July 11, 2006 - 9 months after Hurricane Wilma
My experience with installation of PGT Impact hurricane windows
http://www.pgtindustries.com/Index.aspx) sold by Global Industries,
Pompano Beach FL

We live in a lower floor in a small condo on the Ft. Lauderdale
Intracoastal waterway, one block from the beach.. During Hurricane
Wilma a guest bedroom window was shattered in our unit by flying
debris. The eastward facing windows of the penthouse suite were also
shattered by flying 2x4's which were shooting through the air like
missiles from a new high rise condo under construction on the beach
(the Las Olas Beach Resort). The 2x4's penetrated the hurricane
shutters and windows of the penthouse suite. The owner says winds at
that level (about 15 stories high) were over 130 mph. When the windows
in the penthouse suite were penetrated the difference in air pressure
made the interior walls buckle.

There was no power at our location for over 2 weeks. It was 10 days
before we could get plywood up. It was three months before we could get
temporary non-impact window glass put in our broken frame. Our frame
was "compromised" and had to be replaced. We were told by all the
window contractors we called that Ft. Lauderdale building code only
allowed compromised frames to be replaced with hurricane windows. The
condo insurance was supposed to cover the cost of replacing the window
and frame. Now the condo is saying they are only responsible for
replacing the temporary glass even if it does not meet building code.
Allstate paid claims of about $20,000 to contents damaged by the rain
and dirt that flowed in through the broken windows during and
immediately after the hurricane. We were out of town so we had to rely
on neighbors to duct tape garbage bags over our windows. With no power
or gasoline there were no contractors to put up plywood and no power
for power tools. Our unit was exposed to the elements for about two
weeks.

In the weeks after the hurricane we called every contractor listed in
the yellow pages and on Google in our area. Only 2 would install
hurricane windows in condos. One was Sears and the other was Global
Industries, Inc. of Pompano Beach. We first signed a contract with
Sears contingent upon Sears providing three references in Broward
County for windows which had been installed by Sears since Hurricane
Wilma. When Sears could not produce the references (they said their
policy prohibited providing of references to protect the privacy of
their customers) I signed a contract with Global Industries, Inc (GII)
based upon a recommendation of a neighbor who had also signed a
contract with Global and who had called their references. If anyone
from Sears disputes this claim I have the names and phone numbers of
the people I talked to at Sears.

Moti Dror is the owner of Global Industries, Inc. of Pompano Beach
Florida. He represented that GII was an authorized distributors for
PGT Industries (PGT), a company that manufactures hurricane windows and
is based in Florida. I purchased two 3 piece windows, one 2 piece
window, one sliding door, one single kitchen window and one kitchen
door. The cost was approximately $22,000 which included $695 for a
building permit. I was told the windows would arrive in 8 to 12 weeks.
$10,000 was paid when the contract was signed and an additional $8,000
was due upon delivery of materials. The balance was due upon completion
of the building inspection.

GII told me they had been in business in South Florida for over 15
years. The principals are Moti and Max Dror, a father and son team who
were very responsive during the sale, On a positive note the windows
arrived as promised during the last week of June, 2006. An installation
date was set during the first week of July. I was assured by Max Dror
that he was sending over "our best crew".

On Wednesday, July 5th, a three man crew arrived headed by an installer
named Robert Dimm. Max had told me the installers were employees of GII
and were covered under their workers compensation insurance program.
Robert said he was an independent contractor. Upon request of the
workers compensation policy it was delivered and it turns out that
Robert is both an employee of GII and an independent contract. He said
he had been working for GII for approximately three months. Later a
call to their office revealed that previously he had been installing
hurricane shutters which are also sold by GII. He was assisted by Gil (
a Czech national who speaks very limited English), a huge man capable
of lifting and maneuvering the hurricane windows which are extremely
heavy. A third crew member was a young kid and it was his first day on
the job. The job was supposed to take three days.

Note: Things we never thought about:
Dust
All window coverings (drapes, blinds, etc) and hardware need to be
removed. Fortunately we had large garbage bags to place our draperies
in. The contractor showed up with two tarps, enough to cover the area
around the window he was working on at the time. No floor coverings
were provided. The work produced a huge amount of unanticipated dust
and debris from cutting of sheetrock around the old windows and from
cutting the metal frames from the old windows. In short order, all of
our walls, floor, furniture and every appliance including computers
were covered in dust. The crew kept tracking the dust from each window
to the door and vice versa. We should have insisted that paths from the
windows to the doors be laid with construction paper of the type used
by other contractors we have had over the years. We should have
insisted that all furniture be covered by tarps and that the job site
be cleaned at the end of every day. The afternoon rain turned the dust
on the balconies to clay which also was tracked in the house. We called
a professional cleaner who showed up on Friday and cleaned up after the
crew had left for the weekend. The crew left the house a mess at the
end of each day. They were exhausted. My compassionate wife said it
seemed heartless to ask guys that spent the day wrestling with 500 lb
windows to vacuum and sweep.

