How to choose a double glazing company

[Sofabunnyuk]

Hi,

I am just about to complete on a house that needs complete renovation including replacing all the windows.

My question is: how do you pick a double glazing company?

I have read on here that it’s better to go for a local company, but how do you choose? I bought my current flat from new, and no one I know has ever had to buy double glazing.

It’s such a lot of money, I don’t know where to start?

Any help would be appreciated TIA

I’d have a drive or walk around, often the independent companies have a board outside homes they are working on or have just finished. I noticed 4 houses when I last had new windows had used a particular company and actually spoke to one of the owners who was pleased with the work so I went ahead. You don’t really notice these signs until you look.

You could ask for recommendations via your towns Facebook page if you use it. Ask neighbors if you are aware they’ve recently had new windows and yes, don’t use a company that has sales people, you’ll pay way over the odds.

Oh, if you give a rough idea of area you might get someone on here that can recommend someone too.

Thank you @luxurywoman2018. That is helpful, I will try that 😊

It’s so true, I have never noticed windows before and now it is all I look at!

I am in West London near Heathrow If anyone has recommendations of any companies

I’d stick this in chat for more traffic and might be worth asking on the local boards although I don’t know how busy they get. Ask MN to move your post to a busier board. For the roughest guide, I had 4 large and one bay window replaced 4 years ago and paid about 1800. A ‘big’ company would have been thousands and no better or maybe worse quality. They just came, measured, told me the price and fitted a week later. Took a day to fit then next day a couple of hours to finish up. No mess no fuss 😊

Local company but one who makes their own product rather than someone who has to ring round manufacturers to get the best deal.

So the company who did ours (we are in the North) literally pulled a book out with all the prices already in it, literally worked out how many panels we wanted then the width of window by height of window. Gave us a quote there and then, no messing around. Left it with us. No hard sell.

We had already visited their showroom to get a feel for the product. They weren't in fancy or expensive premises, they have a teeny local shop for local presence but the showroom is part of their factory.

Double-glazing is a minefield! We've had stuff done by a great local firm, who are always busy. So I thought I'd get a quote for the windows from a firm that did next doors. Wrong. Even though I told the company I wasn't interested in a quote from one of these 'this price is a time-limited offer' ie take it now. That is what I got - obviously my neighbours had a different experience to me.
Anyway I'll wait for the local firm to have time to do our work...
To which end I would suggest you try and learn as much about types of glazing/windows available as you need to be able to see through the flannel you'll have to deal with when some firms come to quote.
Good luck.

My mantra with any outside work is personal recommendation only -- Although that occasionally falls flat.

Completely agree with MillStone, recommendation only. Good luck

Thank you to all of you who have responded

Unfortunately I don’t know anyone who can recommend. One of my colleagues has reccomended Anglian, but I’m weary of the big companies.

I’ve done a search on Double Glazing near me on google, but reviews are varied

I have done loads of research on types of windows, so have a pretty clear idea of what I want. (I think! Lol).

I’m going to the Xmas Ideal Home Show, so I’m hoping there might be some London companies there.

We used a company in Dorking for our replacement windows. They were very good. Not sure if that's too far?

It's a nightmare. We've had some pretty poor experiences from the "flash" firms who send out salesmen promising the Earth, but then you get some subbie turn up in a battered old van to bodge it! If the work is being done by random subbies, you're just as good randomly choosing from Yellow Pages!

We also used a local "family" firm, where the installers' wife came out to do the quote etc, and then the installer himself came to do the final measuring etc. What a nightmare. She thought he'd do the detail, i.e. colours/style of handles & hinges, he thought she'd already done it, so neither asked and she just guessed. We'd asked for "like for like" for a conservatory, and they ended up fitting doors with glass bottom panels whereas the existing conservatory had solid bottom panels. Despite us telling them we'd be having the interior scimmed, they still put in a narrow window ledge (narrower than was already there) with a tiny lip, meaning the scim would be level! We also did some research and found that they had only bought the firm a couple of years ago, and that the "family" firm of 30+ years was garbage as the other people had retired and it wasn't the same family.

Last time, we just asked around, our regular plumber gave us a name of a one man band who did a brilliant job at very good price.

@bombaybunty if you could pm me their details, I’ll contact them. I don’t think Dorking is that far?

@Kazzyhoward gosh that sounds awful and the exact thing I’m trying to avoid.

I might ask my builder if he knows of anyone?

Anglian are terrible and expensive. Definitely ask the builder

Also concentrate on different window systems and upvc profiles,,they are not all the same !

As an example Kommerling is a well respected quality product.
www.koemmerling.com/uk/en/

As anyone who quote what profile and system they use. Do they have their own fabrication plant or do they buy the frames in from elswhere??