Imitation Is the Sincerest Form of Flattery. But, Can You Pass the Chip Butty Test?

When I was growing up, there was an advertising campaign for a brand of margarine which claimed it was better than butter because it contained butter – oh how we laughed.

 Today, margarine and blended products (or yellow fat spreads as the UK Food Standards Agency so temptingly refers to them) are still playing catch up with butter, as can be seen by the buttery brand names they have adopted, like Utterly Butterly, I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter, Butter Me Up, You Butter Believe It… the list goes on and on. But, deep down, we all know, they’re not as good as the real thing.

However good these spreads might become, there is still one taste test in which they fail dismally. A chip butty, made with real, deep-fried chips, real butter, on white bread is impossible to replicate.

Over the last few months, I have seen increasing promotion of “Crittall Replacement Windows.”

Let’s put to one side the fact that “Crittall” is a registered trade mark, and only Crittall Windows Ltd can manufacture Crittall Replacement Windows.

The majority of Crittall steel windows which have been installed over the last 150 years, have now been replaced. In residential buildings, more often than not by UPVC.

The outstanding original Crittall installations are, in general, retained for heritage/conservation reasons. Either because local or national authorities recognise the architectural/cultural/historical importance of a particular building or district, or because owners do.

In an effort to tap into this heritage market, Aluminium window systems companies have developed their own versions of “I can’t believe it’s not butter.”

Fortunately, there is a “chip butty” test for these windows.

The strength of steel allows for a window with narrow sight lines. These cannot be duplicated in aluminium, timber or uPVC. The graceful lines that can only be created using steel windows have been incorporated into many different styles by architects over the years.

In the words of the Steel Window Institute, “The look of steel windows and doors is not simply distinctive, it is unique.” (I feel the same way about real chip butties)

In the same way that margarine/spread companies have brainwashed the public into believing that their products are a suitable replacement for butter because they are somehow a healthier option, we are told that these new aluminium windows are more energy efficient than steel windows.

As I have shown in a previous post on my wodewick blog, the difference in performance between windows with various energy ratings is minimal, and the savings in energy consumption, and ultimately energy bills, can be counted in pennies.

So, if you are considering replacing your steel windows, remember the chip butty – there’s nothing like the real thing.

Homeowners can find out more about genuine Crittall Steel Windows here find your local Crittall Approved Distributor here and request a Survey here For general enquiries about genuine Crittall Windows click here

Crittall windows for Iconic London landmark

The Old Building at the prestigious School of Oriental and African Studies in London has a new appearance, thanks to a replacement window scheme involving Crittall Windows. The original building on Russell Square was designed in the late 1930s by Charles Henry Holden, best known for his designs of underground stations.

Being Grade II listed, the upgrade specified like for like replacement - and in this case, this involved the removal of existing Crittall steel profiles from their decaying timber subframes and the installation of new high performance steel Corporate W20 units.

The scheme is part of an on-going plan to upgrade the SOAS campus, with the new Crittall windows serving a dual purpose; maintaining the overall visual appearance of the architecture and significantly improving the thermal performance. As the doors and windows span five storeys, new double glazed contemporary windows that comply with stringent conservation and environmental requirements will make a noticeable difference on heat gain and maintenance costs. In addition, they provide a timeless aesthetic quality to the architecture, without overshadowing the prominence of the structure itself.

A selection of side hung and open out vents were installed, together with horizontal and vertical pivots, louvres and fixed lights, all in a uniform RAL cream colour to heighten the visual appeal.

Architects Kendall Kingscott were responsible for the project with Overbury appointed as main contractors. The work was completed on time and to schedule, with the Crittall installers managing the work so smoothly and deftly that they were awarded Overbury's contractor of the month award for their 'flexible approach and professionalism '.

A-Rated Windows - The Emperor's New Clothes?

This article started off as a rant, fortunately I was too busy to put my initial thoughts down in words. I decided I am too young to be classed as a “grumpy old man.” The reason for my ire? I realised I have been duped. Duped by the British Fenestration Rating Council, and their Windows Energy Rating Scheme.

