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Conservatories - is this good or bad? |
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| message from harry8611 on 19 May 2004 |
I'm early in the process of looking at a conservatory and I've had my
first quotation. I'm not unhappy about the quote (although I haven't
seen others yet) but I'm not really sure what a lot of it means, and
whether its good or bad, or what the other options may be from other
suppliers or whether some of it is standard suff being sold as premium
features etc etc. I'm hoping some of teh experts here can give me a
few pointers so that I can better understand the differences between
this quote and others I get.
This is some excerpts from the quote spec:
(The conservatory is manufactured by Shield)
Fully steel reinforced frames throughout
Ovalo style glazing bead
Character slim line frames
Frame Glazing - 28mm sealed units with 20mm air gap (K glass)
Roof glazing - K Glass
Roof pitch 25 degrees
(I know what K Glass is, which is why I specified it, including the
roof - are these units the usual size?)
Gutter height 2100mm
Transom drop 360mm
Gaskets - Black clear line glazing
Ventilation includes 2 roof vents
Variable roof pitch from eaves level up
Feature OG guttering system
Fully welded frames
Foundations - min 600mm to max 1000 mm depending on independent survey
New floor 100mm hardcore, 50mm sand binding, 1200 gauge damp proof
visqueen membrane under 50mm jablite insulation, then cast 150mm
concrete floor slab with A142 mesh steel reinforcement
Dwarf wall is 600mm high, 100mm thick inner skin, 100mm thick outer
skin, 50mm cavity with 5 wall tiles per sq m, 25mm polystyrene
insulation
Building regulation code 4 sttraight or stepped lead flashing to rear
truss
If anyone wants to guess how much it is, feel free. Its 3350mm wide by
3650mm projection, woodgrain uPVC, Victorian style, hexagon end, 3
sides glazed, etc etc...
Also, whats a typical payment schedule? With this order it looks like
1/3 deposit, and 90% of the whole cost paid by the time the
conservatory is delivered to the site.
Thanks for any pointers
Brian
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| Andy Hall replied to harry8611 on 19 May 2004 |
As good as any. I'll comment where I can.
Some is relatively standard.
Reinforced what? PVC? What is the rest of the frame construction?
This is decorative.
That's pretty good. Find out whether the beading is internal.
It's good to go for glass throughout. Plastic roofs are not as good -
noisy and hard to clean.
This is fairly normal. Is it enough for you if standing near the edge?
Fairly typical. Needs to be in balance with the rest of the windows.
That's important.
Decorative.
Good that they are taking the trouble.
Good that it's insulated. Note that normally the floor will be a
concrete oversite - i.e. not final finish which is usually done
separately. You can go for a screed if you are tiling, battens if
you are going for a wooden floor or insulating sheets if carpet tiles.
I would recommend tiles or perhaps slate. It is easy to clean,
feels cooler in summer and warm in winter.
I'd ask for thicker insulation, although it's not critical for such a
low wall.
The important thing is that it is tied into the wall and sealed
properly as well. Certainly a lot better than the adhesive stuff.
£12-15k?
I would not agree to that.
20-30% up front.
20-30% on completion of base.
Remainder on satisfactory completion, not just delivery to site.
If you are talking about the kind of figure mentiioned above then they
can afford to lose 10%. It doesn't give you enough leverage. Try
and retain at least 20%
Should you get into a dispute, and hopefully you won't having a
situation where you owe them no more than £5k is advantageous.
This is the level below which any dispute that enters litigation is
heard in the Small Claims Division of the court and generally the
consumer does well out of that.
I would also ask the supplier(s) for the name, office and mobile phone
numbers of the person who is going to take responsibility for managing
the project during the construction. Typically, base work is
subcontracted, and proper supervision is very important. Ask for that
person to visit you before signing up and ask them to describe in
detail how a project runs, how often they atttend and so on.