Window Sills
We have granite window sills under each window. Max had assured us that
installation was a simple matter of popping out the old and popping in
the new but they were not responsible for damage to the window sills.
Needless to say each sill needs to be replaced. Add $200 per window at
least to your budget.

Smell
The stench of airplane glue hit us when the installer starting caulking
the first window. He assured us that the "airplane glue" smell
which was making us sick, would disappear as soon as the window caulk
was "cured". It is in the typical Florida summer 90's with 90%+
humidity so keeping windows open and the air conditioning off is not an
easy task. We kept the air off all day for each day they were working.
If you are planning to stay in the home during installation get some
big fans and wear a bathing suit. By Monday, five days after the first
window went in the smell was getting worse. I decided that whatever the
cure period was, it wasn't the promised 24 hours.

The installer, Robert, said that the caulk was furnished by GII and is
used because "it lasts for 25 years". I grabbed a caulking gun they
were using and read that they were using OSI SBR-100 Window and Siding
Caulk, a solvent based (as opposed to latex based) caulk. The caulk
tube said "Not Recommended for Interior Use". The Federal Guideline
for use of the caulk on the caulk tube was issued in 1970 (I Googled
it). Fearing brain tumors and lung cancer I first checked OSI's
website http://osisealants.com and then, finding nothing helpful called
OSI's customer service 800-999-8920 who referred me to tech support
at 800-624-7767. There was no one there that late on Friday but the
first thing Monday morning I got a call from a guy named Brian who said
that the OSI SBR-100 is the cheapest caulk they sell, it is rated for 5
years and is for exterior use only. He said GII should have used an OSI
product called H2U which is a latex caulk rated for 25 years. He also
said the caulk they are supposed to use on the exterior is the OSI
brand called "Quad", a solvent based product. Since Friday I have
placed over 15 calls to Max and Moti regarding the caulk and other
issues. As of Thursday, six days later, no calls to GII have been
returned.

Building Permit and when to pay the Contractor
Upon arrival the installers unloaded all the windows. This is a back
breaking job that took most of the first day. They crew wrestled each
window from the truck to the property by hand. I was surprised that
they didn't even have handcarts (I would have used a forklift) for
this difficult task.

Once all the windows were placed on our balcony (which could have
easily cracked with all that weight) Robert asked for a check for
$8,000 as specified in the contract. I asked for a copy of the building
permit. He said GII forgot to put it in his work folder but it would be
delivered later in the day. I said I would give him a check when I got
a the building permit.

By the end of the first day only the double hung window in the bedroom
was in. Again I was asked for a check and again I told the installer I
would swap a check for the building permit.

By the end of the second day two more windows were in and again I was
asked for a check. I repeated my slogan but the installer said he was
going to get fired if he didn't return with a check. I was beginning
to feel sorry for the crew and worried for myself. The crew had worked
non-stop except for lunch (I bought) and ice water which my wife kept
offering them throughout the day. These guys worked hard. They were
covered in dust and sweat and tempers were running short. They were
yelling matches between them which were sort of funny since the Check
didn't understand a thing Robert was yelling at him. He just smiled
and said "Ja". I felt sorry for Robert and said that I had done an
online check for the building permit on the City of Ft. Lauderdale
website http://ci.ftlaud.fl.us/building_services/index.htm and there is
no record on file for a building permit for my project. Judging from
the color on Robert's face I knew instinctively that I had a problem.

A neighbor, a CPA, member of the Board and someone who also ordered
windows through GII (she was next on the installation list) called the
City only to find out that permits had never been issued for my windows
or hers.

