North F A (Carlton) Ltd

I don't normally bother reviewing businesses. However I got three quotes for some MDF. For the amount I wanted each was over a hundred quid. Got the same amount from here for 60. Good quality and service with it.
May 19th, 2021

I needed a bespoke dado / picture rail making to match one in my 1930s built property. Not only was the service excellent, the item itself was well made and reasonably priced. Would certainly recommend.
Mar 31st, 2021

I ordered 8 pieces of wood for a decking base and I phoned to cancel it the next day. My circumstances had changed and I apologised for wasting their time. Customer service was not brilliant and I was told there would be a handling fee. I paid 169.52 for the wood and got back 135.60! How many hands had to touch the wood???? Whatever happened to being able to return goods. Its not as if it had even been delivered. Yet where I got the decking from have not charged me anything. But then again they asked me why and understood when I told them. Its a shame because they had been recommended to me. Will definitely look elsewhere in future. :(
Aug 7th, 2020

I got a massive work done with FA north - changing most windows and all doors in my flat, which is a window-walls flat. The old windows were in softwood after cheap reconversion of lace market old warehouses, and were rotten beyond repair (I had them patched and repaired for 3 years only to see my time and money wasted). I am very pleased with the work and service provided by FA North for several reasons: 1- Honest and professional assessment of the work to be done. I'm glad they didn't push me to change all windows, but instead told me which ones were still in good condition and didn't need replacing. They presented the different options in terms of wood type and glazing. 2- Friendly and dedicated workers. Two weeks of work at your place can be an unsettling experience, but it wasn't, thanks to friendly and respectful staff. 3- Very clean work. I'm glad I wasn't at home during the day, when the mess was done. But once back from work in the evening, I always found a clean, and if not normal at least liveable place despite tearing down basically all my window walls. 4- Very good-quality work. I can say after almost 2 years that the windows are still stunning, in perfect condition, and save me money on my energy bill. Doors are much better than the ones installed during the reconversion, both for safety and aesthetic. I do not regret my choice. It wasn't the cheapest option: I had cheaper quotes from other contractors who proposed to patch instead of replace, or who proposed to use cheaper material and wood. But after two years I can say that FA North was the perfect value-for-money decision.
Aug 1st, 2017

Disappointed. Ordered a quality wood front door. Not a cheap option, and took a while to be manufactured, but we wanted to conclude a major refurbishment with the right finishing touch of a proper high-quality varnished wood door. Within about a week of installation, one of the panels split (not properly seasoned timber?). An "invisible repair" was promised, but the door returned with a strip of wood inserted that does not match, making a barely-visible problem now apparent from the street. The project manager for the refurbishment took the matter up with them and was offered a "good will gesture" that amounts to about 2% of the purchase price. This morning, I noticed that the cement used to level the door frame under the threshold strip is already crumbling. Really not what you expect for the price. Update May 1st: cement continues to crumble, now coming away in lumps. Glue holding inserted non-matching "invisible" repair seems to be coming away (presumably as unseasoned timber continues to shrink; we haven't even had any hot weather yet). Project manager for our extension having trouble getting any engagement from company. Update May 6th: project manager finally able to contact company, who said they had been out to inspect and couldn't see any problem as the repair "blended in perfectly" so met their commitment to an invisible repair. It really didn't. Update July: much further to-ing and fro-ing with the company to try and get them to complete the job as contracted. Not simple, since any repair would have to be off-site, which would leave us without a front door for the day. Astounded by suggestion that I should be "willing to compromise," which rather missed the point that (a) I want the job done properly, and (b) their attitude to-date had done nothing to make me motivated to help them out. Eventually sorted a date to have the job done. Workmen turned up to remove the door, but they had been told by their employer that there was an inner door, so had nothing to block the entrance with. Went away, and returned with suitable sheet of plywood. Door removed, and returned later the same day. A lovely job, with no visible repair. In fact, just the job they should have done months ago when the problem first arose. So, bottom line: a company that clearly is capable of doing an excellent job, but completely lacking the kind of service that might reasonably be expected for the premium price they charge. If you do decide to get them to do some work for you, be prepared to have to push hard to get them to deliver on their commitments. UPDATE AUGUST: The saga continues. A matter of weeks after their "proper" repair, the same panel has split in the same place. It would seem that their work was entirely cosmetic, and lasted just long enough to extract full payment. Back to one star, and I would now suggest steering clear of this company entirely.
Aug 28th, 2016