Above all, make it clear to the supplier that you expect them to do
what they say they will do, and then hold them to it. Check any
plans *very* carefully before signing, especially details on window
transoms, door opening directions etc. Make sure that you get what
you want and not what they think you want. Don't accept anything
other than an excellent standard of work and materials.
I did all of the above, and am glad that I did.
.andy
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| Nick Brooks replied to Andy Hall on 19 May 2004 |
I'd agree with Andy but add the following:-
Increase roof pitch to 30deg to assist in shedding snow.
Consider underfloor heating - including the pipework at this stage will
cost very little and you could connect it upto the heating system later.
Also replace Jablite with Celotex to improve insulation.
Don't bother with Argon filled units - it tends to leak out over the years.
When snagging the job at the end, be INCREDIBLY thouough. Anything you
miss then will always be annoying.
Get a guarantee thet means something. Most conservatories leak
eventually. Mine came with a 10 year warranty
Nick Brooks
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| harry8611 replied to Nick Brooks on 19 May 2004 |
hadn't considered snow to be a problem, but I suppose it could be.I
think we've only had 2 days snow in the last three years here thats
amounted to anything like a settled snowfall (I live in the south
east)
Doesn't that put you in the realms of building regs? So far I'm
managing to avoid planning permission and I'm happy to keep away from
BR as well.
OK...I'l mention it as an option
AIUI, the bigger benefit is in K glass over other, with a marginal
increased benefit (and cost) with Argon filled
I'm that kinda guy :-)
It has a 10 year insurance backed guarantee
Thanks for your thoughts
Brian
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| Andy Hall replied to harry8611 on 19 May 2004 |
As long as you have separate controls for it from those in the house,
no. You are under the size limitation, but you do have to maintain
the barrier between house and conservatory as though the latter is
outside.
I gree with Nick. It is at least twice as good for a given thickness
as styrofoam. Costs about £15 a 2440x1220 sheet rather than about
£5, but in the context of the project, negligible.
Correct.
.andy
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| Martin replied to Nick Brooks on 19 May 2004 |
Hi All,
I'm far from being an expert on these matters but ....
With regards to the guarantee is it not a good idea to make sure it's
under-written? Doesn't that ensure that if the company went bankrupt
(as they often conveniently do!!) that you still have a valid
guarantee to fall back on.
I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong!!
Cheers.
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| harry8611 replied to Martin on 19 May 2004 |
The conservatory comes with a 10 year insurance backed guarantee
(according to the blurb) I haven't investigated further as yet
Brian
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| Christian McArdle replied to harry8611 on 20 May 2004 |
Check, though. Frequently the insurance runs out after 'X' years, where X >
Y. 'Y' being the number of years after which the company conveniently sells
all its assets to an identically named company.
Christian.
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| Bruce replied to Andy Hall on 20 May 2004 |
I am having a similar size Shield manufactured conservatory. After much
Investigation and speaking to others that have done so, I decoded that I
will build it myself.
The base is already there, which determined the size: 371cm X 277cm (lean
to). quotes were for £2700-3900.
for a smaller (300cmx270cm I was quoted £9000) expecting it to be delivered
in the next week, and will be spending evenings and wekkends building it for
the next month or two.
regards
Bruce Ella
"Andy Hall" <andyh@hall.nospam> wrote in message
news:cmqma0pllpbkps7p6nsb03d0rmdabjmf7v@4ax.com...
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| harry8611 replied to Andy Hall on 19 May 2004 |
Aluminium, although I see it doesn't actually say so in the spec, but
it does describe the roof structure as "structural grade aluminium
rafters, thermally clad with uPVC"
OK - what difference will it make?
If you mean am I close to 2.1m tall, no, I'm not :-)
OK. Thanks One thing I haven't decided on yet is whether to install
air-con. I'm not too bothered about the running costs, and I'd
certainly rather have it cooler than too warm, but I don't know
whether a) I'll need it and b) how much noise I'll get from a unit
capable of cooling a space of something like 10 cubic metres
I like slate (and indeed currently have a slate quarry as a client!)
so it will either be that or tile
The actual conservatory is £8,500, total including base and other
stuff is £11,300
All good stuff....thanks
Brian
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| Andy Hall replied to harry8611 on 19 May 2004 |
Security. You don't want people being able to pop out the DG units
from outside.