On Monday I was assured by my neighbor that Max Dror had personally
"redelivered" the applications to City of Ft. Lauderdale's
Building Department. Robert said Max claimed the City lost the original
applications. Nevertheless the crew returned Monday afternoon and
started to work on the sliding glass door, a project which took them
all day. They returned on Tuesday to finish caulking, this time using
an off-the-shelf latex caulk sold at home depot for what little
remained of the interior caulk project. At 5 pm on Tuesday Robert
announced they were finished even though the kitchen door had not been
installed. The windows were not going up and down without a screeching
sound and one would not stay up when opened. Robert confessed he had
never been trained to "adjust" the windows and only Max had that
precious knowledge. Since none of the windows were working effortlessly
and since calls to GII were not being returned more detective work was
in order.
Is the Company that Sold you your Windows an Authorized Distributor?
Since calls to GII were not being returned including calls to Max and
Moti's personal cell phones I decided to call PGT Industries. I was
informed that GII was not an authorized distributor and PGT had never
heard of GII. They said PGT offered classes for installers on how to
install and adjust windows. Robert, our installer, admitted he had
never received any training from PGT and he had not been trained on
adjusting windows by GII. PGT was able to track my order down from
numbers on the window. They had sold the windows to Buckley Glass, Inc
located at 4308 NE 5th Terrace Ft. Lauderdale 33334 phone number
954-396-4211. Robert, my installer said that if Max did not return my
calls to call PGT. PGT said since my windows were sold to Buckley Glass
to call them. I have called Buckley twice, speaking to a receptionist
named Kim who said only Robbie could answer my questions and he was
"out of the office".

If you haven't paid why are you complaining?
While it is true we still owe the contractor over $10,000 we can not
reinstall our window coverings until the windows are finished. We have
a cleaning team coming tomorrow for a second time who will undoubtedly
have to return at least one more time. It has been over a week after
the installation of the first window and our home still smells like
airplane glue. In desperation we hired a consultant, Craig Exterkamp,
owner of Panda Glass (formerly co-owner of Builders and Decorators and
Glass) an expert at window installation. He arrived at our home today
and started a "punch list" which was half completed when he had to
leave on another call.

Within the last hour a typical summer afternoon Florida thunderstorm
blew through. We closed all the windows and after the Eastward facing
windows were pounding by driving rain there are no signs of leaks. I
will take a hose to the windows as soon as it dries.

Stay Tuned
Will the airplane glue smell ever go away? Will we ever get a building
permit and pass inspection? Did the smell or dust permeate our
furniture ... forever? Will we get brain or lung cancer? Will our
hurricane insurance be cancelled? Will the condo pay for the broken
window and frame? Will the installer ever return? Will our windows ever
get adjusted?

My wife just keeps bringing me more Jack Daniels and says not to worry,
everything will be fine. In fact the biggest worry, that another
hurricane would hit before our windows were installed, is over. I no
longer care about the Weather Channel and can focus on more important
matters ... like how am I going to pay for the next installment on my
hurricane windows?

what a long story







steppy the gamer

Games I play:

http://www.gamestotal.com
http://uc.gamestotal.com
http://gc.gamestotal.com
http://gc.gamestotal.com/manual/
http://gc.gamestotal.com/hef.cfm
http://uc.gamestotal.com/freegames/
http://uc.gamestotal.com/manual/
http://uc.gamestotal.com/hef.cfm
http://3700ad.gamestotal.com
http://aw.gamestotal.com
http://www.stephenyong.com

wrote:
July 11, 2006 - 9 months after Hurricane Wilma
My experience with installation of PGT Impact hurricane windows
http://www.pgtindustries.com/Index.aspx) sold by Global Industries,
Pompano Beach FL

We live in a lower floor in a small condo on the Ft. Lauderdale
Intracoastal waterway, one block from the beach.. During Hurricane
Wilma a guest bedroom window was shattered in our unit by flying
debris. The eastward facing windows of the penthouse suite were also
shattered by flying 2x4's which were shooting through the air like
missiles from a new high rise condo under construction on the beach
(the Las Olas Beach Resort). The 2x4's penetrated the hurricane
shutters and windows of the penthouse suite. The owner says winds at
that level (about 15 stories high) were over 130 mph. When the windows
in the penthouse suite were penetrated the difference in air pressure
made the interior walls buckle.

There was no power at our location for over 2 weeks. It was 10 days
before we could get plywood up. It was three months before we could get
temporary non-impact window glass put in our broken frame. Our frame
was "compromised" and had to be replaced. We were told by all the
window contractors we called that Ft. Lauderdale building code only
allowed compromised frames to be replaced with hurricane windows. The
condo insurance was supposed to cover the cost of replacing the window
and frame. Now the condo is saying they are only responsible for
replacing the temporary glass even if it does not meet building code.
Allstate paid claims of about $20,000 to contents damaged by the rain
and dirt that flowed in through the broken windows during and
immediately after the hurricane. We were out of town so we had to rely
on neighbors to duct tape garbage bags over our windows. With no power
or gasoline there were no contractors to put up plywood and no power
for power tools. Our unit was exposed to the elements for about two
weeks.

