After some serious shopping I hired an established local contractor to
replace the 9 windows and 2 sliding glass doors in my 9 year old stucco
Florida home with Simonton double glazed vinyl windows. It's almost a $10k
job - a lot on my budget.
After standing me up the 1st day they were to work, they arrived late the
second day and replaced 4 windows and the 2 sliding doors. One of the new
windows is cracked (stress, they said - "we'll order a new one"). The old 8'
x 2' window over the master bed shattered while they tried to remove it (I
lent them my shop vac, but DW vacuumed 'til midnight to get the rest of the
glass out of everything). I gave them a key so they could finish up the next
day. They called that afternoon and said 2 of the remaining windows had been
removed, but the replacements didn't fit (they're way too small).They
temporarily fitted them in with 1x4s. The other 2 don't fit either. I'm now
waiting 3 weeks for replacements. One of the screens didn't fit its window,
either.
Also - the sliding glass doors were installed with oak 1x4s under the frames
and the tracks are about 3/4" higher than the old ones (trip hazard?). Is
this normal for Simonton doors, as the installer claims?
Should I expect any compensation for these foul ups and delays? If so,
what's the best way to claim it? The manager at the dealer says "Sometimes
these things happen..." One thing in my favor - I haven't paid anything ($0)
so far.
(rant off) Thanks in advance for reading, and any advice.

JustDave

JustDave wrote:
After some serious shopping I hired an established local contractor to
replace the 9 windows and 2 sliding glass doors in my 9 year old stucco
Florida home with Simonton double glazed vinyl windows. It's almost a $10k
job - a lot on my budget.
After standing me up the 1st day they were to work, they arrived late the
second day and replaced 4 windows and the 2 sliding doors. One of the new
windows is cracked (stress, they said - "we'll order a new one"). The old 8'
x 2' window over the master bed shattered while they tried to remove it (I
lent them my shop vac, but DW vacuumed 'til midnight to get the rest of the
glass out of everything). I gave them a key so they could finish up the next
day. They called that afternoon and said 2 of the remaining windows had been
removed, but the replacements didn't fit (they're way too small).They
temporarily fitted them in with 1x4s. The other 2 don't fit either. I'm now
waiting 3 weeks for replacements. One of the screens didn't fit its window,
either.
Also - the sliding glass doors were installed with oak 1x4s under the frames
and the tracks are about 3/4" higher than the old ones (trip hazard?). Is
this normal for Simonton doors, as the installer claims?
Should I expect any compensation for these foul ups and delays? If so,
what's the best way to claim it? The manager at the dealer says "Sometimes
these things happen..." One thing in my favor - I haven't paid anything ($0)
so far.
(rant off) Thanks in advance for reading, and any advice.

JustDave

Consult legal advice .

If the windows are not weather tight you are going to have some damage
in the three weeks it takes to get replacements.

You might ask a local building inspector to check installation on the
door , or at least get the code specification. At least they used oak
and not PT lumber.


I would be pressuring the company you bought the stuff from to get it
done at cost.

Supply of the wrong size windows is inexcusable in my opinion, unless
the old window was also badly installed.

WIndows sometimes break , I would have had a tarp over the inside area
, especially on a very long glass pane .

On Nov 24, 9:38 pm, "JustDave" wrote:
After some serious shopping I hired an established local contractor to
replace the 9 windows and 2 sliding glass doors in my 9 year old stucco
Florida home with Simonton double glazed vinyl windows. It's almost a $10k
job - a lot on my budget.
After standing me up the 1st day they were to work, they arrived late the
second day and replaced 4 windows and the 2 sliding doors. One of the new
windows is cracked (stress, they said - "we'll order a new one"). The old 8'
x 2' window over the master bed shattered while they tried to remove it (I
lent them my shop vac, but DW vacuumed 'til midnight to get the rest of the
glass out of everything). I gave them a key so they could finish up the next
day. They called that afternoon and said 2 of the remaining windows had been
removed, but the replacements didn't fit (they're way too small).They
temporarily fitted them in with 1x4s. The other 2 don't fit either. I'm now
waiting 3 weeks for replacements. One of the screens didn't fit its window,
either.
Also - the sliding glass doors were installed with oak 1x4s under the frames
and the tracks are about 3/4" higher than the old ones (trip hazard?). Is
this normal for Simonton doors, as the installer claims?
Should I expect any compensation for these foul ups and delays? If so,
what's the best way to claim it? The manager at the dealer says "Sometimes
these things happen..." One thing in my favor - I haven't paid anything ($0)
so far.
(rant off) Thanks in advance for reading, and any advice.

