Changes To Parts L And F

While my blog has been on hiatus, I've not been able to tell everyone what I think about the Building Regs changes!

It looks like they might have listened to the window industry regarding the trickle vent issue. The message from window companies was that while we are trying to fit the most energy efficient windows possible, trickle vents will only serve to hamper that effort. Also, that trickle vents didn't really provide that much of a benefit as most customers don't like them, and those that do have them keep them closed or seal them up later. It will be interesting to know what Tyson Anderson from Titon makes of this. But one point I'd like to make is that under the changes it says the trickle vent proposal was dropped due to strong pressure from the GGF. I didn't read much about that pressure! I know I made a big deal about it, but I don't for the life of me remember them making it publicly clear they strongly disagreed with it!

The biggest change/confirmation that people were waiting to hear about was the WER banding change of E to C, and the alternative compliance method of showing the window has a minimum 1.6 U-value. Window companies are not going to start exlpaining U-values in depth to customers, so most will opt for the C rating certification, lining the pockets of the GGF.

Those are the main changes that will have the biggest effects on the window industry in the mid-term.