Adrian Barraclough, Chairman of Quickslide, continues his Onsite with Ade series. This month, he discusses certification badges for window makers.
Window makers are just like scouts – badges are important
Would it be fair to assume that, if you’re reading this then you actually care what happens to your business, what your customers think of you and, most importantly, that you do a good job for your customers? Assuming that is the case, might I also assume that you choose to buy from businesses that, like you, also care about their customers and, actually, like to do things right?
And that includes the people that you buy your windows and doors from too. Do they have the right badges? In other words, are the windows and doors that you buy from them produced according to the regulated standards by which all windows and door must be manufactured, by law?! When did you last check?
Compliance with all necessary Building Regulations is not only a legal requirement, it is vital for reputable builders to work with suppliers – not just frame makers – who can provide quality products backed by the evidence that these will perform as required by the Building Regulations. And if the people that you buy your frames from are not making them to a set of clearly defined standards…then neither is your work up to scratch. Quite simply, even if the frames you buy are generally of decent quality, if they are not certified to the appropriate standards and they fail an inspection, then crucially, YOU fail the inspection. And I have to ask, is it worth the risk?
Just a few moments looking at your supplier’s website can provide you with reassurance – or the reason to choose another supplier and might just be the best 5 minutes you have ever spent! There are plenty more, but these are the crucial MUST HAVE badges to look for from your window and door supplier:
✓BS EN 14351-1:2006 + A2:2016 is the European product standard for the manufacture of windows and external doorsets.
✓BS 4873: 2009 specifies requirements for the design, construction and performance of aluminium doorsets and windows.
✓BS 6375 is the classification for weather-tightness against water and wind for doors and windows.
✓PAS 24:2016 is a standard of rigorous testing to ensure the security performance of windows and doorsets for new residential dwellings.
✓ BS 8529:2017 is a standard of the design, construction, and performance of domestic composite doorsets covering elements including components, glazing, maintenance, and energy conservation.
✓ Window and Door Regulations are statutory standards set by the Government. Rest assured that Quickslide offer product specifications that offer compliance across the board.
✓ Audited for BFRC compliance to enable us to provide proof that our products perform as advertised.
✓ The UKCA Mark stands for the UK Conformity Assessment mark and is the marking used for products being placed on the market in Great Britain.
Why do these badges matter?
You know that when your site is inspected, the windows and doors at least, will be compliant and you won’t get any knock backs or fails from the building inspector.
And the Building Regs are simply getting tougher, especially with Future Homes on the horizon. Deal with a firm that you are confident does have its products and factory tested to meet and beat all of the legal requirements and then check to see what else they do to make sure their quality is consistently fantastic. That will rub off on your business too.
Crucially of course, when you are tendering for work, every standard matters from every supplier, and you need to show an auditable trail at every turn. Don’t take chances! Make sure that not only do you have the badges, your suppliers do too!
For further information on Quickslide visit Window & Door Suppliers West Yorkshire | Double Glazing Manufacturers (quickslide.co.uk).
