Thinking of replacing your windows this year? Then read on...

From April 2002, all replacement glazing will come within the scope of the Building Regulations. From then on, anyone who installs replacement windows or doors will have to comply with strict thermal performance standards.One of the main reasons for this change is the need to reduce energy loss. The Building Regulations have controlled glazing in new buildings for many years but this represents only a very small percentage of our total building stock. It is also essential to improve the performance of the much larger number of existing buildings if we are to meet increasingly stringent national and global energy saving targets.

When the time comes to sell your property, your purchaser’s solicitors while undertaking the necessary searched, will ask for evidence that any replacement glazing installed after April 2002 complies with the new Building Regulations. There will be two ways to prove compliance:- a certificate showing that the work has been done by an installer who is registered under the FENSA Scheme or a certificate from the local authority saying that the installation has approval under the Building Regulations. The FENSA SchemeIt is estimated that around 1-1.2 million installations of replacement glazing happen every year.

If all of them went through the normal Building Regulations application process it would place an enormous burden on local authorities. It is essential to have a way to ensure that the work is done properly without an unreasonable increase in the administrative and financial burden on installers and property owners. The answer is a scheme which allows installation companies that meet certain criteria to self-certify that their work complies with the Building Regulations.

The scheme is known as FENSA which stands for the Fenestration Self-Assessment Scheme. It was set up by the Glass and Glazing Federation (GGF) and meets with central Government approval. A sample of the work of every installer will be inspected by FENSA appointed inspectors to ensure standards are maintained. FENSA will also inform local authorities of all completed FENSA installations and issue certificates to householders confirming compliance.

Any installation done by a firm which is not registered to self-certify, or done as a DIY project by a householder, will need full local authority approval under the Building Regulations. Local authorities will know of all the approved installers in their areas and will be able to identify unauthorised work very easily. You should note that you, as the house owner, are ultimately responsible for ensuring the work complies with the Building Regulations. Before you sign a contract to buy replacement glazing, be sure to ask whether the installer is able to self-certify.

If not, either they, or you, will need to make an application to your local authority for approval under the Building Regulations and pay the relevant charges. The draft Statutory Instrument is currently out for consultation, which will show FENSA as the only alternative to Building Control. Obviously the scheme will not be launched until it has received Ministerial Approval, which is expected in the first week of February 2002. The Glass and Glazing FederationAll GGF Members who install will be registered on this scheme.

In addition by using a GGF Member who is FENSA Registered you can be assured that they will have been vetted to ensure that they provide a quality service and they will work to the GGF’s Code of Ethical Practice. The GGF also provides a free conciliation service, should a customer and a Member company not see eye to eye over work carried out. Deposits placed with GGF Members are protected by an indemnity scheme backed by CGNU which safeguards deposits up to £3,000 or 25% of the contract value. For further information contact FENSA on 020 7207 5874.


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