FORUM

If you are using, or considering using, this building firm for anything at all, do please send an email first to deanofire@ntlworld.com. I do not feel that it is right to post his 'catalogue of catastrophe' with this firm here, but you may well need to be aware of certain 'inadequacies' before you commit yourselves!

In response to Kate's post I feel it important to bring to your attention the following. NEVER do business with Jean Claude Espagne who poses as a builder offering a ten year guarantee and the works. I had to demolish what I could, repair the rest at great expense and then found a terrible amount of personal tools and items missing from my home. What's more the guarantee presented on signing ( underwritten by AXA) the building contract turned out fake. (JC he was a building company truck driver went to jail for a while and on release started ESPAGNE Maçonerie, and continued his devious life). ALU CATALAN are also not always what they claim to be, very expensive and after research found out they supply the exact same double glaze window as you pick up at Brico Depot, they merely manufacture the frame and charge 8 times the price. My doors and windows were supposed to have Argon gas, double bridging in the frames etc. This summer the windows heated to the point that they could not be touched inside and out (supposedly an effect which should not be possible if you have Argon gas in the windows, the frames now in winter are as cold inside as they are outside (supposedly why we should pay a hugely exaggerated supplement for double bridging in the frame). I phoned to get a technician to come check it out only to be told the guarantee was only for 1 year on labour and ten years ONLY if the frames leak??? When they installed the windows initially the first laugh was that they could not get the frame through the front door and it had to be dragged over the neighbours fence after much cursing. Then the "master fitter" sat down in the garden and left his apprentice to drill holes in the frames and wall, which were drilled in the wrong place in numerous spots (the holes covered up with silicone. I couldn't watch this circus any longer so left them to it. A knock on the door signalled that they were finished so I went to check the work before signing off the job, boy oh boy what a mess!!! The rubber seals between the frame and the window were skew and recessed in various places on each window, the sliding door didn't close properly, the silicone paste which they apply between the concrete and window frame was messy and blobs dribbling down the wall etc etc ......... Much to the chaps horror (being 17H00) I told him to pull out the windows and start again. There were many many m$*des uttered with the result they had to come back the following day when the job was apparently done correctly. One week later the door handle came loose and fell into my hand. I could go on and on about contractors and very bad workmanship but all I am trying to say is be VERY careful of these unscrupulous companies, and believe me more expensive is not necessarily better.[/b]

Argon is an inert gas. During the manufacturing of the window, the argon is injected to keep moisture keep inside. Argon does not give any special about this gas, except it replaces oxygen.

This gas is used often in welding, since it can weld joints without having oxygen within the operation.

Argon does quite a few things but it doesn't keep your windows cool.

Blackduff

Thanks for the info on Argon, once again when you don't know what a particular substance does we get "spun a yarn" I was sold Argon on the pretext that it amplified the reduction of heat transmission and if I didn't have argon I would have an inferior degree of insulation. Thank you yet another point to raise as I am sure this is issue will end in a legal scrap.

Kate!!
Would it not be possible to have a" Consumer Warning" section similar to Computers etc, Where as "Having a moan "means a trawl of the past posts for the relevant sticky.

Good idea Michael
Will see to it this weekend

We have Argon gas in our conservatory windows as well as a special coating. A friend and neighbour who does this for a living advised us that it was the way to go. So I don't think your supplier was lying. Here is some info on it.

Insulation glass without low-e coating uses air between the panes as a primary source of insulation. As air itself is a good insulator, filling the gap between the glass panes with a low-conductivity gas such as argon reduces conductive and convective heat transfers. This is because the density of the gas is greater than the
density of the air.

Argon is the most commonly used fill gas, due to its excellent thermal performance and cost-efficiency in comparison to other gas fills. Argon gas reduces heat loss in sealed units by slowing down convection inside the air space. It is extremely cost-efficient, and works well with Low-e coated glazing. Argon and Krypton are colourless, odourless, non-flammable and non-reactive inert gases.

PaddyFrog wrote:Kate!!
Would it not be possible to have a" Consumer Warning" section similar to Computers etc, Where as "Having a moan "means a trawl of the past posts for the relevant sticky.

Want to be careful re libellous remarks on the forum about anyone or anything, could be opening a can of worms ..

rbg wrote: Want to be careful re libellous remarks on the forum about anyone or anything, could be opening a can of worms ..

There would be no Libellous content if it was fact!!
But to satisfy we could post " I had terrible problems with xxxx, their service, did not live up to their reputation" email me at XXXXX for my story.

Every one has a duty to protect others.

rbg wrote:Want to be careful re libellous remarks on the forum about anyone or anything, could be opening a can of worms ..

I was going to add that this morning but was interrupted.

Firstly, if the work is black there is no recourse or both sides are liable!
Secondly, if the work is "legitimate" the recourse has to be factual and proveable by photos, contacts and documentation.

I seem to recall that ,many moons ago,the whole question of Libel/Slander was given a good airing on A-D Forum,but ,to save me trawling through pages and pages,does anyone know if the French Law on this broadly in line with that in the UK?

If so, PF is is correct,there's no libel if the facts are correct,though,as Rog says,I'd guess it's always better to keep notes/photos if needed in court later!