Building Regs and Windows

abillybob94

Hi Guys

So we have finally moved into our property and been there just over a week. We have 2 skylight windows in our house made by Fakro.

We have been having major condensation problems with these windows all the others are perfectly fine and we have literally tried EVERYTHING to stop the condensation but no matter what it's always just as bad.

I contacted Fakro directly about these windows and spoke with the manager. I was told the two windows installed aren't made for habitable rooms such as bedrooms, kitchens, halls etc and are only designed to be put in places like sheds, lofts and out buildings. He also stated building regulations wouldn't have given a completion certificate with these windows as they don't have the proper ventilation. But before buying the property I asked the estate agent and our solicitor to make sure it has a buildings regulation completion certificate of which I was sent and it does definitely have them.

The Fakro manager said the builders could have fudged there way around by saying they where loft windows to start with and then after getting the completion certificate making them bedroom and hall windows thus invalidating the building regs.

He also said there is nothing that can be done about the condensation!!! We are really upset and don't really know where to turn, our house is a recently converted barn and was built by a local building firm to us.

Is this our fault now is there anything we can do to get this sorted? We can't obviously afford to put all this right after buying our first home

Any help would be most appreciated!
abillybob

G_M

Did you buy from the person who did the conversion? If so, ask them to rectify, though if they do it will be goodwill rather than because they must.

If the conversion was done longer ago and another owner has lived there in the meantime, I doubt the builder/converter will be interestd.

You could replace the windows for double glazed with trickle vents. Get a few quotes - £500 - £1000 for 2 at a guess.

Are the windows singl or double glazed? Codensation happens because
1) there is moisture in the air (so minimise this) and
2) there's a cold surface (eg single glazed window)

abillybob94

Yes I can try and contact them but apparently the chap who did the conversion is very poorly with Asbestos lung so I'm worried about bothering them.

So legally we don't have a leg to stand on?

They are actually double glazed windows already but they don't have any ventilation and the Fakro manager said there was nothing you can do to modify them so they'll pass building regs!!!

There isn't any moisture in the air really we're doing everything we can with keeping the shower extractor on, opening vents to all the normal windows, opening the skylight itself but nothing seems to help!

G_M

If you still get condensation when the skylight itself is open, I don't see how different windows, with or without trickle vents, would help!

What is the location? Is it an opening in a barn roof with a fully open-plan interior? Or is it within a restricted area like a small bedroom or bathroom?

abillybob94

The whole of the downstairs (Where there's a skylight with the same problem) Is fully open plan quite large rooms!

The upstairs one is closed off with doors.

societys_child

Any moisture generated in the house (from living, breathing, cooking, washing, drying, etc, etc) is carried up in the warm air, until it reaches the cold skylights way up in the roof . .
How long ago was it completed? It could still be drying out.

Apodemus

Is the building listed? Certain conservation roof lights, with metal frames, will give a cold surface, which will drip with condensation. But in that case, you would see the condensation forming on the frame rather than the glass.

In my experience you would need to get the interior humidity very low before you stopped experiencing condensation in the colder months of the year (although in the very coldest months, the external air can be much drier, so air flow through the house results in lower relative humidity)

G_M

Yes it sounds like a humidity issue, not a window issue.