09/24/14 Good windows are important to prevent precious heat from escaping, to keep street noise out and to keep burglars out of your own four walls. But what is important when installing a new window and how professional are the companies you order windows from? There are window manufacturers almost everywhere. But the ad in the yellow pages alone does not reveal how well the provider is skilled in their craft and how fairly they charge. The test setup Steffi S. has recently become the proud owner of a condominium in an old building. The windows facing the street are also ancient and a real eyesore. Not least of all, they let cold and noise in almost unhindered. Of course, a professional has to be hired to replace them. Steffi S. hires a different window manufacturer for each of the three windows to be replaced. Several companies come to take measurements and make offers before the orders are finally awarded. Conclusion The results are mixed. The good news is that she can keep her three new windows. What is less good is that two of them need to be improved, because only one window builder was a master of his craft and installed the windows using the latest technology. How do I find the right window builder? If you are looking for a good window builder, you should first contact an established company in the local area. This gives you the best chance of having your warranty claims met later. If in doubt, the Chamber of Crafts will also be happy to recommend reputable providers from their company directory. As with any craft, word of mouth is still the most reliable source of information. And of course, for expensive trades jobs such as window replacement, it should be a matter of course to compare several offers. Be careful of "peddlers"! In the window construction industry, too, "door-to-door salesmen" are sometimes sent through residential areas trying to sell homeowners window repairs. Expert Thomas Graul warns against accepting such offers unsuspectingly, no matter how cheap they may sound. They do not always have to be fraudulent, but anyone who does not obtain more information or compare them is treading on particularly thin ice. Agree on a fixed price The difficulties we encountered with the first window builder in our test show that it is always sensible to agree on a fixed price for the entire installation, including removal and disposal of the old window, installation of the new one and all fastening and sealing work. This way, discussions about the actual working time required will not even arise later. Show expertise in advance You should ask the company to write the following sentence in the order confirmation: "I undertake to install the window in accordance with the current state of the art, in accordance with the Energy Saving Ordinance and the installation guidelines of the RAL Quality Association." Graul says: "The window builder is obliged to do this anyway, but if you show him that you have heard of these things, he may be even more motivated to adhere to these regulations." Double or triple glazing? Triple glazing is not necessarily necessary in an old building. In other words: triple glazing only makes sense if the insulation of the masonry has similarly high insulation values, because otherwise the heat will no longer escape through the window, but through the wall around it. The result: damp walls and mold, because humidity always settles in the coldest parts of a room, especially in winter, and that would be the wall. Triple glazing only becomes fully useful in modern, insulated houses, where the windows can make their contribution to saving energy. Burglar protection Additional security features can be installed on every window, which are also recommended by the criminal police. However, these are not so important on the (main) street side (as in this sample), because burglars are more likely to choose windows facing the garden to get into the house. However, if you invest in lockable window handles, shatterproof laminated safety glass and additional locking elements, for example, you make it much more difficult for criminals. Nevertheless, our expert points out: "Total burglar protection is impossible."