Common Contractor Scams: Home Repair FRAUD revealed

I'm going to show you how home improvement contractors will often scam homeowners and how it happens constantly.

I've been in the professional field of home improvement for decades and I'm familiar with all the shifty practices that contractors will often employ to screw over homeowners.

I'm not saying that contractors will always be purposefully trying to rip people off, in fact I believe that most contractors are pretty honest but they make business mistakes that cause poor results to homeowners. Most of the time these involve a window salesman, siding salesman, roofing contractor or small additions.

BUSINESS AND EXPERIENCE MISREPRESENTATION

It's very easy for home improvement contractors to lie about their business history. Talk with most any contractor and you'll find that they mention they have been in business 10+ years. This is because most home improvement contractors started working in the field as a kid during summers, so they often technically have a lifetime of experience. DO NOT confuse experience with skill in this field, because it doesn't really matter how long you've been doing it if you've been doing it wrong.

What are the cheapest vinyl windows?

Looking for the cheapest brands of vinyl windows? 

First we need to know whether you are considering installing the vinyl windows yourself or hiring someone to do it. A lot of the price has to do with labor, so if you are installing the vinyl window yourself, you will only be concerned with the actual cost of the vinyl window itself.

Actual vinyl window costs:

Vinyl windows come in two types: New Construction and Replacement. 

New Construction: These vinyl windows will have a "fin" that goes around the entire frame so that the window can be nailed directly to the outside jambs of your window opening instead of being screwed into the side like an insert. The benefits of a new construction vinyl window are:

• Much easier to install the vinyl window when working in a newly constructed frame; for instance if you are having an addition built or are building a home and the framing has just been completed.
• Less glass reduction. Probably the biggest concern with homeowners when they are shown replacement windows is the loss of glass space due to the insert. With new construction vinyl windows, you are installing the vinyl window to the rough opening and the frame is fairly thin, so you don't have to worry about losing glass space.
• Installation is less complex when dealing in a newly constructed frame. It's pretty much just simply installing the window by screwing or nailing it right to the jamb and that's it. A new construction window labor cost will probably be about $40 per window or less if it's dealing with a new frame opening. 

NEW CONSTRUCTION WINDOWS COST AROUND $135 - $175. These are typically the cheapest vinyl windows.

It's important to add all the extra costs though that come with the window, such as screws, nails, insulation, sales tax, delivery, disposal fees of old window, interior stop molding, caulk, etc... This can add $30 or so per window typically. 

The cheapest vinyl windows by far are new construction types that are being installed into a newly constructed opening. 

Here are some cheapest vinyl window brands and models:

1. Alside Geneva, Centurion, Excalibur
2. Farley cheapest vinyl window
3. Simonton cheap vinyl windows
4. Window World, Inc
5. Larmco cheap vinyl windows
6. Window Depot USA
7. Pella Thermastar cheap windows

Anywhere that you live in the continental USA, you'll find pretty cheap vinyl windows if you do your research. There are some links that are posted on my site here that will help you find the cheapest and most valuable labor and cheap vinyl window brands that can help you find the cheap vinyl windows you're looking for. Good luck!

Note: A new construction vinyl window is ONLY cheap when it applies to new construction framing. 

window lead rules

All about the new EPA lead rule that went into effect this year.

Did you know that the EPA now requires certain states to comply with their new lead rule? This lead rule applies to any work being done by a contractor on anyone's home built before 1978. The lead law pertains especially to:

1. Window replacement (vinyl/wood/aluminum)
2. Siding installation (fiber cement/vinyl/wood
3. Painting

Basically, if you are having any portion of your home where lead paint could be disturbed, you will have to hire a contractor that is EPA certified to work on your project lead safe.

The lead doesn't have to be abated (which means removed); it just needs to be safely worked around. The fines are pretty stiff to the contractor if they don't follow the rules.

LEAD LAW FINES, lead law fine amount.

above is a picture of the certification seal that epa lead safe contractors should be displaying in their literature and websites.

Have you wondered what the fines are in case you hire someone and they don't comply with the lead law when working on your painting, siding, or windows? 

The fine amount is extremely high, $36,500 per violation, PER DAY!

This fine amount for not working in lead safe should be enough to keep you from hiring someone who isn't certified to work on you windows, siding, doors, or paint. 

You should research more on the internet about this lead paint law so that you have the proper information on what is to be done and who to hire that is lead certified to work as a contractor on your home. 

Cheap vinyl windows

Cheap vinyl windows are actually worth it sometimes! 


