Window disasters

m0t

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I ordered some new windows which my brother in law offered to fit (he is a carpenter who fitted double glazing in the past).

All was going well until we offered up the second window and realised I had typed the wrong size on the order form and it was 100mm too short. The brother in law laughed but by that point we had already removed (and broken) the old window. We added a 100mm lintel as a packer at the bottom and kept fitting.

The laughter at my measuring stupidity stopped pretty quick when he attempted to put the glazing bead in the biggest window and accidentally put a hammer through the glass. Disaster.

Apparently he knows a guy who might be able to get a unit made up tomorrow but I think it is a long shot.

The misses wasn't happy when she got home.
 
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And how will you get on with the building inspector with regard to the mis-measure window and the rest of the installation when he does his final inspection?
Oh you did submit a building notice for the work I take it, or are you are FENCA registered? You do know it is illegal to replace your own windows otherwise? That's just to throw a spanner in the works.
you best not tell the misses that either, she wont be happy to know your be in the s--t when you come to sell up and the vendors solicitor asks for the fenca or Building reg docs.
 
What is the problem with the miss measure in terms of building regs? The window is 10cm shorter but the openers are bigger and have fire hinges (not sure what they are actually called) so escape provision is now much better.
 
What is the problem with the miss measure in terms of building regs? The window is 10cm shorter but the openers are bigger and have fire hinges (not sure what they are actually called) so escape provision is now much better.
Nothing particularly with the size, but in the way it was rectified. You probably did a fine job, but it is a structural alteration, there may be a cavity wall to consider, bridging of cavity will allow capillary attraction of moisture causing damp issues inside. cold bridging causing condensation inside.
Its these reasons DIY window replacements are not allowed today without having the building control officer involved. I am not a FENCA window installer myself, but make and fit new windows now and again, but they have to conform to part L of the building regs and I, or my customer, has to submit a formal building notice to building control when we start fitting. The building control officer visits at the start and at the end to sign off the notice that we have complied to part L. Lots of people buy their own windows from DIY sheds etc and do their own fitting without worrying about part L, but they are breaking building control regs, and could be force to remove the installation and or have selling issues in the future.
 
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Yep agree with Steve :) but replacing a windows with new ones needs to comply with regs, with a fensa registered installer you will be covered by a range of things even tho it costs a bit more
 
Yep agree with Steve :) but replacing a windows with new ones needs to comply with regs, with a fensa registered installer you will be covered by a range of things even tho it costs a bit more

A very big range of things from the actual window manufacture complying, the fitting method, insulation value, permanent ventilation rates, etc. I think people get away with non compliance through ignorance, the DIY sheds and small window companies supplying DIY fitters are not putting up big red signs to say, DO YOU KNOW, YOU ARE NOT ACTUALLY ALLOWED TO FIT THESE WINDOWS WITHOUT BEING FENCA OR WITH BUILDING REGS APPROVAL, hell they don't care, they want your business.

I stopped doing ordinary window replacements when Part L came into force, it wasn't worth me becoming Fenca certified, and I wasn't/wouldnt fit uPVC anyway for environmental reasons. But I still do make and install bespoke timber windows for listed buildings or buildings of special interest. But the conservation officer needs to be involved here, and he has more say than building control officer, and 99% of the time what he says is "the replacements need to look exactly the same as the existing, that is like for like in every respect please". Great for me, as I have little to no competition then. Sometimes the conservation officer will allow 4/6/4 slimlite DG units with Krypton gas cavity, but without that the replacements fall well short of Part L requirements. However I still have to stick in a building notice and pay the necessary fee, even though they know they are non compliant . I suppose then the building control officer can justify getting out of the office, although he can say he is checking they are installed ok.
 
All is not lost for DIY window installs- all Building Control are interested in is checking that the beads are inside and the glass is correct (that's what mine told me when I fitted some new as part of a room conversion).
 
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I probably wouldn't have done it if the brother in law hadn't been so confident about it, although to be fair if the pane hadn't smashed everything would have been OK.

One of the reasons I was happy for him to do it was because I could watch and help. The last glazing in this property was fitted by a professional firm (fully registered) and they removed a lintel and didn't replace it, so the roof dropped. I couldn't get any trusted firms in before the render had to be done.

I didn't realise I needed to get building control out until after we ordered the things. The fee is £150, alternatively I could wait until the property is sold and buy an indemnity policy for £40 since I know they are fitted properly and compliant.
 
I probably wouldn't have done it if the brother in law hadn't been so confident about it, although to be fair if the pane hadn't smashed everything would have been OK.

One of the reasons I was happy for him to do it was because I could watch and help. The last glazing in this property was fitted by a professional firm (fully registered) and they removed a lintel and didn't replace it, so the roof dropped. I couldn't get any trusted firms in before the render had to be done.

I didn't realise I needed to get building control out until after we ordered the things. The fee is £150, alternatively I could wait until the property is sold and buy an indemnity policy for £40 since I know they are fitted properly and compliant.

I agree with you, getting a professional firm (fully registered) in to do the work doesn't necessarily mean a good job, as I said before, you probably did a fine job, and your OP was meant as informative not requesting help, so I thought just bring up the building regs bit to warn others of that pitfall. All the best Steve.
 
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There's a difference in definition between a competent job and a professional job.

The people who did our second bedroom were the latter, but clearly not the former!
 
If the frames of the old and new windows are wooden, you just say that you have modified the originals.
 
If the frames of the old and new windows are wooden, you just say that you have modified the originals.

Are you suggesting that he deliberately tell an untruth? I can see that going down well if he ever sold the house and the new owners took legal action because they did not know the windows had been replaced.
I know of one court case, a relative, where a property had been sold for 5 years when the owners found out their loft room had been converted without building regs. Even though they got a certificate of lawful use for the loft room, it cost the original owners a lot in legal fees and compensation because they were found guilty of deliberately not admitting to the illegal improvement in the conveyance questions at time of sale.
 
It can't be proven. Only changing wood to plastic matters. It's all about lintels.
 

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