If you are looking to have aluminium window work done on your property, do not trust the contractor’s website or flyer when making decisions.
Consider hiring a contractor to do the job. The right pick on the questions can help you differentiate between professionals and dodgy operators parading as the best contractors in this construction world.
The best way to be sure you are hiring the right professional for the job is to ask questions that not only have a direct answer but also offer insight into how a contractor views his work and clients.
What’s Your Average Lead Time?
Jobs involving construction are seasonal. The amount of time between having a contract and doing the job can also be highly variable. In addition, custom colours or odd sizes can change the beginning date.
By answering this question, a potential contractor is telling you not only how long it will take them to have your new door installed but also something about his installation schedule.
Generally the day to start work on such projects will depend upon with whom you are trying to work. What I mean is contacting contractors you are likely to find that they can start working at around same day or next day. But there are good contractors who can start the work right away.
Well, one can speculate that they could have had their project cancelled, but it could also be that the contractor does not have sufficient repeat business which comes through referrals from satisfied clients.
Additionally watch out for contractors that move you up the schedule and bump earlier customers with the purpose of closing a deal.
Which means they will be punishing someone else as they bump you up the queue. Just think about how they would keep treating you at that point once they’ve received a deposit cheque from you .
Do You Have References?
If the contractor can’t or won’t give you references, be suspicious. Check references – Any good contractor will be showing off their references and glad to provide them. You can also try your luck and contact a few references directly.
Satisfied customers will want to brag about the work that was done and let everyone know what they think of the contractor involved.
When you speak to the references do not just ask about what was done well. Inquire whether anything went wrong along the way and what the contractor did to address inevitable hiccups.
This will help you understand how the builder will approach any issues that arise with your project.
Does The Team Know How To Deal With Lead Based Paint?
If you have an older home, especially if it was built prior to the 1970s then there is a possibility it contains some lead paint. If the answer is no, ask your contractor whether it has trained its crew on how to safely deal with lead.
Replacing a door or window isn’t too terribly complicated when trying to control the lead dust. But it would require some extra measures to guarantee that the lead dust does not spread through your home during the replacement work.
There are industrial standards for the kind of remodelling work in a home having lead paint. You may want to ask the contractor if they know about these regulations and if so would follow them.
Preparing your home before installation
You need to understand if you have to do any preparation work before having the work done.
Will you clear away the furniture from the work area? Would you move your car a little further up in your driveway so we have room to place the dumpster? If that is the case will it remain there overnight or will it be hauled away by day’s end? Where I have some pets, do they need to be confined somewhere in my home?
The contractor can share with you what to anticipate, or figure out a way to make certain that you’re not taken aback during the day.
By asking such specifics as you search for a contractor, it will help set expectations and to judge if the contractor can think through and plan well about the installation.
If they Find Structural Issues, What Happens Next?
One of the dilemmas facing remodellers is determining what problems are lurking behind those walls. Doors and windows that look strong may be supported by weak framing such as wood frames damaged from water or insects.
So when a door or window is taken out of the wall for replacement, one might find evidence of severe structural defects.
What you are looking for with that question is an installer who doesn’t pretend that there is nothing that can happen and has a plan on how to deal with anything unexpected.
For example the contractor must at least also be able to stabilise the defect when the problem is not an immediate or major safety matter. Expenses for such additional work should be negotiated, and any reputable contractor will have a process for dealing with unexpected developments.
What Clean Up Would Be Expected?
Construction projects are of course dusty. Even the cleaner jobs like installing doors or windows produce some mess. Ask the contractor how much cleaning they will do.
Contractors may have different approaches to the final cleaning work. Some will do the “construction clean” style of cleaning where they take out debris and sweep in the whole work area.
The others will do a cleaning that could be called a “deep clean”, when they leave your working area looking better than when they arrived. Both are fine ways to clean. It’s also important to have a sense of the type of cleaning that you expect after the completion of work.
If this is a 2-3 day installation ask the contractor how they will leave your area each night.
There are always going to be some hazards in any work area. A dusty space or room surrounded by boxed tools would be a very different place from the one with nails and saw blades scattered all over.
What About Warranty Claims?
It is absolutely vital to ask this question so that you can be certain that you are not going to end up with hiring contractors with “taillight worthy warranties”, which is a warranty that disappears as soon as the contractor drives away.
Even dodgy contractors will never concede that they have phony warranties. So be wary of setting out any hilariously optimistic big promises or vague utopian turns of phrase on solving things without a “there” there.
Find a contractor that has a detailed warranty with full disclosure of all terms. Smart businesses include warranty costs in their pricing.
For example you may pay a little more for your product, however you will have peace of mind understanding that the contractor you hire will be behind their work.
While the business obviously hopes to recover its investment and make some money by charging you more for the work than it initially cost, a good business owner would never take direct loss on a job just because his market has collapsed.
If you are preparing or about to hire someone to work in your home you owe it to yourself that the one you use is also the best . Contact us to learn more about our team and what we can help with.