The Oracle has built in templates and guides designed for window installers and fabricators. In most cases there are just five steps to achieving a CE Mark but if you need additional advice Build Check Ltd are on hand for testing and verification of reports. And because Build Check are a Notified Body, they can carry out Initial Type Testing (ITT) for CE Marking.

5 steps to CE Marking using the Oracle: Click here

Regular updates will keep your CE Marks valid

The Oracle keeps you updated with any changes to the Regulations and changes in the product performance specifications of listed products allowing you to amend your CE Marks if required. So simply subscribing to the Oracle makes CE Marking compliance easy to achieve and maintain.

This time last year WERs were big news. Every trade magazine was awash with WER stories and as far as the industry was concerned, if all new and replacement windows didn’t have a minimum ‘C’ rating when the new Building Regulations came into force on October 1st, the company that fitted the window would be breaking the law.

From Build Check’s perspective, we were busy guiding fabricators through the WER process and in turn helping their installer customers become Authorised Retailers in time for the October deadline.

But with the big date looming, FENSA issued a bombshell. In a letter to members, FENSA introduced the simplified method of conformance. Stating that its inspectors would require no formal evidence of compliance if timber (70mm depth min) or PVC windows were constructed using soft coat low-e glass, warm edge spacer (16mm min), and 90% argon gas, FENSA explained these components would enable the window to achieve a U-value of 1.6W/m2K or lower and no further proof would be needed.

Unsurprisingly there was uproar from certain corners. Fabricators who had taken the time to invest in WERs felt they were being punished for acting responsibly and future proofing their business while their competitors were rewarded for burying their heads in the sand.

At Build Check, we understood these concerns but felt the unhappy fabricators were missing the point. WERs are a fantastic marketing tool and if used correctly can give retail companies a huge advantage over the competition. With little or no difference between one window and another, an energy rating gives the sales person a powerful tool and enables them to better communicate the thermal performance of their product to the homeowner. Furthermore, the ‘simple method’ of compliance can actually cost more in the long run because manufacturers have to spend an extra 15%-20% on sealed units – an unnecessary cost that could be avoided taking the WER route.

So why am I revisiting this story? Because I am concerned it has left fabricators with a false sense of security. By ignoring the WER scheme and facing no consequences, what if these same companies ignore future changes in legislation? And with another deadline looming on the horizon, this is a very real threat.

CE Marking becomes mandatory on July 1^st 2013

On July 1st 2013, it will be mandatory for companies to follow the relevant CPD on all products they manufacture. Unlike the WER scheme, there will be no ‘simple method’ of compliance and companies that  do not follow the CPD may have to stop trading until they gain the relevant documentation or face the possibility of fines and legal action.

For those who are unfamiliar with the standard, the CE Mark stands for European Conformity and is the manufacturer’s declaration that the product complies with all essential requirements.

To achieve CE Marking, window and door fabricators, sealed unit manufacturers and toughened glass processors need to ensure their products comply with legislation such as EN1279, EN 12150, EN 12600 and EN14351.Once these have been achieved they will be able to trade with European nations who endorse the standard, resulting in a free flowing European market.

Following on from what happened with WERs, will every manufacturer in the UK get accredited in time?If 90% of fabricators ignored the WER deadline and got away with it the likely answer is no. This could be extremely damaging to the industry and is something we at Build Check are passionate about preventing.

As one of the UK’s leading independent testing, consultancy and product certification organisations, our hugely experienced consultants can guide companies through the entire CE Marking process from start to finish. We understand our clients focus is making and installing windows and doors, which is why we ensure the accreditation process is completed as quickly and painlessly as possible. Our advice is don’t put it off, you will need to achieve a CE Marking soon so why wait until it is too late?

For more information call Build Check on 01494 452713 or visit www.buildcheck.co.uk

“Our UKAS accredited testing service is capable of testing to BS EN 1026 (Air permeability), BS EN1027 (Watertightness) and BS EN 12211 (Resistance to wind load) and has certainly been kept busy by window companies since it was installed last year. The test methods are applicable for CE Marking and are referenced in the product standards such as EN 14351-1 while the results of the testing will allow classification to BS6375 Part 1 in the UK.”

