Browse Forums Windows & Doors 1 Jan 29, 2010 5:27 pm I don't know much about alum windows, the builder has convinced me not to have timber frames on a two story house due to maintenance and he wants to use Dowell windows. Any comments and suggestions. They will be double glazed for a 45sq house. Re: Builder uses Dowell Alum windows 2Jan 30, 2010 7:26 am Hi McKinnon It really depends what you are looking for in a window... the brand is fine, it's owned by Boral. The window is about average... with a U value of 3.9 with 3mm glass. (3mm can't be used in a lot of windows - so the U value will deteriorate). Timber will be high maintenance to keep it looking good and operating. Ed "ECOECO" At 'EcoEco', we design windows, we design the best windows, we do it for you, so that when you’re happy we are happy. Tel. 1800 326 326 Re: Builder uses Dowell Alum windows 3Jan 30, 2010 2:51 pm Can't help you with the double glazing side of things however we have Dowell windows in our new home and they are perfect. Smooth running, well made. We have the normal aluminium range in black along the majority of the house (along with their bifolding doors and sliding doors) then across the facade we have their timber look Decrowood windows which look like western red cedar. Again perfect - and the matching flyscreens are also well made and fitted. Some things are worth waiting for. Re: Builder uses Dowell Alum windows 4Feb 11, 2010 11:20 am Dowell are a reasonable low-price option for residential windows. If you are just after standard window sizes with nothing customised then they will be fine - if you need anything out of the ordinary, however, or your house is in an area which will cop heavy storms, you may run into some problems. It is not the strongest or most waterproof product. Kylie Re: Builder uses Dowell Alum windows 5Feb 17, 2010 10:13 am Yes thanks. I went to the showroom. Basically they can't give me what I want and the window joins in the showroom have huge gaps that are not even flush and they don't look resilient enough. After visiting them in Bayswater, I have given them the wide berth and told my builder I will find my own window manufacturer thank-you. Re: Builder uses Dowell Alum windows 6Apr 27, 2015 5:21 pm McKinnon Yes thanks. I went to the showroom. Basically they can't give me what I want and the window joins in the showroom have huge gaps that are not even flush and they don't look resilient enough. After visiting them in Bayswater, I have given them the wide berth and told my builder I will find my own window manufacturer thank-you. Hi McKinnon, I'm considering going to another window supplier too but my builder doesn't want to deal with another supplier than Dowell. Dowell has crapy windowns on display in their showroom and we don't trust they can deliver good products. Did you end up bringing your own windows or did your builder agreed to have a different supplier? We have found a supplier we like and the builders allows us to bring the windows ourselves but we need to finalise how the insurance will work and lock up stage. How did you manage to bring your own window supplier? Re: Builder uses Dowell Alum windows 7Apr 29, 2015 12:15 pm LLLLNA McKinnon Yes thanks. I went to the showroom. Basically they can't give me what I want and the window joins in the showroom have huge gaps that are not even flush and they don't look resilient enough. After visiting them in Bayswater, I have given them the wide berth and told my builder I will find my own window manufacturer thank-you. Hi McKinnon, I'm considering going to another window supplier too but my builder doesn't want to deal with another supplier than Dowell. Dowell has crapy windowns on display in their showroom and we don't trust they can deliver good products. Did you end up bringing your own windows or did your builder agreed to have a different supplier? We have found a supplier we like and the builders allows us to bring the windows ourselves but we need to finalise how the insurance will work and lock up stage. How did you manage to bring your own window supplier? Most builders use only one (or two) window suppliers, they don't like changing because firstly they have a relationship with the supplier, secondly the price and thirdly the sizes. Some builders are willing to change, and if the windows you want are in WERS, then they will be tested and insurance, warranty and compliance will not be issues. Ed "ECOECO" At 'EcoEco', we design windows, we design the best windows, we do it for you, so that when you’re happy we are