When looking for new windows for your home there are many things you should take into consideration. Your home fenestration serves several purposes, so there’s a few perspectives you need to analyze your situation from.
First, there’s aesthetics. Windows are a crucial part of your home’s design, as they’re visible from both the inside and the outside. Color, material, shape, and size – those traits of your windows give them this special feel and allow them to suit your home perfectly.
Then there is the lighting. All the light, the life from outside comes shining through the glass of your windows. They protect you from heat, cold, wind, and (only partly) pollution. All those aspects taken into account make for a real headache when it’s time for you to make the right choice of windows. Especially that it’s a significant, long-term investment. That’s exactly why you should seriously consider involving a window installation company in the process of installing fenestration.
What to Look For in a Window Installation Company?
Choosing the right installation company should be your priority. Taking advice and service from the wrong installation expert may lead to different kinds of unpleasantness. Aesthetics are not much of a concern in that aspect – you know best what looks best in your home. In terms of technical consequences, the story is a little different.
Technical faults or maladjustment are usually invisible to a naked, unprofessional eye. It’s really hard to get your head around all the technical information, parameters, attestation, without expertise. And all of them are crucial. For instance, what works just fine in a different part of the US, might be a terrible choice for your location. You should make sure that the windows you choose will be an effective barrier for moisture, dust, and other unwanted elements that could spoil your interiors. Also, there’s the issue of safety. Sloppily installed windows make it easier for intruders to break in.
Hire Locally and Listen to Your People
Today, everything you need you can find online. Dive into customer ratings, reviews, testimonials. Interestingly, negative feedback can be more valuable to you than positive one. But can you fully rely on that? You can never be one hundred percent sure that the person submitting a rating or a review of a company may have different standards than you. It’s always beneficial to look for a local company. That way, in case an issue arises, you can always knock on their door and count on their quick reaction. Ask your neighbors, friends, or local business owners for recommendations. Maybe some of them have had some window work done lately? That’s exactly what you’re looking for – the most reliable, up-to-date information on the quality of customer service and offered produce and price. However, as more often than not, unwanted window issues occur after some time, don’t limit yourself to only look for answers from people who have recently hired a window installer. Old customers will have more experience with the product and service, being able to give you a piece of more credible and fuller information about a company you’re considering.
Ask about HomeBuild, a pella certified contractor. The word is they’re the most reliable window repair and installation company in the Chicagoland area. Call, ask, visit. Be a salesperson’s biggest challenge of the week.
Okay, so now that you have shortlisted the companies that may live up to your standards, it’s time to inquire. Pour yourself some coffee and start making calls. That way you can quickly determine whether the basic and easiest aspect of a company’s operations – customer service. Usually, good products and expertise come with proper customer support. If you’re disappointed at this early stage of the process, don’t waste your time and energy and call the next company on your list. Ask general questions about their products and services.
If, so far, you’re satisfied, go visit the store. That’s where the fun begins. Ask about materials, feel the quality and variety of window work the company offers. Show them you’re curious about materials, the certification and training, and experience of their technicians. The more interested and thorough you sound, the more effort the company will feel they need to make to satisfy your needs.
Materials and Workmanship Warranty
It’s all great if nothing unwanted ever happens. However, that’s hardly ever the case. Salespersons and customer service will assure you that you will never be left alone with your window problems. If that’s really the case it should not be a problem for the company to put money where their mouth is. Offering a warranty on workmanship and materials is a sign of a company’s confidence in its products and services. The company you’ve chosen will most likely not be the manufacturer of the offered products. If you notice that its representatives try to push substantial responsibility to the manufacturer, that’s a sign for you to take a closer and more careful look at your potential contractor. Try to reduce the chain of middle-men who will be harder to chase after, in case of sloppy installation or quality-related issues.
Offline Portfolio is the Real Indicator
Don’t rely on computer-generated renderings of projects you can find on your home windows installation company’s website. Ask for real-life samples. Maybe visiting a construction site or any other location where the company installed the windows or even repaired window frames will be possible? After all, you won’t trust anything more than you can trust your senses. Go look, touch, and feel the quality of windows and craftsmanship you may choose for your own place.