As part of a major new initiative, Liniar has launched a bespoke version of the Oracle – Build Check’s online U-Value calculator – which can accurately calculate the U-Values of windows and doors manufactured using the Liniar system. Liniar fabricators can now simply log-on to the Oracle and input their product specifications before printing off a Declaration of Compliance document – a process which takes a matter of minutes.

Liniar’s design director Adrian Redshaw comments: “Teaming up with Build Check is a major benefit for out customers. Subscribing to the Oracle is a fast and cost effective route of compliance and means our fabricators have the option of avoiding the more expensive WER option when getting their windows accredited. I have been very impressed with the easy to use nature of the calculator and the feedback from our customers has been extremely positive.”

But as Richard Bate, technical director of Build Check explains, you don’t have to be a Liniar fabricator to enjoy the benefits of the Oracle: “The Oracle is ideally suited for any fabricator, installer, systems company or sealed unit manufacturer looking for a fast and cost effective method of Part L compliance.  What’s more, the Oracle is an online programme which means the vast library of technical information is continually updated and only contains the very latest product information The programme also contains templates for factory production control (FPC) systems, a requirement for many product certification schemes, and is recognised by FENSA and in most cases, Building Control as proof of compliance.”

Build Check – experts in independent testing, consultancy and product certification – have announced they will be hosting the first of a series of training seminars on 7^th December.

The purpose of the seminars is to give IGU manufactures, fabricators and installers a comprehensive overview of window and door U-Values and how The Oracle – Build Check’s online U-Value calculator – can be used to demonstrate compliance with the Building Regulations. It is designed for both subscribers and non-subscribers of The Oracle.

Richard Bate, Build Check’s technical director explains the motivation behind the sessions: “Despite changes to the Building Regulations coming into force in October, there’s still a high percentage of installers who are fitting windows and doors that are not Part L compliant. Subscribing to The Oracle is the fastest, easiest and most cost effective method of complying with the Building Regulations and our seminars will give manufactures and installers of every frame type a step by step guide explaining how to use the calculator to its full capabilities. We will also discuss industry issues such as whose responsibility it is to ensure the windows and doors brought to the market are Part L compliant and highlight the pros and cons of WERS and U-Values.”

The first seminar will be held between 9:30am and 12:30pm on December 7^th in High Wycombe with more planned for the New Year. Attendance fee is £99 plus VAT and paces are available on a first come first served basis. Richard concludes: “The response so far has been very positive and I am anticipating a high turnout. If any companies wish to attend any of the sessions, please get in contact and I will be happy to reserve a place.”

Charlie runs a sizeable business, with four fitting teams. He buys in his frames and glass from the same fabricator he’s been buying from for several years. He has become an Authorised Retailer and has his own name on his WER labels. Meanwhile Sid and his mate buy from several different fabricators and trade counters, depending on how his credit rating is that particular week.

I asked Charlie what he thought about the changes to Part L and how they would affect him. “Great news. Absolutely brilliant. Now I can prove to my customers that they will actually save money by choosing the higher grade sealed units and frames. I went to the Journey to C seminars and also the FENSA workshops which have really helped me to focus on selling the benefits. OK, it’s not every pitch where I can get an “A” rated window, but when I do I am making reasonable money on the deal.”

Sid, however, told a different story. “What changes to the Building Regs?” The ones that have dominated the headlines in all of the trade magazines for the last 12 months, I explained. “I don’t have time to read the magazines. Anyway I’ve never registered with FENSA and I’ve never had a problem, so why start now?”
You’re not going to use WERs? “Nope.” U-values? “You what values? So what exactly do you intend to do? “I’m going to carry on exactly as before. Until I’m asked for a WER rated window, I’m going to continue to sell what I have always have done.”

So Charlie, what do you think of Sid’s attitude? “Well if it works for him, fine. Good luck with that! There may well be a demand for that for that approach, but I’m serving a different market. If I find a potential customer is only interested in the lowest possible price, then I won’t spend too much time trying to sell them the benefits. I will offer them my “C” rated window option, give them a quote and leave them to it. Then there are the customers who want to know the energy efficiency of every type of product, including doors, which are not covered by WERs. For these buyers, I know my suppliers can use simulation tools to calculate U-values, so I’m covered either way.”

