Storm Windows Manchester CT

Source: REPLACEMENT CONTRACTOR Magazine
Publication date: May 1, 2006

By Jay Holtzman

Every now and then, when he's pricing out a window job, John Herman, owner of Thermal Sash Window and Door Systems, Chester Springs, Pa., finds rot. Good thing for Herman, with 20-plus years experience both selling and installing windows, that he knows what to look for and where to look for it. A common problem, for instance, is storm windows. Weep holes at the bottom get plugged with debris or, in some cases, are caulked shut by homeowners, who probably think they're keeping heat in the house. That's one of the reasons for rotting sills and frames. Herman's policy? “We include replacing casual rotten wood as part of our standard procedure. We explain that if we find rotten wood, we'll cut it out, patch a new piece in, and cap it with aluminum.”

Herman, who pays from $65 to $100 per installation, avoids estimating problems because he sells and estimates his own jobs. Larger companies rely on salespeople to spot potential problems before a contract is signed.

“If the salesperson didn't recognize that the window is going to need a new sill or that the frame is so rotted we can't install a replacement, we normally stop the job and have the salesman contact the homeowner to say there's added work to be done,” says Scott Pitcher, owner of Pitcher Perfect Siding & Window Co., East Peoria, Ill.

All but a few homeowne...

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