Upvc window and door frames sagging.

[Panelman]

I have a 3m x 4m conservatory, upvc windows on both sides with double doors in the ctr of the 4m frontage with windows either side of the doors. Recently I have noticed the top of the door and window frames sagging making it difficult to close and lock the doors. I removed the utility board above the windows to the ceiling for investigation into the problem and found chocks of wood between the frames and the wooden roof joists which are taking the weight of the flat roof almost directly onto the frames.
Should the FENSA registered window company who fitted the windows and doors also have fitted a steel lintel and vertical supports to strengthen the frames over the 4m length. And do I have any rights even though the warranty has run out?
Thanks in anticipation.

Worried.

 

[crank39]

Conservatories and porches fall outside the scope of the FENSA competent persons scheme. FENSA can only deal with complaints regarding non-compliance with the Building Regulations of replacement installations of windows, rooflights and doors, not porches or conservatories.

Conservatories and porches are not covered under the FENSA scheme because under the Building Regulations they are generally not considered to be part of the thermal envelope of the property.

If a conservatory is installed with integrated heating, then it becomes classified as being part of the thermal envelope of the building and therefore needs to comply with Building Regulations. The installation would need to be referred to the relevant Local Authority Building Control, not the FENSA scheme. Therefore, you will not require a FENSA certificate for a conservatory installation, and FENSA is unable to resolve any issues with conservatories or porches as a result.

 

[Panelman]

Thanks for your reply. The structure is not so much an add on as such it has a flat timber and felted roof, plastered ceiling, three feet high cavity walls and connected to the main central heating system. It was classed as a summer room when we bought the house. The window company didn't build it but merely replaced the wooden windows and doors. So I'm assuming it would come under the FENSA regulations.

 

[crank39]

So they just replaced doors and windows but your pinning the lack of lintel on them, lintels form part of the structure and not the windows, also if the heating is on the same system as the house then it would have needed building regs so is down to the original builders and the LABC, this sounds more of an extension NOT a conservatory and think your clutching at straws thinking otherwise, FENSA do not get involved in erection of buildings and how they are constructed

 

[Panelman]

But as FENSA states it is the window company's obligation to determine if the replacement requires a lintel or strengthening then it is up to them to advise accordingly and if in doubt to get a structural engineers survey to confirm. Which they did not do.
They obviously took out the wooden windows which were providing that original strengthening and knew that plastic frames would not support the roof as much as wood would.

 

[crank39]

I don't know the history but I guess its all academic now anyway as the warranty has run out, conservatory or extension, building regs or not there is no warranty in place now so.....