Early last year, I posed the question “A-Rated windows, who do they really benefit?”   At the time, I was concerned that the potential energy savings, and reduction in CO2 emissions may not be fully realised, while the double glazing blogger was delighted to be able to sell A-Rated windows at a higher margin than other windows, see his post  here  I fell into the trap and assumed that because a window was A-Rated, and being marketed as “High Performance, Energy Saving, A-Rated windows” it would be vastly superior to any other window.

Since then, I have been reading more about an issue customers have been experiencing following the installation of their A-Rated windows, and the response from the industry.

In certain weather conditions, condensation is appearing on the outside pane of windows.

 

External Condensation

When questioned about this phenomenon, the response from many of the installation companies is to congratulate the customer on their wise choice, because it shows that the windows are truly doing their job. The temperature of the outer pane is not being raised by heat transfer from the interior of the building, so moisture in the atmosphere is condensing on it.

For many customers, this explanation is enough, and they go away satisfied-ish.

My friend Matthew Glover wrote an article on this feature of A-Rated windows. It attracted many comments from within the double glazing industry, and from disgruntled customers, who weren’t prepared to accept the standard response.

The comments from unhappy customers have generated some interesting suggestions from the industry “experts”.

• Some are facetious, “fit automatic window wipers like they have on cars”
• some are provocative, “If they want to enjoy the view tell them to open their windows”
• some are genuine attempts to resolve the problem “turning up the central heating a degree or two”
• while others write off the complaints as coming from the “small percentage who would never be satisfied”.

Note: I loved the suggestion to turn up the heating, how ironic.

If I had invested my hard-earned money in replacement windows, and then found that my quality of life was worse because of this problem, I would feel justified in complaining, and would expect more than to be fobbed off with the “it proves you made a wise choice” response.

I spoke to the technical experts at Crittall Windows, and am reliably informed that it is a feature of the coating on Low-E glass which is required by many windows to gain the A-Rating. Apparently, you can now put an additional coating on to the original coating which will stop the external condensation. For an additional cost of course. Which means that the claim that the windows are so efficient has no basis in fact.

The British Fenestration Rating Council (BFRC) Windows Energy Rating Scheme (WERS) has been developed to allow consumers to compare the thermal performance of different windows. The BFRC website explains the rating scheme and what appears on the Energy Rating label:

1. The rating level – A, B, C, etc…
2. The energy rating e.g. -3kWh/(m²•K) in this example the product will lose 3 kilowatt hours per square metre per year.
3. The window U value e.g. 1.4W/(m²•K)
4. The effective heat loss due to air penetration as L e.g. 0.01 W/(m²•K)
5. The solar heat gain e.g. g=0.43

I can imagine you nodding knowingly, as you take in these technical values…

I’m sure many homeowners, encouraged by their “High Performance, Energy Saving, A-rated” salesman, will fall into the same trap as I did. It stands to reason, A-Rated windows must be highly superior in performance to the others, otherwise they wouldn’t be classified as “A”

However, when every industry was clamouring for a scrappage scheme, similar to that introduced for the motor industry, the double glazing industry was no exception. Here is the government’s response to the petition (full text available here)

“The Government agrees that energy efficiency has an important part to play if we are to achieve our carbon reduction targets. The benefits of energy efficiency for households are clear: saving money on energy bills, reducing reliance on imported energy and helping householders reduce their carbon emissions.

However given the high cost of replacement windows (typically £5,000 to £10,000 for a small home), the marginal improvement in performance, particularly when replacing like-for-like double glazed windows; and given that band C windows will be the minimum standard permitted by building regulations from October 2010, a window scrappage scheme is unlikely to be cost effective on energy efficiency and carbon savings grounds.”

So the government aren’t really wowed by the performance of A-Rated windows. 

