Need Advice w/ Poorly Installed Windows after House Fire

11 years ago

My home had a large house fire back on Christmas Eve day due to an electrical malfunction with the dryer. Our home has been gutted to the 2x4's on the second story and the ceilings pulled down on the first floor. It's been 5 months and very little has been accomplished due to two months of scoping work with my insurance company and 6 weeks of lost time due to poorly installed windows. Is this normal and acceptable?

My contractor, an experienced restoration company in the SF Bay Area, installed 16 new windows on my second story. Unfortunately, the majority (13) of them are unacceptable due to plumb issues or a poorly manufactured Milgard Styleline window. I called out my concerns over 5-6 weeks ago then met with my contractor, window distributor and Milgard 3 weeks ago at the house to communicate the problem with each window. Nothing has been done since except to give Milgard time to dig up the industry standard tolerances... I'm assuming so they can try to convince me the windows are acceptable. However, all the parties agreed when I was in the house with them that the issues were legitimate (either needed to be reset, replaced, etc...).

Last, my contractor has been unwilling to give me a project timeline from the beginning of the work. I know restoration projects are unique vs. pure remodeling but this seems unacceptable to me.

1. Would you advise me to request all new windows and a different window installation company?

2. Should I consider changing contractors if I they are unable to provide an overall project timeline?

3. Should I trust Milgard to replace the windows correctly?

Thank you!

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Comments (4)

hayleydaniels
11 years ago
I'm sorry to hear about your house fire.

I have no idea what you should do other than maybe talk to a real estate attorney about your options. You might even just mention that you're going to to the contractor to light a fire under his rear end in resolving this. I'd also talk with my insurance agent who represents YOU as you paid the premiums all these years for just such an eventuality. And if they aren't on your side, that's when you really need your own attorney who will represent your interests in getting your home rebuilt properly.
adkisoncrew thanked hayleydaniels
S. Thomas Kutch
11 years ago
If your restoration contractor is experienced, one would think he would have no problem with providing a timeline or schedule for completion........re-construction is re-construction work regardless if it's renovation or restoration work.........the real difference is the scope of the demolition work required and the determination of what has to be remedied. There will always be "discovered" conditions, that's what "field directives, RFP (request for proposal), RFI's (request for information) and change orders" are for. A schedule is a schedule and is more dependent on experience and knowledge than whether or not it's restoration or renovation type work.
adkisoncrew thanked S. Thomas Kutch
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S. Thomas Kutch
11 years ago
As to the window issues........windows are either plumb or they aren't. A 1/16 or 1/8" difference may not make that big of a difference in appearance or function in a stand alone window, but may be noticeable in stacked windows or horizontal bank or ganged window units....... but with that said, I go back to my original statement... it's either plumb or it's not and it's not rocket science in plumbing windows. Unfortunately, like they say in plumbing......"pay day's on Friday and crap flows down hill".....if the windows aren't plumb, your finish carpenter is going to raise hell when he comes to start trimout out your windows and could possible refuse acceptance of the conditions prior to starting his work or submit a change order for additional time involved in adjusting his trim cuts to satisfy the conditions caused by the window installation..............
adkisoncrew thanked S. Thomas Kutch
PRO
Robert
11 years ago
When you experience the damage that comes
along with fire, flood or any natural calamity, don’t take a chance on an
inexperienced cleanup or letting it go altogether rather go for claiming your
insurance from the certified company so that your loss is recovered in a
professional manner. Great article.