What permission is required?
Since 1 April 2002, all replacement windows will be subject to control under the Building Regulations. Anyone who installs replacement windows or doors will have to satisfy strict thermal performance standards. This does not apply to DIY work.
What permission may be required?
If a property is listed or located in a Conservation Area, planning permission and or Listed Building consent may be required before a window or door is replaced. In such instances the design, materials and external finishes may be critical. However, such buildings are exempt from these new requirements of the Building Regulations. In these cases, like for like replacement is considered acceptable, although any improvement in thermal efficiency is welcomed.
The purpose of this change is to reduce energy loss. The Building Regulations have controlled glazing in new buildings and extensions for many years. However, new glazing represents only a small proportion of our total building stock. If we are to meet increasingly stringent energy saving targets, it is necessary to improve the performance of existing buildings. There are other considerations, such as structural support and means of escape in the event of fire, which need to be borne in mind when replacing windows.
If one is to sell ones property, the purchaser's solicitor will want evidence that any replacement windows or doors installed after April 2002 comply with the Building Regulations. There are two ways to prove compliance:
- a certificate showing that the work has been carried out by an installer who is registered under the FENSA Scheme, or
- a certificate from the local authority confirming that the work has approval under the Building Regulations.
The FENSA scheme
It is estimated that around 2 million installations of replacement glazing each year. If all of them went through the normal Building Regulations process, it would place an enormous burden on local authorities. It is also essential to have a way to ensure that the work is done properly without an unreasonable increase in the administrative and financial burden on installers and property owners. The Glass & Glazing Federation, in association with key stakeholders has put together a scheme which allows installation companies that meet certain criteria to self-certify that their work complies with the Building Regulations. The scheme has the approval of Central Government.
FENSA stands for fenestration self-assessment. A sample of the work of each registered installer will be inspected by FENSA appointed inspectors to ensure that standards are maintained. FENSA will inform local authorities of all installations completed under the scheme and issue certificates to householders confirming compliance.
Any installation done by a firm, which is not registered under the scheme, or done as a DIY project by a householder, will require an application under the Building Regulations. Local authorities will know of all of the approved installers in their area and will be able to identify unauthorised work quite easily. It is the responsibility of the property owner to ensure the work complies with the Building Regulations.
Before signing a contract to buy replacement glazing, be sure to ask whether the installer can self-certify. If not, either they, or you, will need to apply to your local authority for approval under the Building Regulations and pay any relevant fees.
Enquiries regarding FENSA should be addressed to:
FENSA Ltd., 44-48 Borough High Street, London SE1 1XB
(Tel: 0870 7802823, Fax: 020 7357 7458).
Another useful source of information is the Glass & Glazing Federation website : www.ggf.org.uk
Other considerations
Sometimes the window or door frames being replaced are load bearing. Before replacing a window or door, a check should be made to determine whether there is a lintel over the opening. This could take the form of a brick arch, steel, concrete or timber beam, all of which carry loads over the window. Openings in flat walls usually have one of the above types of lintel. However, some windows with just a roof structure above, particularly if it is small in area and the building was built before 1950.
Older properties with curved, square or splayed bay windows have often been constructed with the bay as a load bearing part of the structure. The original bay windows being made of timber, with the vertical members, the mullions, acting as columns enabling them to carry considerable loads. With load-bearing bays, structural posts must be incorporated in the new window frame. If posts are not incorporated, the bay can collapse with considerable risk of personal injury.
When windows are replaced, the new windows must be capable of providing an opening of not less than the original windows. Where a window may have to be used as an alternative exit in the event of fire or other emergency, the window should achieve a clear opening of at least 0.33 square metres with a minimum dimension of not less than 450mm.
This information was correct at the time of writing (May 2003).
Contact us
Building Control
Environment and Regeneration
Waltham Forest Council
Sycamore House
Forest Road
London E17 4JF
Tel 020 8496 3000
Email building.control@walthamforest.gov.uk