In the weeks after the hurricane we called every contractor listed in
the yellow pages and on Google in our area. Only 2 would install
hurricane windows in condos. One was Sears and the other was Global
Industries, Inc. of Pompano Beach. We first signed a contract with
Sears contingent upon Sears providing three references in Broward
County for windows which had been installed by Sears since Hurricane
Wilma. When Sears could not produce the references (they said their
policy prohibited providing of references to protect the privacy of
their customers) I signed a contract with Global Industries, Inc (GII)
based upon a recommendation of a neighbor who had also signed a
contract with Global and who had called their references. If anyone
from Sears disputes this claim I have the names and phone numbers of
the people I talked to at Sears.

Moti Dror is the owner of Global Industries, Inc. of Pompano Beach
Florida. He represented that GII was an authorized distributors for
PGT Industries (PGT), a company that manufactures hurricane windows and
is based in Florida. I purchased two 3 piece windows, one 2 piece
window, one sliding door, one single kitchen window and one kitchen
door. The cost was approximately $22,000 which included $695 for a
building permit. I was told the windows would arrive in 8 to 12 weeks.
$10,000 was paid when the contract was signed and an additional $8,000
was due upon delivery of materials. The balance was due upon completion
of the building inspection.

GII told me they had been in business in South Florida for over 15
years. The principals are Moti and Max Dror, a father and son team who
were very responsive during the sale, On a positive note the windows
arrived as promised during the last week of June, 2006. An installation
date was set during the first week of July. I was assured by Max Dror
that he was sending over "our best crew".

On Wednesday, July 5th, a three man crew arrived headed by an installer
named Robert Dimm. Max had told me the installers were employees of GII
and were covered under their workers compensation insurance program.
Robert said he was an independent contractor. Upon request of the
workers compensation policy it was delivered and it turns out that
Robert is both an employee of GII and an independent contract. He said
he had been working for GII for approximately three months. Later a
call to their office revealed that previously he had been installing
hurricane shutters which are also sold by GII. He was assisted by Gil (
a Czech national who speaks very limited English), a huge man capable
of lifting and maneuvering the hurricane windows which are extremely
heavy. A third crew member was a young kid and it was his first day on
the job. The job was supposed to take three days.

Note: Things we never thought about:
Dust
All window coverings (drapes, blinds, etc) and hardware need to be
removed. Fortunately we had large garbage bags to place our draperies
in. The contractor showed up with two tarps, enough to cover the area
around the window he was working on at the time. No floor coverings
were provided. The work produced a huge amount of unanticipated dust
and debris from cutting of sheetrock around the old windows and from
cutting the metal frames from the old windows. In short order, all of
our walls, floor, furniture and every appliance including computers
were covered in dust. The crew kept tracking the dust from each window
to the door and vice versa. We should have insisted that paths from the
windows to the doors be laid with construction paper of the type used
by other contractors we have had over the years. We should have
insisted that all furniture be covered by tarps and that the job site
be cleaned at the end of every day. The afternoon rain turned the dust
on the balconies to clay which also was tracked in the house. We called
a professional cleaner who showed up on Friday and cleaned up after the
crew had left for the weekend. The crew left the house a mess at the
end of each day. They were exhausted. My compassionate wife said it
seemed heartless to ask guys that spent the day wrestling with 500 lb
windows to vacuum and sweep.

Window Sills
We have granite window sills under each window. Max had assured us that
installation was a simple matter of popping out the old and popping in
the new but they were not responsible for damage to the window sills.
Needless to say each sill needs to be replaced. Add $200 per window at
least to your budget.

Smell
The stench of airplane glue hit us when the installer starting caulking
the first window. He assured us that the "airplane glue" smell
which was making us sick, would disappear as soon as the window caulk
was "cured". It is in the typical Florida summer 90's with 90%+
humidity so keeping windows open and the air conditioning off is not an
easy task. We kept the air off all day for each day they were working.
If you are planning to stay in the home during installation get some
big fans and wear a bathing suit. By Monday, five days after the first
window went in the smell was getting worse. I decided that whatever the
cure period was, it wasn't the promised 24 hours.

