A transformational window & door upgrade
"The change has been transformational"
It is reported that 47% of Brits have renovated their homes at some point, and replacing existing windows and doors to improve aesthetics, thermal efficiency, and/or security often forms part of these home improvement projects.
- But how do you choose your replacement units?
- How do you know if you have chosen a reliable supplier and installer?
- And what is it like to have the work undertaken whilst you are living in the house?
Our client, Mr R, has kindly documented and shared his own experience of what it is like to replace your doors and windows as part of a larger renovation project.
Tired windows
Our 1980s house was beginning to look very tired and had decay problems with the old wooden windows and external rendering. At the end of 2019, we started a renovation project with a view to renewing and refreshing the exterior.
At the onset, we didn’t know what we wanted and spent considerable time talking to window suppliers, visiting exhibitions, and observing other houses. It was only when we saw alu-clad wooden frames at a friend’s house that this solution became our focus.
Choosing a supplier
Our friends put us in contact with the company they had used, but it rapidly became clear that they couldn’t meet our needs – specifically, a single supplier and contract for the whole job, at a fixed cost.
Further research revealed a number of other potential suppliers, with many of them having stands at the National Self Build & Renovation Centre (NSBRC) in Swindon.
Here we discovered Norrsken. In our minds, their product looked the best, seemed to meet our needs, and they were accommodating and open to discussion. We decided to focus on them as our potential window supplier and fitter.
NSBRC: It was here that we visited the Norrsken stand and got acquainted with their products.
Initial consultation
By this stage, I had drawn up a fully refined requirements document for the 16 windows, patio door, and back door, and Norrsken were happy to engage and provide a full quotation. Various clarification emails were exchanged, and ultimately, we decided to make a trip to their showroom/offices in Poole where the final details could be discussed.
At the end of the day, and after concessions on both sides, we agreed a package deal for both the windows and the installation, with the installation to be done by Norrsken’s own fitters.
Interestingly, the price was roughly the same as the indicative pricing for uPVC windows from the leading uPVC window supplier, yet we were getting something we felt was significantly better in both appearance and performance.
We were more than happy to move to a triple-glazed window and have a standardised design across the whole house, and to have an engineered wood frame rather than a solid hardwood.
Showroom visit
One advantage of visiting the office in Poole was that we got to meet the back-office staff who would be supporting our project, and this made the subsequent communication easier.
Straight away, a project manager and operations manager were assigned, and they supported us brilliantly throughout the whole process, keeping us informed and responding, in most cases, by return.
This was quickly followed by a visit from the surveyor to make the detailed, accurate measurements required.
Showroom visits and Covid-19: While in-person visits now cannot take place, our team have successfully used virtual showroom visits in much the same way to demonstrate our products.
Order processing
The first step of the job was the development of a set of drawings that encompassed everything that had been agreed and which could be sent off to their factory for manufacture.
This included design details, like the colour of the internal gaskets, the exact sizes of the different frames in a window, and obscure glass choice. It was worth my detailed study as one of the windows had the opening frame on the wrong side because of a different view being used, and some extra materials had been included that we didn’t need.
Finally, the formal contract was signed, and a target installation date was agreed.
Design details: finalising the colour choice, glass type, and frame size during the order processing period.
Installation
On the morning of the rescheduled installation date, the team of 4 fitters arrived together with a large lorry carrying all the windows and doors. The first task was to unload, and it was immediately clear that these were substantial, heavy frames. Thankfully, the lorry had an onboard crane and was able to lift the heaviest frames over the hedge from the grounds next door. All the frames were well protected and undamaged – indeed, I saw no frame damage throughout the whole installation.
Before and after: tired and decaying vs. beautiful, high-performance, low-maintenance windows.
We were very happy with the quality of the installation.
The damage to the render surrounds was minimal, although we hadn’t appreciated that the new external alu-clad window sills wouldn’t extend wider than the window frames, unlike the old windows. This left holes either side of the window sills that would need to be filled at a later date.
The new windows fitted the holes tightly, and the use of expanding foam was relatively limited compared to some installations I have seen. Great care was made to cut the tiles back in the bathrooms and kitchen (because the new frames are thicker than the old ones), and only 2 tiles were damaged.
Several subsequent observers commented that the installers had done a great job, which reinforced our supplier decision.
FENSA certificate
Norrsken is a registered FENSA installer, which provides a guarantee of compliance with building regulations. An inspector visited our property, and a certificate of compliance has been issued.
Insurance-backed guarantee
Unfortunately, Covid-19 put the project on hold for approximately 3 months. While I understood the situation, I was uncomfortable about Norrsken holding my deposit and potentially losing it if the company experienced trading difficulties. Thankfully, Norrsken was happy to purchase an insurance-backed guarantee to cover the contract and allay my fears.
Window boards
As the old window boards didn’t match the new windows (and a large number had been cut out as part of the replacement process), we took the opportunity to fit new window boards throughout. I had expected to be able to buy off-the-shelf boards, but after being unable to source ones to match the detail required, I turned to a friend who runs a small workshop for advice. He offered to source, cut, and lacquer the boards – an offer we quickly and gratefully accepted.
We lacquered the boards after using a wood stain purchased from Norrsken, the same stain that had been used on the window frames, and the final result is excellent. It does mean, though, that each room now needs to be redecorated to hide the resulting plastering around the window board holes/gaps.
What would Mr R share with you?
If you're about to embark on a similar project, what key advice would Mr R share with you?
- Window companies generally don't make good the internal and external damage created by the window installation.
- Window companies generally either seek to retain the existing internal window boards or replace them with uPVC boards. They are not normally included in any quotation.
- Check and double-check the final specification and contract before signing.
- Ask companies to provide an insurance-backed guarantee for large expensive projects. It's worth the peace of mind in these uncertain times.
- Regularly review the installation work with the fitters and give them an opportunity to fix or improve any areas that you don't think are satisfactory.
The result
While the project took considerably longer than expected, this was primarily due to the Covid-19 pandemic. From first supplier discussions to completion took almost 1 year.
The change has been transformational.
The finished project: We had the entire house repainted and re-rendered, giving it a beautiful clean look and a new lease of life.
Gone are the tired windows and green-stained walls. In their place, we have a fresh, clean, modern-looking house that we hope will be relatively maintenance-free for many years. It wasn’t cheap, but came in close to my initial uneducated back-of-the-envelope estimates. Overall, I think we got a very good deal, and could have paid considerably more. It was definitely worth taking the time to understand the market and options, and negotiating the best deal we could.
