Double Glazing On The Web

The benefits of double glazing are being drummed home by government into our local councils. Hundreds of thousands of pounds have already been spent upgrading windows and doors in council houses and in some cases councils are even being threatened with reduced budgets if their housing standards do not comply with government expectations.

Carbon emissions have now become priority to our UK government and the buck literally will be stopping in some cases. Wasteful Councils should prepare to be named and shamed under the new Carbon Trading Scheme. Among the plans to reduce emissions is double glazing; the insulation properties of double glazing can reduce energy use enormously. New windows and doors also provide better security for occupants, and reduce noise pollution.

Our government and local councils are striving to make a difference and double glazing is helping in that fight! Reduced energy consumption indoors due to improved insulation from your windows and doors is helping to conserve the environment. Keep up the good work folks!

Did you know that when you have your windows fitted by a FENSA registered installer, you will receive a certificate from your local council which goes in your properties HIP?

The government introduced the HIP Home Information Pack, to aid home buyers as part of the 2004 Housing Act. Essentially a set of documents concerning the property, they contain an energy performance certificate, details of local authority searches, title documents, guarantees etc. They became mandatory for homes with four or more bedrooms from 1 August 2007 and were extended to three-bedroom properties from 10 September 2007.

Professionally installed double glazing has a significant impact on your homes carbon footprint. So much so that local councils feel the need to document the quality of your double glazing and more importantly, the fact that your new windows were installed by FENSA a registered company.

The bottom-line is that if you are investing in new windows or any double glazing upgrade, then it is well worth sourcing a reputable double glazing firm. Check that they trade in high quality raw products i.e. uPVC and toughened glass and that they are FENSA registered with an experienced team of fitters.

Stephen Waddington, managing director of Speed, a London-based multi-sector PR firm, writes some great pieces for an environmental site called Greenbang. He and his family are attempting to renovate a 300-year farmhouse whilst maintaining their eco principals.

Currently he’s come up against the complex absurdities that can permeate English Heritage, in particular in regards to windows and ethical double glazing. He puts his point across so well I thought it was worth sharing…

“I’ve done the sums. Unplugging the TV at night or using eco-light bulbs doesn’t make a blind bit difference when more than 30 per cent of the energy used to heat a house is disappearing though the windows.

Both solar panels and double glazing are dismissed on grounds of authenticity. Solar I can understand, but the argument that sympathetic double glazing would change the character of the building is beyond me, especially with the quality of craftsmanship available in the UK. But, according to preservationists historical detail must be the top priority where a historic building is concerned.

A study by management consultants McKinsey more than 18 months ago found that emissions from buildings generate two-thirds of London’s CO2 and that the greatest reduction could be achieved through improved insulation. Domestic insulation makes both economic and environmental sense.”

I couldn’t find a better recommendation for the benefits of double glazing if I tried. Luckily (or not, as the case may be), the majority of us do not live in listed buildings, leaving us free to reap all the rewards, environmental and financial, that good insulation can offer.

Finally!  After what seems like dozens of brochures, telephone calls and sales pitches, you have reached a decision on how your dream new conservatory will look and who will bring your vision to life.  But hang on….. have you organised for a surveyor to come in?  If you haven’t… make sure you read on!

 
Most double glazing orders are manufactured specifically to individual requirements; every millimetre matters!  Not only will the surveyor confirm precise measurements, there are essential safety checks to be carried out.  Your new conservatory will soon be the pride and joy of your home, but before work can get underway you need to be sure that the ground itself is suitable for the structure.   You must also identify whether your project is classified as exempt from Building Regulations.  Your conservatory may need to conform to the latest building regulations including provision for drainage and water run-off which often requires re-routing of existing pipe-work.

Planning permission may also be required for your installation to go ahead, be sure to check with your local council before giving the green light for any work to commence.  If your surveyor is local, they may be able to assist you with this. 

Now for the easy part: picking your surveyor couldn’t be easier – with various databases online to choose from, you are sure to get a price that’s right. Alternatively many double glazing firms and conservatory suppliers will have a reliable, specialist surveyor in-house, making the whole process even easier.

Landlords now have to provide an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) or face a repeatable fine of £200 .

If you have a property you are thinking of upgrading ready to let, make sure all improvements, for example new doors, windows, conservatories etc… are energy efficient and installed by a FENSA registered installer.

