Solution for all seasons
The Build Check team has used its expertise to great effect to create a series of solutions that help companies in all areas of the supply chain comply with the latest revisions to Part L of the Building Regulations. Richard Bate, Technical Director, explains.
As we leave winter behind and head into spring, itseems like a suitable vantage point to look forward to the possibilities Part L can bring. Even the more cynical amongst us may be able to view it more as a sales opportunity and less as a controversial waste of time and money. During the implementation period it was hard for many companies to keep pace with all the developments and changes. As an Independent agency approved by the BFRC, Build Check is ideally placed to offer objective advice on the best route to ensure compliance.
Our customers cover the entire cross section of the supply chain from extrusion through fabrication of all frame materials to installation; sealed unit manufacture and even trade organisations. With such diversity of customers, it is hardly surprising that we have developed a comprehensive range of solutions to guide our clients through the process. We have consulted on the design of profile systems, carried out thermal performance simulations for installers and component suppliers to gain their Window Energy Ratings (WERS) and even worked with trade bodies to provide simulation tools for their members.
WERs are the most widely publicised (not to mention controversial) method of demonstrating compliance with the Building Regulations and everyone should, by now, know what is required to achieve an A, B or C rating. By way of a quick refresher, if you are a fabricator, you have to demonstrate a factory production control system is in place and have your products simulated by an independent assessor. If you are an installer, you can either piggy back off your supplier’s license as an authorised retailer or rely on your supplier’s own WER label – but accept your name will not be on the product. Either way it is the whole window that is rated, not just the frame or sealed unit in isolation.
In our capacity as an Independent Agency, we can carry out factory production control and product quality audits and guide companies through the process required to become BFRC Approved License Holders. Build Check also offers a host of other testing and accreditation services including BFRC approved energy rating reports via our team of certified simulators.
We have helped hundreds of fabricators and installers to achieve WERs and, over the last few months, we have seen a sustained increase in the number of ‘A’ ratings achieved. There is now twice the number of‘A’s compared to ‘B’s on the BFRC website.
Meanwhile many companies see U-Values as a quick and cost effective way to demonstrate compliance, albeit without the marketing advantages of the WER label. Doors are, by definition, excluded from Window Energy Ratings so it is no surprise that the demand for U-Value calculations has rapidly expanded.The simple method of compliance states that if you have a timber or PVC-U frame (as long as it has five chambers) and you use an IGU comprising: soft coat low-e glass, 90% gas filled and warm edge spacer bar, with no less than a 16mm cavity; you will achieve the target 1.6 W/m2K U-Value. However this may not be the most economical solution, so how do you match the variables to generate the best value? Many suppliers offer their customers U-Value calculations as a service, but we believe there is nothing quite like controlling the process yourself. This is why we have developed The Oracle.
Designed to make the process of U-Value calculation simple, quick and cost effective, The Oracle includes a vast library of technical information and specifications that can be used by fabricators, installers, or sealed unit manufacturers. You can calculate the U-Value of your chosen frame and sealed unit combination and compare it to the target of 1.6 W/m2K for windows and 1.8 W/m2K for doors. PVC-U, timber or aluminium framed windows and doors are all included in the software, the results of which are recognised by FENSA and, in most cases, building control as proof of compliance.
The Oracle is an on-line resource which means it can be constantly upgraded with the latest product information, something that is impossible with disk-based systems. Since its launch in the autumn, we have seen a rapid rise in subscribers and fully expect user numbers to increase as the benefits become apparent.
The key to the current market is adaptability. Companies that can provide householders with products that demonstrably save them money without swallowing profits through over specifying the constituent parts will be the ones that prosper into this season and next.
www.buildcheck.co.uk
