Pro Installer March 2022 - Issue 108 | Page 21

News
Read online at www . proinstaller . co . uk
MARCH 2022 | 21

News

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Part F stir ‘ completely at odds ’

The upcoming requirements under Part F of the Building Regs to fit trickle vents in virtually all replacement windows are causing quite a stir amongst installers – with many complaining about how unpopular they are with homeowners .

LEADS 2 TRADE SEES 50 % INCREASE IN INSTALLER ENQUIRIES DURING JANUARY

Leads 2 Trade saw a record month of enquiries to join its trusted local supplier network in January as installers look for help to generate the leads they want in 2022 .
The UK ’ s leading provider of double-qualified home improvement sales leads to installers saw a 50 % increase in installer enquiries .
Andy Royle , co-founder , and Director of Leads2trade , is under no illusions as to why the company is being inundated .
“ Last year really did hit an artificial peak and some installers are reporting a definite shift to receiving fewer enquiries from their self-generated efforts ,” said Andy .
“ The problem they are now facing is they have put resources in place to be able to manage how busy they have been over the last 12 months and maintaining those levels won ’ t be easy . They have been feasting over the last 12 months and they need to keep feeding , so using a third-party lead generation company is vital to help keep generating the volume of leads they need .”
The increase in installer enquiries was just part of a strong start to the year for Leads 2 Trade , with the company generating more than 20,000 raw enquiries from its consumer comparison websites in January from homeowners looking for quotes for their home improvement projects .
In January , the company saw a 69 % increase in lead volumes for home improvements compared to January 2021 ,
with a huge 196 % increase in enquiries for conservatory roofs and a 30 % increase in enquires for double glazing .
And Andy sees this as the perfect storm for more installers to join the Leads 2 Trade network and take advantage of the enormous number of double qualified leads they are generating :
“ We are still seeing huge demand from consumers for home improvements and now is a fantastic time to join our strong network of installers and take advantage of the resulting opportunities .”
Installers can also take advantage of Leads 2 Trade ’ s guaranteed booking appointment lead service , which sees a lead sold to one other company and members only paying for the lead if they sit and pitch it .
“ Our no pitch no fee is a perfect riskfree exercise for any home improvement company who are considering trialling the service as they would also benefit from our current 2 free leads promotion when opening a new account ,” added Andy .
To become a member of Leads 2 Trade ’ s trusted installer network and take advantage of booked and confirmed appointments , telephone 0800 124 4308 or visit https :// leads2trade . co . uk / about / appointment-booking /
That ’ s completely at odds with our experience in the social housing sector . The vast majority of residents in homes where we are fitting windows understand exactly why they are necessary , and we actually get very little pushback . If we do , our fitters are fully briefed to explain the benefits of background ventilation – and the likely cost of remedials .
I was surprised then to see the figure shared recently by Dean Bradley of Glazpart that , of 55 sites audited by the government during the consultation on the new Building Regs , only two were fully compliant even with the 2006 version of Approved Document F .
No wonder that there will now be an Installation and Commissioning checklist that has to be completed and handed over to the homeowner after a window installation that includes sign off on the background ventilation . Knowingly making a false declaration on that will invalidate either FENSA or CERTASS certification . As I see it , there ’ s nowhere really to go in terms of non-compliance . The rules state that a replacement installation should make the ventilation ‘ no worse ’ and the fact is that if you replace any double gasketed PVC-U window with a like for like replacement , it will increase the air tightness
simply because the original will have deteriorated in performance over time .
My understanding is that it won ’ t be enough to take a photograph to justify not fitting a trickle vent either – effectively , you ’ d have to complete a before and after air tightness test and that would be completely unviable .
I actually think it will become increasingly difficult during the course of this year for installers to buy frames that aren ’ t routed for trickle vents . Certainly , fabricators we have spoken to plan to make inclusion of trickle vents the default option on their ordering systems . As soon as they effectively become compulsory
, where ’ s the incentive for fabricators to encourage the breaking of the rules ?
Obviously , there are relatively few physical inspections carried out to police the Building Regs , but that shouldn ’ t be a reason for installers to ignore them . Maybe what ’ s needed is a better communications programme to persuade homeowners of the benefits of trickle vents and , in a post-Covid world , reinforce the importance of bringing fresh air into their homes ?
David Thornton Chairman The Window Company ( Contracts )
www . thewinco . co . uk