Window replacement - During the Covid-19 pandemic

Working remotely from home during the pandemic has definitely changed the way we see and think about our home environment - Those little house upgrade and repair needs that we’ve been putting off because we’ve been too busy, or too tired (our commute to work, a full day’s work, and our commute back home again - every day) they are now inescapable.

Working-at-home, in our new, cooped up work-environment, many of us are now seeing (front-and-centre) all the little house maintenance shortfalls that are typically out-of-mind in our busy, exhaustive lives, are now nagging us for their attention - the outdated kitchens & bathrooms, the dull & dirty walls and floors, the cloudy rundown windows, the dilapidating decks, the uninspiring make-shift home offices, and the lack of a comfortable home environment space to escape to for recharging and relaxation.

Home improvement - It is our nesting nature

As consumer animals - most of us love to buy things to improve the comfort and aesthetics of the environments we work, play and live in - whether it be a new fully-loaded vehicle, new furniture & gadgets for a plush comfortable entertainment room, or an awe-inspiring view through a window into the outdoors - it’s our nature. Unfortunately, Covid-19 has created an unprecedented difficulty for us to attain our desirables as manufacturing has ground to a near halt and demand for improving our new confined/combined work/after-work home environments has dramatically increased.

Regrettably, even in the current improving Covid-19 pandemic environment, there’s an even bigger price to pay - the price of waiting.

If you are in the market for a renovation, or in the middle of one, prices and product demand have been high, not only that but it has been difficult to find many of the manufactured products that we are looking for. The replacement window industry is no different, demand is high, there’s a shortage of skilled labourers/installers and install dates have been pushed out into the new year.

Shortage of skilled installers

In Ottawa, even before the pandemic, key trades in the construction industry were in short supply and today the construction industry continues to struggle through this shortage. While the pandemic did result in a short-term slowdown in some sectors of the construction industry, residential home building has flourished and labour shortages have persisted.

This shortage has flowed over to many home improvement services including window replacement. Good installation crews are hard to find and for some hard to keep. Replacement window companies strive to put together and train new teams that often do not work out.

Unprecedented consumer demand

In the window manufacturing and replacement industry, most companies have not been able to keep up with customer demand. Window manufactures are having to train new employees who lack the manufacturing expertise to speed up production and maintain quality standards. In many cases, these window manufacturers are months behind in delivering their product orders.

Backlogs & delays

In the window industry, the Covid-19 situation has resulted in a record number of window replacement client orders that will not be fulfilled until sometime in the new year. It is the same story that is being told for all window replacement companies in the Ottawa area.

Opportunities - buyer beware

Demand for window replacement has created opportunities for new (unproven) companies and renovators seeking to capitalize on the demand for window installations. However, product shortages are affecting the entire window manufacturing and replacement industry.

If you find a service that promises quick window replacement, be weary - shady new companies may be looking to secure your order and down payment, then fail to deliver as promised or could be selling inferior products that won’t stand the test of time - be sure to choose a reputable company and be prepared to wait in line with all the other windows shoppers that placed their orders before you.

For the do-it-yourselfer - there seems to be an abundant supply of standard-sized windows at some of the big box stores. But, remember DIY may not be as good a solution as you may think - check out ” The pros and cons of DIY vs professional window installation “.

Summary

You may have noticed that the price of building materials is slowly coming back to earth - things are slowly getting back to normal - and hopefully will stay that way, however, the backlog created by months of Covid-19 confinement will continue to affect many home-improvement services.

If you would like to know more about labour shortages, backlogs, delays, and delivery dates and how these are affecting Bayview Windows, we’d be happy to address all of your questions or concerns. Contact Us.