Rework Makes Windows Expensive

 

GREFET observes this trend all too often. A job with an efficient window budget is represented beautifully on paper - and then it breaks its way through the site. Not because aluminium windows are inherently costly, but because rework sneaks in. Slyly. Repeatedly. And expensively.

What this actually means, is that the price of a window very rarely equals the invoice. It’s the corrections, the adjustments, the replacements and delays and compromises that come after.

The Reason Aluminium Windows Require Rework

Rework isn’t bad luck. It’s the product largely of choices that were made long ago. Some of the frequent causes we find on Indian websites are:

• Profiles chosen in thickness or finish, without system performance
• Sketchy drawings that fail to consider actual site conditions
• Lack of coordination between fabricator, installer, & civil contractor
• After-the-fact decisions with screw choice and gasket choice
• System never intended for such last-minute glass changes

Each one may look small. Together, they snowball.

The True Cost of Rework (Beyond money)

The problem with rework on a window isn't only that the work is wasted. Rework leads to:

• Increased costs from the need to fabricate multiple times and install multiple times
• Project delays that impact other trades besides windows
• Compromised performance in air, water, and wind resistance
• Errors in appearance resulting from patching problems
• Client unhappiness, even if the window eventually “fits”

When the window is corrected, it’s often worse for wear than if it had seen a fix on Day 1.

Why Old “Fix It Later” Doesn’t Work

Windows are not plug-and-play products. Performance cannot be added later. After a system has been mis-manufactured or forced to install:

• Seals never settle the way they sat to be made
• Debris blocks or diverts drainage paths
• Misalignment causes faster hardware deterioration
• Noise, leaks, and rattles come later months later

What's acceptable at handover, causes an issue during the first monsoon.

How Rework is Reduced by System Aluminium Windows

Enter system thinking, which changes the equation here. At GREFET, we do not just supply profile aluminium windows, we design systems. That distinction matters. Our approach focuses on:

• Indian wind loads and site tolerances engineered profiles
• Hardware, gasket, and glass compatibility predefined
• Predictable fabrication and installation outcomes
• Repeatable performance across projects

When you design a system as one whole, there really isn’t anything to “adjust” in the field.

Rework vs Right-First-Time-Cost Comparison

Consider this simple reality:

• A system cost that is a little bit more to begin with
• Multiple site visits, re-fabrication, replacements and customer complaints

On the surface, the first choice seems costly. The latter is expensive in real life. Rework's not in the BOQs. And it shows up in margins, timelines and reputations.

The GREFET Perspective

We do not feel aluminium system windows should be assessed solely on their initial expenses. They’re something that should be judged by how little of your attention they require after you get them installed.

If windows are designed right, built right and installed right the first time, they shut up and do their job quietly for decades. And that’s when aluminium windows become not expensive, they just stop needing rework.