With too many ties, my wife got for a fabulous Father Day present this year. Tempered, triple-glazed windows for our brave new world.
Window King sent Chico and Rafa two of their specialists, who immediately reminded me of the Latino version of Laurel and Hardy, or Dickens and Fenster. These two appeared to be performers, not installers. They carelessly ripped out the old windows destroying the exterior windowsill slate. Then they installed the new windows by forcing and banging the new ones in to place.
This sitcom starred John Astin as Dickens and Marty Ingels as Fenster. These two handymen are usually involved funny dialogue and these two on construction jobs complete with slapstick and gags. Take a look if you can control your funny bone. This is a Father's Day story, with new windows as the gift, and the installers reminding me of a classic sitcom duo.
All the widows are now installed and we hoped to enjoy our home sweet home in safe, and modern comfort. However, they do not work properly and it is difficult to open some and close others,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6ujBW6h0To&t=199s
Searched the weDid you Did you understand the reference? "I'm Dickens, He's Fenster" ran on network TV during the sixties, with these two characters who worked for a Construction Company. So my window guys, Chico, from Puerto Rico on the bottom and Rafa, from the Dominican Republic on top earned a pretty apt comparison and they brought all of that energy on the job including the slapstick.
It was Stan Laurel who was Oliver Hardy's partner, just pointing out that Laurel is usually considered the lead half of the duo, though framing varies.
This Father's Day, instead of another unnecessary gift, I got something far more practical: windows, and apparently strong enough to survive whatever my home's previous panes had endured for decades.
When they sent over two installers, Chico and Rafa, within about ten minutes they had fully transformed into a modern, bilingual Latino reboot of Dickens and Fenster, the 1960s sitcom of handymen played by John Astin and Marty Ingels. If you've never seen the show, picture two guys who treat every home repair as both a job and a stunt performance, avoiding difficulties while finishing the work.
Here's the kicker: this wasn't just a beloved cult sitcom. Stan Laurel himself once sent the show's creator a fan letter saying it was the only TV show he watched. So if it was good enough for one half of Laurel and Hardy, it's good enough to be the gold standard for measuring my window guys. thetvdb
I don't think Chico and Rafa have ever seen the show, but at one point a triple glazed pane nearly became a participant in its own installation, and I could hear the laugh track in the background.
The good news: nothing was harmed in the making of my Father's Day gift. They're in, they're gorgeous, and our casita now looks like it's wearing better colored glasses. Home sweet home just got a serious upgrade, and possibly its own spinoff sitcom.
A caviat, when professionals are hired to do a serious job, they must also deliver and not only entertain. This is true in DC just as it is locally. Our windows have been independently inspected and we are waiting for a resolution to this increasingly serious situation.
Want a taste of the original comedy duo that inspired the comparison?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6ujBW6h0To&t=199s
Here's a Father's Day story, including new windows from my wife as the gift, and the Latino installers reminding me of my youth and a classic sitcom duo.They were also disastrous. •
Online Ratings:
Communication & Support: A subset of reviews cites poor communication, unresponsive or rude phone service, and delayed follow-ups or repairs.
Installation Issues: Critical feedback points to occasional measuring mistakes causing frame damage, cracked caulking, improper screw placement through sealed sashes, leaking installations, and general workmanship inconsistencies.
Serious Allegations: Isolated negative reviews include serious complaints such as worker-related theft accusations.