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chrisellis1975

Selecting the right installer

Ellis Mayhew LLC
11 years ago

Hi - what are the things that I should look for when choosing a window installer? What are the questions that I should ask?

We've narrowed our window search to either Marvin Integrity Wood-Ultrex or Okna Enviro-star. Reading this forum it has become apparent that choosing the right installer is just as important as choosing the right window! And the cheapest installer isn't necessarily the best way to go.

Thanks

Comments (3)

  • mmarse1
    11 years ago

    usually if a dealer has used a high end brand such as Okna, the dealer/ installer knows what he is doing and will do a good install, especially a company on the smaller side. also, not all okna dealers are allowed to offer the 800 series which is reserved for select dealers. you can also look at google reviews and such to get an idea of the company's reputation. if a comoany uses a high end brand and has been in business for a while its usually for a good reason; they do a good job.
    to be quite honest, its much more likely that an installer using the marvin . integrity will do a poor install opposed to the okna 800 dealer. reason being is that any contractor with a pulse can use marvin whereas the Okna installer needs to be a dealer,especially one that offers the 800.
    to be fair im sure there are many installers who so a very good job at installing marvin. that said, the 800 is a real sharp looking window and beats out the marvin in just about every category including structural performance.

  • HomeSealed
    11 years ago

    number 1: TRUST. You want a reputable, established company that is honest and upfront with you from day one. You are spending thousands of dollars and letting them tear into your largest investment (your home), so you should be able to trust that they have your best interest in mind, and not worry that they are trying to pull one over on you. If they do so during their sales pitch, they could very well do the same during the installation.
    Secondly, a high level of expertise. Not every salesguy or business owner has installation experience, but they should at least know what is going on. A trustworthy guy doesn't help much if his installers are able to pull one over on him.
    Third, as mmarsel talked about, a high level product offering. This is no guarantee, but generally a company that is passionate about delivering excellence in installation will strive for the same in the product that they offer.
    Last, check out their reputation. BBB, Angie's list, google reviews, blogs, etc will all give you a good idea of the type of company that you are dealing with. I would not look to any one of those as being a "silver bullet", however you can get a pretty good idea when you look at all of them as a composite.

  • mmarse1
    11 years ago

    HomeSealed pretty much summed it up. as i mentioned earlier, a company that uses a higher end brand and not only has good reviews but a long standing relationship with his supplier is usually performing top quality installs as well. a company that chooses to offer a higher end window is 9 times out of 10 a company that really puts an emphasis on overall quality which includes installation and customer service.
    this is why i refrain from recommending contractors using lower end products.