Double Glazing On The Web

If the thought of replacing your windows scares you half to death, don’t worry, you are not alone; it’s a fear that is perfectly understandable, after all, there’s a lot at stake if it all goes wrong!

The problem is, though, that putting off replacing your windows for too long simply leads to leaky, squeaky, sticky windows that look dreadful.  Eventually, your windows will look so unsightly that they give a negative impression of your house.  At this stage, the rot has literally set in and it’s time to take action.

So, what is the true cost of window replacement, and is it as difficult as it sounds?  Given that replacement windows, doors, and conservatories are our raison d’etre, we are obviously going to say, ‘no, it’s not difficult.’  But, having said that, we want you to know that we pride ourselves on our ethics - and, no, ethics and double glazing is not a contradiction of terms!  The advice we give is honest.  We do provide a fitting service for our products but, sadly, it is not available in all areas.  If you live in an area that we do not cover, we strongly advise you to take advice from a professional window fitter.

All of which means that, as far as the mechanics of window fitting are concerned, as long as you are happy to put the kettle on, you have all the skills you need!

Then we come to the thorny issue of cost; well, it’s thorny for the rest of the industry, anyway, which has not done awfully well in the PR stakes.  Part of our overall vision at DGOTW is to go some way to improving the image of our industry; to this end our pricing strategy is to be totally transparent.  We do not employ salesmen, so there are no extras added to the price of our windows to pay salaries, commissions, and bonuses.  Neither do we indulge in the practice of inflating prices and then slashing them, which gives the impression that you’re getting your double glazing at a knockdown price.

Did you know that the majority of companies give their salesmen an inflated price book.  This enables the salesman to give you a supposed discount which, in fact, only reduces the price to the normal selling price and gives the salesman room to manoeuvre and negotiate when trying to earn the maximum amount of commission from you.  Not nice eh?

All our quotations are broken down to the last penny. We will show you the nett cost for a full technical survey, the cost of the frames, the glass in the frames, installation and for the fixing and sealants we use.  Like we said, we aim to be totally transparent.

As for finance, we never advise that you take interest free credit - banks don’t run their businesses as a charity and their interest will be built into the payments.

At DGOW we can arrange finance.  We have tried to negotiate the very best rates for our customers.  We want to sell uPVC products not finance.  None of our staff receive commission from selling finance products; the document fee you pay is the one charged by the finance company.  We do not mark this up for profit.

Can we be any more transparent?  If there’s something we’ve missed, just contact us, either through our main site or by dialling 0800 783 9176, and ask - we’ll be happy to talk to you.

In the meantime, in answer to the question, “Is it time to Replace your Windows,” the answer has to be ‘probably.’

We look forward to helping you and adding your name to our happy customers’ file.

A recent report by Sky News suggested that the cost of home improvements have risen by at least 20% over the past two years.  Sky itemise the following increases:

• 25% more for a basement conversion
• 21% more for a loft conversion
• 22% more for a conservatory
• 22% more for installation of double glazing

Despite these reported increases, it is still good economic sense in the current financial climate to improve rather than move.

And we really can minimise some of those costs for you.  Double Glazing on the Web does not employ a sales force, so we do not have to pay wages and commissions.  Neither do we indulge in fake ‘money off offers.’  What you see on our site is what you get, so you can budget safe in the knowledge that you won’t be hit with any extra costs.

If you thought that ethical double glazing was a contradiction in terms, it’s time for you to start thinking again.

Building A Greener Britain – Transforming Britain’s Housing Stock  is the title of a paper prepared by the Federation of Master Builders.  It was published in July by Environmental Change Institute at Oxford University.

Perhaps it should come as no surprise that the report labels UK housing among the worst in Europe when it comes to energy efficiency.  Compared to other countries, we do seem to be a bit lacklustre when it comes to ‘green’ issues.  However, the report suggests a tactic which is sure to get us going pale green, if not emerald green.  It calls for a cut in VAT on housing refurbishment from 17.5 per cent to five per cent, council tax rebates to promote energy efficiency, and a review of energy performance certificates to improve accuracy and reliability.  Anything that saves money in this, frankly, dreadful financial climate has got to be good.

It is becoming more and more apparent that, in the not too distant future, the value of your property will become evermore dependent on how ‘green’ or energy saving it is.  In fact, as the much talked about Home Improvement Packs (HIPs) already contain Energy Performance Certificates, the energy performance of your home already contributes to its marketability.

On one carbon calculator site on the web, installing effective double glazing comes very high in the steps you can take to improve the energy efficiency of your home (and, therefore, its marketability).  The only actions that come higher than double glazing involve turning down your central heating thermostat.

So, whether or not you are a committed green campaigner just by ensuring that your doors and windows keep in the warm and keep out the cold, you will be contributing to the green agenda.

Why so SAD?

In the last article, I mentioned that, by putting a bit of thought into the positioning of your windows and doors, you can maximise the light levels in your home. And, as most people are aware by now, there is a strong link between increased levels of natural light and improvement in both physical and emotional health.