I asked Sid how he felt about breaking the law. “As far as I am concerned, I am providing a service that people want at a price they can afford. Before everyone judges what I do, what about the national companies that have been in the news lately charging tens of thousands of pounds for a window installation that should have cost just a few hundred? Surely that’s worse than me providing my customers with a value-for-money product that gives them what they want?”

But what happens if you get caught out? If the building control officers discover that you are not FENSA registered and haven’t applied for planning permission, what will you do? “Like I said before. It hasn’t happened yet and I am sure there are bigger fish to fry. I do actually take a pride in what I do and it’s not in my interest to have to go back to old jobs to repair or rework them. I need to be out selling and installing. From what I hear, now there’s something called the simple method of compliance. As long as my sealed units are of a certain specification – which my sources tell me they are – I’m in the clear.”

So Charlie, will you be tempted to short cut the system? “No chance. It’s taken long years of hard work to build up a reputation in my local area. Well over half of my business comes from recommends and I’m even starting to see some of my original customers ring me to replace their replacements. They have seen their fuel bills rising and, now there’s independent evidence to prove the insulation benefits from high performance windows, they are willing to invest a little bit more to gain benefits in the long term.”

I’m sure we all know a Charlie or a Sid. We know what goes on in this industry and how it has always worked. Some companies will be the early adopters, applying to attain WERs or using simulation tools like The Oracle to calculate U-values to create competitive advantage and prove compliance for products such as doors not currently covered under the WER scheme. Meanwhile others will follow the trend, content to pick up the pieces. This is the way it has always been and will continue to be, regardless of the best efforts of the BFRC.

“If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you”

Right now it is certainly a time to keep a clear mind and consider carefully the facts rather than giving way to the hysteria and hype. When I started writing about the impending changes to the Building Regs back in March, I knew that as we neared the implementation there would be plenty to talk about, but I never imagined that it would reach such a crescendo just weeks before the deadline.

So, in order to maintain some sort of objective view, let’s take a moment to consider what exactly has happened to cause so much controversy across the industry. The revisions to Part L of the Building Regulations come in four variants:

Part L1A: Conservation of Fuel & Power in new dwellings
Part L1B: Conservation of Fuel & Power in existing dwellings
Part L2A: Conservation of Fuel & Power in new buildings other than dwellings
Part L2B: Conservation of Fuel & Power in existing buildings other than dwellings

The revisions were all published together in April. Most of us will be concerned with Part L1B, which refers to domestic home improvements, but do be aware that there are 15 different combinations of WERs and/or U-values with which to comply across the 4 variants. The inclusion of u-values as an accepted method of proving compliance in existing dwellings may have been something of a surprise, but nothing has changed since then as far as the actual regulations are concerned.

The reason for all the shouting over the past few weeks has been a series of announcements by the BFRC and FENSA which appear to change the way that conformance with the regulations is measured. However, those with clarity of thought will recognise that it is simply market forces that are at work rather than some sinister conspiracy.

Window Energy Ratings were only ever meant to be a method of comparison between window types, providing consumers with a familiar way of differentiating between the performance levels of various windows. Manufacturers could then focus on a specific combination of frame and insulating glass units which would give them the required performance (A, B or C band) for a given cost. Originally only available through the BFRC, other organisations have now developed their own versions and, naturally, costs have dropped as the competition introduces choice for manufacturers.

Meanwhile, U-values have rapidly come to the fore for windows. For doors, of course, they always have been the only choice. The latest missive from the BFRC states that “‘If you are installing a PVC or a timber and the frame is fitted with sealed units which make use of soft coat low ‘e’ glass, warm edge spacer (minimum 16mm) and 90% argon gas, then FENSA will consider without further evidence that the ‘U’ value of 1.6 W/m²K has been achieved, i.e. there will be no need to provide further evidence to the consumer or to the FENSA inspector, providing there is no evidence to suggest that our assumption is incorrect.” Far from blowing holes in the scheme, this statement merely confirms a route for compliance that has always been there.

