ᐅ Delay in Window Delivery; Should We Proceed with Installing Plumbing and Heating Anyway?

Hello everyone,

We are building a single-family house using timber frame construction with a local carpentry company in Baden-Württemberg. The house will be assembled at the end of November. Since we are contracting all other trades individually after the shell is completed, the window installer was supposed to start immediately to close up the house. Unfortunately, there are now scheduling issues on their side, and the windows will only be delivered around mid-January.

However, the plumbing and heating installers are already scheduled for early December. This means our house will be “open” at that time.

Is it still possible to proceed with the other trades, and what options are available to “seal” the window openings? Is taping over with plastic sheeting sufficient, or are there other suggestions?

Thank you very much in advance for your support.

The main reason for sealing up the house beforehand is to prevent theft of heating and sanitary equipment, or at least that’s what we were told.
So, I don’t think a plastic sheet would help, since it could just be easily cut open.

I have seen wooden inserts like that used in doors before, but not yet in windows. However, that would create the problem of the house being dark inside. The utility connections and electrical setup probably aren’t far enough along yet for a construction phase power supply, right?

Yep, I would be cautious there too.
As far as I know: if something goes missing, it’s your problem.

If it’s important to you, you can screw OSB boards from the inside. Maybe you can find some cheap second-hand ones or rejects somewhere. You could try asking at a sawmill or your house construction company might have an idea. It doesn’t have to look good – just be effective.