors are often overlooked by homeowners, even though a garage door is often an additional entryway into your home. We recommend that you give a replacement garage door some serious thought if you notice any of the following:

  • Wear & tear
  • Movement issues
  • Noise
  • Security Concerns
A new garage door can take anywhere from 3 hours to a full day for a complete install.
A Finesse installation gives you peace of mind of an insurance backed comprehensive 10 year guarantee or as we prefer to call it our DECADE OF CARE
Garages come in various sizes. You should ensure that the garage door size you choose is suitable for your personal requirements.

There are many factors which will dictate your Garage Doors lifespan such as the weather, usage, maintenance and how it was fitted. However a typical Garage Door will last between 15 and 30 years.

After agreeing a contract we then take a 25% deposit which is then covered by a statutory 14 day cooling off period, whereby you can cancel the order if you wish with no financial repercussions. 

During this 14 day period we carefully measure the exact sizes of all items to be manufactured by way of technical survey. We double check everything that has been agreed and ensure that all the specifications match your expectations. We also take the time to carry out a risk assessment of your property. 

Finesse Windows then start the manufacturing process, ensuring at every stage we are working to our high quality standards. During this manufacturing process, we will contact you to arrange and confirm the Installation Date. Before each and every Window leaves the factory our Factory Supervisor personally checks every single manufactured item to ensure it is perfect.

We contact you by post to offer you a firm installation date which you can confirm or re-arrange. On the day of installation our fitting team will work with you to ensure minimum disruption and mess to your family and your home. They bring their own doormats and vacuum. Upon completion the Installation Team will do a final review with you by taking you around your installation in your home and showing you all aspects of the installation to ensure the expected high quality levels of finish have been met.

Finesse Windows honour your 10 year After-Care service promise should you ever need to contact us. It is common for our clients to contact us two or three times during their ‘decade of care’ to attend to minor issues that emerge from time to time and to ensure the installation is maintained to a high standard.
 

A Veranda and Terrace Canopy are two words implying the same thing; An extension to a house covering an outside area. Or a roof supported by two posts, made of aluminium with a polycarbonate roofing.

A glass room refers to an 'uninsulated' house extension in the shape of a terrace canopy or veranda equipped with (glass) (sliding) doors so that the area can be fully closed. Architecturally, a glass room is not part of the house.

A glass room looks like a conservatory, but the main differences is that a conservatory refers to an insulated extension of the house. So this is an actual part of a house, making it more expensive and complicated to buy and install a conservatory.

Finesse Windows are able to supply terrace canopies, verandas and garden rooms.

You will only need planning permission if your Veranda Glass Room is over 3m  in height, or is located on the roof of your home or it will be larger than 50% of the land that the original house covers.

A veranda allows you to create a covered outside area. In addition to being a beautiful addition to your house, it also allows you to find shelter from the sun, or to sit outside in rainy or cold weather. In addition, it also allows you to better protect your garden furniture against weather influences.

  • Aluminium verandas are generally cheaper than veranda's made from different materials.
  • An aluminium veranda offers a strong construction that will last for many years.
  • Aluminium requires little maintenance. It is a metal that doesn't corrode or rot like timber.
  • Aluminium verandas have a longer lifespan, meaning that you just have to invest once, and can enjoy the veranda for many years, without having to  replace it.
  • Choosing Finesse Windows gives you peace of mind that you have chosen the best company for your Home Improvement project.

 

Adding a glass door system to an existing canopy at a later moment is no problem at all. 

A Veranda requires little maintenance. We do recommend however to clean the Veranda about twice a year. In addition to the fact that your Veranda looks better without dirt, it also increases the lifespan of the Veranda. 

When cleaning your Veranda, we recommend using a sponge or a soft cloth. You can easily clean the aluminium frame with water and a neutral soap.

The polycarbonate roofing can be cleaned in the same way, but be extra careful. Don't forget to frequently keep the gutter free from leaves and dirt to prevent the water drain from getting clogged.

A great looking Veranda Glass Room installed on a property could add anything between 5% and 15% to the overall value of your home. (Source: Estateagentnetworking.co.uk)

The full height of most of our Veranda Glass Rooms is likely to be approximately 2.7m at its highest point. This is well within the 3m height you are allowed to use up in your permitted development rights. 

Yes we do provide a silicone seal where required e.g. where the side frames touch the house walls. The main reason for these seals is to ensure the finish is aesthetically pleasing. It's rare for a house wall to be perfectly straight so it's important to use a seal which takes up the small gaps between the wall and the aluminium frames. The seals will help to keep draughts out too however it's beneficial from a ventilation point of view for these spaces not to be completely sealed. 

The lip under the sliding doors is approximately 25mm tall, with a requirement that the track which the doors sit on must be level. In most instances the patio that we are bolting onto is not perfectly level. The first step is to effectively pack and raise the track in any low areas of the patio base to ensure you get a decent level of protection from water running into the veranda. We then apply a trim over this packaging to ensure it looks ascetically pleasing. It is common for a patio to intentionally slope with a fall way from the home to the garden.

Yes, we can do this using our conservatory design software (which we are currently developing). It will give you a good impression & help you to visualise the space - but it's not 100% true to life unfortunately .
 

We guarantee all verandas for 5 years. This includes all product & workmanship and is also insurance backed. Meaning that if anything was to happen to our company within the 5 year guarantee period - and you needed our help with anything - the 'Homepro' insurance policy would kick in and they would find another company who could rectify the problem at no expense to you. Please note that the only thing we do not guarantee is broken glass. This is true for all of our products (Windows, doors, etc) as we can't be held responsible for glass being broken after we leave the site. 

Naturally we have all the statutory liability insurance in place as you'd expect. The reality is that we work in and around approximately 25 homes per week - and have done so for over 40 years. Sometimes things do go wrong and we always endeavour to put it right. 

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