You are probably aware that double glazing reduces heat loss through your windows, which means that you can save money on your heating bills. Correctly fitted Windows can also reduce draughts, provide additional security, comfort and style to your home.
BUT!
Choosing the wrong supplier can leave you with nothing but headaches, stress and utter frustration as well as wasting your hard earned money on cheap Windows that are simply not fit for purpose.
Every day we have phone calls from local people in desperate need for someone to help sort out the problems with their double glazing.
We can honestly report that our service engineer spends at least 1-2 full days a week rectifying other company’s work.
In many cases the suppliers are still in business and simply refuse to honour their obligations to the customer. They find many excuses as to why the problem is not covered by the guarantee and blame the customer for damaging the windows!
And the difficulty for us when we are quoting against these companies is that we are unable to say anything to a potential customer, because this would not seem professional and we could lose credibility by telling them!
However, it is frustrating when these companies promise the customer great service and a guarantee that they know they will not fulfil.
And, we are not just talking about small businesses, sometimes it’s the bigger companies too!
The problem stems from the ever increasing costs for double glazing companies!
Raw material costs are forever increasing, as are wages, fuel bills and business operating costs. In the past 10 years there has also been major technical advancements in the industry regarding security and insulation requirements, which have dramatically increased costs to double glazing companies, yet the prices have reduced in the marketplace as companies have had to lower prices to compete.
So, many double glazing companies have had to find ways of reducing costs to stay in business, some have chosen to cease manufacturing and purchase from the mass production super fabricators, whilst others have simply reduced the specification of their windows by removing steel reinforcing or using cheaper components.
The downside to using a super fabricator is that the company loses control and if they make a mistake in their surveying or installation process then the customer can be waiting weeks to have the problem resolved. There has also been an increase in the number of super fabricators going out of business, so your supplier has no guarantee to pass on to you if their supplier ceases trading!
The downside to using cheaper components or reducing the steel reinforcing is the endless calls we receive to fix problems of Doors and windows not functioning properly.
Doors not locking correctly, Doors dropping so the customer is unable to close the door. Windows dropping so they are unable to secure them leaving customers open to the wind, rain and burglars!
Our advice for customers is to become an educated buyer.
As a customer it is easy to think that buying a bargain is a good thing! And, when you are buying clothes, shoes, TV’s and consumable goods, this is a good strategy!
When buying double glazing, the question to ask yourself isn’t why a company is more expensive than another, the question to ask is, in order to offer a cheap price, what have they removed from their products that could cause you a problem in the future?