Maybe ok if nothing goes wrong (on-going issue)
We replaced windows for the entire house (all 29 windows), and new windows and patio door cut in.
The windows were replaced during the winter, and we were assured by Greg (sales person) and Jason (installer) that there would be no problems installing the window then and they told us about how experienced they were and they great warranty.
Now the window is leaking, and from the initial complaint (June 17 2016), they never phoned back, and postponed and cancelled two appointments last week. We are told we need to paint the house to stop the window from leaking.
I never thought a new window would leak, and "painting the house" is the solution for a window to stop leaking.
My house never had any problems with leak regardless of whether it had a new coat of paint or not. One would think that the seal, board, windows, waterproofing would have more to do with a leak caused by new set of windows. It took them a very long time to get back to us before, I really hope that I hear back soon, and a more plausible answer than "paint your walls".
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Update Jan 12 2017
We ended up painting our whole house in the summer using a professional painter, and finally got them to come and straighten out the twisted trim boards in the fall. I was told that a bad receptionist lost all the phone calls and emails. Window leaked again, and heard nothing back for another month - the bad receptionist was gone, but still unanswered emails.
We had two visits, and the dining room window issue is not resolved. I have been getting very regular and insistent phone calls to update the review.
At this point, based on the fact that the trim boards are eventually dealt with, and except for the dining room window, other windows do not leak, and it works, I am increasing the rating to 3 stars, from 1 star.
- positives: most windows work, except for 1, and trim boards eventually dealt with, months later and me spending money on unscheduled painting of the house
- negatives: very slow response/lost email/forgotten correspondence (verbal agreement on dropping by next week type things), dining room window issue still not fixed. I am told it is a mystery, but a lot of silicon should hold it up. As this area did not leak before the window renovation, I would like a proper investigation.
Greg has promised to look into the issue.
I like the crew, Jason and the guys.
Found owner Brian very difficult to deal with - I wish he actually pick up the phone and fix the problems as
Greg has been a lot more reasonable, and better at communicating. Too bad he has been away when the installation actually happened
If considering this company:
- simple window replacement might be the best - we were going to do work in two stages (little bit in the winter, and rest in the spring) but changed our minds and decided to get then all done in the winter while the other renovation was going on. There was a lot of miscommunication
- make sure primed trim boards are properly primed (we had exposed wood where the cut was made)
- if anything goes wrong, the service call may get lost or take forever, so hope for the best. If nothing went wrong, I would have given a lot higher rating.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $20,000.00
- What could this company do to improve their services?
- Any advice to offer fellow homeowners facing a similar project?
- Company Response
House Smart installed this customer’s windows with 1x4 trim in January 2016. The trim was pine wood, primed white and ready to paint. We discussed with the customer if they would like the trim dropped off before their installation date, so that they may paint it before it is installed. This customer did not want to paint in advance. After we installed the windows and trim, we informed the customer that the trim needs to be painted ASAP. House Smart also advised that not painting the trim may alter the performance of the new windows. Due to not painting the trim in a timely manner (painted in the summer, 6-8 months later), the trim was exposed to the elements, causing some to warp. The head flashing was also pulled away from the windows.
The customer again about called House Smart with the issue of the same “leaky window”. Our crew was sent to fix the window. Upon closer inspection, they found that the customer’s wood siding above the window in question is in very poor shape. The wood siding is cracked and pulling away from the house. The crew used 4 tubes of caulking to seal the cracks in the siding, at no cost to the customer. The old, cracking siding is the cause of the leaky window. We really tried to help her out.