My suspicions were further aroused when I discovered that the Firmdale Group’s Crosby Street Hotel, has floor-to-ceiling Crittall Steel Windows and doors throughout, and is the most energy efficient hotel in New York City, on target for gold LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certification find out more here.

 

Front Elevation of Crosby Street Hotel, NYC

I decided to find out just how much better A-Rated windows really are.

 On their members’ website, the Glass and Glazing Federation provide an Energy Saving Calculator which I used to produce some interesting results.

I’m just a simple Northern lad, so I didn’t do anything too complicated. I used it to calculate the annual energy cost savings, and reduction in carbon dioxide emissions and carbon footprint as a result of replacing single-glazed steel frames in a detached property with gas-fired central heating, and an average window area, with, windows of various ratings. The full results are listed below.

I have problems equating tonnes of CO2 emissions and my carbon footprint with anything meaningful, so I converted it into commuting days.

I live 15 miles from work, so travel a nice, round 150 miles a week, to and from work, and classed my car as large.

I used the carbon footprint calculator at carbonfootprint.com  and the carbon emissions comparison calculator at transportdirect.info  to work out how many days’ commuting the savings would be for each type of replacement window.

So, if I replaced my beautiful, slim, steel windows, which perfectly reflect the original character of the property, with chunky, A-Rated uPVC,  I will be able to brag to my green friends that I have reduced my carbon footprint by nearly half a tonne, and my CO2 emissions by – wait for it… nearly 1 2/3 tonnes. I will also save £321.20 pa on my energy costs. But, OMG what have I done to my once beautiful house, and where did all the light go??!!?

Common configuration of a uPVC Window

What if I replace my windows with the best performing steel windows? I hear you can get C-Rated steel windows these days. They won’t be a perfect replica of the originals, but maybe I’ll be able to retain the essential character of my property.

Daylight through Crittall windows - brochure cover

I’ll still be able to brag to my green friends, 0.41 tonnes of carbon, is only 40kg less than A-Rated windows, and CO2 emissions are 140 kg less, still more than 1.5 tonnes saved, and energy cost savings of £294.21 is just £26.99 less pa than A-rated – that’s slightly over 50p per week.

What does 40kg of carbon look like? What else can I do to match it? My annual commute to work extends my carbon footprint by 2.34 tonnes. That is 7,500 miles per year, or 150 miles per week. The weekly cost is 46.5kg, so the difference between C-Rated and A-Rated replacement windows is less than 5 days’ commuting.

My annual commute results in CO2 emissions of 3.11 tonnes, or 62.1kg per week. The difference between C-Rated and A-Rated windows of 140kg equates to 11 days’ commuting.

What about if I have a Listed Building or a building of special interest, and I need to replicate the windows. What’s the point of replacing them like-for-like? In that case, you can replace original single-glazed steel windows with the current Crittall Homelight DG Range. What do you think the results might be? (Note: Although it has not been tested, following a conversation with the Technical Department at Crittall Windows, we expected this range to achieve a D rating)

Energy cost savings: £280.71, just £40.49 pa less than A-Rated windows. Carbon: 0.39 tonnes reduction, 60kg less than A-Rated, and CO2 emissions reduced by 1.44 tonnes, 210kg less than A-Rated. In terms of commuting days, just over 6 for carbon, and less than 17 for CO2.

Below are the full results from the GGF Calculator 

GGF Calculator Results

Try it for yourself for your own property here.

Part L of the Building Regulations which governs energy consumption in buildings is a very long and complicated document. Most people try to simplify it by taking headlines from it rather than try to understand the whole thing. The headline that most double glazing salesmen use (and the government, if you read their response above) is for existing buildings used as dwellings replacement windows must be C-Rated or better. This is, in fact, a gross over simplification, and can be very misleading for a homeowner.

A number of homeowners have stated that they have been told “steel windows don’t meet the Building Regulations.” This is not true.

I’m very glad I haven’t invested in A-Rated windows. The higher margins being charged, small comparative benefits and poor user experience mean that, in my opinion, they are a poor investment for the homeowner.

