The consultation to Part L of the Building Regulations, launched by DCLG back in January this year, is a critical process that will tighten up the standards relating to the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions from homes and ensure that the renovation and new build market is equipped to deal with the journey to ‘zero carbon’ by 2016.
For some corners of our industry this consultation has been positioned as an opportunity to sell the ‘Part L solution’ to the conservatory and orangery market resulting in unnecessary confusion amongst installers about exactly how Part L may, or may not, impact our market. Andrew Thomson, technical director at Ultraframe explains why this irresponsible sales tactic is at best misleading, but ultimately demonstrates the lack of depth and knowledge among some roof system providers.
Andrew explains: “Part L is a complex beast, but underpins the critical requirement for the built environment to be carbon-free by 2016. That’s a given. Part L ultimately defines the way we build new homes in the UK, by far the biggest market causing concern for Government in dealing with the zero carbon journey. But that said, the renovation and refurbishment market is also a massive consideration and twice as many extensions are built each year compared to the building of new homes – a trend we are likely to witness for many years while the housing and mortgage market recovers.
“Our role as the leading roof manufacturer is to set the standards by which all other manufacturers follow and develop roof solutions that lead the conservatory market towards improved thermal efficiency for homeowners. That has been our role for years, and we will continue to work closely with our customers to provide next generation ‘hybrid’ systems that evolve the conservatory market and raise the expectations of the homeowner about the thermal attributes they should be looking for as standard in their conservatory.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for the conservatory market if certain roof providers stop playing in the dirt and grasp the nettle. This period of Government reflection is not about bringing the conservatory market into line with Part L, it’s about manufacturers recognising that the time for cheap, inefficient roofs has long gone and home owners demand and expect their conservatory to perform in exactly the same way as their normal living space.”
Ultraframe has gone through some seismic changes in recent times, not least of all with the appointment of self build and offsite manufacturing expert Joe Martoccia. Joe comments: “This is an incredibly exciting time for any manufacturer that can develop future proof solutions in the conservatory and extension market. It’s quite easy to get bogged down in the detail of Part L and try and falsely cause panic amongst the installer market. The reality is, we should be developing solutions that lead us towards a carbon-free conclusion and this won’t be driven by Government in this market - it will be driven by Ultraframe. Reality is we are answerable to home owners - keen to conserve fuel and keep a lid on their utility bills.”
With rising fuel prices and a stagnant housing market its critical that Ultraframe lead product innovation to ensure that their customers continue to deliver a broad range of solutions that look great, provide optimum thermal performance and add value to the home. Joe concludes: “There is no room in this market for mediocrity. Consumers are more demanding than ever before, our debate in this market shouldn’t be focused on Part L, it should be focused on supporting our installers with evolved systems that underpin their business in terms of reputation and profit.”
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