Double Glazing On The Web

Are A-rated double glazed windows really the way to go, or are double glazing retailers simply taking advantage of our childhood conditioning? Surely A is always better than C because it comes earlier in the alphabet…?

Funny, but when you stop and think about it, choosing double glazing isn’t an exam. Mine is not necessary better than yours because it ‘scores’ higher. Well perhaps on paper it means something and if the letter A is very important to you, then A-rated windows are most certainly out there to buy.

Personally however, there is more to my purchasing decision than the boxes a product ticks on an industry checklist – I have to weigh that against the other crucial list in my life: my bank balance.

Browsing through statistics I came across an interesting set of figures. Money saved through installing new energy efficient, A-rated double glazed windows, on your average 3-bed semi, over 20years is roughly – wait for it… £8,300.00 Wow – impressive! BUT the savings on the same property, over the same 20 years, with C-rated double glazed windows is £7,700.00.

If I’ve got this right, and believe me I’m no mathematician, that’s a saving difference, over a 20 year period, of just £30 a year, approximately £600 in total. Given that I’m unlikely to be staying in my property for the full 20 years, probably more like five, if the cost to upgrade from A to C is more than £150 total, than I’m afraid my bank balance wins out and I’d go for C over A any day!

Are you familiar with this scenario, “he started off quoting X for our conservatory and, after four calls to his manager, came down on his offer by two thirds, but we had to decide immediately and give him a 20% deposit”?

Not surprisingly people are getting wise to this form of pressurized selling, the result is that rising stars in the internet based glazing industry don’t mess around with pricing, they offer one price and one price only - the very best they can offer, with no hidden discounts or schemes and the price is the same if you order one window or ten.

What’s more, you go to them if and when you need new or replacement windows or doors- there’s no knocking on doors or cold calling. Successful double glazing firms in these troubled times, have recognized that to be successful  in today’s very competitive market, the sales pitch and the entire sales process, needs to be as transparent as the windows themselves.

Handy Tip:
When receiving a quote for new or replacement glazing, the quotation should be equally transparent, broken down comprehensively to the nearest 1p. You should be able to see the net cost for a full technical survey, the cost of the frames, the glass in the frames, installation, fixing and even the sealants used.

Did you know that one of the most popular items on E-bay is the humble back door?

I find this amazing. Fighting passed the mental image of someone trying to jam a back door in a post-box and forgetting the suggestion that anyone would want to buy a second-hand back door, it is still very difficult to believe that with all the professional and very competitive companies in the market, specialising in replacement back doors, that anyone would decide that E-bay would be the best place to look for one.

Clearly more and more people are recognising that items bought on the web, offer terrific value for money. The web solution can offer a real bargain when it comes to back doors and by using a specialist, web-based double glazing company, you could even beat e-bay on price and service!

The effect of the recession on householder’s confidence, coupled with the decline in new builds, is having a knock-on impact on the glazing industry. Fewer new builds means fewer new windows and doors. Fewer home improvements mean fewer replacement windows and doors…

There’s no denying that it’s tough and is going to get tougher, although industry will always find a way to adapt and some are better placed than others to weather the storm. South coast based Double Glazing On The Web for example, is an established glazing firm which recognizes the benefits of the internet in reducing costs and overheads, whilst maximizing their client base.

 Web-based sales provide considerable advantages to the sellers, but more importantly they are very customer driven, making the whole buying experience easier and less invasive to for the client. To find out more visit: www.doubleglazingontheweb.co.uk

This year’s G09 awards will be held on Friday 1st October at the prestigious Wembley Stadium; home of English football and one of the greatest sporting venues in the World. 

G09 is the latest in the G Awards which are now in their 6th consecutive year. The Awards recognise individual and corporate achievements in raising and improving the standards, performance and products of the industry as a whole; glazing, fenestration and relevant construction.

Recognised as the ‘Oscars’ of the glass and glazing business, the G09 Awards will combine with a 3 day G exhibition and the annual conference of the Glass & Glazing Federation (GGF), creating what organizers hope will be the most comprehensive industry event to date.

The G Awards include the following 12 Categories
Fabricator of the Year
Installer of the Year
Glass Company of the Year
Conservatory Installer of the Year
Training and Development Award
Customer Care Award
Health and Safety Award -
Energy Efficiency Initiative Award
Promotional Campaign Award
Glass Project of the Year
Social Housing Project of the Year
Specialist of the Year

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/

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.

Some conservatory suppliers are reporting up to 45% increases in sales over the past three months.

The probable reason for this trend-bucking statistic is that conservatories are seen as a risk-free way of enlarging the home, thus adding value to the property.  In this very uncertain housing market, moving home is nigh on impossible and there is a very real fear of negative equity.

Adding that conservatory is one way, and a very good way, of safeguarding the value of your property, and giving you more living space.

A double glazing salesman features in the new ITV ‘real life’ series, Natural Born Sellers.

The series, which commences on October 2nd, features eight salespeople who have put their careers on hold and their reputations on the line. They risk everything over six weeks for the ultimate buzz - to close the biggest deal of their lives.

Replacing the existing workforce in real businesses across the UK, these ruthless professionals must hit aggressive sales targets, earn maximum commission and as a result push their combined kitty of cash ever higher.

Watch it and learn - then come to us for your double glazing, doors, and conservatories!

Just a heads up to readers in Crewe and Nantwich: I have just read that new planning regulations applying to new extensions (including conservatories) come into force in your area next Wednesday, 1st October, 2008.

These regulation changes seem pretty confusing to me because, whilst many extensions that have previously needed council permission can now be built without permission, some previously allowed developments now need planning permission.

Of relevance to this site: all conservatories or rear extensions over three metres in length will, from next Wednesday, require planning permission.

Read about these and other changes here