It doesn't sound like it's going well. It also doesn't sound like you
have a lot of experience in work being done on your home. I'm not sure
why you'd have to lend a vacuum to someone, nor why you'd have your
wife doing their cleanup for them. The broken window...well, accidents
happen, and no one here can tell you whether they were simply careless
or not.

As far as the patio door, I'm not sure why they'd have to put a 1x
under the door as I'm sure your house is a slab on grade, but then
again, I have no idea of the job conditions. If the Simonton tracks
are 3/4" higher than the old ones, I would assume that has to do with
Simonton's design - doubtful that it is any real tripping hazard by
itself, though the 1x would raise it into sketchy territory. With all
patio doors you have to step over the track and offhand I don't know of
any code that regulates the height of the track (though there might be
one - the door manufacturer would be the ones to know definitively).

Contracts are supposed to spell out all of the details including the
completion date. Your state/municipality probably has regulations on
how long of a grace period the contractor has, beyond the contractual
completion date, to complete the job. In my area it's 30 days.

To prove damages at this early of a date, you would have to have
specified a completion date of two days, specified time is of the
essence and specified what liquidated damages would be incurred in the
case of delay. BTW, the only contractor that would sign a contract
like that on a job your size is an idiot, gouging the crap out of you
to cover the possibility of damages (you'd be paying your own damages
up front, in essence), or is inexperienced and in for a
bad-for-both-parties learning experience.

I'm a little surprised that the contractor didn't ask for money up
front to cover the cost of the custom windows that had to be made for
your job. In my book, that's a bad business practice. I have no
experience with Simonton windows, but it's more than a little odd that
there were so many problems on such a small job. The fact that one of
the screens didn't fit also sends up a red flag - it's not clear who is
to blame for the window sizing. It's possible that Simonton messed up,
or that the contractor sent incorrect measurements.

The usual scenario when a job starts going bad, is for the owner to
make rumblings of damages and withholding payment, the contractor
realizes that the project may be a lost cause and loses interest in
keeping the owner happy figuring he's going to get stiffed anyway, the
owner seeing a lack of progress and sensing an I-no-longer-give-a-damn
attitude holds back money on work completed and has his lawyer send a
strongly worded letter, the contractor than talks to his lawyer and
places a Mechanic's Lien on the house...you see where this is going,
don't you? The lawyers will eat up enough money to make you both
unhappy. It's very much in both of your self interests to work this
out as best you can. Seek to agree.

R

You might ask a local building inspector to check installation on the
door , or at least get the code specification. At least they used oak
and not PT lumber.

The issue I see here is that the Oak will rot a lot quicker than PT. We had
PT installed under our doors, but you can't see it due to the metal that
covers it (kick plate?).

I would be concerned about the Oak rotting..

Amy

"Amy L" wrote in message

I would be concerned about the Oak rotting..

Not if it is white oak. It has excellent durability and is often used for
outdoor projects for that reason.

"RicodJour" wrote in message
oups.com...
On Nov 24, 9:38 pm, "JustDave" wrote:
After some serious shopping I hired an established local contractor to
replace the 9 windows and 2 sliding glass doors in my 9 year old stucco
Florida home with Simonton double glazed vinyl windows. It's almost a
$10k
job - a lot on my budget.
After standing me up the 1st day they were to work, they arrived late the
second day and replaced 4 windows and the 2 sliding doors. One of the new
windows is cracked (stress, they said - "we'll order a new one"). The old
8'
x 2' window over the master bed shattered while they tried to remove it
(I
lent them my shop vac, but DW vacuumed 'til midnight to get the rest of
the
glass out of everything). I gave them a key so they could finish up the
next
day. They called that afternoon and said 2 of the remaining windows had
been
removed, but the replacements didn't fit (they're way too small).They
temporarily fitted them in with 1x4s. The other 2 don't fit either. I'm
now
waiting 3 weeks for replacements. One of the screens didn't fit its
window,
either.
Also - the sliding glass doors were installed with oak 1x4s under the
frames
and the tracks are about 3/4" higher than the old ones (trip hazard?). Is
this normal for Simonton doors, as the installer claims?
Should I expect any compensation for these foul ups and delays? If so,
what's the best way to claim it? The manager at the dealer says
"Sometimes
these things happen..." One thing in my favor - I haven't paid anything
($0)
so far.
(rant off) Thanks in advance for reading, and any advice.

