Trickle Vents - No FENSA

cajef

penguine wrote: »

To the OP I think you need to ask the installer to replace the windows in question.

A bit drastic replacing all the windows when the installer has offered to fit trickle vents if the OP wants them.

leveller2911

arbrighton wrote: »

They've just taken them back out of being a building regs requirement, between our works starting and finishing.
And if you are replacing existing windows, they weren't required anyway- which is why we now have a mixture of windows with and windows without.

Actually they are required if they were on the existing windows that you were replacing. If the original windows didn't have trickle vents then there wasn't an obligation to fit them on the new ones.

There never was any logic on fitting them anyway and as you say ,in general there is no longer an obligation to fit them ,apart from the example above.

FENSA are talking out of their backsides if they think the OP will get damp. If that were true then the question would be "why are they no longer part of Building regs?".

Furts

I would advice people to have trickle vents, but this is swimming against the tide. There is nothing wrong with the concept of trickle vents, but they have fallen from favour because people do not use them as they should be used.

If open they allow ventilation, especially effective at night in bedrooms for reducing condensation. Likewise they can be extremely effective at controlling bathroom and shower room condensation.

If closed, and fitted to pvc windows, there is a minimal, if not miniscule, energy loss through them.

The problem is people do not open and close them to control the atmosphere in the home. Instead they tend to be forgotten hence loosing the purpose they are designed to achieve.

leveller2911

Furts wrote: »

I would advice people to have trickle vents, but this is swimming against the tide. There is nothing wrong with the concept of trickle vents, but they have fallen from favour because people do not use them as they should be used.

If open they allow ventilation, especially effective at night in bedrooms for reducing condensation. Likewise they can be extremely effective at controlling bathroom and shower room condensation.

If closed, and fitted to pvc windows, there is a minimal, if not miniscule, energy loss through them.

The problem is people do not open and close them to control the atmosphere in the home. Instead they tend to be forgotten hence loosing the purpose they are designed to achieve.

Its not often we disagree Furts but ..........I don't agree.:D

For Centuries people have "aired" their houses by opening the windows, it worked then and still works today. With regards to bathrooms etc you can't beat machanical extraction.

Trickle vents look pants too...

arbrighton

leveller2911 wrote: »

Actually they are required if they were on the existing windows that you were replacing. If the original windows didn't have trickle vents then there wasn't an obligation to fit them on the new ones.

There never was any logic on fitting them anyway and as you say ,in general there is no longer an obligation to fit them ,apart from the example above.

FENSA are talking out of their backsides if they think the OP will get damp. If that were true then the question would be "why are they no longer part of Building regs?".

(i did correct myself on the next post....)


They do look pants, especially when you've had lovely wooden windows with georgian style bars built by hand for you (siiighhhh)

teneighty

I agree with Furts. Trickle vents are a great way of reducing the risk of condensation (damp).

As for noise. If you get the better quality vents they close very tightly and some even have seals so noise is not an issue when closed. Even when open the amount of road noise etc. is very low in my experience. So unless you live next to the M1 or on the flight path to Heathrow I would go with the vents.

teneighty

They do look pants, especially when you've had lovely wooden windows with georgian style bars built by hand for you (siiighhhh)[/QUOTE]

With most timber windows I would add a timber trim/profile in the head of the frame that makes them virtually invisible from the outside.

cajef

leveller2911 wrote: »

For Centuries people have "aired" their houses by opening the windows, it worked then and still works today.

Not easy leaving windows open when you go out when you live in a bungalow , it is an open invitation to anyone with a bit of robbery in mind.

I agree with Furts and find them very useful when used properly for airing rooms without risk of intrusion, we get no draft through them when closed and we would not be without them.

arbrighton

teneighty wrote: »

They do look pants, especially when you've had lovely wooden windows with georgian style bars built by hand for you (siiighhhh)

With most timber windows I would add a timber trim/profile in the head of the frame that makes them virtually invisible from the outside.[/QUOTE]

Oh, they do have a trim and are neat. But still not brilliant

Jonesya

Furts wrote: »

I would advice people to have trickle vents, but this is swimming against the tide. There is nothing wrong with the concept of trickle vents, but they have fallen from favour because people do not use them as they should be used.

I'm sorry but it's not the users who are the problem but the design and implementation of trickle vents - they are awful.

On a lot of windows they are at the top of the frame so if you have inset blinds you can't access them.

The big one for me is that they let lots of noise in, even when closed the sound insulation is appalling. One of the joys of good double glazing is being able to shut out noise, so why would you throw that away with a trickle vent?

I don't doubt that if you get a top quality accoustically damped trickle vent it's fine but they're few and far between, most windows come with a basic vent.

I think the best thing that can be said about trickle vents is that it's not too difficult to remove the covers and fill them with foam to block them up.