Hello,

Got a new front door on order from Premdor - just noticed it has a U value
of 2.8. Also just noticed Part L building regs specify a U-value of 2.0 to
be compliant !

Question : What should I do ?!

a) Fill in minor works Building application (for replacement Windows/Doors).
Pay my £100. Fit new front door. Have Building officer come round aftewards
and tell me U-value too high, remove it and replace with something else. Rip
out v.expensive door and risk divorce ?

b) Fit front door and plead ignorance ? Risk BCO coming round at some point
asking questions ?

Are these Building Control Officers reasonable people ? ie. We have double
glazing, I've topped up the loft insulation and we have cavity wall
insulation so having a front door that is slightly over the regulation
U-value isn't going to make that much difference ? The fact that our current
front door is no where near compliant with the new regs either - nothing to
stop me just putting that back I suppose + the next door neighbour has still
got the original 30-yr old single glazed, rotten wood framed windows in
situ - they're probably no-where near compliant either.

The Premdor catalogue have given the door an Amber Part-L rating, quote
"Part L (Amber icon) suitable for refurbishment projects as the glazed area
of the door is less than 50% of door and frame area". No-where in the
Building regs application for I've downloaded does it mention about the size
of the glazed area !

Advice appreciated.
Tim.

On Tue, 1 Jun 2004 18:17:29 +0100, "Tim Jenkins" wrote:

Hello,

Got a new front door on order from Premdor - just noticed it has a U value
of 2.8. Also just noticed Part L building regs specify a U-value of 2.0 to
be compliant !

Question : What should I do ?!

a) Fill in minor works Building application (for replacement Windows/Doors).
Pay my £100. Fit new front door. Have Building officer come round aftewards
and tell me U-value too high, remove it and replace with something else. Rip
out v.expensive door and risk divorce ?

b) Fit front door and plead ignorance ? Risk BCO coming round at some point
asking questions ?

Are these Building Control Officers reasonable people ? ie. We have double
glazing, I've topped up the loft insulation and we have cavity wall
insulation so having a front door that is slightly over the regulation
U-value isn't going to make that much difference ? The fact that our current
front door is no where near compliant with the new regs either - nothing to
stop me just putting that back I suppose + the next door neighbour has still
got the original 30-yr old single glazed, rotten wood framed windows in
situ - they're probably no-where near compliant either.

The Premdor catalogue have given the door an Amber Part-L rating, quote
"Part L (Amber icon) suitable for refurbishment projects as the glazed area
of the door is less than 50% of door and frame area". No-where in the
Building regs application for I've downloaded does it mention about the size
of the glazed area !

Advice appreciated.
Tim.


I wouldn't worry unless you're planning on selling in the near future. I doubt BCOs have time to
wander the streets looking for dodgy glazing....

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Mike Harrison wrote:

On Tue, 1 Jun 2004 18:17:29 +0100, "Tim Jenkins"
wrote:

Hello,

Got a new front door on order from Premdor - just noticed it has a U
value of 2.8. Also just noticed Part L building regs specify a
U-value of 2.0 to be compliant !

Question : What should I do ?!

a) Fill in minor works Building application (for replacement
Windows/Doors). Pay my £100. Fit new front door. Have Building
officer come round aftewards and tell me U-value too high, remove it
and replace with something else. Rip out v.expensive door and risk
divorce ?

b) Fit front door and plead ignorance ? Risk BCO coming round at
some point asking questions ?

Are these Building Control Officers reasonable people ? ie. We have
double glazing, I've topped up the loft insulation and we have
cavity wall insulation so having a front door that is slightly over
the regulation U-value isn't going to make that much difference ?
The fact that our current front door is no where near compliant with
the new regs either - nothing to stop me just putting that back I
suppose + the next door neighbour has still got the original 30-yr
old single glazed, rotten wood framed windows in situ - they're
probably no-where near compliant either.

The Premdor catalogue have given the door an Amber Part-L rating,
quote "Part L (Amber icon) suitable for refurbishment projects as
the glazed area of the door is less than 50% of door and frame
area". No-where in the Building regs application for I've downloaded
does it mention about the size of the glazed area !

