If you’re in the Nottingham area and you’re thinking about having replacement double glazed windows, you’ve probably visited our website at least once – well, we hope you have!!
Having looked around for advice about window styles, double glazing, thermal properties and the rest, you might have looked at this page, which gives you many examples of the work we do. You probably noticed that as a company, we’re ‘quality assured by CERTASS’, which is why we’re the number one choice for smart homeowners, architects and developers. But what is CERTASS, and why does it matter?
Basically, CERTASS is a UK certification scheme which guarantees that your replacement windows are compliant, efficient and insured for quality and performance. We’ve signed up as members of CERTASS because we believe it is important that an independent trade organization should monitor what we say about the quality of the materials we use and the work we carry out.
You might have also looked at other window suppliers’ sites and seen that they’re members of FENSA. This is another glazing industry organization that monitors building regulation compliance for replacement windows and doors. FENSA was set up before CERTASS and has more members. However, CERTASS’s membership is growing rapidly, and it is also Green Deal approved – the Government scheme that provides loans for energy-saving home improvements.
So let’s take a deeper dive into both CERTASS and FENSA to see which – if any – have more advantages for you, the homeowner.
What is CERTASS?
CERTASS stands for Certification and Self Assessment. It is a not-for-profit organization and was established in 2006 by The Department for Communities and Local Government as an alternative to the FENSA scheme, which we will discuss shortly. CERTASS assesses prospective members to make sure they meet the standards required for window installation, and will issue compliance certificate directly to the homeowner within seven working days of receiving notification of the completed works from the CERTASS contractor.
The CERTASS website says: “Our UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service) accreditation matters! It places a duty upon us to certify our members impartially against agreed standards. It requires that our certification provides confidence to all interested parties including consumers, Governments and industry.”
What is FENSA?
FENSA is short for Fenestration Self-Assessment Scheme. It was set up by the Glass and Glazing Federation in April 2002, and was the first scheme of its kind created for the window and door installation industry in England and Wales. FENSA monitors building regulation compliance for replacement windows, doors, roof lights and roof windows.
The FENSA website says: “FENSA’s mission is to improve window and door replacements across England and Wales, by professionalising installers and protecting homeowners. We make sure the work complies with building regulations, is energy efficient, and registered with the local council. And verify that every FENSA Approved Installer’s guarantee is insured.”
Is there much difference between the two?
On paper, probably not a lot. Both are highly responsible, reputable organisations that offer a high quality of service to both glazing companies like us and homeowners who need to know that what they’ve just paid for passes muster as far as window standards are concerned. We chose to align with CERTASS because we believe they’re a go-ahead organisation whose values chime very closely with our own. They’re very quick to issue certificates to our customers, and as outstanding customer service is at the heart of everything we do, we particularly like this aspect of their operation.
Having CERTASS (and FENSA) professional certification is a must when you’re looking for a reputable installation company like ourselves. It gives you complete peace of mind by making sure that everything is above board as far as Building Regulations go. For more information about what we do, contact us here or give us a call on 0115 866 0066.