Gap above new window frame

[Martin Daler]

Having new double glazing installed. The window frames appear too short for the apertures. The fitters have added an extra piece to extend the width of the top of the frame, see photo.
From the inside you can see the top edge of the actual window frame, it shows as a thin line at the join with the filler piece.
The neighbours' house (it's a semi, so basically identical), hos no such filler pieces, their frames fill the aperture.
Am I being picky, or did the surveyor do a poor job measuring?
(The 1st two pics are the bedroom, already finished. The 3rd pic shows the bathroom. I stopped them on that window, so you can clearly see the full width of the filler piece at 35mm).

 

[Notch7]

Its hard to say without knowing what was there before.
Surveying windows is not straightforward, it requires external and internal measurements.

It may be a miss measure or order error, but I wouldnt like to say without more info (as somebody that has measured hundreds of windows).

A picture showing the whole window wouldve put it in context -close ups dont really mean much

 

[Martin Daler]

Thanks for the quick reply.
There was double glazing in before installed before we bought the house.
The surveyor had full access inside and out. He is the boss of the company.
Attached are two pics of the bathroom window in full, indside and out.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Of the two latest photos, the first one looks to be unfinished - large gaps at the sides of the sills. Has it really been left like that and called complete?

As a layman, the gap at the top doesn't look too bad. They do always have to undersize a little, to be sure they can get them in the space, but even so, it looks unfinished.

The 'filler piece' seems to be original, it still bears the paint from when a previous window frame was painted.

 

[Martin Daler]

The installation is not finished. I stopped the work as I was unhappy with this (and other aspects of the job).

The uPVC filler piece (I think they called it an add-on) is new. In my first post, 3rd photo, it is the uPVC part just above the blue-tac holding the ruler. Above that is a line of mortar presumably from the original window installation (with old yellow paint), above that is the bricks.

Looking at the interior photo (my 2nd post) you can just see the line (look just below the tiles at the top) where the window frame meets the filler piece. On the outside shot it is less clear, but at the left and right ends of the top of the window frame you can just make out where the filler meets the frame.

My issue is that this filler piece is 35mm wide. So I figure they made the window 35mm too small vertically - with the filler in situ there is still clearance above to fit the window. The same window on the neighbour's house fits with no filler pieces, and looks a lot better for that.

They were proposing to jack the window up to split the 35mm above and below. But even the fitter said that they normally work to an 8mm tolerance at each side, so with 35mm to play with, plus whatever gap is still there, that looks like poor measurement to me, well over twice the tolerance.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

They were proposing to jack the window up to split the 35mm above and below. But even the fitter said that they normally work to an 8mm tolerance at each side, so with 35mm to play with, plus whatever gap is still there, that looks like poor measurement to me, well over twice the tolerance.

Yes, I see your point now. I would go further as to suggest that fillet of cement was a botch, when the first (wood frame?) windows were installed and ought to have been subsequently removed. There is a large crack in it, in your first photo.

I would reject them and invite them to do the job properly, plus investigate that cement fillet above the window(s). Perhaps there is a lintel hidden behind the cement?

 

[Notch7]

Im hesitant to criticise -its always easy to find issues with somebody elses work without the facts.

If its going up to a flat lintel, then it shouldve been taller.

externally a window set down from a soffit can look nicer -once trimmed you might just think it looks fine.

Internally: will you have blinds fitted to the window hsad -in which the reduced height is an advantage, I sonetimes discuss this with customers.

Unfortunately when a collection of issues happen its natural to lose confidence in the whole job and understandably it makes a customer question every aspect of the job.

I see you have cill horn holes out of the brickwork, so am assuming the originals were quite old timber windows.....

 

[Martin Daler]

Thanks to both for replies. The previous windows were uPVC double glazing by the previous owner. She was a single OAP and they were horrendous - you could feel the wind blowing in - she must have been taken for a ride. But I suspect the house (1955 semi) originally had wooden framed windows.

You are so right about a collection of issues leading to a loss of confidence - they have just walked off the job saying that they are not able to undertake the contracted work to install lintels to the downstairs windows. I sympathise with the window fitters, it's not their fault that the job requires a proper builder, but I pointed out the dropped brickwork above the downstairs windows to the sales manager and the surveyor and they prepared their quote accordingly.

Anyway, that is another issue, amongst several others, so yes I have lost confidence!

As regards the appearance of the bathroom window inside and out, I know that it will grate with me. It's not right.

The only saving grace is I have paid no money yet.

 

[Notch7]

windows to the sales manager and the surveyor

Ah, a big company.

Salesman on commission
Surveyor on a % of job value and is not a fitter.
Fitters prob self employed.

TBH a local man band often does the best job, no salesman and he measures the windiws he fits.

The window you arent happy about -they can change it, its only small window.

As for the lintels -I bet it got forgotten, so the fitters turned up to do the job not realising.

 

[Martin Daler]

They are a local independent firm. The owner did the survey, he writes himself up as a "qualified installation engineer". I am mindful that the word "qualified" has two opposed senses:

1. officially recognized as being trained to perform a particular job; certified.
   "newly qualified nurses"
2. not complete or absolute; limited.
   "I could only judge this CD a qualified success"

The fitters are the firm's own, company liveried shirts and van. The sales bloke is a senior figure in the firm, not a spiv on commission.

I steered clear of Everest etc. precisely because I wanted someone who can't pass the buck to subcontractors and who cares about their reputation locally. Funnily enough three neighbours passing by asked why I had no windows yet (did I mention they started a day late, despite assurances the previous working day that all was well?) so they are not doing their reputation any good. They came recommended and are walking distance from me.

So I thought I had ticked all the boxes!

 

[Notch7]

So I thought I had ticked all the boxes!

So -my apologies I take back what I said, Im sorry it hasnt gone to plan.

Given what you've said, my guess is they will sort it out for you.

These day to get FENSA or CERTAS self certification, 1 person in the company has to pass the surveyors exam.....

That is only compliance to b/regs, not accuracy in measuring