- Home
- News
- Windows
- Doors
- Porches
- Door Designer
Introducing the Force8 Composite Door Designer
6 times better insulated than timber, design and specify the perfect entrance to your home with our composite door designer. Specify your frame, door style, colour, glass design and hardware, fill in a few details about yourself and submit your design to us for a no obligation quote via the form of communication you prefer.
- Replacement Glazing
- Conservatories
- Roofing Products
- About Us
- Composite Front Doors
- Composite Door Range
- Sidelights
- Fire Doorsets
- Composite Back Doors
- Composite French Doors
- Arched Frames
- Bi Folding Doors
- Door Style Summary
- Decorative Glass
- Bespoke Glass
- Textured/Backing
- Hardware & Threshold Options
- Windows
- Round Pivot Windows
- Bow Windows
- Arch Windows
- Conservatories
- Roofline
- Double Glazing
- Replacement Double Glazing
- Porches
New Front Door Building Regulations
New Building Regulations including all doors come into force on 1st October 2010. These regulations affect all of us and cost of failing to comply could be considerable. Read on to be aware of the facts and ensure you don’t make a very expensive mistake when choosing your new door as it is the installer of the door, whether a professional installer or the homeowner, (not the manufacturer) who is liable.
The new Building Regulations cover the energy efficiency of all buildings and include windows and doors. New build homes and replacements/improvements to existing buildings are included and the new regulations are designed to meet greater energy efficiency requirements and lower carbon emissions.
So, what does this mean for you? Whether you are building a new home or replacing an existing door, the new door will have to meet strict energy efficiency requirements to comply with the regulations. Any door fitted on or after the 1st October 2010 must have a U-value of 1.8 or less. Failure to comply can result in sanctions by the Local Authority Building Control Body (BCB) – see below for further details.
What is a U-value? The U-value measures the rate at which heat is lost through the material. The lower the amount of heat is lost, the lower the energy wastage and the lower the U-value.
It is believed that many options such as PVCu, timber and aluminium doors will really struggle to achieve the required U-value. Surely there must be an answer to this situation, a product that offers choice, style, security, durability and guaranteed compliance? Following rigorous calculations including all components of the door and frame, a 44mm thick Force 8 composite door guaranteescompliance. Our frames offer superior thermal efficiency with the use of PVC reinforcing. A solid composite door generally has a U-value of 1 or less and even if you add in a standard double glazed unit (with a U-value as high as 2.8) representing approximately 25% of the composite door area on a typical twin glazed design, this would still achieve a U value of 1.4 well within the October 2010 regulation.
What are the penalties for contravening the Regulations?
If building work is undertaken that contravenes the Regulations, the Local Authority BCB can:
- Serve an enforcement notice which requires the removal or alteration of work that does not comply with the Regulations. The enforcement notice will give 28 days to carry out the required work, failing which the local authority can carry out the work at the cost of the owner/occupier.
- Apply for an injunction for the removal or alteration the work.
- Prosecute a contravention of the Regulations through summary proceedings in the magistrates’ court. Businesses may be liable to a fine of up to £5,000 and an additional £50 per day for each day the contravention continues after conviction.
Even if a local authority does not prosecute or take enforcement action, it will not issue a completion certificate to confirm compliance with the Regulations if there has been a contravention. This may subsequently create difficulties when selling the property.
You may also be unaware of Building Regulations relating to Fire Doors. In brief, FD30 Fire Doors are required in the following situations:
- If your home has 3 or more stories, or is situated in a building with 3 or more stories, doors leading to escape routes and communal areas
- In any dwelling, an internal door connecting to a garage (e.g. doors leading to the garage from a kitchen or utility room)
Gone are the days where Fire Doors were ugly and utilitarian in appearance, the Force 8 FD30 Fire Door offers style without compromising safety, security and peace of mind.