The largest part of the improvement comes from upgrading from single to double-glazed units, and improved weather-proofing, irrespective of the material used to fabricate the frames.

English Heritage state “Window openings and frames establish the character of a building’s elevation. They should not generally be altered in their proportions or details, as they are conspicuous elements of the design.

In “Five Points Towards A New Architecture” Le Corbusier says “The whole history of architecture revolves exclusively around the wall apertures”

I have spoken to a number of homeowners who believe that they would be unable to maintain the character of their home because they would be forced to replace their original windows with windows which do not reflect that character, or that trying to gain approval for windows which are not C-Rated or better, would be so difficult as to be not worth the effort.  As a result, they are choosing not to upgrade.

The table above shows the potential energy improvements that are being lost as a result.

Wouldn’t it be better to encourage the switch from single to double-glazed windows by making it easier for these homeowners to get what they want?

 

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Crittall Windows Retain the City Character

95 Gresham Street is a gem in the heart of the City of London. The £35 million refurbishment of the site makes extensive and impressive use of glass and steel to contrast with the existing external facade of Portland Stone. And for the glazing element, Crittall Windows supplied and installed its Corporate 2000 and W20 profiles for optimum visual impact and long lasting performance.

The original structure has been redesigned to offer eight floors and 95,000 sq ft of office space, with a brand new atria created as a main focal point at the entrance. The installation of the new windows was a like-for-like replacement, with the Crittall profiles helping to retain the character and traditional appearance of the external facade, whilst at the same time providing modern, advanced glazed units that comply with all thermal and energy efficient requirements.     

Crittall’s involvement extended beyond just supplying the profiles, as architect, George Corrigan of architects, Rolfe Judd explained. “95 Gresham Street actually comprises both Princes House and Bartlett House,” he said. “One of the tasks that Crittall Windows was faced with was to refurbish the cast iron framing and panels to some of the fenestration in Bartlett House prior to installing the new profiles. This was done successfully, with the rest of the replacement window project completed on time and to the standards required for this conservation area. Crittall’s ability to offer this complementary service greatly contributed to the smooth progression of the scheme.”

The modernisation of 95 Gresham Street has now been completed and the result is a complete transformation of the site into modern, contemporary office space located behind a retained facade that continues to blend into the urban surroundings. Crittall’s range of windows has allowed this to be achieved due to the trademark narrow slimline profiles, which allow more glass to be used in an aesthetic capacity without compromising the inherent strength and performance of the windows. Moreover, the unobtrusive appearance of the profiles allows the architectural value of the original structure to be clearly visible by all those who pass by in the City.

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Steel Windows Then and Now

Ask most people in the United Kingdom about steel windows, and they will talk about the ubiquitous, mass-produced standard metal window.

A much smaller number will mention the use of the Universal Casement in the inspirational designs created by the world’s foremost architects.

 

  

Steel windows were used by Frank Lloyd Wright at Fallingwater, regarded by many as his masterpiece.

 

  

Louis Cordonnier’s Peace Palace in The Hague

 

  

Albert Kahn’s General Motors Building, Detroit

Even fewer will talk of the architectural movements which were made possible because of the essential characteristics of steel windows.

 

  

Inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright, Walter Gropius founded the Bauhaus (House of Building), one of the most influential architecture and design schools of the 20th century.

 

  

The Hoover Building a Showpiece Art Deco Design in Perivale, Middlesex

My love affair with steel windows, and, with that, a dislike of inappropriate refurbishment, started very early in life. I was brought up in a row of imposing, large, Victorian semi detached houses, in a North Western town.

At the end of the row, the local coal merchant had built himself an art deco villa, with flat roof, white rendered walls, and sweeping curved corners.

 

  

A Typical Art Deco Villa

Eventually I went away to university, and started working in London. Then, on a visit home, I was horrified to find that it had been split into two houses, and the new owners had modernized it. One half of the flat roof was now pitched, the render on the other half had been replaced by pebbledash, and, worst of all, the curved steel windows had been replaced by facetted plastic.  

