Crackdown on heritage window ‘con men’ demanded
Owners of heritage properties risk being conned out of vast sums of money by fitting illegally designed windows that mist and fail within months of installation, timber window firm Blairs Windows has warned.
This follows a recent GGF statement reminding members that all IGUs placed on the market must conform to EN 1279-5:2018, which covers moisture penetration and gas leakage.
Despite these rules, there is evidence to suggest that so-called ‘low sightline units’ are being installed in properties to closely match the windows they are replacing, but do not conform to the necessary standards and subsequently fail prematurely.
As a result, Blairs Windows has issued a statement saying that the more ‘reputable’ window manufacturers have called for a “crackdown on an ‘epidemic’ of rogue firms”, and has urged local authorities to “stop abetting this problem through the planning process”.
One recent case involved Louisa Gardiner from West Linton in the Scottish Borders who renovated her new home that required new windows in keeping with the style of her heritage property.
Twenty-six windows were ordered by Ms Gardiner at a cost of more than £20,000 before installation. After fitting, windows started to fail within weeks. Now, more than half the windows have misted and Ms Gardner is seeking recompense.
“We were advised that windows had to be in keeping with what was originally fitted in the property,” Louisa said. “The problems started soon after installation and the company supplying the windows blamed the installation but it soon became clear that the units themselves were substandard.
“We were unsuccessful in a legal claim but we continue to pursue the manufacturer regarding a Declaration of Performance certificate that was never issued to us and would confirm whether the windows were compliant with legislation or not. Trading Standards Scotland have been helpful but we remain thousands of pounds out of pocket with a property that now requires replacement windows again. This is in addition to the time and stress spent fighting our case.”
Glass Times reported on a similar case in August 2018.
The wider issue was raised in a parliamentary question at Westminster earlier this year and after more than three years of discussion, Historic Environment Scotland has now incorporated the legitimate specification of windows that should be used for older properties.
However, Blairs Windows has said that reputable manufacturers are losing work to companies supplying prohibited windows, and council planners are still directing architects to use non-compliant windows despite it being against the law.
Blairs chairman Alex Gray (who is also chairman of Glass and Glazing Federation Scotland) said: “We have seen this problem going on for too long now and it is an epidemic that needs to be cured by collective action from trading standards, local authorities and the industry. Property owners are being unwittingly conned out of huge sums of money and we are seeing examples of lottery money being sunk into restoration projects that are destined to fail.”
He continued: “Despite firm guidance from Historic Environment Scotland, I know of three major public projects in Scotland that appear to be heading down this non-compliant route despite the advice of industry experts.”
Cornwall Glass Manufacturing also issued a statement recently, which said: “We know first-hand the pressure that is placed on manufacturers to get sightlines down to a minimum. However, there is a point where, in our opinion, a glazing rebate upstand simply becomes too low and too restrictive.”
Managing director Mark Norcliffe said his company needed to meet demand from the heritage sector for low sightlines but not at the expense of performance.
“Of the more than 42,000 heritage IGUs we have supplied, we have recorded only a handful of failures,” he said. “This is because we haven’t been prepared to push sealants beyond the limit of their performance.
“If you’re only using a very minimal level of sealant it takes nothing to puncture it and lead to failure; 4mm/5mm is the same as our standard unit, which allows us to underwrite the performance of the window.”
He continued: “While the industry remains … under pressure to deliver ultra-low rebate windows, there will always be those tempted to supply them at a cost to not only their customers but the fenestration industry at large.”