That's OK then. It is a touch lower than typical ceiling heights
though.....
It's not hard to add afterwards. You do need to think about where
the pieces will go. A decent air conditioner is in two parts with
the bulk of the works like the compressor in the outside piece.
The inside unit can be quite small and only has a small fan to draw
the air through. Quite quiet.
OK. Do watch out for screed depths and also allow a good amount of
time after the screed is laid before tiling. This is to allow the
concrete to cure by absorbing the water chemically etc. To keep
dust down at this stage, you can wash over the floor with a 1:6 PVA
and water mix.
I was thinking of the all-in price. Not far out and if it's good
quality and well done not a bad price.
Do watch out for the extras like wiring and sockets.
I have left by dwarf wall in the natural brick and I had the
bricklayer put in boxes for sockets etc. as he went. This means that
you get a neater result, without the need to chop out afterwards.
I also had the situation of a door at either end and so I installed
two 40mm waste pipes to use for running cables in the concrete under
each doorway. Some polypropylene rope was threaded through before
the walls were built to act as a draw string.
THis illustrates that it's worth sitting down with a notebook before
building starts and noting as many things as you can so that bits get
included at the right time.
You're very welcome. I did have a few problems which were all down
to a lack of supervision. These were all addressed before the final
payment was made.
I tend to prefer to go for something of good spec. and quality rather
than seek the cheapest price. However, I made it very clear that I
wouldn't accept second best on anything and that I simply want people
to do what they say they are going to do.
I also arranged to be working at home for the base construction and
the final completion stages.
.andy
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| harry8611 replied to Andy Hall on 19 May 2004 |
Ah. Point taken.
Hmm.....so it is. I'll look again at that.
One side of the conservatory is going to be close (less than 1m) to
the fence next to my neighbour's property, so I'm thinking I'd put the
air con unit on the wall on that side so it won't get in the way
(except when I want to clean the windows on that side!) I did think of
having a full heigh wall on that side, but I'd prefer glass - with the
right lighting inside, and dark outside, I'll get more light
reflection back off the glass, and what's outside will then be
invisible anyway. I'll also probably install an exterior power point
on that side as well, and some external lights set into the outside of
the dwarf wall (on the end and the other side)
You can be sure that I won't be the one doing the tiling!
OK....at least I have a basis for some comparisons when other quotes
come in.
Exactly what my thinking is - I just don't know enough about what's a
good spec and what isn't :-)
I work from home anyway, so I'm going to be driven mad by the builders
the whole time
Brian
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| Pete C replied to harry8611 on 19 May 2004 |
Hi,
Bear in mind an outdoor a/c unit can be a bit noisy and blows out a
plume of hot air, this could be a nuisance to your neighbour depending
on what the fence is like and what's on the other side.
cheers,
Pete.
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| harry8611 replied to Pete C on 19 May 2004 |
It might warm the fence up a little, but I don't think the hot air
outflow is any hotter than the temperature on a hot day, so I doubt it
will actually damage the fence (which is mine, anyway). Its a 6 foot
high wooden overlap panel fence, so not much noise, and almost no
heat, will get through it from low to the ground.
There's not really anything on the other side of the fence until you
get a few metres in, and then there's their rotary washing line, so he
might be grateful for the additional drying feature :-)
His patio and general leisure area are across the other side of the
garden, so I doubt the noise will matter much either - the actual
house on that side is separated from mine by his attached double
garage and his pathway down the side of the house into the garden,
which enters a good way away from where the conservatory will be.
One thing that did crop up when I was chatting to him this evening
though.....