What do you think?

 

Side view Courtesy Google Street View

So, how did a blacksmith’s shop in a small market town in North Essex become the world leader in window manufacture, with manufacturing plants on five continents?

Metal windows had been used since Tudor times. The Elizabethan casement glazed with leaded lights was an architectural feature unique to Britain. Glass was so expensive in Britain that people took great care to ensure that the frames were strong. They were very popular as nearly every village had a skilled blacksmith who could manufacture them, but very few had skilled joiners to provide an alternative in timber.

 

Elizabethan Casement

With the advent of Palladio and Wren’s architectural styles, coupled with improvements in the glass manufacturing process, the fashion for larger, more dignified house building, with corresponding larger windows, grew. The double-hung wooden sash window became the window of choice for the discerning homeowner.

 

The Courts, Holt, Wiltshire

        

However, there was some dissatisfaction with timber sash windows. Complaints ranged from broken sash cords, warped sashes, and sticking, shrinking or rattling.

Crittall’s had been manufacturing metal windows for agricultural buildings, and churches using wrought iron, bronze, and increasingly with mild steel. With the attitude that epitomizes the spirit of the Victorian age, Francis Henry Crittall, with his team of skilled craftsmen, set out to develop an engineered window, made of metal, which would overcome all of the problems of the wooden sash.

At the same time, a number of companies around the country were manufacturing metal windows. Wragge’s of Manchester were the pioneers; they were soon joined by Wenham & Walters, Williams & Williams, Hopes, and Burt & Potts.

Improvements in machine tools allowed the first change made to the design, which was the introduction of rudimentary dovetail joints for corners rather than brazing, which resulted in a considerably stronger and more reliable product than before.

Despite the improvements in the steel windows, they were not readily accepted in the residential market. However, in other sectors, the new windows were extremely popular. Projects included the National Gallery, Harrow School, the Royal College of Music, and the Public Records Office.

The next major development in the design of steel windows was the fenestra joint, which, because of its strength, allowed slimmer glazing bars, and therefore more daylight through the windows.

In 1909 following rationalisation work carried out by Walter “Pink” Crittall, the Universal Ranges of steel sections were launched which allowed improvements in the manufacturing process, with the result that consistent manufacture of steel windows could be achieved by semi-skilled workers, rather than skilled craftsmen as previously.

 

Cover of the 1911 Crittall Catalogue

Further innovations followed, including the welding of corners, hydraulic straightening of bars, and a dual strike plate for handles to allow night-time ventilation with no loss of security.

This all resulted in a better performing window, at a lower cost. However, the Universal Casement was still a luxury product at a premium price.

The First World War proved to be a turning point for the steel windows industry as a whole. Factories were turned over to the manufacture of munitions, and many lessons were learnt which would be adopted in the immediate post war era.

At the time, steel windows were still more expensive than their timber counterparts.

This was about to change.

Productivity improvements that could be gained as a result of standardisation, was the first lesson put into practice. Crittall’s closest rivals, Henry Hope, proposed the adoption of a standard design, to help the steel window industry compete to supply windows for the 200,000 new homes promised to be built by the UK government in 1919.

A new, light, profile was designed to act as a mullion which would allow composite units to be built. Following long discussions with architects, standard units were designed, which matched the current brick sizes, and suited the height of the modern room.

The first project which used these ‘cottage windows’ was for the Admiralty in Chepstow. A typical window was sold for £1.95 including fittings which was a few pennies cheaper than the equivalent timber window without fittings. Further work was carried out for Bristol Corporation, which had a massive building programme for the post war years. The increased volume saw even further cost reductions.

 

Crittall Brochure for The Cottage Window

In 1920, following much canvassing by Valentine Crittall (later Lord Braintree), the Ministry of Health, at that time responsible for government housing specifications, agreed to include the standard cottage window in its plans for housing schemes. From then on, it was used in almost every housing scheme throughout Britain up until the 1980s.

