Folks,
I got some quotes for a PVCu double glazed window, 900mm wide, 1350mm
high, upper 350mm section arched, lower 1000mm section split
vertically with opening light on one side. Quotes were minimum 800 quid
(several over 1000 - but those included fitting). Several of them said
"oh, an arched window, suck through teeth, that'll be expensive,
etc."
So I thought take out the middle man. A PVCu frame to my spec, good
fittings etc, 162+VAT, glass around 80quid+VAT. So I save hundreds.
Thats a massive markup for the window "assemblers" - just putting the
glass in is all they do.
I think I'll always order frame/glass separate in the future -
sometimes you even have to take out the glass to fit it ! How mad is
that ?
Simon.

sm_jamieson wrote:
Folks,
I got some quotes for a PVCu double glazed window, 900mm wide, 1350mm
high, upper 350mm section arched, lower 1000mm section split
vertically with opening light on one side. Quotes were minimum 800 quid
(several over 1000 - but those included fitting). Several of them said
"oh, an arched window, suck through teeth, that'll be expensive,
etc."
So I thought take out the middle man. A PVCu frame to my spec, good
fittings etc, 162+VAT, glass around 80quid+VAT. So I save hundreds.
Thats a massive markup for the window "assemblers" - just putting the
glass in is all they do.
I think I'll always order frame/glass separate in the future -
sometimes you even have to take out the glass to fit it ! How mad is
that ?
Simon.


Is that including delivery? Then there's the £100 or so you'll have to
pay your council to come and certify one window.

Stuart Noble wrote:
sm_jamieson wrote:
Folks,
I got some quotes for a PVCu double glazed window, 900mm wide, 1350mm
high, upper 350mm section arched, lower 1000mm section split
vertically with opening light on one side. Quotes were minimum 800 quid
(several over 1000 - but those included fitting). Several of them said
"oh, an arched window, suck through teeth, that'll be expensive,
etc."
So I thought take out the middle man. A PVCu frame to my spec, good
fittings etc, 162+VAT, glass around 80quid+VAT. So I save hundreds.
Thats a massive markup for the window "assemblers" - just putting the
glass in is all they do.
I think I'll always order frame/glass separate in the future -
sometimes you even have to take out the glass to fit it ! How mad is
that ?
Simon.


Is that including delivery? Then there's the £100 or so you'll have to
pay your council to come and certify one window.

Not including delivery no.
But the window is part of a full plans extension, so covered by that
anyway.
If it was a stand-alone window fitting, certainly the cost of
certification should be considered, if indeed you care about that !
Simon.

sm_jamieson wrote:
Stuart Noble wrote:
sm_jamieson wrote:
Folks,
I got some quotes for a PVCu double glazed window, 900mm wide, 1350mm
high, upper 350mm section arched, lower 1000mm section split
vertically with opening light on one side. Quotes were minimum 800 quid
(several over 1000 - but those included fitting). Several of them said
"oh, an arched window, suck through teeth, that'll be expensive,
etc."
So I thought take out the middle man. A PVCu frame to my spec, good
fittings etc, 162+VAT, glass around 80quid+VAT. So I save hundreds.
Thats a massive markup for the window "assemblers" - just putting the
glass in is all they do.
I think I'll always order frame/glass separate in the future -
sometimes you even have to take out the glass to fit it ! How mad is
that ?
Simon.

Is that including delivery? Then there's the £100 or so you'll have to
pay your council to come and certify one window.

Not including delivery no.

But the window is part of a full plans extension, so covered by that
anyway.
If it was a stand-alone window fitting, certainly the cost of
certification should be considered, if indeed you care about that !
Simon.


