Quote for triple glazed windows - seems to good to be true

[gubar]

Hi,

I've just had a quote to get triple glazing installed in my flat, from a company in East Kilbride called Advanced Group/Advanced Conservatories.

This is for a large sitting room window, mid-sized bedroom and kitchen windows and small bathroom window.

I have a relative who used the company and thought they were fgood, and another who used an alternate company (who double glazed his similar flat for about £1300 more) who showed newspaper clippings apparantley relating bad experiences with the one I've just been quoted by.

I can't find any info or reviews of them online. They advertise a full front page on the Glaswegian local paper in that means anything to anyone.

I am tempted but thought I'd ask here for info first.

thanks,

gubar

 

[gubar]

Forgot to say - the quote was for £1600.

 

[Mw Roofline]

Seems well cheap to me

Energy Efficient Windows (Sutton Coldfield) have done jobs for 3 of my friends now (They only do triple as standard). No one can touch them on quality but they will deffo be more expensive than the quote you had.

 

[goosebump]

Another firm worth a try and given glowing reports on the green building forum are Russel Timbertech, based in Glasgow. No triple glazed advertised on their website, but they do provide it and for not that much more than double glazed equivalent.
http://www.russelltimbertech.co.uk/index.php

(NB: Ive had a quote, but not seen any of their products in the flesh)

 

[Mw Roofline]

I'm thinking the OP is based in Derby which is why I gave him a midlands based company.

 

[God]

trple glazed should not be that much more expensive anyway, thet are only adding 1 x pane of glass more. 4mm clear toughend approx £20 per sq mtr so probaly only looking at about a couple of hundred quid extra. I just upgraded a customer from double to triple for free,,yes free. just goes to show it is not to much difference

 

[notamondayfan]

if you do go with them, just make sure you dont hand over a penny until you have inspected the work and windows.

why dont you ask them why they are so cheep? i went with a low quote for my windows, and it turned out they were the factory that made the windows, and decided to sell direct, rather than supply other companies, so therefore keeping costs down.

Dean

 

[markw1]

you are right, they are made in a factory and sold direct to the public. they cut out the middle man.

you are also right about the cost of the extra pane of glass. what about the extra spacer bar and the extra sealant.

this window has been designed to take 40mm unit not 28 mm unit.
that costs money too.

so by your measurement , this company is losing money. so how come its that largest in scotland and has traded continuously for 22 years.

because they decide on how the market should be and not how much a customer can afford.

a real value company.

 

[The-brickie]

Alot of newer double glazing with argon, soft coat and warm edge spacer are better than a gimmick 'triple glazed' unit.

 

[DIYWell]

I've just had windows fitted in my new extension and came across this lot. Here are my reasons why I didn't use them:

U value (rate of energy loss) is a key thing for keeping warm. Low U is good. Casement windows are frames and glazing. Glazed units can have very low U values (double glazing, argon filled, heat relective coatings etc) but frames always have higher U values because plastic and metal conduct heat more easily. The U value of a window is the combination of frame and glazing unit. To get a low sounding U, Advance fit heavy triple glazing but have poor frames. If the frames settle over time, the windows will jam. If the opening windows are too heavy, they will distort and leak.

My builder used to fit Advance windows. He was paid per job so it was in his interest to get in and out quickly. He didn't like them so he set up on his own. He described them as 'cost effective' but when he fitted the windows I supplied, he was impressed by their quality in comparison.

Nuff said

 

[The-brickie]

Thats a good point diywell, most profiles are only 4 chamber from front of frame to back but some are 5 and/or use a polymer, iirc, reinforcing to achieve a better overall U value.

http://www.sheerframe.co.uk/product-range/thermlock/

But then I found this..

http://hfweb.co.uk/advanced/?page_id=5

 

[DIYWell]

Oh, and the other thing to think about is the light transmittance - how much light actually goes through the glazing unit.

Pick 97% as a number - two layers means 94% gets through, three and its down to 91%

More layers of glass, less light on the inside.

 

[Mw Roofline]

Oh, and the other thing to think about is the light transmittance - how much light actually goes through the glazing unit.

Pick 97% as a number - two layers means 94% gets through, three and its down to 91%

More layers of glass, less light on the inside.

Mate the light difference can only be noticed with a light tester, you won't spot it yourself. I've got triple in my house and its no different to the 2 remaining double glazed windows i've got in the kitchen and spare room.

 

[jcpren]

I'm about to replace my windows and I'm thinking of accepting a quote from CMS
http://www.cms-windows.co.uk/

They're currently promoting triple glazing for no extra charge over double glazing - I can choose either for the same price. One concern I've learned from this thread about triple glazing is that the frame has to be properly reinforced to withstand the weight and avoid warping over the years.

The reinforcement specified on my quote is "Thermlock FP" (mentioned upthread, but I'm not sure what the author thought about it!). Some details:-
http://www.sheerframe.co.uk/product-range/thermlock/
and
http://208.254.39.65/partnerslbp/e_article001156188.cfm?x=bcmhF06,0,w

Do you guys know anything about this type of reinforcement, and whether it's good enough for triple glazing?

Also, any comments about CMS in general?

 

[DIYWell]

The Thermlock looks like an aluminium stiffener bar to me, and probably does what it says it does. Give the manufacturers a call and see if supporting triple glazing is within their designs at the dimensions you're after.

I'm still not a fan of triple glazing in most environments. If it were that good, it would be used everywhere and have become the standard.

The thermal efficiency of a window is made from the combination of the frames and the glass. Put in thick clunky frames and poor quality glazing and you'll still get an impressive sounding U value.

Bottom line is you have to look at them but perhaps what you also need to investigate is why they're keen to sell triple for the price of double.