The success of the steel window is due, in no small part, to the continuous improvement in product, and manufacturing processes.

Further innovations followed which include the development of a comprehensive range of standard metal windows, zincspra, and subsequently, hot-dipped galvanizing, to protect the steel frames, and the Duralife polyester powder coating to provide an enameled finish to the windows.

Performance improvements have been achieved by modified profiles to incorporate double glazed units, and improved weatherproofing.

Today, the steel window is no longer a high volume product in mass production. As a result, there are cheaper alternatives available. But, you get what you pay for.

Today’s homeowners’ decisions on refurbishment incorporate take into account energy performance and sustainability of the materials used.

The thermal performance of the modern replica steel window has been tested and proven to be 400% more efficient than the original single-glazed window.

Steel is the most recycled material in the world (source: http://www.sustainablesteel.org).  The mild steel which goes to make today’s steel window frames contains 98% recycled material.

In March this year, a West London homeowner was refused planning permission to replace his Crittall steel windows with aluminium units, on the basis that modern, double-glazed steel windows were readily available. (source: Planning Magazine)

In North America, the steel window is seen much more as an aspirational product, as can be seen by the images and comments at this popular North American interior design blog, appropriately named Things That Inspire The Crittall Windows’ North American residential customer list reads like a Who’s Who of successful businessmen, politicians, and entertainers.

Crittall Windows are so successful in North America that in April this year, it was announced that they had won the coveted Queens Award for Enterprise in International Markets. This British-owned, independent company, the largest supplier of steel windows in Europe, is now the No 2 supplier of steel windows to the North American market having built a distribution network from scratch following a management by out in 2004.

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BBC Report on Crittall Windows Winning Queen's Award for Enterprise

Crittall Windows scoops Queen’s Award

The last six years have been hectic for Britain’s oldest manufacturer of steel-framed windows but the outcome has been well worth it. Crittall Windows has been awarded a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade for successfully attacking overseas markets, particularly in the USA.

 

“This is in effect an award for excellence in how we have gone about our business.” says Managing Director John Pyatt. Everything is taken into account – employment practices, environmental policy, and our work with the local community – as well as our export achievements.”

 

These achievements are underlined by a significant increase in export earnings from the notoriously protective US market where Crittall windows is now the second largest steel window company operating, despite not maintaining a permanent office in the States.

 

Established in Braintree, Essex in 1849 and trading as The Crittall Manufacturing Company from1924 until the mid 1970’s, when it became Crittall Windows Ltd, the Essex-based company has undergone major changes since the year 2000. Crittall Windows underwent a management buy-out in 2004 led by John Pyatt. “We acquired the business from its American owners and the existing US distribution network disappeared overnight,” he says.

 

“We have had to re-establish a whole distribution network in the US in order to get where we are today. Then, in 2007 we moved to a brand new factory.” This involved shifting the machines, processes and some 200 employees from Braintree to Witham to recently-built industrial premises of which Crittall was the first occupant.

 

The pre-recession move gave the company a state-of-the-art facility from which to run its operations in both the UK and abroad. “We continue to be the number one steel window company in the UK across a very broad spectrum of markets “says John Pyatt, noting that the recovery in Britain is a very fragile one. By contrast, in the US the economy is beginning to pick up strongly. “Things were quiet there last year but now we are seeing a swift improvement,” he says.

 

The sort of projects in which Crittall Windows are specified across the pond include high end luxury housing and apartment blocks such as 300 Central Park West in New York. Also in the Big Apple is the prestigious Crosby Street Hotel. Then there are the Ivy League universities of Princeton and Yale. There are, says John Pyatt, several opportunities now in other universities and public sector buildings.

 

The recovery in the US market and Crittall Windows’ success in tapping into it is demonstrated by a significant increase in export sales in the first few months of this year.