It doesn't sound like it's going well. It also doesn't sound like you
have a lot of experience in work being done on your home. I'm not sure
why you'd have to lend a vacuum to someone, nor why you'd have your
wife doing their cleanup for them. The broken window...well, accidents
happen, and no one here can tell you whether they were simply careless
or not.

As far as the patio door, I'm not sure why they'd have to put a 1x
under the door as I'm sure your house is a slab on grade, but then
again, I have no idea of the job conditions. If the Simonton tracks
are 3/4" higher than the old ones, I would assume that has to do with
Simonton's design - doubtful that it is any real tripping hazard by
itself, though the 1x would raise it into sketchy territory. With all
patio doors you have to step over the track and offhand I don't know of
any code that regulates the height of the track (though there might be
one - the door manufacturer would be the ones to know definitively).

Contracts are supposed to spell out all of the details including the
completion date. Your state/municipality probably has regulations on
how long of a grace period the contractor has, beyond the contractual
completion date, to complete the job. In my area it's 30 days.

To prove damages at this early of a date, you would have to have
specified a completion date of two days, specified time is of the
essence and specified what liquidated damages would be incurred in the
case of delay. BTW, the only contractor that would sign a contract
like that on a job your size is an idiot, gouging the crap out of you
to cover the possibility of damages (you'd be paying your own damages
up front, in essence), or is inexperienced and in for a
bad-for-both-parties learning experience.

I'm a little surprised that the contractor didn't ask for money up
front to cover the cost of the custom windows that had to be made for
your job. In my book, that's a bad business practice. I have no
experience with Simonton windows, but it's more than a little odd that
there were so many problems on such a small job. The fact that one of
the screens didn't fit also sends up a red flag - it's not clear who is
to blame for the window sizing. It's possible that Simonton messed up,
or that the contractor sent incorrect measurements.

The usual scenario when a job starts going bad, is for the owner to
make rumblings of damages and withholding payment, the contractor
realizes that the project may be a lost cause and loses interest in
keeping the owner happy figuring he's going to get stiffed anyway, the
owner seeing a lack of progress and sensing an I-no-longer-give-a-damn
attitude holds back money on work completed and has his lawyer send a
strongly worded letter, the contractor than talks to his lawyer and
places a Mechanic's Lien on the house...you see where this is going,
don't you? The lawyers will eat up enough money to make you both
unhappy. It's very much in both of your self interests to work this
out as best you can. Seek to agree.

R


Thanks for all the replies. I guess I'm in wait and see mode now. I'll let
everyone know how this turns out.

JustDave

On Nov 25, 2:59 pm, "JustDave" wrote:

Thanks for all the replies. I guess I'm in wait and see mode now. I'll let
everyone know how this turns out.

Please do, thanks.

R

New windows without proper flashing are worthless.


"JustDave" wrote in message
...
After some serious shopping I hired an established local contractor to
replace the 9 windows and 2 sliding glass doors in my 9 year old stucco
Florida home with Simonton double glazed vinyl windows. It's almost a $10k
job - a lot on my budget.
After standing me up the 1st day they were to work, they arrived late the
second day and replaced 4 windows and the 2 sliding doors. One of the new
windows is cracked (stress, they said - "we'll order a new one"). The old
8' x 2' window over the master bed shattered while they tried to remove it
(I lent them my shop vac, but DW vacuumed 'til midnight to get the rest of
the glass out of everything). I gave them a key so they could finish up
the next day. They called that afternoon and said 2 of the remaining
windows had been removed, but the replacements didn't fit (they're way too
small).They temporarily fitted them in with 1x4s. The other 2 don't fit
either. I'm now waiting 3 weeks for replacements. One of the screens
didn't fit its window, either.
Also - the sliding glass doors were installed with oak 1x4s under the
frames and the tracks are about 3/4" higher than the old ones (trip
hazard?). Is this normal for Simonton doors, as the installer claims?
Should I expect any compensation for these foul ups and delays? If so,
what's the best way to claim it? The manager at the dealer says "Sometimes
these things happen..." One thing in my favor - I haven't paid anything
($0) so far.
(rant off) Thanks in advance for reading, and any advice.

JustDave