Soldato
Builder not providing FENSA certificate, payment dispute anticipated - advice please
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Soldato
The last one I saw just asked when they were installed, something like before or after 2002, certainly didn't ask for certs anyway.
My advise is, you didn't replace any windows or doors right?
This
Soldato
FENSA is needed if fitted after a certain date
Associate
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What was the outcome? I'm in a similar situation at the moment.
Sorry, forgot to update. They eventually dropped the certificate round so I paid in full.
Soldato
You don’t actually need the certificate.....yiu can just go onto the fensa website, put in your address and just copy the cert number for the solicitor. If they require a certificate , then tell the solicitor no problem, the new owner can pay for one when they buy the house.
I’ve done that on my last 2 house sales with no comebacks
Soldato
Are fensa certificates a pre requisite or truly an indication of good installation?
Reason i ask is the house im buying has had a fairly significant extension, a large bifold door in it and a good number of windows (at least 6 windows) and they currently haven't provided certification. They may have building control certificates though (which i will be insisting upon)
Reason i ask is the house im buying has had a fairly significant extension, a large bifold door in it and a good number of windows (at least 6 windows) and they currently haven't provided certification. They may have building control certificates though (which i will be insisting upon)
Associate
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no, fensa is nothing to do with the standard of install, just that the windows meet regs. the windows in my house that have certificates are fitted really badly, hardly any foam and the draughts are really bad that come round the plastic trims, only a couple left to replace now though which i'm doing myself with the help of my brother so not going to have certificates, no plans to sell at any point.
if they where fitted as part of an extension they were probably signed of by building control though so wont need the fensa certificates although we had a hell of a job getting the buyers solicitor to understand that after we did up and sold my grans flat after she died.
if they where fitted as part of an extension they were probably signed of by building control though so wont need the fensa certificates although we had a hell of a job getting the buyers solicitor to understand that after we did up and sold my grans flat after she died.
Soldato
Working in mortgages now I sometimes get these queries from solicitors, normally its due to an extension or similar that didnt get planning consent or meet building regulations or whatever......and they ask if they can cover it with an indemnity.
My standard to response to anything like this is:
"As our acting legal representative in this matter, provided you are satisfied the proposed indemnity protects our interests as a mortgage lender, then we can proceed."
Our in plain English:
"We dont give a flying ****"
If it was part of an extension it will have been covered by building regs inspections for that so therefore you wont have one as the building regs cert trumps the fensa cert.
I've had windows replaced in all but one home I've had, and the standard of fitting has been poor even with Fensa or the other methods now permitted. In every case the gaps around windows were hidden with trim (very little foam filling etc) and so for my current home I went with no trim on the inside when replacing the doors and windows so I could make good and have a no trim internal finish.
Even with some gaps visible the Fensa company I used left huge gaps to the brick and relied on the outer silicone sealant under the external trim. They only used a little cheap (crumbles) foam in a few places where the gaps were too big to hold the sealant. This meant air from the eaves, cavity etc could whistle in.
This explains why previous houses with new glazing often had nasty drafts once any internal trim cracked its sealant, which is common as the trim is glued to the window and uPVC does expand/contract. In the current house some plaster had blown around the previous replacement windows with tiling outside (so no effective external sealing at all) and the damp air getting to it was the cause.
So for the new windows I took the opportunity to hack away some plaster, repair excessive brick/block edge damage, fill the remaining gap with a high grade acoustic flexible foam and then plaster/fill as required. The difference was staggering and the thermal camera and sound meter tests I did before and after confirmed the vast difference both with the new windows and also with a couple that were replaced to match even though they were fairly recent and had trim both sides.
In the cold snap earlier this week I did another external thermal camera check and when I compare with the neighbours houses it makes the effort worthwhile. Windows are sold on the thermal and acoustic qualities measured in a lab, but in practice they're often fitted rapidly to save costs and hence with little care about the gaps around the edge and how that impacts performance even with internal trim.
Even with some gaps visible the Fensa company I used left huge gaps to the brick and relied on the outer silicone sealant under the external trim. They only used a little cheap (crumbles) foam in a few places where the gaps were too big to hold the sealant. This meant air from the eaves, cavity etc could whistle in.
This explains why previous houses with new glazing often had nasty drafts once any internal trim cracked its sealant, which is common as the trim is glued to the window and uPVC does expand/contract. In the current house some plaster had blown around the previous replacement windows with tiling outside (so no effective external sealing at all) and the damp air getting to it was the cause.
So for the new windows I took the opportunity to hack away some plaster, repair excessive brick/block edge damage, fill the remaining gap with a high grade acoustic flexible foam and then plaster/fill as required. The difference was staggering and the thermal camera and sound meter tests I did before and after confirmed the vast difference both with the new windows and also with a couple that were replaced to match even though they were fairly recent and had trim both sides.
In the cold snap earlier this week I did another external thermal camera check and when I compare with the neighbours houses it makes the effort worthwhile. Windows are sold on the thermal and acoustic qualities measured in a lab, but in practice they're often fitted rapidly to save costs and hence with little care about the gaps around the edge and how that impacts performance even with internal trim.
Soldato
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- 13 May 2003
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Isn't the problem likely to be that the builder isn't FENSA registered and thus can't self certify? In which case is it to late for building control to sign off or indemnify.