Independent Window Inspectors?

[VWDaz86]

Hi Guys,
My parents have had a new bay window fitted in the front room, they are unhappy at the results.

There have been issues with visible gaps underneath the sill(you could see outside from inside the house)
Condensation and black marks in the corners of the windows
Drafts from the window area in general.

The installer has been back numerous times, packing with foam, re-sealing, and giving out leaflets on condensation.

Is there a body who do independent inspections so we can get an impartial view?
I have looked on FENSA(Installer is accredited) and cant see anything about inspections for customers, only for installers.

Thanks for any help

[Pothole]

VWDaz86 said:

Hi Guys,
My parents have had a new bay window fitted in the front room, they are unhappy at the results.

There have been issues with visible gaps underneath the sill(you could see outside from inside the house)
Condensation and black marks in the corners of the windows
Drafts from the window area in general.

The installer has been back numerous times, packing with foam, re-sealing, and giving out leaflets on condensation.

Is there a body who do independent inspections so we can get an impartial view?
I have looked on FENSA(Installer is accredited) and cant see anything about inspections for customers, only for installers.

Thanks for any help

http://www.fensa.org.uk/faqs.aspx#

I have a complaint about my replacement window/door installation
We are very sorry to hear that you are experiencing problems and have a complaint to make. Please know that FENSA can only deal with complaints regarding non compliance with the Building Regulations and providing the installation company is FENSA registered. Any other complaints should be referred to your local Trading Standards office, any Trade Association that the company may belong to or The Glazing Ombudsman, providing that they are members. However, all complaints must first be notified to the company and the company's own complaints procedure must be exhausted before the complaint is referred on.

How do I make a complaint?

• Firstly, please check that the company is FENSA registered by
clicking here
If the company is FENSA registered, please
click here
for advice on how we will deal with any complaints regarding non compliance with the Building Regulations that you may have about a replacement window/door installation. Where necessary FENSA will arrange an independent inspection on the installation work that is being investigated as a complaint. If FENSA considers that the Building Regulations have been breached and are non compliant FENSA will issue a variations report with corrections to be made on the installation which the installer is obliged to undertake.


• Customers also have the opportunity to raise any questions or complaints that they have about a FENSA Registered Business to the FENSA inspector during an inspection. For details about inspections, please click on the 'How will the inspections work?' below on this page.

[VWDaz86]

Thanks for that couldn't see it for looking

[Pothole]

Which may say something about FENSA...

[ColinM50]

So pretty much looks as if FENSA are just trade body with no teeth, there solely to take subs off the suppliers and to make the supplier look good 'cos they're "certificated".

Strange though 'cos it's virtually impossible to sell a house with new windows if you haven't got a meaningless certificate from FENSA. Ask me how I know?

[simonej]

Can someone explain to me why you need a certificate for windows? It's not rocket science; fix window into opening, pack any gaps, weather seal. Or am I missing something?

We had some new wooden windows fitted over the summer but don't have any FENSA certificates, probably because our usual builder put them in.

[Busa mav]

The installers dish out the self certified certificates regardless of the quality of the job anyway.

A couple of years back , an inspection of a few hundred of FENSA certified jobs saw something in the region of 75% ( iirc) as non compliant.

On jobs where you have a chance to improve say the exit from a window , they quite often do not take the opportunity , just falling back on the " so long as we do not make the situation worse it complies "

imho , FENSA is just a cover to allow fitters to do what the fukk they want .

If your fitter turns up with a can of expanding foam, that also tells you about the quality of their measure and install.

Edited by Busa mav on Friday 28th December 11:57

[V8RX7]

Really its worth a chat to Building Control (council) or sometimes Trading Standards.