Things are likely to get harder to obtain as the recession bites not easier I'm afraid. Have you tried Green Building Store or Eco-merchant?

http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=2494&page=1#Item_0

some manufacturer links here

perhap companies are afraid to expand at the moment due to the uncertain future market
a bit of a negative approach maybe , but sensible in the current climate

cheers Jim

Posted By: pmusgroveI don't follow the argument. Why should things get harder with people out of work? NorDan still advertise and have a stand at the eco homes exhibition so if there were too many orders for them to cope with now I would have thought they would expand ready for the upturn; not turn work away! Thanks - I will try the other suggestions.

As demand falls then manufacturing output, and output in general declines then when demand begins to recover as it probably will, especially as equipment starts to break or need maintenance then the source of spares or replacement is no longer there so at that point demand will outstrip supply.

The fact that companies are exhibiting at eco building shows at the moment means nothing. Many (now I'm talking generally) are probably there as a last hope for recovery. I know a lot of businesses pulled out of the one on at present. Others probably paid to go last year so were unable to back out.

I was engaged in housebuilding and general building when the last recession started. We quickly adopted the philosophy that 'no work was better than bad work'. They may just not want to overstretch themselves or their stock levels as James suggests.

I too have been told to "push off" by NorDan. They say they are concentrating on commercial property.
Some obviously feel that the NorDan approach is "honest"; in my opinion NorDan it is a waste of time - they don't respond to email, you have to telephone them to be told are too small for them to bother with! Why don't they edit their website to make it clear that if you're a self builder spending a mere £12K+ on windows/doors they not interested.
Just another 3G supplier with a hopeless inaccurate web site.

Strange this as I got a quote from NorDan dated 2nd March and a follow-up email asking what I thought of it. Mine is a small residential project worth less than £2k - certainly not a commercial project.

Don't know what to make ot it!

I am still considering who to use and am meeting someone from Rawington on site. They appear good value although I still haven't found anyone who's used them - anyone here?

I had a 12K order of windows and french doors of Nordan in October and am very happy with the quality and ease of fitting.

Anyone used Howarth Windows - http://www.howarth-timber.co.uk - they appear to offer a comprehensive range?

An architect acquaintance of mine used NorDan on a high-spec eco flatted project in central Kingston-upon-Thames: he was very pleased with them. They have a very professional-looking operation based in Norway, have (had) long lead times on orders due to volume of work, were cheap consdiering the quality, and actually got everything right on his order, which is a minor miracle when you hear time and again that it's screwups on the windows that throw new-build projects into chaos. I sit watching Grand Designs just waiting for the moment with something goes wrong with the windows . . .

I tried to get a quote out of them a year ago, and have to say their UK office seemed hugely overworked. I got a quote eventually after two months, and an order lead time of three months, which seemed much too long unless you have a long post-planning pre-construction period.

Does anyone have any real-life experience of what they cost, as compared to other manufacturers?

24/04/2009
Dear Sir
Re: NorDan Window quotation
Thank you for the opportunity to provide a quotation for the window package.
Unfortunately, we are unable to service bespoke domestic enquiries at this time for individual dwellings, please however see link below to show standard products which are currently available ex stock from our warehouse in Aberdeen.
http://www.nordan.co.uk/assets/brochures/UK_Stock_brochure.pdf
With Regards,
Commercial Manager
NorDan Specialist Contractors

I'll ask my architect!

Thanks for that Michael. It seems I am a relative Southerner to you and aa44 as I am way down in Portmahomack (where's that?).
I wish 3g windows had been the first thing I ordered for my house. Up until last week I had thought I would just go to the local UPVC merchant until I had some replacement porch and front windows installed in the house I am living in next door to my new build project. According to my wife (I am working abroad) they leak wind and water and one has started making a howling noise when the wind blows. I decided at that point to carry out some better research on my alternatives and that is when I found this site. I had seen a Kevin MacLeod Grand Designs in which I am sure (I could be mistaken) he said you could not get 3G windows in UK and so I never looked further. I now suppose he said 3G windows are not made in the UK. Anyway, my problem now is that the timber frame is already being erected and so I am up against it from a lead time point of view. I shall start ringing around the firms I have seen referenced here to see what can be done.