He looked at putting up a conservatory a while back, (which would be
on the far side of his garden from where I am) but decided against it
because there's an underground pipe running right across where he
wanted to put it. (I don't know whether he was told it wasn't
possible, or whether he just assumed)
He has a manhole cover under the fence panel in his fence on the
*other* side of the garden, and there's a similar manhole cover right
under the fence panel between his garden and mine. It won't be
obstructed by the construction of conservatory since I'm not going
right to the fence with it, and in any even the only way to access it
at present is to remove the fence panel, but I assume that the
undeground pipe will then run right under my patio and straight across
to my neighbour on the other side.
Am I right to assume that this will be far enough underground not to
be affected by the digging for the conservatory base?
(if it matters, the houses are all 12 years old, built on a new
purpose built development)
Brian
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| Will replied to harry8611 on 19 May 2004 |
I note that you have already responded to a lot of the points raised
in my later posting, though some are still pertinent...
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| Nick Brooks replied to harry8611 on 20 May 2004 |
If the output from the A/C isn't hotter than ambient, how's it going to
extract any heat from the conservatory?
Nick Brooks
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| Pete C replied to harry8611 on 20 May 2004 |
Sounds good, the only other thing to watch is that the warm air from
the outdoor unit cannot circulate round back into it, the AC supplier
should be able to advise on this.
Dunno about this, sounds like it could be a sewage pipe, a look down
the manhole should tell you what it is and how deep. The conservatory
company should be able to advise how deep the foundations will go or
on other alternatives.
cheers,
Pete
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| Simon Stroud replied to Pete C on 19 May 2004 |
Also you will ideally need access to a drain of some kind if you don't want
a constant drip...drip...
e.g. on our Mitsubishi split unit that we have in the conservatory the
indoor unit generates condensate when cooling and the outdoor unit does when
heating (it does an "in reverse" heat pump action for heating in winter
which is VERY effective). The drain pipe from the indoor unit goes along
with the refrigerant pipes and pops out and into the side of a rainwater
downpipe just adjacent. Similarly the drain on the bottom of the outdoor
unit.
On the wall is fine for the outdoor unit. With ours I fretted for ages about
having to build a little concrete base for it to sit on but in the end it
went up on the wall above head height. It looked like a big unit when it was
sitting there waiting to be installed, but once up on the wall it seemed to
become a surprisingly acceptable size. And not too noisy.
Regards,
Simon.
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| Will replied to harry8611 on 19 May 2004 |
<snip>
If the conservatory is going to be that close to your boundary, then
I'm sure you'll need planning permission anyway. If you put the aircon
unit that side, then I'm glad I'm not your neighbour... I guess that
you don't like him much? Our neighbours built their conservatory
within two feet of our boundary, whilst we were not in residence,
"because the builder rec commended we moved the proposed site." The
said conservatory now affords our neighbours direct view into our
lounge. Not a happy bunny, though I was daft enough to ignore it, as
we were living elsewhere for too long. Now that my conservatory is
about to lock horns with theirs, I anticipate that the proverbial is
about to hit the fan, and that the planning guys will be giving me
grief, for doing what they already got away with...
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| Andy Hall replied to Will on 19 May 2004 |
Within specific parameters, planning permission is not required.
If you live in a house you will need to apply for planning permission
if the extension or conservatory:
Is more than 4 metres high and within 2 metres of the boundary.
Is higher than the highest part of the *original house.
Is nearer to the highway than the nearest part of the original house,
unless there is at least 20 metres between the extension and the
highway.
For a terraced house or any house within the Conservation Area, the
extension will increase the cubic volume of the property by 50 cubic
metres or 10% (whichever is the greater).
For a detached or semi-detached house outside of the Conservation
Area, the extension will increase the cubic volume of the property by
70 cubic metres or 15% (whichever is the greater).
Is more than 115 cubic metres in total.
Will cover more than half the area of land around the original house.
.andy
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| Ian Stirling replied to Andy Hall on 20 May 2004 |
<snip>
Are those volumes measured externally?
