Protecting not policing
The BFRC is a name synonymous with driving industry standards and is the UK’s most established and widely recognised rating organisation for verifying the energy performance of windows and doors. Here, manging director, Richard Sellman, explains why the focus of the organisation is firmly fixed on continuing to make a real difference.
The need to improve standards across the construction industry continues to be a major talking point, due in part to the continued scrutiny under which the industry is placed.
As a result of this, we’re beginning to see those calls, which started with the Grenfell Inquiry and Awaab’s Law come closer to home, across the fenestration industry. This is something that we welcome and it’s fantastic to see more focus than ever before being placed on compliance and in service performance.
Supporting the drive to raise industry standards is at the heart of everything we do. The introduction of the BFRC WERs over 20 years ago, has significantly contributed to improving the performance of products across the industry, and more recently we have launched our U-value scheme to further reinforce that ethos.
We are proud to be seen as the benchmark for window and door energy ratings, and the U-value Certification Scheme builds on that legacy.
One thing that’s becoming increasingly obvious, is the need for products to not only meet these standards straight off the production line, but to also maintain them for their expected service life.
Doing the right thing
For the past 18 months we’ve embarked upon a strategic investment programme to extend the scope of our offering.
As well as continuing to promote best practice to our existing members, we want to support those manufacturers striving to do the right thing and help them in any way we can. In a tough market and amidst changing legislation, there is a growing expectation to deliver the designed performance in the installed product, and we want to work with the industry to ensure confidence that products will continue to perform throughout their product lifecycle too.
We’re fully committed to applying our focus and support to this issue, which is why the BFRC is the first company in the UK to own a Sparklike Laser Portable 2.1, enabling us to offer non-destructive gas concentration measurement, either on site or in a customer’s manufacturing facility.
In addition, it gives us the flexibility to be able to measure both double and triple glazed units. The use of the Laser technology ensures we can accurately determine concentrations from 1% -100%.
A unique offering
Being able to use the Sparklike means that we can now add to our growing offering of on-site evaluations, which also include emissivity measurements as well as our existing CWCT water testing.
By being able to measure the emissivity level of a coated glass pane within an IGU on site, and in situ, it enables us to carry out a complete in-service performance evaluation of IGUs in a building façade without the need to remove or deglaze any units, providing the property manager with up to the minute information regarding the glazing performance.
Please visit us to discuss your requirements in detail at the upcoming FIT show, where we will be exhibiting on the Glass and Glazing Federation (GGF) stand G40.