| Ventr2far 2006-07-19, 5:25 pm |
| Update - July 19 two weeks after installation began
Still no permit and I haven't seen the installers since they left a
week ago.
Robbie from Buckley Window Corp., the company that sold the windows to
GII, finally returned my call last Friday. 10 days after the first
window was installed. He is a funny guy who sounds a bit like Joe
Pesci, the actor from the Lethal Weapon series. He sounded a bit like a
character out of the Sopranos but when I asked where in New York he was
from he told me he was from Boston. By the end of the conversation my
window project began to sound a bit like a mini "Big Dig",
Boston's multi-billion highway project that includes a tunnel that
collapsed recently killing a woman.
Caulk
His response to my complaints that the solvent based caulk was making
us sick and is only rated for 5 years:
OSI caulk is crap. We only use Dymonic caulk (see
http://ci.ftlaud.fl.us/building_ser...owto_guides.htm) or NP1
manufactured by Sonneborn.
I complained that the installer used caulk rated for only 5 years.
Robbie's response ... "You live in a condo right?" "Yes", I
responded. "Is it a nice condo, he asked?" "Yes", I responded.
"How often do they repaint the building, every five or seven
years?" "Yes", I responded. "Well then," he said, "when
they repaint your building they re-caulk the windows so why pay for 25
year caulk when your building is going to repainted every 5 to 7
years".
The Windows don't go up and down
The windows don't go up or down without effort, screeching and in one
case not at all. I complained, "The installer did not bring the parts
that keep the windows straight in their tracks and he did not bring all
of the corner covers to cover the sharp metal corners on each
window", I added.
"What am I, your installation XXXXX", he replied, dead serious. I
didn't know whether to laugh or get offended. He explained that he
gives all the necessary parts to the installer and that I should call
him. "But he told me to call his boss who told me to call PGT who
told me to call you", I explained. "That doesn't make me your
installation XXXXX", he replied.
I am going to hose down the windows to see if they leak - Windows
guaranteed to leak!
I was advised by another contractor to hose down the windows to see if
they leak "I guarantee your windows will leak", said Robbie. "If
you hose them down you will get a flood!"
After my stunned silence and before I could reply Robbie added, "Read
your contract, did you buy leak proof windows? No, you bought impact
resistant windows. Nowhere in your contract does it say your windows
won't leak".
He went on to say something about the water pressure being 60 lbs per
square inch and that windows are not designed to take rain blowing
horizontally against them. Stupid me, I didn't buy leak proof
windows. I guess they cost extra.
Clean off the glue and stickers on my window, please As the installer
was leaving, the windows were still covered with a greasy film, bits of
caulk and stickers from the factory. Aren't you going to clean the
windows off before you leave?" I asked. "No", replied the
installer, "that is the homeowner's responsibility."
I am not going to pay the balance until these windows work?
"I don't like it when people owe me money", Robbie said
menacingly. "You know what I am saying?" he added speaking very
slowly. Since GII owed Buckley the money I didn't know if he was
going to kill me or the guys from GII.
"I will come out and take a look", he concluded.5 days later I
haven't heard from him and I am afraid to call (LOL).
Mike Robinson wrote:
> I actually like these long, complete, detailed stories as they are not only
> interesting but easy to understand what is going on. Perhaps a paragraph or
> two to get people interested so they might read the whole thing, but keep
> writing the long ones too!
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