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| Andy Hall replied to Ian Stirling on 20 May 2004 |
I believe that for planning permission external dimensions apply and
for building control it is internal.
.andy
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| Will replied to Andy Hall on 19 May 2004 |
<considerable snippage throughout>
I've had too much of the good stuff by now to find the detail,
but iirc, anything within a meter of the boundary will require
planning consent. I'll look into this further tomorrow, unless further
information is forthcoming in the meantime...
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| Andy Hall replied to Will on 20 May 2004 |
I think that you are thinking of Building Regulations. 1m distances
from boundaries relate to that.
Conservatories are mainly exempt from these as well
All conservatories and porches are exempt from the regulations
provided:
they are built at ground level
they are single storey
they have a floor area less than 30m²
the glazing complies with part N of the Regulations i.e. protection
against impact
they have a separating door between the property and the conservatory
they have at least 75% translucent roof and 50% translucent walls
if fixed heating installations are proposed they should have their own
separate temperature and on/off controls.
NB. Part N requires glazing which limits the risk of being cut if a
person were to collide with it.
Glazing should:
break safely, if it breaks, or
be robust or in small panes, or be permanently protected
These exemptions mean that an application need not be made to Building
Control for the work.
However, the owner / builder must ensure that the erection of the
conservatory or porch does not cause danger to health and safety,
their positioning must not affect the fire safety precautions of the
existing house by jeopardising an escape window.
.andy
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| Andy Hall replied to Will on 20 May 2004 |
I don't think so.
This is a Building Regulations issue and should not apply for most
conservatories.
.andy
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| harry8611 replied to Will on 19 May 2004 |
Apparently not, but I'm waiting for written confirmation
Actually we get on very well, and he's already aware of, and
comfortable with, the plans.
Won't happen in this case, since the fence is 6 feet high for a
greater length than the length of the conservatory.....won't be able
to see much but fence on that side :-)
Good luck!
Brian
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| Andy Hall replied to harry8611 on 20 May 2004 |
I believe not, and it would be a Building Regulations issue.
If less than 30m^2 then generally exempt.
See other post.
.andy
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| Andy Hall replied to harry8611 on 19 May 2004 |
You may find that you are limited by virtue of the roof slope and
avoiding upstairs windows.
Good idea. If you are going for aircon potentially, think about
running in a dedicated circuit for it. You may need more than 13A
if you go for a larger unit.
This was really to avoid the dust while you wait. The
recommendation is a good 3-4 weeks after final concrete and screed and
it will otherwise be dusty.
You soon will. :-)
If you do the normal thing of supplying copious tea, it's a good
reason to take a look at what is happening.
.andy
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| harry8611 replied to Andy Hall on 24 May 2004 |
Just had a second quote for the conservatory I'm in the process of
looking at ordering The first one was £12,000, this second one is
£21,000 for pretty much the same spec. (I posted the spec in the first
post in this thread). A distinction is that the second quote includes
taking care of the planning permission, which I hadn't had confirmed
as being necessary at the time of the first quote. I've no idea how
much that costs, but I'm guessing a few hundred rather than £9,000
One difference between them is that this second one doesn't include
roof vents, which the earlier quote does, but vents using the small
windows above the main panels.. When I asked about roof vents, the
guys response was "we don't do roof vents, they leak. All roof vents
leak".
Any thoughts?
Brian
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| Andy Hall replied to harry8611 on 24 May 2004 |
One more thing is that roof vents make a big difference to being able
to dump the accumulated heat from inside.
You won't get that purely from windows.
I generally open the roof vents and the windows if it's getting warm
and then the door if it is hot.
Did you say this was for a 3m square conservatory? If so, £21k is
on the high side.
As long as the exemption conditions are met and there are no covenants
on the property regarding development, there is no need for planning
permission. It sounds as though the second company is selling you
comfort. You can buy a lot of that for £9k.
