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Top 10 Tips on Choosing the Right Window Installer

Lee Anderson

by W Malik

2023-05-23 01:47 PM

Everyone has heard the sorry stories of itchy window salespeople and cowboy window installers who would install dangerous, unlawful, and aesthetically offensive windows without asking for a deposit beforehand. 

The dishonest practices of a minority can ruin the reputation of the great majority of right window installers, which is why these scary narratives are so disheartening. 

Yet there are precautions you can take as a homeowner to reduce the possibility of being taken in by a scammer posing as a window installer. 

Following are a few handy tips to assist you in making a well-informed decision about your window installation or replacement.

1. FENSA-Approved

In the United Kingdom, FENSA is the most well-known competent person initiative. The Fenestration Industry Security Association (FENSA) was established to ensure that only qualified professionals were allowed to install windows and doors in the United Kingdom.

Only the best window installers who pass frequent inspections to ensure their work complies with current building codes can offer you a FENSA certificate upon completion. If you're planning on moving soon, you should get a FENSA certificate as quickly as possible.

It is the obligation of the homeowner to pay for any additional building permit fees that may be incurred as a result of installing windows that are not FENSA registered.

Some inexperienced window installers don't guide homeowners about the best time to install windows and try to dissuade them from the certification necessity, thus leaving them vulnerable to a massive bill if they ever decide to sell their home. 

You may find relevant details about FENSA certification, guidelines, and benefits at https://www.fensa.org.uk.

2.  Reputation

It takes a lifetime to build a solid reputation and seconds to destroy it. If there's one industry where this saying should ring true, it's the window and door business. If you continually satisfy local clients, they should have wonderful things to say about your business. To find a reputable installer in your area, compare various window fitting services at home improvement apps like Easefix.

3.  Registered Business

In today's world, it's expected that any reputable business would have a registered address. This is reassuring, as it suggests that the company is well-established and not planning a midnight flip. It also provides a formal setting where you can meet with the window installers to go over any issues you have and the process of getting your windows installed.

4.  Assurances

When it comes to window guarantees, you pick between the manufacturer's warranty, the installer's warranty, and an insurance-backed warranty. Hiring a window installer with solid guarantees is always preferable. If your window installer has a warranty backed by insurance, you may be able to save a lot of money in the long run.

The benefit of hiring a FENSA-approved installer is that they will provide you with an insurance-backed guarantee (IBG). IBG covers installation issues even if the installer is no longer in business. You can think of it as warranty insurance. If a problem emerges that the installer's warranty should have covered, file a claim with your IBG provider.

5. Check For Service Provider's Website

A website's address serves the same purpose as a physical one in establishing a company's credibility and longevity. To be sure, not every business with a web presence is legitimate; nonetheless, there are several indicators of legitimacy that you can search for. 

First, look for a closed padlock in the address bar; this is a sign that the site is safe for use. Second, try to locate a local phone number and postal address in the UK; then, Google those details to see whether they match up with the claimed owner of the business. If they don't match, that's a red flag. Finally, take a close look at client testimonies and the quality of the completed work displayed in photos.

If you find a UK mailing address, you should check to see if it matches the one listed for the company in the issue by using Google.

6. Presence in Social Media

Like having a website and a physical location, being active on social media shows that your business is well-established and easy to contact. In the same way, you would double-check a website's contact information; you should double-check the company's social media profiles by calling the listed phone number and mailing address in the United Kingdom to make sure they match.

A Facebook profile is another great way to show that your company is well-known and easy to contact as the right windows installer. 

7. Consumer Feedback

You may learn a lot about how different people feel about a window installer, and what those people's experiences were like by reading reviews they posted online. How a company responds to negative feedback can be just as telling as positive when gauging how seriously it takes its commitment to customer satisfaction. Read reviews of the installers or the homeowner service you hire on business directories, Google Business being the foremost or their respective websites.

8. How Responsive Are They?

A window installer's responsiveness to questions asked by phone, email, and social media can tell a lot about their eagerness to help. It can alleviate some of your concerns about whether or not you'll get an answer to your query.

9. Professional Understanding

Their experience and technical knowledge may gauge the credibility of a window fitting service or an installer. As for Easefix, many window installation or replacement jobs have been turned down by less qualified window installers, but our installers have been able to finish them to the highest possible standards because of our extensive training and experience. This technological understanding filters down into our regular work. We're always pleased to help customers and answer any technical questions they may have to guarantee the highest quality window fitting service.

10. You Must Know your Installer Before Installation.

Some window installation services subcontract the installation work and use incredible contractors to execute installations on their behalf. Homeowners don’t know who will install or replace their windows until the end. It can be unsafe and lead to unintended results. There is a strong possibility that work might not get done at all, or if it gets done, it would not be upto the homeowner’s satisfaction.

Finding a service with a committed installer is thus as necessary as anything. The service should let you know in clear and crystal terms who will install the windows with the picture and job ID so that you don’t get another person on the appointed day. If the committed installer can’t turn up due to some eventuality, the service should inform you in advance and provide the credentials of the alternative. If some service is not this, it is not a reliable window installation service.


Frequently Asked Questions

1.  What characterizes a skilled window installer?

You should hire window installers who have worked in the field for at least several years. This will guarantee that the people installing your windows have experience doing so. Hiring window installers with experience working with a wide range of window styles is ideal.

2.  What are the four window installation types?

Direct installation, parallel installation, a single installation site, and phased installation are the four installation methods.

3.  What are the key factors to consider in new window installation?

Budget, energy, efficiency, your home's setting, frame materials, safety, glazing, design, and installation are all factors to consider before installing new windows.

4.  Why are window installation costs so high?

The labor-intensive complexity of replacing windows and their unique design are the primary reasons for their high cost. Construction companies must invest more in equipment since windows for each home must be custom-made to fit its unique dimensions and aesthetic needs.