Advice appreciated.
Tim.


I wouldn't worry unless you're planning on selling in the near
future. I doubt BCOs have time to wander the streets looking for
dodgy glazing....

AIUI, this particular reg is only about 2 years old - so when you eventually
come to sell the house, it will be very difficult for anyone to prove that
it wasn't fitted before 2002 - unless the particular design of door was
patently not available at that time.

These regs are largely cosmetic - so the UK government can claim it's doing
its bit for global warming. Having a slightly non-compliant front door will
make very little difference in the overall scheme of things - and you're
very unlikely to get hounded by an over-vigilant BCO.
--
Cheers,
Set Square
______
Please reply to newsgroup. Reply address is invalid.

"Nige" wrote in message
...
In uk.d-i-y, Tim Jenkins wrote:

Got a new front door on order from Premdor

If you are just replacing the door, don't worry - it's probably better
than the old one! If this is part of a project being overseen by a BCO,
then ask his advice.

Snip
No don't ask his advice that will only alert him to the problem!! Although
it's better than the old door it would technically still be illegal oh and
IIRC after a year (maybe two) they can't do anything about it anyway..
As advised to a builder friend by a BCO hacked off with trying to enforce
all the new rules, " if the government thinks we are able to go out a look
for every door and window changed they've no ******** chance"..

The Q

"Tim Jenkins" wrote in message
...
Hello,

The Premdor catalogue have given the door an Amber Part-L rating, quote
"Part L (Amber icon) suitable for refurbishment projects as the glazed
area
of the door is less than 50% of door and frame area". No-where in the
Building regs application for I've downloaded does it mention about the
size
of the glazed area !

Advice appreciated.
Tim.



My understanding is that part L only applies to doors if the glazed area is
more than 50% of the door and frame area. If I am correct your door falls
outside the scope of the regulations

James



---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.690 / Virus Database: 451 - Release Date: 23/05/2004

On Tue, 1 Jun 2004 18:17:29 +0100, Tim Jenkins wrote:

Hello,

Got a new front door on order from Premdor - just noticed it has a U value
of 2.8. Also just noticed Part L building regs specify a U-value of 2.0 to
be compliant !

Question : What should I do ?!

How much glass is in the door? From memory I think replacing a door only
comes under building control when it is over 50% glazed.

"James" wrote in message
...

"Tim Jenkins" wrote in message
...
Hello,

The Premdor catalogue have given the door an Amber Part-L rating, quote
"Part L (Amber icon) suitable for refurbishment projects as the glazed
area
of the door is less than 50% of door and frame area". No-where in the
Building regs application for I've downloaded does it mention about the
size
of the glazed area !

Advice appreciated.
Tim.



My understanding is that part L only applies to doors if the glazed area
is
more than 50% of the door and frame area. If I am correct your door falls
outside the scope of the regulations


Watching this thread keenly for definitive answer on the above.

If so, then wahoo - bin tacky white DG monstrosity, and lovely
in-character-painted-wooden-door for us, then. And I'll be happy no regs
broken.

If not, then best just employ a particularly slippery solicitor if I come to
sell the place....

--
Richard Sampson

email me at
richard at olifant d-ot co do-t uk

On Tue, 1 Jun 2004 22:45:38 +0100, "RichardS" noaccess@invalid
wrote:


"James" wrote in message
...

"Tim Jenkins" wrote in message
...
Hello,

The Premdor catalogue have given the door an Amber Part-L rating, quote
"Part L (Amber icon) suitable for refurbishment projects as the glazed
area
of the door is less than 50% of door and frame area". No-where in the
Building regs application for I've downloaded does it mention about the
size
of the glazed area !

Advice appreciated.
Tim.



My understanding is that part L only applies to doors if the glazed area
is
more than 50% of the door and frame area. If I am correct your door falls
outside the scope of the regulations


Watching this thread keenly for definitive answer on the above.