Most websites and "authorities" will tell you that cheap vinyl windows are not a good investment and will fall apart in a short time. That's not really the truth though because some vinyl windows can actually be pretty inexpensive if you do your homework and find the right kind.

I'm not advocating that you should go with any window you find that's cheaper than others, but you can definitely find some really good deals for new vinyl replacement windows installed fairly cheap.

Cheap is a relative term don't forget. What's 'cheap' to you can be expensive to others, and vice versa.

You can find great windows for a really cheap price!


A great example of cheap windows is the ones that Window World, Inc offers. I am in no way affiliated with Window World, but I am familiar with the products they sell. You'll find them located in nearly any state within the U.S. and you shouldn't have any trouble finding them in your area. Some other vinyl replacement window companies that offer low cost window installation are

1. Window World
2. Larmco
3. Mr Handyman
4. Window Depot USA

These companies advertise and carry very low priced window installation. Keep in mind a few things: 

• These companies subcontract their window installation to local contractors
• The advertised price is typically a very basic vinyl window and you'll need to add a few costs to include the features you may be looking for (such as argon gas, tax credit qualification, window capping.)
• They DO use nationally recognized window brands.

The reason these companies can sell  cheap vinyl replacement windows at such a low cost is because they do so much volume. The installers don't get paid very much at all per job, but they end up making a good living because they are constantly kept busy with work, so it adds up in the long run. 

A typical professional window installer will usually charge around $75-$200 per window installed for basic double hungs, but for example a Window World installer will make only around $35. This savings is completely passed on to you, so it's often a good deal! 

Vinyl windows warping

Have your vinyl windows warped or worried about them warping?

This is a serious problem that many homeowners with vinyl windows face today. There are thousands of vinyl window manufacturers throughout the U.S. and Europe, and many of these companies are pushing out very low quality grades of vinyl windows that are highly prone to vinyl warping.

Vinyl windows warp when the temperatures outside and humidity levels inside cause the vinyl to move. If someone did not install the vinyl window correctly, it's fairly common that the contractor will have installed the vinyl replacement window too tight, which causes it to buckle and warp when the house tries to move. This also happens with vinyl siding.

The main problem is that warping occurs when poor quality vinyl windows are used. Low quality vinyl windows are often made from recycled vinyl pellets that have been used in other applications long ago. The cost to make recycled vinyl windows is much cheaper than making the vinyl from scratch, so these window factories push out large quanitites of junk vinyl for very cheap and don't usually have a difficult time finding homeowners that aren't aware, buying them up rapidly due their low price.

Make sure you select a good contractor that can install vinyl windows that won't warp and that seem professional. Do your research and due diligence while searching for the right window and DO NOT base your decision on price alone.

Look especially for vinyl replacement windows that have reinforcement rails in the sashes. This is a metal bar that goes inside the center of the window sash so that it stops the window from warping and is only featured in  better quality windows. Alside, Simonton, Okna, Softlite, Gorell, and Sunrise windows are all major vinyl window manufacturers that offer reinforced meeting rails designed to stop vinyl replacement windows from warping. Chances are there is a dealer of one of those brands near you.

Find a good contractor and a good vinyl window and you won't have warping vinyl windows. Buy the cheap ones and use a cheap installer and chances are you'll have windows warping in no time. Make the right decision or don't do it at all.

Why do vinyl windows warp?


There are a few reasons for while the vinyl windows tend to warp, but most of all they relate to quality of installation and quality of product. Good vinyl windows that are installed by a good vinyl window contractor will not warp. Warping of vinyl windows are caused by these reasons:

• Low quality recycled vinyl windows. (typically sold in box stores.)
• Poor window design. (often found in very small manufacturers using old technology.)
• Improper contractor installation. (installed too tight or out of square).
• No reinforcement rail inside window sash.

Warping of your vinyl windows can be a really terrible experience, especially if you've spent a large amount of money on them hoping that they would never give you troubles. If you have not selected a contractor yet or are in the process of how to find a contractor for your vinyl replacement windows, then you're in luck because you can avoid these terrible vinyl warping problems. 

Make sure that you have a contractor that can talk with you about your windows and show you information pertaining to which brand is good and has vinyl window designs that are made to prevent warping. If your contractor can't answer any of these questions or show you a part of the window that will determine how it will prevent the warping, then I would suggest not using them. Even if you have a great relationship with a contractor, if he can't offer proof of why the windows he would install will not buckle or warp, then it's not worth spending so much money on something that he cant show good evidence of anti-warping design.