I think it's the delivery and certification that kills it for d-i-y,
especially if it's only a couple of windows.

sm_jamieson wrote:

I got some quotes for a PVCu double glazed window, 900mm wide, 1350mm
high, upper 350mm section arched, lower 1000mm section split
vertically with opening light on one side. Quotes were minimum 800 quid
(several over 1000 - but those included fitting). Several of them said
"oh, an arched window, suck through teeth, that'll be expensive,
etc."
So I thought take out the middle man. A PVCu frame to my spec, good
fittings etc, 162+VAT, glass around 80quid+VAT. So I save hundreds.
Thats a massive markup for the window "assemblers" - just putting the
glass in is all they do.
I think I'll always order frame/glass separate in the future -
sometimes you even have to take out the glass to fit it ! How mad is

That all sounds very odd. When I order uPVC windows from my local
fabricator, I know from the price I get it would make no difference
whether I ordered the glass and frame together or separately. Never
ordered an arch though.

What sort of places are you going to? (The ones I use make up the
frames and sealed units from scratch on site, not just assemble them).

(And I've never fitted a window with the glass already in place - would
hate to have to do that, for the weight, fragility and unwieldiness.)

David

Lobster wrote:

(And I've never fitted a window with the glass already in place - would
hate to have to do that, for the weight, fragility and unwieldiness.)

David

The ready made windows from B&Q or Wicks (can't remember which... maybe
both) come with some rather dodgy looking plastic tabs to clip on the
frame and screw on to opening leaving the glass in place during
install. It doesn't look like it would be a lot of fun fitting one of
those.

cucumber wrote:
Lobster wrote:

(And I've never fitted a window with the glass already in place - would
hate to have to do that, for the weight, fragility and unwieldiness.)

David

The ready made windows from B&Q or Wicks (can't remember which... maybe
both) come with some rather dodgy looking plastic tabs to clip on the
frame and screw on to opening leaving the glass in place during
install. It doesn't look like it would be a lot of fun fitting one of
those.
I fitted one of those from B&Q. The plastic tabs enable an OK fitting
(3 tabs on either side), then you fix with foam. I was only fitting a
smallish window so OK, but a large window, fitting with the glass would
be tricky - need 2 people. However, its probably harder to distort the
frame when fitting with the glass in.
Simon.

In article .com,
cucumber wrote:
The ready made windows from B&Q or Wicks (can't remember which... maybe
both) come with some rather dodgy looking plastic tabs to clip on the
frame and screw on to opening leaving the glass in place during
install. It doesn't look like it would be a lot of fun fitting one of
those.

Actually not a bad idea for a first time amateur fitter. Saves any chance
of distorting the frame. They are only used to hold the frame in position
while the foam etc sets.

--
*Why is the man who invests all your money called a broker?

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

cucumber wrote:
Lobster wrote:

(And I've never fitted a window with the glass already in place - would
hate to have to do that, for the weight, fragility and unwieldiness.)

David

The ready made windows from B&Q or Wicks (can't remember which... maybe
both) come with some rather dodgy looking plastic tabs to clip on the

If you read the instructions it also tells you how to do it properly by
drilling through the frame and into the wall.

frame and screw on to opening leaving the glass in place during
install. It doesn't look like it would be a lot of fun fitting one of
those.

Again, read the instructions, only the glass in opening panes is
"permanently" fitted. The glass in non-opening frames has to be removed
and fitted with the spacers and glazing tape, whichever way you attach
the frames to the wall.

MBQ

In article . com,
wrote:
The ready made windows from B&Q or Wicks (can't remember which... maybe
both) come with some rather dodgy looking plastic tabs to clip on the

If you read the instructions it also tells you how to do it properly by
drilling through the frame and into the wall.

Not on the window I got from Screwfix. The foam, etc holds it in place
anyway - there's no need for screws through the frame. Different matter
with doors.