Sunlight is vital for your body to make good use of its Vitamin D stores, the vitamin responsible for strong bones. Lack of Vitamin D in adults can also lead to muscle weakness.

As far as emotional health is concerned, well, there aren’t many people around who haven’t now heard of Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD. The symptoms of SAD are caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain due to lack of natural sunlight. The disorder usually happens in the winter, because the shortened days affect the hypothalamus of the brain. The first line of treatment is to have light therapy by sitting in front of special lamps for a short period each day, and some folk need the extra support of anti-depressant medication for a while.

Wouldn’t it be preferable to avoid the disorder as much as is possible by ensuring that you don’t get it in the first place?

Did You Get Out Your Compass?

By clever placement of your windows, you can maximise the amount of light that floods into your home. Obviously, this is only possible in a new build or as part of a large reconstruction job, but it is possible.

As you might expect, south facing windows provide lots of direct daylight all day long, and north facing windows provide shaded light. But its not only south facing windows that do the trick - east and west facing windows also allow in lots of daylight, with less direct rays either in the morning or evening. East facing windows are best for helping you to balance your day/night rhythms.

Other window-ways of increasing the amount of natural daylight coming into your home include: putting in patio doors or French windows; putting in a skylight (particularly useful in internal rooms that have no natural light at all); replacing your current windows and doors with larger versions.

If these changes, however large a job they might be, can help you to avoid being SAD, they’re surely worth consideration?

If you are considering installing light therapy |(that’s windows!) take a look at our home page where you will find a double glazing site with ethics!

It’s now an accepted medical fact that our moods can be seriously affected by light levels.  SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) may be an ailment of the winter months when light levels are low, but what about those who live in dim, dreary houses year round?  You know for yourself that if the sun is shining when you get out of bed in the morning you instantly feel better about the day ahead.

I imagine that when we all lived in caves, dark confinement was essential for protection against the wild animals roaming the land.  Times have moved on.  Let there be light!

Doors and windows are the only design elements in your home that are capable of increasing natural light levels - and its natural light that is needed to improve that dark mood of yours!

In the next entry, we’ll look at how to plan your windows and doors for the best possible levels of natural daylight.  In the meantime, beg, borrow, or buy a compass to work out which direction your house faces.

Following the news that Anglian Double Glazing have gone into receivership, I have now read of two North Eastern double glazing companies that went into receivership at the beginning of the year.  Okay, so not quite hot off the press, but it does convey how the credit crunch is decimating small businesses.

In December of last year, 81 staff lost their jobs when Stockton-based Budget Windows went into administration.  Administrators PricewaterhouseCoopers said: “The business has suffered significant losses as a result of difficult trading conditions over the last few months and the credit crisis causing a squeeze on disposable income.”

This was quickly followed by news, in January of this year, that Pennine Windows (Home Improvements) Ltd) had called in the receivers.  BDO Stoy Hayward were appointed to handle Pennine’s affairs and immediately made 126 of the company’s 143 staff redundant.

What does this have to do with Double Glazing on the Web?  Well, because we don’t have a chain of showrooms (in fact we don’t have any showrooms), and because we don’t have a sales force, DGOTW are not in the position of having to find rents and wages.  This is not only good for our business, its brilliant for you too - we don’t have to add a premium to the cost of our windows, doors, and conservatories so you pay the true price.

To read more about those not quite hot off the press redundancies, click here; then click here to see what makes us so different!.

And next time we’ll look at something more cheerful!

Anglian Home Improvements has been taken over by a syndicate of banks; in return they will reduce the company’s debt by £90 million.

Two of the company’s depots have been closed, and 100 of Anglian’s 1,000 fitting vans have been taken off the road.

Banks involved in the take over are: Bank of America Securities, Bank of Scotland, Barclays, BlueBay Investments, Lloyds TSB and the Royal Bank of Scotland. It’s interesting to note that the Royal Bank of Scotland, the second largest bank in Britain, is itself a casualty of the credit crunch, having just announced an unprecedented loss of £6 billion.

It is also interesting to note that, in April, Anglian appeared on the BBC’s Watchdog programme because of the number of complaints received about the company’s poor workmanship and customer service.

Well, there but for the grace and all that - but the Watchdog programme did make us feel rather superior. Quality, customer service, and honesty are our number one priorities.

You thought it was a no-brainer really, didn’t you? You don’t want to sell your house in the current housing market but you need more room for your growing family; adding a conservatory will not only give you that room, it will add something in the order of 6.7% to the value of your house. So you’ve decided that’s what you’ll do, add a conservatory; it makes sense and you’ve always fancied eating under the stars.

What you hadn’t taken into consideration was the wide range of conservatory styles available; you are completely flummoxed, literally spoilt for choice!