The installer, Robert, said that the caulk was furnished by GII and is
used because "it lasts for 25 years". I grabbed a caulking gun they
were using and read that they were using OSI SBR-100 Window and Siding
Caulk, a solvent based (as opposed to latex based) caulk. The caulk
tube said "Not Recommended for Interior Use". The Federal Guideline
for use of the caulk on the caulk tube was issued in 1970 (I Googled
it). Fearing brain tumors and lung cancer I first checked OSI's
website http://osisealants.com and then, finding nothing helpful called
OSI's customer service 800-999-8920 who referred me to tech support
at 800-624-7767. There was no one there that late on Friday but the
first thing Monday morning I got a call from a guy named Brian who said
that the OSI SBR-100 is the cheapest caulk they sell, it is rated for 5
years and is for exterior use only. He said GII should have used an OSI
product called H2U which is a latex caulk rated for 25 years. He also
said the caulk they are supposed to use on the exterior is the OSI
brand called "Quad", a solvent based product. Since Friday I have
placed over 15 calls to Max and Moti regarding the caulk and other
issues. As of Thursday, six days later, no calls to GII have been
returned.

Building Permit and when to pay the Contractor
Upon arrival the installers unloaded all the windows. This is a back
breaking job that took most of the first day. They crew wrestled each
window from the truck to the property by hand. I was surprised that
they didn't even have handcarts (I would have used a forklift) for
this difficult task.

Once all the windows were placed on our balcony (which could have
easily cracked with all that weight) Robert asked for a check for
$8,000 as specified in the contract. I asked for a copy of the building
permit. He said GII forgot to put it in his work folder but it would be
delivered later in the day. I said I would give him a check when I got
a the building permit.

By the end of the first day only the double hung window in the bedroom
was in. Again I was asked for a check and again I told the installer I
would swap a check for the building permit.

By the end of the second day two more windows were in and again I was
asked for a check. I repeated my slogan but the installer said he was
going to get fired if he didn't return with a check. I was beginning
to feel sorry for the crew and worried for myself. The crew had worked
non-stop except for lunch (I bought) and ice water which my wife kept
offering them throughout the day. These guys worked hard. They were
covered in dust and sweat and tempers were running short. They were
yelling matches between them which were sort of funny since the Check
didn't understand a thing Robert was yelling at him. He just smiled
and said "Ja". I felt sorry for Robert and said that I had done an
online check for the building permit on the City of Ft. Lauderdale
website http://ci.ftlaud.fl.us/building_services/index.htm and there is
no record on file for a building permit for my project. Judging from
the color on Robert's face I knew instinctively that I had a problem.

A neighbor, a CPA, member of the Board and someone who also ordered
windows through GII (she was next on the installation list) called the
City only to find out that permits had never been issued for my windows
or hers.

On Monday I was assured by my neighbor that Max Dror had personally
"redelivered" the applications to City of Ft. Lauderdale's
Building Department. Robert said Max claimed the City lost the original
applications. Nevertheless the crew returned Monday afternoon and
started to work on the sliding glass door, a project which took them
all day. They returned on Tuesday to finish caulking, this time using
an off-the-shelf latex caulk sold at home depot for what little
remained of the interior caulk project. At 5 pm on Tuesday Robert
announced they were finished even though the kitchen door had not been
installed. The windows were not going up and down without a screeching
sound and one would not stay up when opened. Robert confessed he had
never been trained to "adjust" the windows and only Max had that
precious knowledge. Since none of the windows were working effortlessly
and since calls to GII were not being returned more detective work was
in order.
Is the Company that Sold you your Windows an Authorized Distributor?
Since calls to GII were not being returned including calls to Max and
Moti's personal cell phones I decided to call PGT Industries. I was
informed that GII was not an authorized distributor and PGT had never
heard of GII. They said PGT offered classes for installers on how to
install and adjust windows. Robert, our installer, admitted he had
never received any training from PGT and he had not been trained on
adjusting windows by GII. PGT was able to track my order down from
numbers on the window. They had sold the windows to Buckley Glass, Inc
located at 4308 NE 5th Terrace Ft. Lauderdale 33334 phone number
954-396-4211. Robert, my installer said that if Max did not return my
calls to call PGT. PGT said since my windows were sold to Buckley Glass
to call them. I have called Buckley twice, speaking to a receptionist
named Kim who said only Robbie could answer my questions and he was
"out of the office".

If you haven't paid why are you complaining?
While it is true we still owe the contractor over $10,000 we can not
reinstall our window coverings until the windows are finished. We have
a cleaning team coming tomorrow for a second time who will undoubtedly
have to return at least one more time. It has been over a week after
the installation of the first window and our home still smells like
airplane glue. In desperation we hired a consultant, Craig Exterkamp,
owner of Panda Glass (formerly co-owner of Builders and Decorators and
Glass) an expert at window installation. He arrived at our home today
and started a "punch list" which was half completed when he had to
leave on another call.