--
*It's not hard to meet expenses... they're everywhere.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Lobster" wrote in message
...
sm_jamieson wrote:

I got some quotes for a PVCu double glazed window, 900mm wide, 1350mm
high, upper 350mm section arched, lower 1000mm section split
vertically with opening light on one side. Quotes were minimum 800 quid
(several over 1000 - but those included fitting). Several of them said
"oh, an arched window, suck through teeth, that'll be expensive,
etc."
So I thought take out the middle man. A PVCu frame to my spec, good
fittings etc, 162+VAT, glass around 80quid+VAT. So I save hundreds.
Thats a massive markup for the window "assemblers" - just putting the
glass in is all they do.
I think I'll always order frame/glass separate in the future -
sometimes you even have to take out the glass to fit it ! How mad is

That all sounds very odd. When I order uPVC windows from my local
fabricator, I know from the price I get it would make no difference
whether I ordered the glass and frame together or separately. Never
ordered an arch though.

What sort of places are you going to? (The ones I use make up the
frames and sealed units from scratch on site, not just assemble them).

(And I've never fitted a window with the glass already in place - would
hate to have to do that, for the weight, fragility and unwieldiness.)

David

Surely you have to take the unit out anyway to fix the frame? Saves a job if
they come unfitted.

SM jamieson . Are you getting the windows online and if so which
company?

wrote:
SM jamieson . Are you getting the windows online and if so which
company?

The frame quote was from:
http://www.euroglaze.co.uk/
For this purpose I was from a company whose name bore a strong
resemblance to my own !
Back to this trade/retail netherworld.
They will fax the glass spec to your glass supplier as well.
Window glass was from some Nuneaton company - sealed unit prices all
seemed about the same around here, although I had to find a company
that put the georgian bar inserts inside the sealed unit.
Cheers,
Simon.

Lobster wrote:
sm_jamieson wrote:

I got some quotes for a PVCu double glazed window, 900mm wide, 1350mm
high, upper 350mm section arched, lower 1000mm section split
vertically with opening light on one side. Quotes were minimum 800 quid
(several over 1000 - but those included fitting). Several of them said
"oh, an arched window, suck through teeth, that'll be expensive,
etc."
So I thought take out the middle man. A PVCu frame to my spec, good
fittings etc, 162+VAT, glass around 80quid+VAT. So I save hundreds.
Thats a massive markup for the window "assemblers" - just putting the
glass in is all they do.
I think I'll always order frame/glass separate in the future -
sometimes you even have to take out the glass to fit it ! How mad is

That all sounds very odd. When I order uPVC windows from my local
fabricator, I know from the price I get it would make no difference
whether I ordered the glass and frame together or separately. Never
ordered an arch though.

What sort of places are you going to? (The ones I use make up the
frames and sealed units from scratch on site, not just assemble them).

(And I've never fitted a window with the glass already in place - would
hate to have to do that, for the weight, fragility and unwieldiness.)

David

Just phoned out of yellow pages. I had to phone because the web
estimaters did not cater for arches. It seemed as if they had to "send
away" for the arch (don't know why, loads of front doors have them).
For normal square windows, the price was not a lot more "assembled"
than separate. The arch seemed to make the difference.
Maybe I'll have to look a bit harder to find a local "fabricator".
Simon.

"sm_jamieson" wrote:
Folks,
I got some quotes for a PVCu double glazed window, 900mm wide, 1350mm
high, upper 350mm section arched, lower 1000mm section split
vertically with opening light on one side. Quotes were minimum 800 quid
(several over 1000 - but those included fitting). Several of them said
"oh, an arched window, suck through teeth, that'll be expensive,
etc."
So I thought take out the middle man. A PVCu frame to my spec, good
fittings etc, 162+VAT, glass around 80quid+VAT. So I save hundreds.
Thats a massive markup for the window "assemblers" - just putting the
glass in is all they do.
I think I'll always order frame/glass separate in the future -
sometimes you even have to take out the glass to fit it ! How mad is
that ?
Simon.

Tried http://www.u-fit.co.uk/ ?

Is there any site where people post their experinces with double glazing
suppliers and fitters and related info ?
I've had a few quotes some seem to spend more time rubbishing other
companies
regardign them using recycled plastic and units that are easily for burglars
to get through.