After a Suffolk resident faced complications a with a local window installer, American Builders stepped in to help.

In late June, Nichole Credle originally signed a contract with Sea-Thru Windows to replace her windows. However, after paying a down payment of $2,278, the windows were never installed.

Credle contacted The Virginian-Pilot to write a story about her situation. After reading the story, Steven Kirkpatrick, vice president of customer service at window installer American Builders, decided to step in and help.

American Builders agreed to replace Credle’s windows at a discounted price.

Originally, Credle was skeptical when American Builders approached her. She feared she would be taken advantage of.

“Is this going to happen again?” she wondered.

However, Credle was impressed with the company’s diligence and professionalism.

“Thank God there is a company to rebuild your faith,” Credle said. “There aren’t words to say how thankful I am.”

Credle said the waiting process with American Builders took about four weeks, as promised, and the windows were installed last Friday.

Since Credle and her family moved into the home in 2011, the windows would not remain open and were poorly secured.

The family coped with the faulty windows for years but finally decided to take action when mold began to grow in the wooden frames.

Credle’s two young children, who both have asthma, lent a sense of urgency to get the windows replaced.

After his daughter-in-law had a poor experience with the first contractor, Fred Credle said, American Builders came through “like knights in shining armor.”

Nichole originally signed her contract with Sea-Thru Windows on June 20. The total installation cost was $4,556. However, the installer only required half to be paid upfront.

She was promised the installation would take eight to nine weeks to complete.

More than four months after the signing date, the windows had not been installed. Since then, Credle has contacted the company on several occasions and has received little to no assistance.

Several attempts by the Suffolk News-Herald to contact the company and its lawyer proved unsuccessful, and multiple messages were unreturned.