Hello,
For our single-family home currently under construction, we chose anthracite-colored windows on the outside. The inside of these windows is white. We also decided on the opening directions of the windows. However, we did not specify or approve any further details with our site manager regarding the windows.
The windows have been delivered and installed. They look great until we noticed the position of the handles. They are not centered vertically but rather located in the lower third of the windows. Here are a few pictures:
Of course, we expected the handles to be centered vertically on the windows. Our site manager says this is standard practice and has “always been done this way” by the company, so it is not considered a construction defect.
However, when we look at the handle positions in our current rental apartment and consult other homebuilders, construction companies, and window manufacturers, we come to a different conclusion. In those cases, the handles are centrally positioned, or if no other information is provided, a centered position is assumed.
Our site manager and the contracted window manufacturer explain this positioning with a specific grid system, where the handle height depends on the window height. Here is the document they sent us after installation and upon request:
This explanation makes sense and is understandable. It reduces costs by limiting the number of standard gear mechanisms that need to be produced.
However, we were not informed about this beforehand and are very dissatisfied with the result. After all, we will be seeing these windows multiple times a day for many years.
Does this issue constitute a defect that must be corrected?
Thank you in advance.
Benjamin
For our single-family home currently under construction, we chose anthracite-colored windows on the outside. The inside of these windows is white. We also decided on the opening directions of the windows. However, we did not specify or approve any further details with our site manager regarding the windows.
The windows have been delivered and installed. They look great until we noticed the position of the handles. They are not centered vertically but rather located in the lower third of the windows. Here are a few pictures:
Of course, we expected the handles to be centered vertically on the windows. Our site manager says this is standard practice and has “always been done this way” by the company, so it is not considered a construction defect.
However, when we look at the handle positions in our current rental apartment and consult other homebuilders, construction companies, and window manufacturers, we come to a different conclusion. In those cases, the handles are centrally positioned, or if no other information is provided, a centered position is assumed.
Our site manager and the contracted window manufacturer explain this positioning with a specific grid system, where the handle height depends on the window height. Here is the document they sent us after installation and upon request:
This explanation makes sense and is understandable. It reduces costs by limiting the number of standard gear mechanisms that need to be produced.
However, we were not informed about this beforehand and are very dissatisfied with the result. After all, we will be seeing these windows multiple times a day for many years.
Does this issue constitute a defect that must be corrected?
Thank you in advance.
Benjamin
H
hampshire12 May 2021 11:26BennyBvB schrieb:
No, the handle position was not discussed. We (as laypeople) hadn't thought about this either, since we didn’t know any other options up to that point.
Is there no obligation for the site manager/window manufacturer to provide information on this? I know that frustrating feeling—what is unfamiliar is hard to accept, and then you wish someone had pointed out that there was a choice. But I can’t really remember what exactly caused that feeling during our build. I must have forgotten it. We moved in two years ago. I hope you feel the same way in the end.
nordanney schrieb:
I wouldn’t really worry about window handles. In a new build with a ventilation system, I don’t see why I would need to open windows anyway. Patio doors, yes, but regular windows—almost never.
I’ve installed some fixed-glass windows in my house now. Narrow frames, no mullions, so lots of glass and a clear view outside. That’s quite bold. I like to keep my office windows open in summer. A ventilation system is really just basic. Temperature balance can only be achieved through windows. But there are many other reasons to open windows despite having ventilation.
To each their own...
N
nordanney12 May 2021 11:32Bookstar schrieb:
Wow, that’s bold. I like to keep the window open in the office during summer. A ventilation system is really just basic. Temperature equalization only works through open windows. But there are many more reasons to open windows despite having ventilation. Are there really that many reasons? I’m not saying all windows should stay closed. But on many windows in most houses, the handles are just decorative or only used to open the window for cleaning.
Bookstar schrieb:
I would find the appearance of the white plastic windows more bothersome than the position of the handles. I disagree and find both (the material and the handle position) completely acceptable.
Bookstar schrieb:
But there are many more reasons to open the windows despite ventilation. Our 7-year-old arranges his appointments directly from his bedroom window with his friends who are standing outside the door or playing in the street 🙂
He doesn’t have a mobile phone yet.
Bookstar schrieb:
I would find the look of the white plastic windows more disturbing than the position of the handles. One puzzle piece among many why construction costs used to be lower than they are today. 😉
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