Everest Windows

[Michael Chare]

My wife bought a bungalow a few years. The previous owners had installed Everest double glazed windows. We could not visit the property because of Covid restrictions but there is a camera in the sitting room and we did notice that the blinds were moving on windy days. I thought that perhaps a window had been left open but when we were eventually able to come here that was not the case. The all the Windows were made by Everest.

The sitting room has a large window. The central glass panel is about 8' wide by 6' high. The glass panel has an aluminium frame going round it and was fitted from the outside into another aluminium frame that attaches to a wooden frame. Arround the outer aluminium frame there are

10 holes about 8mm in diameter. These holes allow access to small posidrive screws which I think pull the glass aluminium frame towards the aluminium frame in the wooden frame.

The curtains were moving because one of the top corners of the glass aluminium frame had come away outwards leaving about a half inch gap. It could not be pushed back because one of the screws was catching on the aluminium frame mounted in the wood. I did just manage to get a screwdriver into the screw and when I tried to turn it anticlockwise it suddenly went further in and I was then able to push the glass and its aluminium frame into the proper position though I can't secure it properly. I can't see exactly what the screws do. If the window was much smaller I could undo all the screws and then remove the glass and the surrounding aluminium.

It is impossible to phone Everest but I did make contact via their website chat. They told me that the windows were installed in 2008. and said "as the door (?) was fitted before June 2020 this would have been installed by Everest Ltd who went into administration in June 2020 we are Everest 2020 Ltd, a different company therefor cannot honor their guarantees from that long ago"

I was sent a web form arranging a paid for repair. I completed this but they have declined to do anything.

So I am very unimpressed by Everest. I don't understand why the window would move outwards, the property is exposed to strong winds.

I am thinking about using pop rivets from the outside to hold the two frames together. It looks like some sort of glue was also used in the orogial installation.

Any suggestions as to what else to try?

[Fredxx]

I'm having difficulty in picturing what you've got and specifically how the glass is held in place. And the access between the 2 frames.

The glass, if each pane is 6mm thick, is going to be 100kg. You might find local glazing companies more responsive. With the weight involved it's not something I would consider doing myself.

If a repair is uneconomical then I might use either low modulus mastic or no-nails to keep the two together.

[Harry Bloomfield, Esq.]

Michael Chare pretended :

Large DG companies frequently go bust and a quick name change, avoids their liabilities. They are best avoided, best find a small local company who will be cheaper, if you really cannot fix it yourself.

[Michael Chare]

I think there are small tabs on both the aluminium frames where the screw holes are. The screws which are possibly self tapping pull the outer frame round the glass towards the fixed inner frame. The fitting are to small for the size of the window which is why they have failed.

Yes the size an weight is definately one of my concerns.

I did see some evidence of glue being used before. I need to use a glue which takes a while to set such as araldite. The glass frame overlaps the woodframe on the outside. I am considering using some pop rivets to hold the two together. To do that I just need to drill a 5mm (4.8mm) hole trhough them both.

[Tim Streater]

Yes. This is absolutely the best advice possible, when it comes to DG.

[Martin Brown]

It is very unusual to have a window that can be easily dismantled from the outside. I'd be surprised if that interpretation is correct.

We had a couple of Everest double glazed windows in our home when we bought it. The outer wooden frame a dark mahogany imitation and then an aluminium white powder coated sub frame with the DG units mounted inside that. I don't recall any external holes or posidrive screws on them. The only thing that failed with age was the draft proofing spacer fur on the opening window joints - apart from that they were rock solid. Eventually replaced after one was punctured by a stone chip off the lawnmower and the seal on the other went bad allowing water vapour in. I think they had lasted 30+ years from installation which isn't at all bad.

I think you need to show us photos of a good corner and the bad one. Your description of the problem is very difficult to follow.

Or possibly a later attempted repair.

If you can understand why it has moved and twisted the way it has then you stand a much better chance of repairing it permanently. A double glazed window unit that size will be quite a heavy thing to manhandle.

[Tim Streater]

One DG outfit we looked at wanted to provide DG that was glazed from the outside. That is, once the frame was in plate, the DG unit itself would be offered up from the outside and then the glazing bars added from the outside. I think their view was that as there was sticky in the opening, even if the glazing bar were removed from the outside (easy), it would then be very hard to get the DG unit out.

We took the view that we'd rather DG units were glazed from the inside (with no sticky inside the frame) and could then be replaced more easily if needed.

[Martin Brown]

A German firm that did a friends house (not visited them since it was done) were able to do *everything* from inside - with no scaffolding. This was for a two storey building all windows replaced.

I am not sure how and my friend was unable to explain the process. I can't find a link to them online in either language.

[alan_m]

For metal to metal you can get self drilling screws but the two bits to be joined need to be in good contact first.

[Nick Odell]

A school I worked at had been double-glazed from the outside. No sticky was involved - which seemed pretty insecure for a building with hundreds of computers and other equipment inside but it turned out to be a blessing for the relief caretaker who accidentally locked himself out one night.

He got a couple of tools out of his car, used them to pop the trim off one of the windows and pull out the glazing panel before he climbed back inside and retrieved his keys.

Nick

[Michael Chare]

The holes are on the inside of the outer aluminium frame. The are normally covered by little plastic inserts.

The property is exposed to strong winds. A storm force wind blowing parallel to the glass might just suck the window out. It is not a problem I have experienced before.

[Michael Chare]

Thanks for the suggestion.

[Brian Gaff (Sofa]

I was given a very good tip by a bloke from one of those wall coating companies about warranties. Make sure that its underwritten by a well known financial entity, not just the company you had the service or product for if its likely that you might need to have work done on it within its lifetime. I've never had to claim against the wall coating company's warranty, but I still could do, if I wanted as the insurance company is still there, unlike the coating company who seem to go out of business and come back into business with different names all the time, just like window companies do. Brian

[Andrew]

Indeed, but even insurance-backed warranties can be tricky to enforce after a few years.

Andrew