 

Meanwhile in the UK the firm has remained strong in the heritage market plus the school and university sector through the Building Schools for the Future programme. “Clients and contractors are moving projects around to get best value. They are constantly reviewing technical specifications. Everyone has to win jobs on tighter margins,” he says.

 

The principal difference between overseas markets and the UK is that in the UK Crittall fulfil the roles of designer, manufacturer, glazier and installer, whilst for overseas contracts Crittall acts as designer and supplies only the frames to the local glazier.

 

Recent prestige projects in the UK include the University of Sussex, Grade 2 listed Lichfield Court in Richmond upon Thames, and the restored and refurbished Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon.

 

The citation for the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade makes reference to the company’s employment practices, its quality control, its health and safety record and its green credentials. John Pyatt pays tribute to his loyal and hard working employees, one in ten of whom has served the company for more than 40 years.

 

“We feel proud and honoured to be recognised by the Queen’s Award for our work and success in the overseas market.” he says. “America can be seen as one of the hardest markets to compete in and this accolade is the culmination of Crittall’s long history showing how a professionally-managed private company with an excellent product, a strong brand and an enthusiastic workforce can take on the Americans at their own game.”

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West London Planners Refuse Appeal to Replace Steel Windows With Aluminium

Further to my previous post about Du Cane Court, and the effect that the proposed replacement of the original steel windows with aluminium, I found this article in Planning Magazine.

DC Casebook: Householder Development - Window loss blocked in conservation area

Householder development

Planning, 12 March 2010

The owner of a semi-detached house in west London has been refused permission to replace three Crittall metal windows with aluminium windows on the grounds that it would harm the character and appearance of a conservation area.

The inspector found an interesting mix of architectural styles on the estate, where much of the housing was influenced by the modern movement. A local design guide stated that a curved, streamlined shape, as exemplified by Crittall windows, was a feature of many houses. It identified the loss of traditional fenestration as a key factor in the deterioration of the area's special character.

An article 4 direction restricting permitted development rights reflected the council's strict policy stance on unsympathetic development. The inspector agreed that the proposed replacement windows could not replicate the distinctive curves. The proposal would be contrary to development plan policy requiring schemes to have regard to their historic and architectural context, he ruled.

The appellant complained that curved doubleglazed windows were not readily available. The inspector pointed to the design guide's advice that double glazing could be provided by secondary glazing and that modern double-glazed Crittall windows can be obtained as direct replacements.

DCS Number 100-066-469

Inspector Mike Fox; Written representations

The key phrase for me is "It identified the loss of traditional fenestration as a key factor in the deterioration of the area's special character."

Why is it that one local authority in London can take one view, and a neighbouring one take the complete opposite. Is preservation of our architectural heritage subject to post code lottery now?

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Celebrity Endorsement v ISO 9001 Certfication

Celebrity endorsement is a tried, and tested, method of promoting a product. It can give it a veneer of quality.

A presenter of a television programme associated with the product range can be regarded as a great find. They can lend an air of authority to the endorsement.

Of course, it is worth remembering, that many presenters get their role because they are good at presenting television programmes, not necessarily because of their in-depth knowledge of the subject.

In a society that is obsessed with celebrity, fame is fickle. Life as a celebrity can be very short-lived. Which is why “PR gurus” like Max Clifford are employed to maximise the earning potential of their clients during the short period that the public are still interested in them.

Celebrity endorsements rarely come free of charge. They tend not to be unsolicited testimonials. In many instances, a PR agency will have actively promoted their client to obtain some kind of payment, in return for an endorsement, and may well be using an endorsement in the process of developing their client’s own brand. For example

I am not anti celebrity endorsement. I believe that it is a perfectly valid form of promotion. It is just one, of the many tools, a company has, to promote their products. Who wouldn’t want to say “This is the exact same (insert product name here) as (insert celebrity name here) has in his/her house.”

The key phrase in that last sentence is “exact same.”

How can I be sure that the widget that is in my house will be made to the same standard as the one in the celebrity’s? Any craftsman can make a special effort to produce a perfect, one-off, hand-built special. In a volume production environment, there has to be a system in place to ensure consistency in each of the processes that are carried out.

