Frames are one of the most important structural elements in a property and we deal with them on a daily basis. To take advantage of their properties to the maximum extent (e.g. thermal insulation, sound insulation, safety) they must be properly fabricated and installed.

Choosing the right fabricator is the most important factor for the proper completion of the project and the delivery of a good and high quality frame.

The buyer of the frames should choose reliable and certified fabricators who have the ability to provide frames that are correctly manufactured and meet the requirements of the CE marking. This is the only way to ensure that the products that will be installed on the property meet all the required specifications.

Every professional frame fabricator must give you a detailed quotation for each frame to be built. The offer should include at least the following:

  • The type of frame (e.g. double-leaf opening, single-leaf sliding recessed, etc.) and the series to be used (e.g. EUROPA EOS 60, ALUMIL S67, ALBIO 109C, etc.)
  • The thermal permeability of the frame
  • The glass panes that will be placed in the frame and their thermal transmittance
  • The colour of the electrostatic paint
  • The covers (shutters, blinds, shutters, screens) to be fabricated
  • Any other details such as accessories, a perimeter mechanism, etc.

This enables you to perform comparisons with other offers you are likely to get.

The comparison should always be made on offers of the same type.

The different types of offers can in no way be compared and most importantly, they create large price differences, resulting in confusing the buyer and leading to wrong decisions!

It is advisable to limit your choices to – at most – three bids so that you can compare items and prices until you come to a choice of the fabricator who will complete the project.

But don’t forget the most important thing: offers for identical products cannot vary widely. The large price discrepancy between the offers, if nothing else, should give you pause for thought…

Once you have chosen the fabricator you are going to work with, you should sign a private agreement where all the work – procedures and possible additional charges (crane, dismantling of old frames, etc.) that will be carried out until the completion of the project will be detailed.

The private agreement should clearly state the date of delivery of the work and the method of payment.

The most common payment method is the following:

  • 40% of the total amount as an advance payment at the signing of the private contract. This amount is the minimum to enable the fabricator to purchase the necessary raw materials.
  • 40% of the total amount upon delivery of the frames at the building
  • The remaining 20% is paid upon completion of the installation of the structures

Attention!!!! Before paying for the project, thorough checks must be made to ensure that the frames are working properly. The fabricator must show you how the frames work and give you a written guarantee of good operation for at least 2 years.

In addition, the fabricator must also provide all the accompanying forms required by the CE marking.

In addition to the Declaration of Performance required by the CE marking, the customer should also receive appropriate instructions for the operation and maintenance of the frames he buys.

It should be stressed that CE marking on frames and covers is mandatory and products without marking are illegally marketed.

Finally, another important issue is the after-sales service, which has often proven to be more important than the initial selection of the windows. The frames, as we mentioned at the beginning, are used every day and at some point they will need maintenance.

So to be sure of the reliability of the fabricator you should ask for the relevant Certifications (CE, ISO), warranty (2 years minimum) for good operation, but also make sure of after-sales service.

The products that bear the CE marking have been tested in specialized laboratories according to the requirements of the European Standards. Fabricators who provide CE mark for the frames they sell to their customers, follow a series of procedures that ensure that the frames the customer buys have similar properties to those tested in the laboratory.

During your communication with the fabricator, do not hesitate to ask him any questions to assess his professionalism, and if you think it is useful, you can ask to see his completed works, in addition to the samples in his showroom.