My Home Renovation Disaster: What to Avoid

I'm still trying to wrap my head around the absolute chaos I experienced with Leningrad Windows and Ceilings. I decided to replace the balcony glazing in my home, which is a standard 137 series loft measuring 3.40 meters by 90 centimeters. I chose this company because I'd had a positive experience with them a few years ago when they installed doors for my organization.

I was expecting the fitter to show up on the scheduled day, but he had an excuse - all the staff were busy, so he offered to come to my place on a Saturday. Okay, let's get the measurements done. He seemed like a normal guy, good teeth, looked pretty solid. But then he starts going on about how the balcony block I'd installed 25 years ago was done wrong. The size was off, and it was crooked. I figured, why not replace it with a new one? I had some simple requirements: I wanted all the balcony doors to be sliding and folding, with micro-ventilation, and double-glazed (or triple-glazed, I don't remember) to keep the heat in during winter. I also wanted to be able to keep flowers on the balcony. So, I opted for a balcony block without a window, just a solid glass panel to let in more light. The fitter counted everything up and said the whole thing would cost 245,000 rubles, plus another 200,000 for the insulation. I told him it was too expensive, and he said okay, but only for me: he'd call his guys, and they'd do it privately, outside of the company. They'd use the same materials, but do it cheaper, for 125,000. I agreed, but only if they could finish it by the end of August, because I'd be going on business trips soon. If they couldn't, I told him to forget it. He said no problem, and that they'd have it done by the end of the month. I paid 220,000 upfront, and 25,000 was due after the installation. On August 25, the glass panels arrived. I started calling the company to ask when they'd come to install and insulate. They told me they didn't have any free workers in the installation department, but they could offer me September 30. When I asked about the insulation, they said they'd get to it by the end of the month. I didn't believe them, but what could I do? The money was already paid. On August 30, the installer showed up. He said it was a holiday, but he'd been pulled out to come to my place. He looked at the balcony and said, 'How am I supposed to do this alone in one day?' I told him to get the insulation crew to come, too. They didn't show up until September 31, and when I checked, there was no micro-ventilation. I asked why, and they said it wasn't included in the original furniture. I called the manager, and he told me that I should have checked the furniture specifications before ordering. I told him I didn't have to know that. I refused to pay the remaining 25,000 until they fixed it.

I've got to say, the micropenetration process was a total nightmare. The manager threatened to take everything back and leave me with a 25,000 ruble bill. I was like, 'Okay, I'll just call the cops.' In the end, after two weeks of back-and-forth, a woman from the installation department called me and said, 'Come on, we're girls, we don't need to know that stuff!' The micropenetration for one window costs 500 rubles, plus labor, which is a total of 5,000. I was asked to pay the remaining 25,000 plus the 5,000 extra. I said, 'Are you serious? You've been driving me crazy for two weeks for 5,000?' Okay, I agreed to pay. I even wrote a receipt for 25,000 plus 5,000. They came and installed it, and I paid. I then called the installer to come and finish the job. He showed up and said, 'How did they manage to install it without the trim?' 'How can you insulate when there's only 1 cm of space left on the sides?' I was fuming, so I called the manager. He said, 'What's the problem with your order?' I'll ask the measurer.' I called the measurer myself, and he said, 'Stop! Did you want insulation in the first place?' That's when I lost it: 'How could you ask for 120,000 for the job, and only for me?' 'And why did you ask for a balcony block that's single-chambered and soundproof?' 'And why would I replace the glazing if it was already there, but cold?' The measurer said he'd check with the manager...

So, dear readers, I was initially planning to give them a piece of my mind, but since I'm a lawyer and know how tedious and complicated this process is, I decided to cut my losses and hire a different contractor, recommended by a good client. The repair is currently underway, but it's taking forever, and winter is coming soon. Next year, I plan to replace all the windows and do a full renovation, but definitely not with Leningrad Windows and Ceilings.

Photos: the distance from the window to the wall 'for insulation' and the reveals after installing the balcony block.