With the complexity of the new Part L and F regulations and the short timescale manufacturers had to meet it, it was a challenging 2022 for the industry.
One company not complaining about compliance is specialist aluminium fabricator CDW Systems.
The Gloucester-based company, one of the most well-respected specialists in the trade supply of aluminium window, door and curtain wall products. has always made sure it sets the standard and offers fully compliant products to customers.
The company is ISO audited on a regular basis and earlier this year again achieved the coveted ISO 9001 certification, demonstrating its commitment to quality products and services for customers.
“New regulations and legislation are challenging and always spread a bit of panic but at CDW Systems we like that challenge and have always embraced it,” said CDW’s Group Chairman, Jeremy Phillips.
“It’s a good thing that the industry has got more regulated over the years as it ultimately raises standards. There is a cost to it, and it can be a pain, but we want to be compliant. With ISO 9001 we took everything on board, made the correct changes and they have worked.
“It shows how dedicated everyone is to make sure these professional standards continue to be met and that we do business in the right way. As a company we want to continually improve and if you embrace any changes you have to make them it will improve the way you operate.”
Part L regulations to produce less CO2 emissions and new ventilation requirements for new homes and existing ones with revisions to Part F saw CDW review its product offering to ensure it could offer fully compliant windows and doors for all projects.
As part of the East Manor Group, which includes sister company and double glazing specialists Clearway Doors & Windows, CDW understands what installers have been going through and also introduced a new resource centre on its website to provide customers with everything they need to know about the changes.
“It has proved challenging to meet the regulations with aluminium as the frames are slimmer and we have made sure we’ve had a lot of contact with FENSA to make sure we are doing the right things,” added Jeremy.
“We altered our preps and increased our machinery to cope with that extra prep. It used to be that fifty per cent of windows had trickle vents, now it’s pretty much 100% so we have done a lot of work with our technical department in that regard.
“And thanks to Clearway we were able to look at things from an installer point of view, as well as the end user, which we feel gives us an edge on other trade suppliers.
“One of the things customers have always been guaranteed when dealing with CDW Systems is that all our products meet the correct industry standards and regulations, so we left no stone unturned to make sure our products are compliant. And that’s the way it should be.”
Established in 1992, CDW Systems is one of the UK’s longest running aluminium specialists. For more information visit www.cdwsystems.co.uk or call 01452 414853.
