One thing after another, No lintels fitted for new windows i think?

[Olderisbetter]

The house we bought next door has no external lintels at all just soldier bricks and upstairs the internal lintels are wood which has mainly rotted away, So on the inside i put in concrete lintels and on the outside i had some 5mm stainless 200mm wide bent in the middle at 90 degrees to make a lintel to rest the bricks on, it worked fine but that was for the windows that were about 3 feet wide.

 

[Alan Reynolds]

Going off at a tangent I couldn't help looking at the satellite dish. Has anyone ever painted their one when it rusted? Back on track, I'd fit the windows myself. It's not hard to do.

 

[delta9]

How long have you lived there,

Kinda looks like the upvc windows were bought as misfits/ripouts/second hand and then the brickwork altered to fit your house, judging by the brickwork/repointing on each side

 

[W.olly]

You could....push your luck when he rings you.

" youve taken my 20% based on the price we agreed to do a job. Now you want more money as you didnt price it properly. Ill have my deposit back please, as I cant afford any extra".

Sit back and see what he says......stick to your guns and keep saying but I cant afford it. Jan and Feb are very quiet times in home improvment.


Get your money back and do the windows yourself, easy enough. Even fitting lintels isnt difficult, just have some slate o hand when you find its not level

I would do but i am too knackered to do it, waiting for an operation soon. I have done a few windows and doors in the past and replaced the kitchen one and i know there was a lintel in there or i would of noticed it when i took the window out. First time i have to gte anybody to do anything for me so its annoying also with that.

Exactly what i am going to do when they call me. No rush for them to be done really just need doing, it would of been ok or not so bad if the sales guy said something at first before we signed up and paid deposit.

How long have you lived there,

Kinda looks like the upvc windows were bought as misfits/ripouts/second hand and then the brickwork altered to fit your house, judging by the brickwork/repointing on each side

These were fitted before i moved in . My wife and her X had them fitted on the cheap 16 years ago,i guess that says it all. When i replaced the kitchen window about 6 years ago a good few side brisks came loose and needed resetting in. Pro same for these then maybe. House is crpa, wish i never bought it. I wold be happier if it fell down to build a new one.

 

[HughF]

Having had a 'professional' company fit the windows at wife's place 7 years ago, I would never, ever employ the services of a window company again. A bigger bunch of thick retards I have never known...

I'd be doing them myself if I were you. There is no way they'll do a good enough job of making good or of weather proofing in my experience.

 

[W.olly]

Having had a 'professional' company fit the windows at wife's place 7 years ago, I would never, ever employ the services of a window company again. A bigger bunch of thick retards I have never known...

I'd be doing them myself if I were you. There is no way they'll do a good enough job of making good or of weather proofing in my experience.

The sales chap said once fitted the windows need to bes signed off for buklding regs so now folk can't fit there own.

Is that true and how wluld I go a out it ?

 

[addjunkie]

Just contact your local council, ask for building control. They will tell you what you need, or dont need. With windows its about escape openings and safety glass if the window cill is below 800 mil I think. Obviously the structure needs to be sound too, but lintels are not rocket science.

Some sales people try to frighten you into giving them the work. But building control are there to help you do things to a standard, nothing to be afraid off. I find the eden council site quite helpful in the way its laid out, but there are many to look at, and ofcourse the regulations themselves.

Not sure where in manchester you are. But

http://www.guidetorenovatingyourhome.co.uk/labc/gtryh/bury/burygtryh2017/html5/index.html?page=1

 

[Rig Pig]

BC are very easy to deal with, you pay there fee and they come out and inspect your work, providing it's to spec they sign it off job done. They also provided free advice if you give them a call.

 

[W.olly]

OMG I just got a price for my own DIY windows with compo door. £2500 with catnic think DIY it may well be saving £2k.

 

[HughF]

OMG I just got a price for my own DIY windows with compo door. £2500 with catnic think DIY it may well be saving £2k.

DIY also allows you to get a far far far far far better installed job. You can research the best sort of foam to use, sort out cavity closers, insulate the interior returns, convert to check reveals if you want etc.

Honestly, my experience of window fitters is that they're pretty much the most unskilled, cack handed, incompetent and down right retarded tradesmen you can get. I won't let another one onto our property. As for fensa, ha, don't get me started.

 

[brightspark]

DIY also allows you to get a far far far far far better installed job. You can research the best sort of foam to use, sort out cavity closers, insulate the interior returns, convert to check reveals if you want etc.