ISO 9001 is one of the most well known standards in the world. Together with ISO 14001, it has been implemented by more than a million organizations in 175 countries. (source: www.iso.org )

According to the International Organization for Standardization,

“The ISO 9000 family addresses ‘Quality Management.’ This means what the organization does to fulfil:

• The customer’s quality requirements, and
• Applicable regulatory requirements, while aiming to
• Enhance customer satisfaction, and
• Achieve continual improvement of its performance in pursuit of these objectives”

ISO 9001:2000 certification, and registration demonstrates to an organization’s customers, and suppliers that an it has successfully implemented a quality management system which adheres to the principles of the standard.

Certification and Registration can only be achieved by successfully carrying out a series of audits by an independent, accredited body. The audits are carried out regularly, and cover all areas of the business, which affect the quality of the final product.

For the last 30 years, I have only worked for companies that were ISO 9001 or BS 5750 (its UK predecessor) certified. This has not been a conscious decision, but happened simply because, the kind of organization that achieves certification, is more likely to be one which can produce a genuinely better quality product, more consistently, than one that isn’t certified. As a result, it is more likely to be successful, in the long term, than one that isn’t.

Without certification, there is no nationally, or internationally recognised standard, by which I can measure the success of an organization’s quality management systems. So, an uncertified company has to rely on word-of-mouth, or create what appear to be, independent endorsements from nationally, or internationally, recognised celebrities, But which are, in the main, to all intents and purposes, a service which has been paid for.

How can I, as a consumer, be confident that a company will deliver a finished product, that meets my requirements, both aesthetically, and functionally, and will provide satisfactory customer service? The short answer for an uncertified company is that I can’t. Even if I have heard great things from someone who has a good experience with an uncertified company, how can I be sure that they will be consistently good? If they don’t have a quality management system in place, they don’t even know what my experience will be.

I have seen statements like, “manufactured to ISO 9001” on promotional material. But, without the approved ISO 9001 logo and certificate number, the statement is worthless.

If a company has a quality management system, which meets the requirements of ISO 9001, why not get certified?

Crittall Windows is ISO 9001:2000 certified and registered. The company is currently working with BSI to achieve ISO 9001:2008 certification. The regular audits that are carried out cover all areas of the order process, from Site Survey and Design, through Manufacturing, and finally to on-site installation.

How I use Twitter, and why I won't be following 30,000 people either

There have been a lot of comments today about @MarkShaw performing a mass un-follow of many of the > 30,000 "friends" he has built up on Twitter. I thought I'd add my point of view.

Mark has been described as a Twitter guru, he offers advice to companies and individuals on how best to use Twitter.

I'm sure his advice will have changed over the time he has been using Twitter. He says himself, he started with a policy of automatically following anyone who followed him.

That may be a fine idea when you are trying to build a network of friends and followers, and trying to understand how people are using it. However, over time (if you are successfully using Twitter), as your reputation grows, your follower count will grow. If you autofollow, the stream of tweets that you are presented with each time you enter the site will become increasingly irrelevant, it will be difficult to engage with your network, and many of the benefits of Twitter will be lost to you.

Of course, I want to promote my business using Twitter, but I try to achieve that by adding value to my followers, and those whom I'm following. No one is going to walk up to Crittall Windows' reception and say, I was so impressed with John's tweets that I want to give you an order. I tweet links to news items, and to things I find of interest, I retweet requests for help, I engage in conversations about current issues, I enjoy some light banter, and where I have relevant knowledge or experience, I offer help and advice to anyone who needs it. In short, I am networking, as I would in the real world, but using a tool which provides me with the ability to reach more people, in a wider geographical area.

I'm also trying desperately to win a year's free pies from @HollandsPies!

My objective is to build a network of people with common interests, from whom I can learn, and with whom I can share my experience. If I follow too many people, then that just wouldn't be possible.