The Residence Collection Arvostelua 

Ordered R7 windows based on a demo unit and the pics in their brochures but the supplied windows were awful! One of the openers wouldn’t even close after fitting, the top openers were wonky and the gaps on all the openers and the fixed panels ranged from no gap to 8mm on the insides (should be 4mm all round apparently)
Also half of the handles’ locks broke within a week!
Residence remade the windows and ‘triple checked” them before sending them out to us but they were still awful. The gaps on the outside ranged from 4mm to 7mm (supposed to be an even 6mm all round) and the outer seal on one of the openers didn’t even touch the frame!
Also .. Be aware that even though Residence claim to never photoshop their brochure pictures the actual supplied windows show a lot of seal on the inside whereas their brochure pictures show none.
All in all we wasted a lot of time because this company advertises a premium product which is more than double the cost of “standard” windows but falls far short of “premium”
Going back to the fitters showroom to choose another make so now the build project is going to be put back another 6 weeks or so and that’s on top of the 10 weeks that we’ve already wasted!
Wish I’d read the reviews on here first.

Reply to Residence’s reply...
You took a month after supplying the first windows to try to rectify your issues but still failed. You’ve had your chance!

Really really poor quality doors! Would not recommend. The mechanism is really bad quality and such an effort to lock / close the door, it just doesn’t latch properly. The handles also feel very cheap. A big / the only regret we have with our house renovation.

This company’s doors are one of the worst purchases we have ever made. Their door fitted is now practically unusable. So we’re now left with it permanently locked and not used, to keep our house secure. They never answer requests for help, and clearly don’t care.

I’m really happy with my new windows, we decided on R7 because they looked more modern, everyone has commented how much better the house looks now!

Fantastic windows! So many people have commented on how much better the house looks and we've already noticed a difference in heat retention from our previous timber windows.

I contacted Residence Collection directly after seeing them at a friend's house and they were really helpful in putting me in contact with a local installer who went through everything step by step. Highly recommend.

Great in theory, poor product in reality
It does not do what it says on the tin. They have already tried to remove this review. I am a valid buyer. R9 Windows supplied and fitted by DGS Windows in Jan/Feb of this year.
It very clearly looks like plastic on the inside (despite it being wrapped in white foil) and the detailed chamfering just doesn’t sit flush and there’s loads of awkward joins. The white frame doesn’t sit flush in the joins and we had to get the manufacturers out to replace and fix £40,000 worth of windows bar 3.
Even after replacement and fixings they still just look plastic windows with lots of gaps for grime to get in to. I’m so utterly disappointed with these windows and the cost!!
The manufacturers have made them look as good as they’re going to get and they have improved them but still, the windows are my one huge regret of this particular refurb project. It’s not the manufacturers fault that the actual product is great in theory but the reality is far from what they are selling.
If you’re going for sash windows... beware. The top and bottom pieces of foiled plastic which create your horizontal lines we’re so far out that some windows had to be replaced all together.
I wish I had gone for VEKA windows which have less detail on the inside but when mechanically jointed, fit together flush and they do look just like wood from the inside and outside. You can get them in the Painswick Grey AND they are significantly cheaper AND are conservation friendly!! I had them on another project but this one was a bigger budget.
I thought R9 were the best on the market. They claim to be but the real product is poor and isn’t value for money.
It’s worth noting that I wrote via email to R9 and have had no response what so ever.
They have tried a second time to remove this review because I refer to them looking plastic. They do look totally plastic from the inside. The joins just don’t fit like wood and it’s clumsy.

This window was made by a residence 9 fabricator U70 of Witham essex, It is substandard will not meet building regulations and has fake safety calculations so it is dangerous. My installer has complained but has been ignored by Residence 9 and the fabricator residence 9 will not police the quality control of their fabricators and are not concerned that the substandard windows do not match their website of brochure. some parts of this window are not of residence 9 supplier, other parts are not from approved suppliers. this cannot be right for a product costing many thousands of pounds. These windows were ordered in June 2018, and the job has not yet been completed as the company will not replace the faulty windows. Residence 9 has refused to intervene. This only leaves legal action, My windows do not meet the advertised kitemark standards, none are draught proof. All residence Collection want to do is remove my reviews. All of my reviews refer to the current set of windows June 2018, the previous set, just as bad were ordered in 09-2017, my money was not refunded till March 2018.

I currently have one criminal complaint on file with Essex trading standards. They think I am a lone complaint, and we know I am not. Please address a complaint to Barry Warner-Denny. Its wrong to advertise one product and deliver another, its happened to me twice now. Also complain to your local trading standards office.

kenmassow@ btinternet.com

Dear Mr Massow

Thank you for your email.

The Nation Intelligence Model enforcement policy that we subscribe to does not rely on the number of complaints received alone. The model includes various other criterion which ultimately results in the issues that we are able to investigate further are the issues that are causing Essex consumers and businesses the most significant detriment, with issues relating to public safety and large scale fraud taking priority. We simply do not have the resources to investigate every complaint we receive. However, this does not mean that you are not able to pursue a civil claim against the business in question and you can either do this by instructing a solicitor or by making a claim yourself.

