Thank you for choosing to read my article.
I think you'll find it most informative if you are considering the purchase of replacement Windows, Doors or a Conservatory for your home.
What Makes A Quality Double Glazing Product Firstly, there are many terms for plastic composite double glazing, such as UPVC, PVC and PVC-U and you might be surprised to discover that they all refer to the same thing so you don't have to worry about finding out about each one.
If you have been doing some research already you'll probably have heard the word "Pilkington Glass" used by many Replacement Window companies.
This is for good reason, as Pilkington are the market leaders and provide a very wide range of excellent quality glass choices.
There are thousands of independent Replacement Window companies around and standards vary wildly.
Talk to as many people as you can in your local area, looking for personal recommendations.
It may sound obvious but you'd be surprised how many people just talk to a couple of Window salespeople before making their decision.
We've mentioned a quality glass, now lets discuss quality window frames.
A very good quality UPVC Window frame is VEKA who operate their network worldwide including VEKA Inc in the USA and VEKA PLC in the UK.
They provide excellent training for their installers along with 10 Year Guarantees.
After you have gained your personal recommendations, double check to see if they use Pilkington or VEKA or both.
For those looking to have a Conservatory, the same quality glass and frames still apply.
A very good quality roof is made by Ultraframe.
At the time of writing Ultraframe were the only roofing system in the UK to comply with strict USA standards.
Whatever you decide, make sure that the conservatory frame has a minimum thickness of 55mm, ideally 80mm as the thicker the wall the more strength it has.
Next check to see that the companies you place to gain quotes from are FENSA and CPA registered.
This ensures a level of service and standard but again, prices and quotes will vary which is why you must try to gain quotes from companies that have already passed your checklist in terms of quality.
Price can be an indicator of quality but not always.
When you have short listed the companies you wish to use for a quote take a note of each companies Glass, Frame Type, Thickness of Frame and Guarantees.
Because of varying standards it really isn't like buying a new car and the cheapest quote isn't always going to be the right decision for your home.
Sometimes paying that bit more can add many years onto the time before you have to replace again.
Service Check List The majority of companies will be registered with FENSA and the CPA along with providing a 10 Year Insurance backed warranty.
This warranty is for if the company goes bankrupt though so always make sure that you find out what the companies "after sales service" and guarantees are like and exactly what you can expect if you have a problem.
Check that the company you are considering have their own fitting teams and do not outsource cheap labour.
This ensures that the personal recommendations you gained earlier will be reliable.
Check that the company will provide a start date and an end date for your installation.
You want to make sure that the company will start when they say they will and finish on schedule and not leave the job for a week or two in the middle.
Ask them if there are penalties available if they do not finish on time.
You probably wont get them to agree to this but you are setting the stage for a timely job.
If you are gaining several quotes, create your own table so that you can compare on all the product elements mentioned as well as service levels and memberships of professional bodies.
Negotiating on price When you settle on a company that ticks all the boxes above, a free quotation means a visit to your home by the companies representative who will measure up your requirements or survey your land if you are considering a conservatory.
There are no proven tricks to get the lowest price out of the person that visits your home.
I know a team of sales people for the company that I work for and the best tactic is to just be yourself and be polite and friendly to build a rapport with the salesperson.
You'll have a price in mind and if your quotation is higher, ask them if they can go lower and see what they come up with.
Next, tell them that you can make a decision today but the price has to be much lower because its way more than you expected - at this point, don't say anything.
If the original price has now dropped by 10% or more you've done your job and if you are happy with everything consider taking the deal.
After all, quality home improvements are expensive but they increase the value of your home sometimes by more than the cost of the home improvement immediately so it's a sound investment, providing you've done your homework.