Let’s take a look at the styles of conservatory available and see if we can narrow the options. The main styles of conservatory available here in the UK are:

• Victorian
• Edwardian
• Gable End
• Lean-to
• P-Shaped

Victorian Conservatories

The term ‘Victorian’ is something of a misnomer really - Queen Victoria reigned for almost 64 years and there were many ’seasons of style’ during her reign, going form heavy Gothic to almost insubstantial rococo! However, in terms of conservatories, Victorian style usually denotes a three-panel design that is rounded in shape. Some have four, or even five, panels Although it may sound unlikely, Victorian conservatories look good with many modern homes.

Edwardian Conservatories

The Edwardian era covers a rather short period of time - from 1901 when Victoria died, to 1910 and the death of Edward VII. Some architects extend the period to the end of World War I in 1918. In the simplest terms, where Victorian conservatories are rounded, Edwardian conservatories are square. After the overstyling of the Victorian era, an architectural diet seemed in order! For Edwardian, read classic, understated, pale colours.

Gable End Conservatories

Gable-end conservatories are ideally suited to older properties. Their footprint is square, and the front of the roof is vertical. Because there is no slope to the front of the roof, these conservatories give a spacious feeling and they make more of an impact than the other conservatory styles.

Lean-to Conservatories

You might see Lean-to conservatories referred to as Home Extender Conservatories, which is purely snobbish; the term ‘Lean-to’ has working class connotations that some conservatory companies seem to think is less attractive to the buyer than Home Extender! We stay true to our company objective of being honest and we call a spade a spade (or maybe even a shovel!). Other aliases for the lean-to conservatory are sun room, sun lounge, and sun garden.

In terms of style, lean-to conservatories have a square or rectangular footprint, with a sloped roof. They are three sided, with the fourth wall of the conservatory being formed by the wall of the house. They suit many modern properties and are particularly suitable for bungalows.

P-Shaped Conservatories

Well, P-shaped conservatories are exactly what it says on the tin - p-shaped! They are available in Victorian and Edwardian styles and in many combinations; in fact, an alternative name for the p-shaped conservatory is the combination conservatory. They perhaps give the widest choice because of the combination factor.

Choosing Your Conservatory

What style of conservatory will most compliment the architectural style of your house is a secondary consideration really. Practicalities must come first!

Make sure to consider the following:

• the size of your property
• the space available
• the pitch of your roof
• location of windows - both ground floor and first floor
• ease of access
• then appearance

If you find this all a tad daunting, let our conservatory experts help you to make the right decision.

And don’t forget that Double Glazing on the Web do not use salesmen, or hard sell tactics. We believe in open, honest communication with absolutely no pressure to buy. This means you can contact us confident in the fact that you will not be bombarded with spam or telephone calls.

Did you know that the Kitemark® is not just a mark of trust here in the UK? It is, in fact, ‘the world’s premier symbol of trust, integrity and quality,’ and it is proudly displayed at the foot of our home page! Because the double glazing market is so highly competitive, we like to think (in fact, we know) that the fact we have the authority to use this symbol differentiates us from many other double glazing firms.

We hold two Kitemarks, the first of which is BSI 5713. Originally, this standard related to the performance of double glazing units, together with the use of the correct equipment to test this performance. The equipment part of the standard is no longer in use - simply because there is no such equipment! However, at Double Glazing on the Web, we abide by the required performance requirements of BSI 5713.

The second Kitemark is BSI 6206, which specifies how glass used in buildings should perform under impact; that is, it is about the glass safety. These requirements are intended to reduce the risk of injuries caused by cutting and piercing in accidents where glass is involved.

Basically, the fact that we hold a license to display these two Kitemarks, tells you that we are committed to quality and safety.

If you’ve visited our site, you will already know that we are also committed to honesty. We give you real prices for double glazing. We do not use salesmen, so we don’t have to pay commission, and we do not set up fake money off offers. When we give you a price, it is the true price.

Have you ever researched all those logos that appear at the foot of many websites?  You know the ones - member of this, affiliate to that, honorary member of the other.

At the foot of our own home page, you will see five logos, three of which are British Standard Kitemarks - something we’ll discuss in a future blog entry.  The other two logos refer to FENSA, which is an acronym for the Fenestration Self-Assessment Scheme.

FENSA, together with the Local Authority Building Control, are responsible for ensuring that any new installations comply with current thermal peformance standards and, once a job has been completed, a certificate of compliance needs to be sought from FENSA or from Local Authority Building Control.  Membership of FENSA enables companies that install replacement windows and doors to self certify compliance under these Building Regulations.

To ensure compliance with standards, A FENSA appointed inspector will inspect a percentage of the work carried out by each FENSA registered business every year.  All new installations need to gain FENSA approval, which means that either you or the installer will need to make an application to Local Authority Building Control; it is likely that there will be associated charges with this.   Doesn’t it make good sense to use a FENSA registered company to eliminate the extra work, worry, and costs?

Next time, we’ll take a look at exactly what these ’standards’ are.