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PRO INSTALLER JUNE 2014
PRO BUSINESS
@proinstaller1
JUNE 6TH DEADLINE HERALDS MAJOR
CHANGES IN GLAZING REGS… NO
INSURANCE BACKED GUARANTEE
(IBG), NO REGISTRATION!
More guarantees...more IBGs...more certification... once again, the window and door industry in
England and Wales is undergoing major changes in regulations on standards and guarantees.
The bad news is that it
will place every window
installer – and many
other trade sectors –
under a whole new raft
of legal obligations. Of
course, the good news
is that more and tighter
regs means the cowboy
traders are more and
more isolated, giving
the honest professionals even more chances
to prove their integrity
to the consumer.
The biggest change is that
it will now be mandatory
for every Competent Person
Scheme member to give
every customer financial
protection on every installation. It is no longer an
option simply to offer an
IBG – every homeowner
must be given one for every
installation.
The changes also see new
rules regarding the Minimum Technical Competence
or MTC Card, verifying the
holder’s abilities in domestic
window and door installation and surveying. These
changes mean there must be
at least one cardholder present at every installation and,
with some exceptions, every
survey must be carried out
by a cardholder. The Department for Communities and
Local Government requires
that all Competent Person
Schemes must verify the
competence of all surveyors
and installers in this way.
Recently, HomePro, one of
the UK’s biggest IBG providers, revealed that as many
as 80% of domestic window installation companies
surveyed were still not up
to speed with the changes.
Compliance Manager Jim
Keane said this was a very
worrying result, especially
as any installation carried
out under any Competent
Person Scheme but not
complying with the new
rules would not qualify for
self-assessment.
He added: “It is quick and
easy for installers to register
a HomePro IBG and they
are widely accepted by
self-assessment bodies such
as FENSA and CERTASS. If
installers take just a few moments to learn the new regs,
they can make the most of
our IBGs but any installer
who gets it wrong may risk
not being able to register
their work by self-assessment.
“Like any new legislation,
it may take a little time for
people to get used to it but
once they have had time to
absorb a few new working
practices, everything should
fall into place naturally.
And of course, any of our
customers are welcome to
contact us at any time if
they need further clarification.”
Some of the main changes
at a glance:
• A mandatory IBG covering the product guarantee
(see: www.homepro.com/
HomeProInsurance )
• The IBG to include
mandatory cover against
breaches of all applicable
aspects of Building Regulations (not just Part L).
• Any IBG not incorporating these changes by the
June deadline will not
qualify to register installations under self-assessment.
• A MTC qualified installer
will need to be present
at every installation. Also
anyone carrying out a survey will also need to be
assessed (unless they can
show they are under the
supervision of a competent surveyor).
GLAZERITE: WHEN BEING
PARTNERS SHOWS
We all hope that the recession is over but for some, it never really began,
and much of it can be put down to working together in difficult times.
This is certainly true of Glazerite Windows Ltd, the VEKA trade fabricator
and loyal customer, Fairweather Windows Doors & Conservatories.
For Peter Smith, Sales Manager for
Glazerite, and Fairweather’s Paul
Greig, contact goes back 25 years.
“It’s all about relationships,” explained Peter, “along with delivering
on quality and supply, and a long
term view towards your customer.”
Fairweather recently opened a new showroom in Wyke, near Bradford to develop
the retail side, showing a comprehensive
‘they have been absolutely brilliant - Peter is like
that ad which says it does what it says on the tin’
display with the VEKA range. The business 12 years old - is a partnership between Paul
Greig and his son, Patrick.
The relationship with Glazerite has been
a crucial factor for Paul. “They have been
absolutely brilliant - Peter is like that ad
which says it does what it says on the tin
and that’s been true in our relationship for
25 years. It’s a partnership I can’t valu