I would like to thank everyone on this site for sharing their far greater knowledge.

Thanks

Graham

Well, I have approached three firms with my window schedule and house elevations. Nordan, EcoMerchant (Vrogum windows) and Internorm. When I spoke to Nordan I asked if they were interested in one off projects as I had heard that they were concentrating on commercial projects. They said they were interested and that it would take 7-10 days to quote. They acknowledged the enquiry by email and told me I had been passed to their retail division. I phoned up the next day to make sure the estimator had the enquiry and told her I was in a bit of a rush (see my previous post). She said she would get it out from the bottom of the pile. No news back from them yet.

EcoMerchant in Kent had a very pleasant man deal with me on the phone (Tim Bolton) and he promised to get something by the end of this week. Fingers crossed. I had designed four of my windows as sliding sash so the Vrogum windows would be good as they do a sliding sash. For the other manufacturers I would have to change this to something else.

Finally, a day later than the other two I phoned Dynamight-Internorm in Fife. The German lady Annya said she was going away the next day but if I sent the drawings to David he would deal with it. Well, within a few hours he had called me to discuss a couple of points and he has come back with a quote within 24 hours. So far they have been fantastic to deal with. They have quoted for triple glazed Edition windows with Aluminum clad including fitting (with an option price if I want just double glazing). Yes, they are expensive but from what I have heard from others on this forum their delivery and installation team are very impressive.

It would not be right for me to publish quotation prices until I receive quotes from the others but it was considerably more than the 250 pounds per square metre I have seen mentioned here. I have about 40 sq m of glass (including french doors and a curved top window) plus 4 external doors. Any thoughts as to what the price should be?


Quick question if I may: Internorm asked if I wanted trickle vents. I have read here that they should be avoided BUT then you need some other form of ventilation. My question is that, because I have started building, is it too late to move towards passive house standard and use mechanical heat exchange ventilation (I forget the proper term). My house is normal Scottish construction consisting of concrete slab over 100mm Kingspan (will have floating floor on top of the concrete). Walls are 145mm timber frame (Kingspan plus rockwool insulation) then 50mm cavity and a mixture of 100mm, 140mm and 215mm blockwork outer skin. Roof is roof trusses, sarking and slate. Currently I am at the timber frame stage. Heating will be oil boiler and wood burner and I am thinking of putting a couple of solar panels on the roof for hot water.

With this sort of house will there be any point in having the mechanical ventilation and do away with trickle vents or is that a drop in the ocean compared to the heat loss through the fabric of the building? I really wish I had got into this Passive House thing about 6 months ago but is it too late to make a difference?

Posted By: graecole... but it was considerably more than the 250 pounds per square metre I have seen mentioned here

£250/m2 was a quote I got from Russell Timbertech of Glasgow, last summer, for 3G solid-timber trad Norwegian-style - i.e. one step down from Passivhaus standard. That co. always seems considerably cheaper than any of the others, and is fine, quality-wise, on 2 projects so far. I'd expect Internorm to come in almost double that price, for no real reason. However Russell aren't competitive for Al-faced, because their Al system is quite clunky.

Thumbs up for Eco Merchant and Tim Bolton from me. They're supplying triple glazing for my renovation. Unfortauntely it arrived damaged, (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattfenbytaylor/sets/72157622811002631/) but their service has been excellent in fixing the problem.

Tuna - It is probably too late for me to start with another new supplier at this point as I have already left it late to get involved with proper windows having kicked uPVC into touch after starting my build. I am still in the market for a decent folding sliding door though and I read one your earlier posts which indicated yours is a flush threshold. My doorset will be at the back of my porch so it is not really external and a flush threshold is important to allow me to open up my interior room. Notwithstanding the mishap in the factory are you pleased with the doorset? I cannot find anything on Rawington"s website about folding sliding doors so parhaps they are made by another company? They're expensive blighters aren't they, these doorsets. Mine needs to be about 4500mm long.