.andy
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| harry8611 replied to Andy Hall on 24 May 2004 |
Its 4 x 3.5m (slightly larger that I mentioned in my original post,
but I got the first company to requote on the larger spec, and their
quote went up by about £300.
I need permission because the conservatory will be within 20m of, and
closer than the existing house to, the road at the end of the garden.
Brian
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| Andy Hall replied to harry8611 on 24 May 2004 |
OK. Do you mean at the end of the back garden or the front? (or
even side? )
I would check that point with the local authority, because if it's the
back or perhaps side, I am not certain that that rule applies.
Published information doesn't seem clear.....
At any rate it doesn't cost as much as implied.
I would have said that the £12-14k area is reasonable for a good
product here, 21k high unless there are other things to justify.
Who's the second supplier as a matter of interest? Have you tried
beating them down? Perhaps if they've tried the comfort factor
sell, they have misjudged you as a soft touch :-)
.andy
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| harry8611 replied to Andy Hall on 24 May 2004 |
Its at the back. I thought it might not apply given that the existing
building is already within 20m of the road, rather than the new
construction taking it to within 20,, but it was the local authority
who told me it was necessary.
I'd rather not say just now - I'm still waiting for a couple more
quotes and I'll post them ll when they're in. The guy who came round
was new to the company having just joined from Zenith. When I was
asking him about price differentials on various sizes, he said that
Zenith work on thee basis of £800 per additional 20cm, width or
length, which is £4,000 a metre. As I say, the first quote I got went
up by £300 when I increased the length from 3.5 to 4 meters
Or beating him up?:-)
I love it when they do that :-)
As it happens we have a plan to replace the windows at that side of
the house, probably next year, replacing hardwood with uPVC, so
there's an additional carrot for them. He said if we buy the
conservatory, they'll throw in a free window now to set the ball
rolling. He probably didn't realise how much damage he was doing to
his chances of getting the conservatory work when he said that :-)
Brian
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| Andy Hall replied to harry8611 on 24 May 2004 |
It seems odd because a very large proportion of conservatories would
need it on that basis, and one sees few planning applications for
them. Even so, it still ain't worth £9k :-)
I reckon that the rest will all come in in between these two figures -
most around £15k......
That's not bad.
It tells you that there's at leat £1-2k that can be taken out.....
.andy
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| Andy Hall replied to harry8611 on 24 May 2004 |
They don't. I have two of them. They are electrically operated
with a temperature sensor inside, with a rain sensor outside to close
them in the event of rain. It all works very reliably.
I did one small modification which was to add a centre off switch so
that I can override the controller and force the windows to remain
shut.
Definitely no leaks even in hard driving rain or with the pressure
washer played on the edges from a distance.
.andy
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| harry8611 replied to Andy Hall on 24 May 2004 |
I like the sound of that, Did you add it yourself? (if so, where did
you source it from)
Cheers
Brian
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| Andy Hall replied to harry8611 on 24 May 2004 |
The roof was made by Ultraframe, who make roofs for many other
manufacturers, including the major names and they also supplied the
ventilator equipment.
There is a brief mention of it on their web site www.ultraframe.com
and you can request a brochure.
.andy
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| harry8611 replied to Andy Hall on 24 May 2004 |
Very opportune. As it happens, my next quote (tomorrow afternoon) is
from an Ultraframe Approved Installer :-)
Brian
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| Christian McArdle replied to harry8611 on 24 May 2004 |
It all seems like silly money to me. I'll stick with my approximately 4000
quid quote (including prefabricated steel base, paint etc.). OK, I have to
DIY (but this is uk.d-i-y), but I've already done the hard bit, breaking the
old concrete patio and digging the pad foundations. In fact, I did it this
weekend.
The conservatory isn't some horrible uPVC, but real wood with fixed fan
lights, georgian bars, beaded arched windows and a real glass double glazed
roof (and windows, of course), so it doesn't sound like a tent in the rain
or get filthy minutes after installation.