Regards

Barry Warner-Denny
Operational Manager
Trading Standards

Essex County Council | Telephone 03330134155 barry.denny@essex. gov. uk

Below is a trade letter about the poor manufacturing of Residence 9 Windows not being stopped by the Residence Collection? They advertise one high grade standard, then the Fabricators make something completely different to a much lower standard. Its wrong.

Ken Massow

Letter To The Editor: BEWARE Unglazed Residence 9 Windows!
This is a guest post circulated by Purplex for Dekko Window Systems
Dear Editor,
If you’re a window industry veteran like me, chances are you’ll remember the ‘pinking profile’ issue that arose during the late 80s and early 90s. As systems companies fought for better margins they ‘value engineered’ their formula, taking out essential components that resisted UV attack. The net result was profile discolouration and it severely damaged the reputation of the uPVC window and door industry, costing installers millions in the process.
Next came the ‘pitted’ letter-plates and handles fiasco when ‘shiny’ new PVD plated hardware arrived in the UK on mass from China. Six months after these products were installed, the plating started to pit and homeowners demanded their money back – costing installers millions once again.
Neither product had been properly tested before being sold into the market in large volumes and unfortunately, history is now repeating itself thanks to the growing number of fabricators preaching the ‘benefits’ of buying non-glass-bonded, unglazed Residence 9 windows. Yet the fact is Residence 9 has been designed, fully tested and is trusted as a glass-bonded system, integral to its performance and longevity.
Residence Collection windows achieve industry-leading U-Values through smart design. The frames and sashes are deeper than conventional systems, there are more thermal chamber pockets and the chamber webs and external profile walls are much thicker. But most crucially, Residence 9 profiles are bonded to the glass unit, strengthening the mechanically jointed frame and eliminating the need for traditional steel reinforcements. Glass-bonding also prevents movement and bowing in a system designed without large steel reinforcements.
Steel reinforcements have been used since the advent of uPVC windows to give the window strength, in particular, the lateral ‘I Value’ in the sash. When it’s windy, steel reinforced frames stay rigid and when it’s hot, the steel keeps the uPVC in shape and resists any bowing, ensuring the window will close and seal properly.

The downside of steel reinforcement is that it reduces the thermal performance of the window, so eliminating it through glass-bonding is really smart – the window is just as strong but offers significantly improved performance.
So, when I hear that fabricators are promoting Residence 9 windows unglazed and without glass-bonding my knees begin to tremble. Are we going to see product warranty issues with the best premium window in the industry, due to out of specification manufacturing processes? I have personally seen the consequences of non-glass-bonded welded Residence 9 sashes in a dark foiled finish and it’s not a good outcome! The net result is call backs, replacements, unnecessary costs and customer disappointment – a terrible outcome considering all installers rely on recommendations.

It’s true to claim that unglazed ‘timber welded’ and welded Residence 9 will be cheaper to buy, a bit easier to handle and if a glass unit does fail, then the IGU will be a bit easier to change. But in reality, a window that isn’t factory glazed and glass-bonded can cause major problems once it’s installed into a home, when it’s fundamental design is based on this trusted glazing process – just like ‘pink’ profiles and ‘pitted’ letter plates from back in the day.
If you choose to buy unglazed Residence 9 you have to glass-bond on site, but how practical is that? Glass-bonding should be carried out in a dry factory environment and allowed to cure and set for a specified period – you simply cannot guarantee these conditions when out on site.
We have highlighted the issue with the team at the Residence Collection, and they agree that unglazed, unbonded Residence 9 is simply not manufactured to current specification. To be fair to them, they are currently researching and testing all of the new welding technologies in conjunction with glass bonding, as part of a diligent process as a premium systems company. We also know that they are in communication with the machinery companies and to their knowledge, no product testing has been carried out on unglazed Residence 9 windows, therefore, any product warranties will fall purely to the fabricator or installer. Would any installer want to install a product without the backing of the systems house?
Sarah Hitchings, sales and marketing director at The Residence Collection adds: “We recommend fabricators follow the Residence technical manual and glass bond all units whether welded or mechanically jointed. Glass bonding is an integral part of the design. We are in the process of further evaluating the impact of some of the latest welding methods as well as weather and security performance.”
We understand just how tough it is for installers at the moment, facing fierce competition at both local and national level, as well as external forces already making it harder for consumers to commit. The promise of one of the industry’s hottest products at a cheaper price is of course incredibly attractive. However, it’s a false economy – an inferior R9 window creates more problems than it solves and you can’t be sure your supplier will support you when things do go wrong.
Dekko have achieved PAS24 accreditation across the entire Residence Collection range -including R7, R9 and the aluminium lookalike R² – meaning if you’re installing on new-build, self-build or renovation site you can be assured of a safe and secure product.
Whilst some fabricators are cutting corners to drive down prices, we have always been committed to doing things right. We employ a dedicated Residence Collection team and have a separate manufacturing facility to ensure absolute quality. We simply won’t cut corners and provide our customers with products we know to be below-par. It’s a crying shame that more fabricators don’t share our ethos.
In short, you need a fabricator you can trust to deliver Residence 9 to the highest standard. At Dekko we have an incredible history with R9, starting out as one of the launch partners in 2013 and growing to become the UK’s largest Residence Collection fabricator manufacturing 700 quality frames each month. We will continue to make our R9 windows ‘The way they’re meant to be.’