Within the last hour a typical summer afternoon Florida thunderstorm
blew through. We closed all the windows and after the Eastward facing
windows were pounding by driving rain there are no signs of leaks. I
will take a hose to the windows as soon as it dries.

Stay Tuned
Will the airplane glue smell ever go away? Will we ever get a building
permit and pass inspection? Did the smell or dust permeate our
furniture ... forever? Will we get brain or lung cancer? Will our
hurricane insurance be cancelled? Will the condo pay for the broken
window and frame? Will the installer ever return? Will our windows ever
get adjusted?

My wife just keeps bringing me more Jack Daniels and says not to worry,
everything will be fine. In fact the biggest worry, that another
hurricane would hit before our windows were installed, is over. I no
longer care about the Weather Channel and can focus on more important
matters ... like how am I going to pay for the next installment on my
hurricane windows?

wrote:


What would I do?

I would shut up. You have obviously made matter worse by escalating,
looking over everyones shoulder, complaining and whining. Call the owner
of the window company (leave a message). Apologize for being an ass.
Tell him you will leave town so they can finish w/o you bothering them.
Leave a check with your nice wife and have her pay them when finished. Done.

You are not alone. Your experience is about par for building trades in the
rest of the country.

We live in California and are involved in some remodeling. We experienced
problems very similar to yours, maybe worse. We don't know if we should
laugh or cry about the run-around we got over the building permit. Just like
yours, including feeling sorry for the hard working installers.

You get the feeling that the world is full of rip-off artists, especially
building contractors. Using shortcuts and substituting inferior materials
seems to be standard practice.

A valuable lesson we have learned:

Check the contractor's license/bond/insurance/wc insurance before you sign
the contract.

Always have the contractor quote the job including the cost of pulling a
permit.

Do not let them start work without a permit.

Do not pay until the work has been inspected and approved. Period.

Saves a lot of grief.

--
Walter
www.rationality.net
-
wrote in message
ups.com...



July 11, 2006 - 9 months after Hurricane Wilma
My experience with installation of PGT Impact hurricane windows
http://www.pgtindustries.com/Index.aspx) sold by Global Industries,
Pompano Beach FL

We live in a lower floor in a small condo on the Ft. Lauderdale
Intracoastal waterway, one block from the beach.. During Hurricane
Wilma a guest bedroom window was shattered in our unit by flying
debris. The eastward facing windows of the penthouse suite were also
shattered by flying 2x4's which were shooting through the air like
missiles from a new high rise condo under construction on the beach
(the Las Olas Beach Resort). The 2x4's penetrated the hurricane
shutters and windows of the penthouse suite. The owner says winds at
that level (about 15 stories high) were over 130 mph. When the windows
in the penthouse suite were penetrated the difference in air pressure
made the interior walls buckle.

There was no power at our location for over 2 weeks. It was 10 days
before we could get plywood up. It was three months before we could get
temporary non-impact window glass put in our broken frame. Our frame
was "compromised" and had to be replaced. We were told by all the
window contractors we called that Ft. Lauderdale building code only
allowed compromised frames to be replaced with hurricane windows. The
condo insurance was supposed to cover the cost of replacing the window
and frame. Now the condo is saying they are only responsible for
replacing the temporary glass even if it does not meet building code.
Allstate paid claims of about $20,000 to contents damaged by the rain
and dirt that flowed in through the broken windows during and
immediately after the hurricane. We were out of town so we had to rely
on neighbors to duct tape garbage bags over our windows. With no power
or gasoline there were no contractors to put up plywood and no power
for power tools. Our unit was exposed to the elements for about two
weeks.

In the weeks after the hurricane we called every contractor listed in
the yellow pages and on Google in our area. Only 2 would install
hurricane windows in condos. One was Sears and the other was Global
Industries, Inc. of Pompano Beach. We first signed a contract with
Sears contingent upon Sears providing three references in Broward
County for windows which had been installed by Sears since Hurricane
Wilma. When Sears could not produce the references (they said their
policy prohibited providing of references to protect the privacy of
their customers) I signed a contract with Global Industries, Inc (GII)
based upon a recommendation of a neighbor who had also signed a
contract with Global and who had called their references. If anyone
from Sears disputes this claim I have the names and phone numbers of
the people I talked to at Sears.

