DEEP came recommended from a colleague so I thought I'd give them a go, after getting an estimate from an actual window manufacturer.
Gregg Graham, a very nice guy, came to my home and showed me my options. I was specific in my request of wanting clean contemporary / modern styled energy efficient windows. After picking the style I wanted, I asked about glass tint / color, only to be informed that Low-E windows or glass only come clear which is what I preferred. I was given the spiel of the top notch installation crew he uses and how they take care of your home and thoroughly clean up after themselves. I liked what I heard and asked for an estimate and got a few numbers in a paragraph in an email. I emailed back asking for a detailed breakdown, a formalized estimate and got a reply with all of the details typed out in an email, not a formalized document. I should have stopped the process and ran when I heard, ""I'm sorry, I don't have anything like that."" I still have the email.
After the front set of windows was installed, I looked from the outside in and the windows had a green tint. I was less than pleased to learn after the fact that ""that is the color of Low-E glass. I don't think it looks bad, you should live with it for a while. You'll get used to it."" At this point, I just wanted it to be over. However, it gets better. The one thing that was never brought up was the framing. They waited until they were installing to asked about what type of wood I'd like as trim, prompting a rush decision as they were trying to get done. This didn't sit well with me, especially in the end when he threw out that he he forgot to charge me for the wood, so he just threw it in.
Halfway through the job, Tom, the installer lost the screws that came with the windows. ""Well . . . if you'd like, I can run to Home Depot to get some screws but they won't match your window color and they may stick out in the window track a little, but you should still be able to open and close them."" Absolutely not. I waited an additional day or two for the installation to be complete with the proper screws.
The last thing was the sloppy finish. The sealant I requested (which matched the windows) was brown/bronze. Tom applied the silicone bead around the windows then used his finger to smooth out the silicone sealant around all of the window trim and brick. Needless to say, it is smeared and stained all over the wood trim and the very light colored brick of the house. It's just as bad on the inside of the house. And I mean it's smeared . . . . and sloppy. Almost a year later, the seals are breaking away at the gaps where the windows are supposed to meet the house frame.
The clean up was less than thorough as there were shards of glass throughout my house from where they broke the old window glass out to remove the old windows. I'm still unclear on why they had to break the glass out vs breaking or pulling out the old already-crumbling seals around the old glass panes. You'd also think after spending so much money on new windows, like a new car, they'd be cleaned after installation. Wrong, the tracks were dirty, frames were smeared with sealant, and they left hand prints and smears all over the glass. There's more that I won't get into regarding a window cut out, and it's debris.
Needless to say, from afar the windows look great, seem to be of good quality, and my utility bills have decreased significantly. I went with DEEP on a recommendation and in an attempt to save what amounted to $1000. Lesson learned: Go with your instinct. Just because one vendor is less expensive than the other, doesn't necessarily mean that the quality of work will be any better. Shame on me for settling and being overly tolerant just to get all of this done and behind me.
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