FAQs
What sort of things are covered by FENSA / Building Control?
The short answer is the full scope of the current Building Regulations. A professional window surveyor or installer should be familiar with these requirements and should be able to tell you how they apply to your property - if they're not are they someone you trust to work on your property? Try asking them some 'technical' questions - Do you need fire escape (egress) windows? (A: Yes if you have them now, no if you don't - a fire escape window is one with an opening within 1500mm of the floor, that opens to an unobstructed 450mm and a minimum area of 1/3 of a square meter. They are required in all upstairs habitable rooms (unless there is a fire escape), and downstairs rooms that have more than 2 doors between them and outside). Which side does the Low E glass go on? (A: it goes on the inner pane on the side facing into the sealed unit - this question often fools inexperienced surveyors as glass is usually labelled with a "this side OUT" sticker).
Of specific importance are;
Part L (Fuel conservation) often referred to regarding Low E glass use - however other aspects also apply.
Part M (Disabled Access) of particular importance for new build applications and door detailing.
Part N (Safety - see Safety Glazing Question) of paramount importance - yet rarely mentioned by surveyors.
Part F (Ventillation) Various local authorites interpret these requirements in different ways in our experience and this part of the regulations is due to be ammended (as of Sept 2007).
Part B (means of egress). Often misinterpreted.
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The short answer is the full scope of the current Building Regulations. A professional window surveyor or installer should be familiar with these requirements and should be able to tell you how they apply to your property - if they're not are they someone you trust to work on your property? Try asking them some 'technical' questions - Do you need fire escape (egress) windows? (A: Yes if you have them now, no if you don't - a fire escape window is one with an opening within 1500mm of the floor, that opens to an unobstructed 450mm and a minimum area of 1/3 of a square meter. They are required in all upstairs habitable rooms (unless there is a fire escape), and downstairs rooms that have more than 2 doors between them and outside). Which side does the Low E glass go on? (A: it goes on the inner pane on the side facing into the sealed unit - this question often fools inexperienced surveyors as glass is usually labelled with a "this side OUT" sticker).
Of specific importance are;
Part L (Fuel conservation) often referred to regarding Low E glass use - however other aspects also apply.
Part M (Disabled Access) of particular importance for new build applications and door detailing.
Part N (Safety - see Safety Glazing Question) of paramount importance - yet rarely mentioned by surveyors.
Part F (Ventillation) Various local authorites interpret these requirements in different ways in our experience and this part of the regulations is due to be ammended (as of Sept 2007).
Part B (means of egress). Often misinterpreted.
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