FENSA is a competent persons’ scheme (others are available, for example Certass) and, as CEO Graham Hinett points out, its remit is “to see that Building Regulations are met when windows are installed; to provide an Inspection Process and to see that the registration process is as easy and as straightforward as we can make it”. Whether they have succeeded in these aims is a moot point. Full access to information would have helped many fabricators make more of an informed choice about their method of compliance and, it could be argued, they may have saved some cost by opting for u-values rather than WERs.

Personally, I prefer to view 1st October as an opportunity for the industry to generate more sales at a time when they can hardly have been needed more. Ultimately the choice lies with the householder. We can sell the benefits of WERs vs u-values as hard as we like, even offer “A” rated windows for the same price as “C”s, but it will be the end user that casts the vote. The important thing to remember in all of this is that fabricators and installers have choices available at every step. Choice means the power to differentiate their offer, which in turn delivers value in the eyes of the consumer. If you can keep that thought firmly in mind then, according to Kipling, yours is the Earth and all that’s in it!

Flouting October’s amendments to Part L of the building regulations will be similar. Based on the small number of companies that have gone through the accreditation process to achieve a Window Energy Rating (WER) of C or above, or have carried out simulations to prove a U-value and looking at the time now available before the deadline, it looks like an overwhelming majority of installers have chosen to risk their metaphoric licenses.

Far be it from me to pass judgment on the way the changes to Part L have been communicated through our industry or marketed to home owners. What I can do is to summarise exactly what installers should be doing to avoid legal proceedings and the general public humiliation of being the first to be caught and prosecuted. There can be no doubt that the authorities will do this to create an example to the rest of the industry.

Remember that the burden of proof for compliance lies with the installer. So what can you do to remain on the right side of the law from 1st October? There are four common choices:

1: Apply for a WER through the BFRC or other approved schemes
2: Buy complete windows from a fabricator with a BFRC or other approved license scheme
3: Become a BFRC Authorised Retailer (AR) or similar downstream supplier scheme so you can buy your frames and sealed units separately
4: Obtain a whole window u-value for your windows

As I have mentioned previously, option 1 will take at least two months from the start of the process. Option 2 means the WER labels on your windows will have the fabricator’s name on them and are likely to cost more. There is also a time delay with option 3, which leaves option 4. This last option is also the only route to prove compliance for doors (hence the “W” for windows in WERs!)

Whole window or door U-values can be calculated using a variety of proprietary tools, but beware of their accuracy. Many systems companies, sealed unit manufacturers, component suppliers or certification companies can offer calculation tools, but you must ensure that your exact product specifications are included in the calculation so that the results are correct. For example, the sealed unit must be identical, right down to the depth of edge seal. The same applies to the frame in terms of reinforcement (if required) and profile depth. The results can then be submitted to FENSA or building control on completion of the installation. But be warned that not all of these calculation tools are recognised or approved by FENSA or building control. This means the results may not be taken as proof of compliance.

The BFRC has, to be fair, listened to feedback over the last few months and broadened the scope of window energy ratings to include the Authorised Retailer Scheme and also the Certificate of Addition Scheme. Both allow manufacturers and installers some leeway on the purchasing of products, enabling existing routes of supply to be maintained whilst still enforcing the spirit of the regulations.

Consumers will have some awareness of WERs, through their existence on white goods. But, as no quantifiable surveys have been carried out, it is hard to establish exactly who knows what, which presents a great opportunity for creative marketing. There is a degree of one-upmanship going on at the moment amongst WER label holders, with A+x values popping up, where x is a positive factor that can be increased through high performance sealed units, thermal inserts in frames and so on.

Whole window U-values are less marketable, as a figure that declines (ie 1.5 W/m2k is better than 1.6 W/m2k) is less likely to stir the public’s imagination.

One final point to note is the transitional arrangements surrounding the implementation. For refurbishment work, contracts signed before 1 October 2010 can comply with the old standards (ie WER band E or U-value of 2.0 W/m2k), providing installation work starts before 6 April 2011. However, all contracts signed after 1 October must comply with the new standard.

If you choose to do 60 in a 50 zone, claiming you didn’t know what the limit was is no defence in the eyes of the law. Similarly, from October 1st, claiming you don’t know about the new Part L regulations will not stand up in court. Ignorance is not bliss!