Honestly, my experience of window fitters is that they're pretty much the most unskilled, cack handed, incompetent and down right retarded tradesmen you can get. I won't let another one onto our property. As for fensa, ha, don't get me started.

fensa is just a scrap of paper to satisfy solicitors if you sell your house. the daughter bought a house and they didn't even ask for it. I managed to get someone to replace them at a hell of a good saving without the ticket could have got one but an extra 50 quid . fensa do not check anyones work its just a racket

 

[knighty]

I guess it depends who you get to fit them, a mate of mine used to fit them them, made them too, he's really really good... he's fitted a couple and a door for me, and fixed some at the house my parents moved into... walks up and right away can see 50 things I missed, makes a small adjustment the looks like it will make no difference and it fixes everything... knows all different kinds of glass/plastic/silicone/foam inside out

 

[HughF]

I guess it depends who you get to fit them, a mate of mine used to fit them them, made them too, he's really really good... he's fitted a couple and a door for me, and fixed some at the house my parents moved into... walks up and right away can see 50 things I missed, makes a small adjustment the looks like it will make no difference and it fixes everything... knows all different kinds of glass/plastic/silicone/foam inside out

He's probably a minnow amongst a shoal (other analogies are available)... I'm sure there are some good ones out there, but my experience has tainted my opinion

 

[knighty]

yeah, there's a hell of a lot of cowboys around!

my parents moved into a bungalow a couple of years ago, they wanted somewhere smaller for when they get really old, bought a nice one in a nice area, guy who lived there was a retired judge, very old but still pretty switched on.... all the work that had been done is terrible... it's all really nice high quality stuff fitted, kitchens/bathrooms etc. but totally crap job fitting it all... radiators £600 each... screwed to plasterboard! :-(

you'd think by the time you're fitting expensive stuff (and I assume paying a wad for fitting) you'd weed out most of the cowboys :-(

 

[malcolm]

If you have no cracks inside or out you probably do have lintels. It has been fairly common to build houses with lintels over windows for the last several hundred years. The exception is 1920s bay windows which were structural and don't suit uPVC replacement. The bricks above the windows have been messed with so maybe the same scam was pulled last time the windows were replaced.

Building regs only seem interested that new windows meet U values. The structure in my house doesn't meet modern regs and they aren't fussed with that. I've got building regs hanging around and they asked me to change the windows, but if I was just changing windows I wouldn't bother talking to them.

Mine also went in on a DIY basis so I could get the job done properly.

 

[addjunkie]

Another option, is to get a builder joiner type you knw and trust to do them, and just use a building notice to keep building inspector happy. When buying windows and doors have a good shop around, they varied for my place about 3 grand between different suppliers.

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

I guess it depends who you get to fit them, a mate of mine used to fit them them, made them too, he's really really good... he's fitted a couple and a door for me, and fixed some at the house my parents moved into... walks up and right away can see 50 things I missed, makes a small adjustment the looks like it will make no difference and it fixes everything... knows all different kinds of glass/plastic/silicone/foam inside out

Smaller window companies tend to be far better in my experience. The big players don't give a rats and lash them in anyhow. The small companies rely on there name

 

[brightspark]

reputable big company's use subcontractors sometimes and the workmanship is rubbish . not what you would expect no names mentioned

 

[W.olly]

Okey dokey then. I havnt given the company chance to get back to me. I am not keen on not being told/sold the full story so i called the sales chap and said that he hadnt mentioned that this could be an extra charges when i specificaly asked him ` would there be any other charges or foreseeable charges involved` he said no thats the full price.

So sod it i asked him to arrange the 25% deposit to be put back in my account. He went on about that the building regs are nothing to do with them so if its need lintels that is extra.

Anyway he said he will arrange the refund....not holding my breath a si reckon they will keep a hundred or so for inspection or something. Dont trust or believe anyone knowadays, could be my age lol.

Well my mate lent me his ` carrot` as he called it, a hand held metal detector. I found that as i thought lintels fitted stretching a good 300m into the wall pad.
This is from the inside and it would detect from the outside aswell so as you guys pointed out the outer brick will be sat on the window frames.

I have looked at three window suppliers and all roughly the same price give or take a hundred or so.

So we have deiced to go look for a new compo front door this weekend and then searching the market for windows, get them here then decide if i will fit them ( as said i need an op as arm is not good for this kind work, mite get help ) or get a reliable fitter to do it.

My god i got to sort the drive way out next, what fun will that bring. This is the reason for all mylife i have done everything myself.


Thanks all for the help and info as always

Captain Faffer

 

[jimbo84]

Make sure your new composite door has a solid core, you wouldn't believe how easy it is to get through the foam filled cheap ones.

I thought I'd replace my own doors and a window upstairs when they needed doing, no fixings in the front door and two in the back door, this seems quite common, just glue them in with expanding foam seems to be the 'professional's' habbit. Glad I did it myself window and door fitters seem allergic to fixings. Pretty straight forward to do if you're a bit handy and prepared to take the time to do it right.