Fensa

tiasmum

We have a FENSA registration certificate, it was passed on to us when we recently moved home. Unfortunately the company who installed the windows is no longer a registered member.
Some of the seals on the double glazing have failed, I have contacted the above company to be told that they can not help and any repairs to the windows will be at our own cost.
Has anyone come across this? What does FENSA actually cover?
Thank you for reading.

wildincrawley

The FENSA certificate just means that the windows met a certain standard when they were installed, it's not any kind of guarantee, AFAIK.

I think FENSA is just a kind of governing body or trade association that agrees industry standards, it's not a window fitting company.

ging84

they don't cover anything, they are a certificate to certify that it was installed by a company which once proved it was able to install a window correctly to building regs, so is exempt from needing building regs approval

G_M

When getting windows fitted you need

a) a warranty provided by the company who do the installation and/or

b) an insurance-backed warranty to cover you if that company goes out of business

chailey

I'm thinking of replacing my old double glazed windows. I've had two quotes, one from someone who was recommended to me and other a
local firm. Both quotes are widely different. The first quote is for A rated double glazing and the second for triple glazing which is much more expensive. The salesman that came round to give the second quote said double glazing "is a thing of the past" everyone is having triple glazing which has left me slightly confused. Does anyone know if this is right? It's a lot of money so I want to be sure I'm making the right choice? Also the first quote nothing was mentioned about Fensa, if the company is not registered with Fensa, would I have to get approval from the local council (I.e. Building regs)? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

martinthebandit

1. Double glazing salesmen always recommend the product which gives them the most profit and their recommendation has no bearing on what's best for you.
2. Do some research on the web and decide what is best for you and then get a local builder you can trust to quote for them.

Annie1960

chailey wrote: »

I'm thinking of replacing my old double glazed windows. I've had two quotes, one from someone who was recommended to me and other a
local firm. Both quotes are widely different. The first quote is for A rated double glazing and the second for triple glazing which is much more expensive. The salesman that came round to give the second quote said double glazing "is a thing of the past" everyone is having triple glazing which has left me slightly confused. Does anyone know if this is right? It's a lot of money so I want to be sure I'm making the right choice? Also the first quote nothing was mentioned about Fensa, if the company is not registered with Fensa, would I have to get approval from the local council (I.e. Building regs)? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I don't know about triple glazing, but I do know that if you get windows installed by a company that is not FENSA registered then you need to apply for the council to come around, inspect, and issue a certificate.

I used this route myself. The woman from the council was interested in how securely the windows were fitted and she tested the glass with some sort of gadget to make sure it was compliant with EU regs. regarding keeping the heat in.

Annie1960

tiasmum wrote: »

What does FENSA actually cover?
Thank you for reading.

It's a bit like an MOT on a car. The certificate verifies that the windows meet the standards on the day they are fitted or tested. It includes such things as whether they are securely fitted, and whether they have the correct glass currently required by EU regs. There are also optional factors such as trickle vents (for ventilation - I recommend you definitely get them).

Another factor which is more cosmetic and not covered by FENSA are the sight lines of the windows. Depending on what design they are, they can look terrible if the sight lines are not taken into account, but this is just cosmetic and may or may not be acceptable to you.

00ec25

building regulations govern how the windows are installed and what materials are used. As Annie1960 says essentially will they fall out and/or not keep the heat in

without a Fensa approved installer you will need building regs sign off by the council. Of course that is really only relevant when you come to sell the property since your buyer will want proof of it either as a fensa certificate or a a council document as applic

triple glazing is better than double glazing at keeping heat in - fact
triple glazing is more expensive that double glazing - fact

which is better value - :huh: you decide !
many articles on interweb thingy cover this, here is one i picked at random
http://www.thegreenage.co.uk/triple-glazing-is-it-worth-it/

chailey

Thanks that's really helpful. I think I' ll do a bit more research before I make a decision. With regards to building regs, I assume I have to apply to the Council and not the installer ?

chailey

Thanks. The installer did mention trickle vents but said that an advantage I gained from the Double glazing would be lost if I had the vents! All so confusing.