Moti Dror is the owner of Global Industries, Inc. of Pompano Beach
Florida. He represented that GII was an authorized distributors for
PGT Industries (PGT), a company that manufactures hurricane windows and
is based in Florida. I purchased two 3 piece windows, one 2 piece
window, one sliding door, one single kitchen window and one kitchen
door. The cost was approximately $22,000 which included $695 for a
building permit. I was told the windows would arrive in 8 to 12 weeks.
$10,000 was paid when the contract was signed and an additional $8,000
was due upon delivery of materials. The balance was due upon completion
of the building inspection.

GII told me they had been in business in South Florida for over 15
years. The principals are Moti and Max Dror, a father and son team who
were very responsive during the sale, On a positive note the windows
arrived as promised during the last week of June, 2006. An installation
date was set during the first week of July. I was assured by Max Dror
that he was sending over "our best crew".

On Wednesday, July 5th, a three man crew arrived headed by an installer
named Robert Dimm. Max had told me the installers were employees of GII
and were covered under their workers compensation insurance program.
Robert said he was an independent contractor. Upon request of the
workers compensation policy it was delivered and it turns out that
Robert is both an employee of GII and an independent contract. He said
he had been working for GII for approximately three months. Later a
call to their office revealed that previously he had been installing
hurricane shutters which are also sold by GII. He was assisted by Gil (
a Czech national who speaks very limited English), a huge man capable
of lifting and maneuvering the hurricane windows which are extremely
heavy. A third crew member was a young kid and it was his first day on
the job. The job was supposed to take three days.

Note: Things we never thought about:
Dust
All window coverings (drapes, blinds, etc) and hardware need to be
removed. Fortunately we had large garbage bags to place our draperies
in. The contractor showed up with two tarps, enough to cover the area
around the window he was working on at the time. No floor coverings
were provided. The work produced a huge amount of unanticipated dust
and debris from cutting of sheetrock around the old windows and from
cutting the metal frames from the old windows. In short order, all of
our walls, floor, furniture and every appliance including computers
were covered in dust. The crew kept tracking the dust from each window
to the door and vice versa. We should have insisted that paths from the
windows to the doors be laid with construction paper of the type used
by other contractors we have had over the years. We should have
insisted that all furniture be covered by tarps and that the job site
be cleaned at the end of every day. The afternoon rain turned the dust
on the balconies to clay which also was tracked in the house. We called
a professional cleaner who showed up on Friday and cleaned up after the
crew had left for the weekend. The crew left the house a mess at the
end of each day. They were exhausted. My compassionate wife said it
seemed heartless to ask guys that spent the day wrestling with 500 lb
windows to vacuum and sweep.

Window Sills
We have granite window sills under each window. Max had assured us that
installation was a simple matter of popping out the old and popping in
the new but they were not responsible for damage to the window sills.
Needless to say each sill needs to be replaced. Add $200 per window at
least to your budget.

Smell
The stench of airplane glue hit us when the installer starting caulking
the first window. He assured us that the "airplane glue" smell
which was making us sick, would disappear as soon as the window caulk
was "cured". It is in the typical Florida summer 90's with 90%+
humidity so keeping windows open and the air conditioning off is not an
easy task. We kept the air off all day for each day they were working.
If you are planning to stay in the home during installation get some
big fans and wear a bathing suit. By Monday, five days after the first
window went in the smell was getting worse. I decided that whatever the
cure period was, it wasn't the promised 24 hours.

The installer, Robert, said that the caulk was furnished by GII and is
used because "it lasts for 25 years". I grabbed a caulking gun they
were using and read that they were using OSI SBR-100 Window and Siding
Caulk, a solvent based (as opposed to latex based) caulk. The caulk
tube said "Not Recommended for Interior Use". The Federal Guideline
for use of the caulk on the caulk tube was issued in 1970 (I Googled
it). Fearing brain tumors and lung cancer I first checked OSI's
website http://osisealants.com and then, finding nothing helpful called
OSI's customer service 800-999-8920 who referred me to tech support
at 800-624-7767. There was no one there that late on Friday but the
first thing Monday morning I got a call from a guy named Brian who said
that the OSI SBR-100 is the cheapest caulk they sell, it is rated for 5
years and is for exterior use only. He said GII should have used an OSI
product called H2U which is a latex caulk rated for 25 years. He also
said the caulk they are supposed to use on the exterior is the OSI
brand called "Quad", a solvent based product. Since Friday I have
placed over 15 calls to Max and Moti regarding the caulk and other
issues. As of Thursday, six days later, no calls to GII have been
returned.