happy. Tel. 1800 326 326 Re: Builder uses Dowell Alum windows 8Jun 21, 2015 2:05 am I'm relatively fussy about windows. I refused building with a couple of decent builders because their windows looked nasty and they wouldn't change to the brand I requested (Rylock). Our original building project was a single story custom design which had Rylock windows in the contract. The windows were $20k alone. Super quality windows. Unfortunately the builder went broke on us before we got to start. Now we're building a two story home with a builder that supplies Dowell alum windows. Being the window snob I am, I made sure I had a good look at them first and I'm perfectly happy with the Dowell windows. They look and feel really good. They have just been installed in the build now and I'm not disappointed at all. And have forgotten that I would have preferred the Rylock ones. This house has 22 windows/sliding doors so I think the Dowell ones are an excellent cost effective choice. Re: Builder uses Dowell Alum windows 9Jun 21, 2015 9:05 am TomCat I'm relatively fussy about windows. I refused building with a couple of decent builders because their windows looked nasty and they wouldn't change to the brand I requested (Rylock). Our original building project was a single story custom design which had Rylock windows in the contract. The windows were $20k alone. Super quality windows. Unfortunately the builder went broke on us before we got to start. Now we're building a two story home with a builder that supplies Dowell alum windows. Being the window snob I am, I made sure I had a good look at them first and I'm perfectly happy with the Dowell windows. They look and feel really good. They have just been installed in the build now and I'm not disappointed at all. And have forgotten that I would have preferred the Rylock ones. This house has 22 windows/sliding doors so I think the Dowell ones are an excellent cost effective choice. 3.05 am. You don't sleep well TC. I am having Dowell aluminium too, I am glad there is some positive feedback about their products. Re: Builder uses Dowell Alum windows 10Jun 21, 2015 9:32 am Can you upgrade to the Dowell commercial grade? Rylock is full commercial grade windows hence the cost. We would love rylock too, but they cost another $20k from our builders preferred supplier whom he has 20+ years relationship with. We are getting their commercial range. Re: Builder uses Dowell Alum windows 11Jun 21, 2015 1:29 pm I have recently installed double glazed Rylock windows & stacker doors. Yes they are $$$ but we are so glad we spent the money. Performing really well in this cold weather. Can't recommend them highly enough. Very professional.
Considering how much heat is lost or gained through windows i would save longer for a better quality window. No regrets here. Re: Builder uses Dowell Alum windows 13Jul 24, 2015 11:43 pm Our home has fifteen aluminium and glass sliding doors that were supplied by DOWELL which is a subsidiary of BORAL and that includes four 1200mm x 2400mm stacking doors. A month after moving into our new home I noticed that the powder coating was coming of all the door sill tracks in large flakes, that tracks had a massive burr on each side, and were as noisy as hell. I removed the door from the worst affected track (all 60 KGs of it) and to my horror discovered that the wheels were made of STEEL and engaged only a small arc at the top of the ALUMINIUM track (huh?) the result….. yes, predictably….. Absolute destruction of the aluminium track. The Dowell service guy came and replaced the two wheel assemblies on ONE door with a nylon wheel version and left me with a severely damaged track that took me an hour to clean up with a file and emery paper. Because there were another twenty eight assemblies with STEEL wheels on the other doors I tried to get DOWELL to at least supply more nylon wheels. They said that the wheels were covered by warranty but being steel were not damaged and that the tracks that by this time were ruined were not covered by warranty. Over the past four years I have replaced all the steel wheel assemblies at my cost and my labour and I have spent probably sixty hours of my time and in excess of $600 on this exercise. Re: Builder uses Dowell Alum windows 14Jul 25, 2015 1:57 am So hitman. That happened over four years ago. So how come you just decide to join the forum today and post this ... your first post? Boo hoo you poor thing losing sixty hours of your life ... spamming Re: Builder uses Dowell Alum windows 15Jul 25, 2015 8:24 am TomCat So