Aluminium windows - your opinion on this finish please....

[ATTAK Z]

vescaegg said:

parakitaMol. said:

Thank you all - this is very helpful. I will be sending them this thread, as they have continually refused to accept that their work is an unacceptable standard ....

I wouldnt sent them towards this to be honest. Showing them a bunch of people who have no credentials (officially) on a car forum will come off as unprofessional.

Just politely but firmly state what you want and make it clear if they are not willing then someone else will and the money you are holding will be used to pay for it.

I agree but it might be better to put your concerns to them in writing stating what you are prepared to do to resolve the matter and leave it to them to try to get the last bit of money they think they are owed ... you could also express your concerns to trading standards in the area in which they operate.

[astroarcadia]

Crap Mastic. Nice Touareg.

[parakitaMol.]

Yeah I get what you're saying but they've been really pushy with me & they are making out I haven't got a clue what I am talking about. It's quite hard to argue with when I know nothing about windows or building work.

I guess I needed a bit of reassurance so that I can push back and make them wait till I have a resolution I am happy with.


Thanks... TooooRug is the hubby's. V10, chipped, and utterly pointless (according to the speed awareness policeman).

[caziques]

Just as a matter of technical interest are the frames thermally broken?

I thought non thermally broken frames didn't meet building standards in the UK.

Virtually all windows in NZ are aluminium frames - but as the windows are held into the timber framing with nails, and the bricks are the last thing to be fitted no visible sealant is used here.

I also thought standard sealant only lasted a few years outside.

And to think it was my great grandfather who discovered silicones in the first place - and didn't see much use for them.

[J114rvy]

We fit aluminium windows and folding / sliding doors every day and all our fitters are trained in silicone work as it can make or break a job, if your not happy find a mastic specialist in your area and get a quote for them to cut it out and replace with new then knock it off the money owed.
www.solarfolduk.com

[Randy Winkman]

Any chance someone can post a picture of something similar - but done well? Just interested.

[parakitaMol.]

That would be helpful. Apparently it's now because "the brickwork on my house is uneven"..... I would like to see aluminium windows fitted to uneven brickwork..... I am sure it is quite possible to achieve a good finish.

[CedGTV]

I am in the trade so to speak and have at times carried out this type of thing and at times have ordered the reveals to be rendered by way of hiding the irregular gap against old stock-type bricks against brand new window framing.

Their attempt at the filling of the gap isn't the best of jobs and made worse by slapping on extra stuck on ally trim. If I was going down the route then I would at least try to scribe the ally against the brickwork and have it running level down along side the margin of the frame.

Stick with it, hold your ground, you have a valid claim.

[ATTAK Z]

Randy Winkman said:

Any chance someone can post a picture of something similar - but done well? Just interested.

Here you go

[CedGTV]

No disrespect to the person above but the two situations are quite different as the bricks and the mortar are not alike in the pictures, you have a easier reveal to mastic to.

[GuinnessMK]

CedGTV said:

No disrespect to the person above but the two situations are quite different as the bricks and the mortar are not alike in the pictures, you have a easier reveal to mastic to.

True, but the situation is entirely of the companies making. It's fair to assume the brickwork was there when they surveyed. They had the choice of frame depth, profile, exact location in the depth of the wall and the size of the window v's the opening.

To end up with a difficult and massive gap to fill was to some extent within their control. To then fill it badly with clear silicone is the icing on the cake.

Design out or design to minimise the defect or snag in the first place, rather than leave it to the last thing the fitter does before leaving site.

[parakitaMol.]

GuinnessMK said:

True, but the situation is entirely of the companies making. It's fair to assume the brickwork was there when they surveyed.

To end up with a difficult and massive gap to fill was to some extent within their control. To then fill it badly with clear silicone is the icing on the cake..

Yep - I would agree with that. It is a shame we have spent so much with them.... windows are a real investment! Hindsight is a wonderful thing isn't it. Anyway, I hope the Sto rend sorts it. I am getting confirmation in writing that it will adhere to the silicone or how they intend to secure the bond over it....

Thanks for all the comments - I feel very reassured that I have reasonable grounds for being disapponted with this.

[ATTAK Z]

parakitaMol. said:

..... Anyway, I hope the Sto rend sorts it .......

I do hope your next problem will not be when the renderers scratch your new frames with their floats

[parakitaMol.]

Lets hope not!

[ATTAK Z]

What colour are you going for ?

[CedGTV]

ATTAK Z said:

parakitaMol. said:

..... Anyway, I hope the Sto rend sorts it .......

I do hope your next problem will not be when the renderers scratch your new frames with their floats

The lack of real depth to the revels (I mean from the frame to the front edge of the brickwork) would lead me to think that they will more than likely just lay on the render with a pointing trowel rather than try to apply it with a steel float.

[ATTAK Z]

CedGTV said:

The lack of real depth to the revels (I mean from the frame to the front edge of the brickwork) would lead me to think that they will more than likely just lay on the render with a pointing trowel rather than try to apply it with a steel float.

May be better off using SS stop beads on the face of the brickwork with a little overlap onto the frame (rather than a SS corner bead) and then neatly filling back to the frame with a mastic to match the render

[parakitaMol.]

I am sure they said they are using stop beads (but I may be wrong). They know that the silicone is an issue for us and that getting a quality finish around the windows is a very high priority.

We are going for a very pale grey above the damp course line and dark grey (almost black) below it. The damp course is about a foot high at the front and about 4" high at the back (we are on a steep slope).

I don't know precisely how they apply the Sto rend, I think it is too small an area to use the application machinery....

[CedGTV]

ATTAK Z said:

CedGTV said:

The lack of real depth to the revels (I mean from the frame to the front edge of the brickwork) would lead me to think that they will more than likely just lay on the render with a pointing trowel rather than try to apply it with a steel float.

May be better off using SS stop beads on the face of the brickwork with a little overlap onto the frame (rather than a SS corner bead) and then neatly filling back to the frame with a mastic to match the render

Cracking idea, hope she had the depth from frame to brick edge to fix them securely into the brick.

Agreed with the earlier point on clear silicon, I would of used a light grey CT1 frame seal mastic.

[redgriff500]

Am I missing something ?

Pics 1-3 show poorly applied silicone but No.4 is exactly what I'd expect to see.

Simply ask them to make the others like No.4