60 seconds with an Ultimate Collection window fitter

If you’ve ever had new doors and windows fitted you’ll know how important it is that the fitting is excellent. Like any home improvement job, you can only really judge the overall performance of your new windows if they’re fitted correctly – the best thermally rated windows are only excellent if they’re fitted well. So we chatted to an experienced fitter called Rob to get the low down on what makes a good fit.

How many years have you been fitting windows?

Over 20 years, thousands and thousands of windows, I stopped counting eventually!

What’s your favourite part of the job?

That’s a tricky one.  It’s quite a physically demanding job which can be tough going – but there’s nothing more rewarding than when you show the home owner the completed job and they’re bowled over by your work.

Do you think homeowners expect you to care?

We meet all sorts of people in this job, and regardless of the style or size of the property it’s somebody’s home and we treat every single property with the same respect.  We get lots of comments along the lines of “we thought there would be more disruption and damage to the decoration” which always surprises us.  Occasionally we might need to patch up some decoration but if the original window has been fitted well, more often than not it’ll come out without damaging plaster work and so on.  We always leave a property spotless too, it’s really important to us.  Often customers have saved for a long time for new windows and we want customers to enjoy them from the word ‘go’ without having to spend time clearing up.

What should customers look out for when they’re choosing a window company?

Membership of the Ultimate Collection installer network will give them a strong indication about the quality of the fitting as well as the window itself.  It’s also really important to know exactly who your fitting team is.  We spend a lot of time in people’s homes, so trust is really important.  We are always incredibly respectful of somebody’s home.  We always advise home owners to keep pets and children clear of our working area.  We’re very conscious of health and safety and keeping children away from our work is essential – most people understand that.

What is a ‘good’ fit

The initial survey is really really important.  A good survey leads to a good fit, that said, older properties can need a bit more TLC when it comes to fitting.  We take our time and we ‘pack’ windows properly to ensure zero movement over time.  Occasionally when we remove a window we can see that a previous fit has used a lot of material to fill gaps, if the survey is done correctly and the fitting team are conscientious, then the fitting should be straightforward without the need for excessive use of materials that will degrade over time.

Have you every refused to fit a window?    

Very very occasionally a window unit might be damaged in transit.  We’re always very open with customers about that, even a minor scratch is unacceptable and we always report damage back to the office and order a replacement, even if that means fitting the damaged unit as a temporary measure.  We’re striving for 100% satisfaction on every job.

What’s your final bit of advice for homeowners?

The fitting team in many respects are the most important people in the chain.  If you’re not happy with any element of the fit, then speak to your sales contact.  Your new windows will last a long time if the job is done correctly.