The base installation is basically unskilled labour, particularly if all you
need is a bit of shuttering and a readymix truck and some wheelbarrows. Mine
was more complicated as you can't even get a concrete mixer through, let
alone a wheelbarrow. The painting (if wood) is simple. The assembly
shouldn't be far off assembling flatpack furniture. The only slightly
technical stuff is doing the flashing, electrics and any bricklaying you
desire, plus installing heavy double glazing panels above head height.
If you don't want to do the work yourself, perhaps you may get a better
quote by buying the conservatory and installing from separate companies? I
can't imagine someone would charge 8 grand just to dig a few holes, pour in
concrete and assemble some conservatory frames.
It hasn't arrived yet, so I'm not yet in a position to recommend them, but
I'm getting mine from Baltic Pine. (Their pre-sales seems excellent, with
calls returned promptly).
www.balticpine.co.uk.
Christian.
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| dave @ stejonda replied to harry8611 on 24 May 2004 |
...and they make a Uri Geller conservatory too
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| Set Square replied to harry8611 on 19 May 2004 |
If they do everything specified here, it sounds like a good professional
job - and certainly not what you would get from a bunch of cowboys. It's
likely to be at the upper end of the price spectrum too!
A gutter height of 2100mm sounds low to me. Presumably the doors go right up
to gutter level. It would feel a lot lighter and airier if you could raise
the gutter by 400 or 500mm, have the transoms at door head height, with
further glazing (some of it opening) above. If you do this, though, you'll
have to watch roof apex height - particularly if there are any upstairs
windows in the wall to which the conservatory is joined. [Have a look at a
few demo conservatories in garden centres etc. - with various roof heights -
and you'll see what I mean about airiness. Some are rather claustrophobic.]
Try to make sure that the flashing is not only keyed into the brickwork
(rather than glued to the surface) but is also stepped. [Mine is simply set
into a slot cut with an angle grinder. It hadn't occurred to me that it
wouldn't be stepped - and I wish that had been in the spec.]
NO WAY should you pay over all the money before the work is complete. 20% is
a reasonable amount to hold back until you are *totally* satisfied. Any
less, and they can easily walk away without fixing any snags.
[My suppliers went broke when my conservatory was built but not de-snagged.
Fortunately, I was holding a couple of grand back - and I was able to
negotiate a price reduction with the liquidators to cover loss of warranty
*and* finishing it myself (including obtaining the *right* patterned glass
panels etc.)].
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| Simon Stroud replied to Set Square on 19 May 2004 |
claustrophobic.]
Agreed - hold back a decent amount. BEWARE of any job where you are expected
to pay most of it "on delivery of materials". That was one of the main
problems with our recent nightmare loft conversion job. You live and learn!
On the other hand our many years ago double glazing job was at the other end
of the spectrum. Just a small deposit (ISTR £1500) and the main payment on
satisfactory completion. Unfortunately the company went bust after
delivering (most of) the stuff and half fitting about half of it. And the
liquidators seemed rather confused about whether we were debtors or
creditors. We got sent various paperwork about attending creditors meetings,
which never seemed quite right. We ended up having to shell out a couple of
£K to get someone else to finish the job and supply the doors, but overall
it worked out very cost effectively. Bit stressful though.
Regards,
Simon.
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| David Hearn replied to Simon Stroud on 20 May 2004 |
When we had our windows done, the local company said you pay - NOTHING - no
deposit until it is completely finished. I liked that. When you see the
likes of Anglian requiring a minimum £50 deposit, you wonder why they bother
with such a low deposit, £50 is nothing compared to the price. Why not just
scrap it completely? Surely a contract is enough to enforce non-pullout
without requiring £50 as well.
David
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| Nick Brooks replied to harry8611 on 20 May 2004 |
Also consider puting electricity in for lamps on the window cills on the
dwarf walls and possibly a central ceiling light.
Nick Brooks
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