FENSA stands for the Fenestration Self-Assessment Scheme and with over 9,000 members, it  is very much the regulatory body in the world of glazing. With encouragement from the Government, FENSA was established by the Glass and Glazing Federation (GGF) and other industry bodies, to monitor and ensure that Building Regulations for England and Wales are enforced and applied.

Any DIY project undertaken by a homeowner, or installation undertaken by a company, which is not registered by FENSA or a similar body,  has to have full Local Authority Building Control approval, which is likely to incur a charge.

Changes to Home Information Packs (HIPs) introduced on 6 April 2009 heighten the importance of using a regulated glazing installer. Sellers now need to provide better information to prospective buyers from the first day a property is put on the market.

FENSA registered businesses can assist with the selling process by reminding homeowners to insert their FENSA certificate into the optional part of HIPs. When the time comes to sell a property, the purchaser’s solicitors will ask for evidence that any replacement glazing installed since April 2002 complies with the Building Regulations. The FENSA building regulations certificate will act as documentary proof of compliance.

To find out more about FENSA click here  or visit www.fensa.org.uk/

It’s been six months since new planning regulations introduced by Housing and Planning Minister Caroline Flint, have been in effect. Designed to cut red-tape surrounding home improvements these new regulations have meant that since October 2008 the majority of homeowners, looking to make standard improvements to their homes, have not needed planning permission.

It was estimated that this legislation would save the nation up to £50m by removing approximately 80,000 householder applications from the planning system each year. Also, many people extending their homes will no longer be expected to pay additional council tax as a result.

The changes were introduced with the aim of reducing the stress and the cost associated with extending your home and relieving the pressure on the housing market. Minister Caroline Flint said at the time: “Often people grow out of the family home, but now those who don’t really want to move will find it easier to improve instead.”

Before embarking on any improvement project it is always advisable to check whether you will require planning permission. Click here   to find out more and to see which improvements you can make to your home, without the need for planning permission.
Alternatively you can visit the governments Planning Portal for more info

Conscientious approach to buying and selling homes or bureaucratic complication imposed by a nanny-state? As from April 6th 2009 anyone selling a house must possess a Home Information Pack prior to marketing.

In Green terms, the HIP pack is crucial. The inclusion of an Energy Performance Certificate is expected to considerably influence people’s decisions when buying a home. Even if buyers are not environmentally conscientious, the impact a property’s energy rating has on heating/running costs, should certainly feature highly when accessing a purchase price. 

The HIP provides proof as to whether or not a home is well heated and well insulated; if it’s not, then it’s very likely to affect the property’s price.  It is estimated that without double glazing, a property will achieve around £5,000 less than the market value. Put simply, to get the best market value a property will need to be double glazed.

Whether they will have any effect, other than raising the blood pressure of potential sellers;  HIP’s are with us for the indefinite future.  Click here for more information.

In a rather sad story from a Flintshire local newspaper we read that the found of a charity for disadvantaged children has been forced to consider giving up the work after being terrorised. 

Margaret Williams, who runs the charity Superkids, says she is being repeated targeted by ‘mindless thugs’ and,  in another episode of the vandalism last Saturday night, bricks were thrown at the house windows.  Margaret said, “I usually sit by the window and I was so terrified when I heard the bang, I nearly had a heart attack. My heart was still racing on Sunday morning.  If we did not have double glazing, it could have come straight through the window and caused someone serious injury.”

To be honest, that advantage of double glazing has never occurred to me, what a sad indictment on modern society that it now has.

On the 18th September, this blog told you about new rules designed to protect the consumer from unscrupulous doorstep sellers.

Following on from this new legislation, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) have launched an ad campaign to make householders aware of their new rights when buying goods at home.

Last year, apparently, the OFT received more than 50,000 complaints from people who had bought goods at the door, with double-glazing products one of the main problems.

The ad campaign, which will appear in local newspapers throughout October, will remind householders of their right to a ‘cooling off’ period for any goods purchased at a cost of over £35.  It will also remind consumers that home salespeople must tell them of the right to cancel, in writing, at the time of purchase.

Homes in parts of the UK where there are greater levels of home sales will also be leafleted, these areas are:  the East of England, the Midlands, Scotland and Wales.

We do not use a sales force, which is one of the reasons for our low pricing.

For more information about the OFT campaign: Reuters