hitman. That happened over four years ago. So how come you just decide to join the forum today and post this ... your first post? Boo hoo you poor thing losing sixty hours of your life ... spamming That's not 'spamming', that's venting their displeasure. Perhaps they have only come across this forum for the first time yesterday ? That all said, once the first door had its rollers replaced, I think I would have kicked up a huge stink back then, and when discovered they weren't coming to the party to replace the steel rollers, I would have simply bought the nylon rollers myself and replaced them all over one weekend, noting to never again get those Dowell doors ever again, and letting people know of the issue so that they won't get burnt themselves. Owner Building at Jimboomba Woods in Logan City Qld. Blog : http://bandlnewhomebuild.blogspot.com H1 thread : viewtopic.php?f=38&t=68283 . Re: Builder uses Dowell Alum windows 17Jul 25, 2015 12:58 pm You got my attention as my house will have 2x Dowell aluminium sliding door and 2x Dowell aluminium sliding stacker doors in the build. I have just shot off an enquiry to Dowell about what sort of rollers are being used in their standard range as in steel or nylon. I will post the results when I get them. I hope they are nylon and if they are not I will change them out myself as steel rollers on an aluminium track is crazy. Re: Builder uses Dowell Alum windows 18Jul 27, 2015 9:28 am hitman816 Our home has fifteen aluminium and glass sliding doors that were supplied by DOWELL which is a subsidiary of BORAL and that includes four 1200mm x 2400mm stacking doors. A month after moving into our new home I noticed that the powder coating was coming of all the door sill tracks in large flakes, that tracks had a massive burr on each side, and were as noisy as hell. I removed the door from the worst affected track (all 60 KGs of it) and to my horror discovered that the wheels were made of STEEL and engaged only a small arc at the top of the ALUMINIUM track (huh?) the result….. yes, predictably….. Absolute destruction of the aluminium track. The Dowell service guy came and replaced the two wheel assemblies on ONE door with a nylon wheel version and left me with a severely damaged track that took me an hour to clean up with a file and emery paper. Because there were another twenty eight assemblies with STEEL wheels on the other doors I tried to get DOWELL to at least supply more nylon wheels. They said that the wheels were covered by warranty but being steel were not damaged and that the tracks that by this time were ruined were not covered by warranty. Over the past four years I have replaced all the steel wheel assemblies at my cost and my labour and I have spent probably sixty hours of my time and in excess of $600 on this exercise. Dowell is not a subsidiary of Boral, it was bought by G James about a year ago. I am ashamed to say , I had Dowell doors for 20 years with no problem. Don't be fobbed off. Steel and aluminium don't go together, the galvanic action when wet, will eat the aluminium. Ed "ECOECO" At 'EcoEco', we design windows, we design the best windows, we do it for you, so that when you’re happy we are happy. Tel. 1800 326 326 Re: Builder uses Dowell Alum windows 19Jul 27, 2015 11:32 am "Steel and aluminium don't go together, the galvanic action when wet, will eat the aluminium. " I am using that one in correspondence if they reply to my email I have sent the company regarding using steel and aluminium versus nylon and aluminium. Re: Builder uses Dowell Alum windows 20Jul 27, 2015 10:45 pm hitman816 I'm glad I finally got someone's attention even if it's just the mangy four-legged variety. Sorry my bad! Actually, seriously you have got my attention wonder if they are still making with steel wheels. Hopefully they have realised this error and rectified so Goody and me are ok. You'd think that with four years passing would do it. And wonder how a big company like that could make such a fundamental error. Will look at this now when next on site. Sorry Hitman for discounting your problem. I misjudged you as a competitor badmouthing someone else's product - I didn't read properly. The mangy cat Hi Mofflepop, I would recommend finding a building designer to prepare plans, they should design to your specified budget. The benefit is you can tender the project out… 9 20434 Personally, considering your layout (study/work desks in bedrooms), I don't think you have any other option but to leave NW windows and make them as big as possible e.g.… 7 10484 |