These flats have generally had several owners, and each has changed something. So a repair here often means dealing with work done by somebody else years ago — a balcony enclosed badly, a window replaced with the wrong thing, a grille welded across an opening. Undoing that is frequently the actual job.
Alterations that were never finished properly
The common pattern is work that was done cheaply and left: an enclosure without drainage, a frame fixed without sealing, a grille welded straight onto a window frame.
Each works for a while and then causes a second problem — water, corrosion, or a window that can no longer be removed.
So we look at what was done before quoting what to do now. Repairing on top of a bad alteration inherits it. Quite often the honest recommendation is to take the old work out first, and we will say so even though it makes the quote larger.
A grille welded to the window it protects
This one is common and worth explaining. Where a grille has been welded directly to an aluminium or steel window frame, the window can no longer be serviced or replaced without cutting the grille off.
It also puts the grille's weight onto a frame never designed to carry it, which distorts it over time.
So when we replace a window in that situation we refit the grille to the masonry instead, on its own fixings. It is the correct arrangement, it costs very little more, and it means the next repair is a normal one.
Knowing when an old window is genuinely finished
There is a point at which repairing an old window stops being sensible, and it is worth being honest about where it is.
A sound frame with worn hardware is always worth repairing. A frame that has corroded through, or that has been distorted by being forced for years, is not.
We will tell you which yours is and why, and we would rather lose a repair job than take money for something that will fail again next year. In these flats it is usually about half and half.
How the job works
- Tell us about the jobSend a few photos, rough sizes and what you need. Use WhatsApp or the form. For a repair, a short video of the door moving helps a lot.
- We call you back in about 2 minutesWe confirm what you need and a time to visit. Where we can, we give you a rough price on the call.
- We come and measureWe measure the opening and check the walls, floor and ceiling around it. Anything made to size is made to these measurements, so they must be right.
- You get a written priceIt lists each item, with GST as its own line. If anything about the job changes, we tell you before we go ahead.
- We fit itYou approve the price and pay the advance. Our own team fits the work, checks that every door and window opens and closes properly, and clears up. Most jobs are done in 3 to 4 days.
