Universal Windows Direct of Cincinnati

My family and I couldn't be more satisfied or impressed with Universal Windows Direct -- and especially Dan Harmeyer, the local owner / operations manager. We were given orders from the city to remove lead paint hazards in our home. This involved replacing most of our windows, a fair amount of drywalling, and even demolition at the back of our house. Though they weren't certified to do lead abatement at the time, Dan Harmeyer and his crew (Don and Rob) agreed to go through the training to become certified. Yes, ours was their first lead abatement project ever, and it took about two months total, during which time we weren't allowed to reside in the home. The process was stressful and draining on many fronts, but the one bright spot was Universal Windows Direct. It was such a relief to know that our house was in good hands; they treated our home like it was their own. Dan sent photos and gave updates of their progress regularly, clearly proud of their work. And with good reason -- the windows, drywall and more were all done expertly. Also, they passed the city's final inspection on the first go -- something that doesn't happen every time, especially to companies that are new to the lead abatement process. In short, in terms of both the level of work and the customer service we received, we could not recommend Universal Windows Direct more highly.

Horrible job, horrible customer service. Don't use any of the UWD locations, they're all the same. siding was late, it was installed incorrectly and has started to fall off. Improper prep was done before siding went up and as a result I have water encroachment issues leading to drywall damage. UWD Cincy went out of business and Dayton franchise purchased the contracts but wont cover or help with repair and warranty work. Corporate offices in Akron said it not their problem --- very poor customer service. So out come the lawyers.

Door itself nice, installation below average. Needed several adjustment which is sometime the case. But absolution ignored by company on correct any of the issues! gap in doors seal, not level in closure, below average cleanup, 10 items for them to followup on, NOT ONE done. Lots of nice promises, but no actions.

This is a follow-up from a previous review in which I gave a failing grade for provider.  UWD finally came out and resolved my remaining issues: they installed the vents, fixed a patch, improved the work on the pillars they had done (work was done in winter and siding expansion made things worse), and put siding on my back door like my contract stipulated.  So it took six months to get done, and company was amazingly poor at communicating with me in the interim; but a lot of the problem was with their supplier, who lost the order for the vents, made the vents the wrong color, etc., and in the end they put a high-quality product on my house for a good price, and they did a good job of it.

Four months after starting the job, they still haven't finished!!  This despite my repeated calls and inquiries and their repeated promises.  Maybe because they already have my money.  And a sign advertising their firm has been proudly displayed in my front yard the whole time.  And part of what they did complete is already falling off.

Sales representative and I signed agreement 12/8/15.  Work crew came out and finished most of the job about 12/22/15.  They wanted to get paid before Christmas and explained that unless I signed off they wouldn't get paid, and that they were waiting on my vents to be made, and that it wouldn't be an issue, so I signed the form saying the job was complete.

Multiple calls to the firm.  Half of the time I get the company answering machine; the other half of the time they are courteous and reassure me that someone will come out to inspect or fix the problem.  Only once has anything of this sort happened: my sales representative made one visit, was dismayed that the vents weren't installed, that the back door wasn't done, agreed that a piece near the front wasn't done, and that the siding on the front porch could be improved.  That was over a month ago and no additional work has been done. 

In the meantime the work that was done is falling apart: a piece of siding on the garage fell off, and so did another one (I think on the front of the house).  I gave an ultimatum on 4/25/16 and they agreed that I had been plenty patient and that within two weeks it would all be fixed.  Well, two weeks is up--with no response from the company in the interim--so here's my negative Angie's List review, and I'll contact the BBB like I said I would.  Which is too bad, because there are good elements about the company, but the negatives have sure outweighed them.

We first learned of Universal Windows Direct at a Home Improvement show in January. Feb. 1 we had a meeting with the owner, Gary Barber to go over the process & cost f replacing our 22 year old windows & doors. After a presentation of the materials & warranties and after seeing the ease of operating the windows, Gary also pointed out the average cost of replacement windows within our area. The other factors which helped us to make the decision to undertake this much needed project was looking at out electric bills & a list from realtors on how to improve the value of our home. We were also offered several financial plans to help with the cost. Before a quote could be drawn up, all windows had to be measured & then we needed to discuss what types of windows were available. Once we agreed that now would be the best time to start this project, another person came out to take precise measurements of the front & back patio doors and another person came out to tae precise measurements for all the windows. The persons taking the measurements were also the same individuals doing the installations. Six weeks is the usual wait for having custom made windows & doors. Once everything arrived from the factory, we were given a call letting us know the dates for starting work & what we should expect.
Mike & Gerald installed the doors & I was amazed at how much work goes into taking out old doors, repairing & prepping for new installation. Insulation was added around the door frames; even needed an extra 2x4 to help make the front door fit more snug. With every step, Mike & Gerald made sure to keep areas protected and always made sure to clean up. So easy to work with since they were both so polite & worked so efficiently! After seeing how beautiful the front door was [brass handle & hardware] we noticed that the old screen door looked out of place since all the hardware was tarnished & did not fit well, we decided to go with a new screen door replacement. Mike made sure to pick this up on his way to our house the next day & even picked up a new doorbell button since our old one was yellowed.
Windows were installed by Bob & his son Lee. We were given almost a two week notice by Bob as to when they would start working on the windows, explained what we would have to do so they could begin work & explained approximately how long the job would take. Customers need to be flexible since there are several factors to be aware of such as the difficulty in removing the old glass & whether the windows had been altered [such as heavy-duty caulking, etc.] I was amazed at all the prep work before beginning the actual work~ self-sticking plastic was laid down throughout the house, tarps were laid in the actual rooms they were working, furniture also was covered with tarps. Throughout the job, Bob & Lee wore coverings over their shoes whenever they entered the house. When an area was finished, it was immediately swept. All debris outside was picked up daily as well. Tarps were also placed outside wherever they were working. What an unbelievably hard-working team! We always were given notice as to how many windows they were working on & which would be worked on the following day.
Windows>Double Pane Insulated Glass, Low E-Stacked Argon; Outside Windows Capped; Lifetime Warranty