Building Permit and when to pay the Contractor
Upon arrival the installers unloaded all the windows. This is a back
breaking job that took most of the first day. They crew wrestled each
window from the truck to the property by hand. I was surprised that
they didn't even have handcarts (I would have used a forklift) for
this difficult task.

Once all the windows were placed on our balcony (which could have
easily cracked with all that weight) Robert asked for a check for
$8,000 as specified in the contract. I asked for a copy of the building
permit. He said GII forgot to put it in his work folder but it would be
delivered later in the day. I said I would give him a check when I got
a the building permit.

By the end of the first day only the double hung window in the bedroom
was in. Again I was asked for a check and again I told the installer I
would swap a check for the building permit.

By the end of the second day two more windows were in and again I was
asked for a check. I repeated my slogan but the installer said he was
going to get fired if he didn't return with a check. I was beginning
to feel sorry for the crew and worried for myself. The crew had worked
non-stop except for lunch (I bought) and ice water which my wife kept
offering them throughout the day. These guys worked hard. They were
covered in dust and sweat and tempers were running short. They were
yelling matches between them which were sort of funny since the Check
didn't understand a thing Robert was yelling at him. He just smiled
and said "Ja". I felt sorry for Robert and said that I had done an
online check for the building permit on the City of Ft. Lauderdale
website http://ci.ftlaud.fl.us/building_services/index.htm and there is
no record on file for a building permit for my project. Judging from
the color on Robert's face I knew instinctively that I had a problem.

A neighbor, a CPA, member of the Board and someone who also ordered
windows through GII (she was next on the installation list) called the
City only to find out that permits had never been issued for my windows
or hers.

On Monday I was assured by my neighbor that Max Dror had personally
"redelivered" the applications to City of Ft. Lauderdale's
Building Department. Robert said Max claimed the City lost the original
applications. Nevertheless the crew returned Monday afternoon and
started to work on the sliding glass door, a project which took them
all day. They returned on Tuesday to finish caulking, this time using
an off-the-shelf latex caulk sold at home depot for what little
remained of the interior caulk project. At 5 pm on Tuesday Robert
announced they were finished even though the kitchen door had not been
installed. The windows were not going up and down without a screeching
sound and one would not stay up when opened. Robert confessed he had
never been trained to "adjust" the windows and only Max had that
precious knowledge. Since none of the windows were working effortlessly
and since calls to GII were not being returned more detective work was
in order.
Is the Company that Sold you your Windows an Authorized Distributor?
Since calls to GII were not being returned including calls to Max and
Moti's personal cell phones I decided to call PGT Industries. I was
informed that GII was not an authorized distributor and PGT had never
heard of GII. They said PGT offered classes for installers on how to
install and adjust windows. Robert, our installer, admitted he had
never received any training from PGT and he had not been trained on
adjusting windows by GII. PGT was able to track my order down from
numbers on the window. They had sold the windows to Buckley Glass, Inc
located at 4308 NE 5th Terrace Ft. Lauderdale 33334 phone number
954-396-4211. Robert, my installer said that if Max did not return my
calls to call PGT. PGT said since my windows were sold to Buckley Glass
to call them. I have called Buckley twice, speaking to a receptionist
named Kim who said only Robbie could answer my questions and he was
"out of the office".

If you haven't paid why are you complaining?
While it is true we still owe the contractor over $10,000 we can not
reinstall our window coverings until the windows are finished. We have
a cleaning team coming tomorrow for a second time who will undoubtedly
have to return at least one more time. It has been over a week after
the installation of the first window and our home still smells like
airplane glue. In desperation we hired a consultant, Craig Exterkamp,
owner of Panda Glass (formerly co-owner of Builders and Decorators and
Glass) an expert at window installation. He arrived at our home today
and started a "punch list" which was half completed when he had to
leave on another call.

Within the last hour a typical summer afternoon Florida thunderstorm
blew through. We closed all the windows and after the Eastward facing
windows were pounding by driving rain there are no signs of leaks. I
will take a hose to the windows as soon as it dries.

Stay Tuned
Will the airplane glue smell ever go away? Will we ever get a building
permit and pass inspection? Did the smell or dust permeate our
furniture ... forever? Will we get brain or lung cancer? Will our
hurricane insurance be cancelled? Will the condo pay for the broken
window and frame? Will the installer ever return? Will our windows ever
get adjusted?

My wife just keeps bringing me more Jack Daniels and says not to worry,
everything will be fine. In fact the biggest worry, that another
hurricane would hit before our windows were installed, is over. I no
longer care about the Weather Channel and can focus on more important
matters ... like how am I going to pay for the next installment on my
hurricane windows?