1st uPVC Double Glazing is a FENSA Registered Company, Registration No. 10810


FENSA Registered Companies have undertaken to;

• Comply with Building Regulations & associated Approved Documents relating to the Installation of Replacement Windows & Doors
• Ensure that work will be of Satisfactory Quality
• Offer an Insurance Backed Warranty or Guarantee covering the cost of completing rectification work in respect of defects & in the event of ceasing to trade
• Maintain Indemnity Insurance to cover Customer's Deposits
• Be bound by Statutory Health & Safety and Waste Disposal Requirements
• Allow FENSA to Inspect any Installation
• Commit to the Principle of Fair Trading
• Use only an Approved Form of Contract
• Have an approved Customer Complaints Procedure
• Maintain Employer's Liability & Public Liability Insurance
• Abide by the Rules of FENSA and the reasonable Requirements of the FENSA Board
  

http://www.fensa.org.uk/


FENSA is the Fenestration Self-Assessment Scheme set up by the Glass & Glazing Federation (GGF), with Government approval, in response to the new (April 2002) Building Regulations for England and Wales.

Full details of the Company's Undertakings for Registration are detailed HERE and it is also necessary to meet strict criteria prior to being accepted for Registration.


FENSA - the Fenestration-Self Assessment Scheme

Following the UK's adoption of the Kyoto Agreement on environmental and energy usage issues, which introduced legislation covering the thermal efficiency of Replacement Windows and Doors, with effect from 1st April 2002 all Replacement Window and Door Installations require Building Regulations Approval from your local Council.

Not every new Conservatory will require Building Regulations Approval, you can check HERE.


Failure to obtain Building Regulations Approval for a conservatory, when it is required, can result in a fine of up to £5,000 and, additionally, you may be required, at your own expense (not your installers!), to remove & replace or alter your new conservatory to ensure compliance.

This is a serious issue for homeowners because, if you sell your home in the future, your buyer's solicitor will require your Certificate of Compliance, in much the same way that you are asked for Guarantees on recent improvements or treatments of woodworm, damp, etc. Your Certificate will be issued after installation, subject to having complied with the Regulations, by your local Council.

Not having a Certificate could cause problems years down the line:

1. It could lose you your purchaser. As with all new legislation, it is not yet clear how it will be interpreted. However, the Regulations state that the conservatory, if covered, must be compliant and therefore any prospective purchaser would be taking on a retrospective liability for compliance.

2. You may have to discount your selling price. It is almost certain that the Mortgage Providers, i.e., Building Societies & Banks, will insist upon rectification work being carried out within a limited time and that they will withhold monies pending confirmation that the work has been completed.

3. You could be compelled years later to remove & replace or alter your conservatory. It is likely that Solicitors, Estate Agents, Surveyors, etc., will have a Statutory Duty to advise your local Building Control Department of any instances of non-compliance that they come across.


Homeowners can ensure that their new conservatory complies with the regulations where required by one of two methods;

• Firstly, by applying for Building Regulations Approval from their local Council, which will involve making an application to the Building Control department and the payment of a fee, typically of between £50 and £100, varying from one Local Authority to another. The application will need to include product technical specifications such as designs, thermal performance, fire escape provisions and permanent ventilation.
  
   You can contact your Local Authority via: www.lga.gov.uk
  
  
• Secondly, by using a FENSA Registered Company, who will ensure and certify to FENSA that the work undertaken complies with the Regulations. FENSA will then issue the homeowner with a Certificate of Compliance.