If so, then wahoo - bin tacky white DG monstrosity, and lovely
in-character-painted-wooden-door for us, then. And I'll be happy no regs
broken.

If not, then best just employ a particularly slippery solicitor if I come to
sell the place....

I can't find a specific reference for this in (certainly) the
legislation or the Approved Documents.

However there are several industry references. e.g.

http://www.premdor.co.uk/pdfs/partl.pdf

for replacement doors.

Personally, I'd bin the tacky monstrosity anyway :-)

All solicitors are slippery (the name is apt), in the same way that
doctors practice - it's purely a matter of degree.




..andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

On Tue, 01 Jun 2004 23:04:47 +0100, Andy Hall wrote:

On Tue, 1 Jun 2004 22:45:38 +0100, "RichardS" noaccess@invalid
wrote:


"James" wrote in message
...

"Tim Jenkins" wrote in message
...
Hello,

The Premdor catalogue have given the door an Amber Part-L rating, quote
"Part L (Amber icon) suitable for refurbishment projects as the glazed
area
of the door is less than 50% of door and frame area". No-where in the
Building regs application for I've downloaded does it mention about the
size
of the glazed area !

Advice appreciated.
Tim.



My understanding is that part L only applies to doors if the glazed area
is
more than 50% of the door and frame area. If I am correct your door falls
outside the scope of the regulations


Watching this thread keenly for definitive answer on the above.

If so, then wahoo - bin tacky white DG monstrosity, and lovely
in-character-painted-wooden-door for us, then. And I'll be happy no regs
broken.

If not, then best just employ a particularly slippery solicitor if I come to
sell the place....

I can't find a specific reference for this in (certainly) the
legislation or the Approved Documents.


How about paragraph 2.2:
"shall only be building work where that work consists of the provision of a
window, rooflight, roof window, door (being a door which together with its
frame has more than 50 per cent of its internal face area glazed),........"

On Tue, 1 Jun 2004 23:33:14 +0100, John Armstrong
wrote:

On Tue, 01 Jun 2004 23:04:47 +0100, Andy Hall wrote:



I can't find a specific reference for this in (certainly) the
legislation or the Approved Documents.


How about paragraph 2.2:
"shall only be building work where that work consists of the provision of a
window, rooflight, roof window, door (being a door which together with its
frame has more than 50 per cent of its internal face area glazed),........"


Yep. Agreed. I missed that one.

Good.

The implication then, is to make sure that this is a standalone
replacement and does not get wrapped up into anything else that would
fall under building control.

Richard will be pleased because he can now have his proper front door
and only need to employ semi rather than full scumbag solicitors....
:-)



..andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

"Andy Hall" wrote
| All solicitors are slippery (the name is apt), in the same way
| that doctors practice - it's purely a matter of degree.

LLB vs MB ChB, you mean?

Owain

Ta everyone for the replies. Since the door seems to be in the "less than
50% glass" section of the Premdor catalogue, it looks like I'm OK. (I don't
know the exact area of glass involved and from the picture it looks very
close to 50%, but I'll take their word for it !)

Cheers.

(I don't know the exact area of glass involved and from the
picture it looks very close to 50%, but I'll take their word
for it !)

If you measure it, you'll probably find it is probably around the 49.9%
mark.

Christian.

Mike Harrison wrote in message . ..

I wouldn't worry unless you're planning on selling in the near future.

How many buyers are going to ask about the U value of the front door?

How many buyers even know what a U value is?

MBQ

On 2 Jun 2004 05:09:36 -0700, (MBQ) wrote:

Mike Harrison wrote in message . ..

I wouldn't worry unless you're planning on selling in the near future.

How many buyers are going to ask about the U value of the front door?

How many buyers even know what a U value is?

MBQ


The possible scenario might come in a catch-all question in a buyer's
solicitor's standard questionnaire which might ask a question about
whether any controlled building activities had happened and if so,
whether appropriate applications had been made.

A truthful answer to that, if the door had 50% glazing and had been
installed since Apr 2002 would have to admit to same.


..andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl