Choosing the RIGHT Installer
or, an alternative way of choosing the right fascia business to use.
Choose the ones not to use!
This might sound weird but stay with us on this one…
It is a fact that while other facets of home improvements adhere to strict codes of conduct or are regulated, e.g. change your windows & doors and you will bump into names such as FENSA & GGF – the glass & glazing federation – the Roofline, Fascias, bargeboards, soffits & guttering industry – call it what you want, is TOTALLY UNREGULATED and it seems there are no plans on the drawing board to change this.
Therefore Fascia businesses can spring up offering little experience – can barely climb a ladder – have such poor standards of installation, leaving the customer with little hope of getting a call back to fix something that has been so poorly installed in the first place, once they have got your money.
And here is the fun part… How can you tell which businesses these are? The answer is just by analysing their website text & images.
It is totally laughable once you know what to look for so firstly check the text, which will have been copied so many times, that mistakes creep in and because nobody really knows what they are talking about, nobody spots them leaving paragraphs of text that just do not make sense.
for example:
A fascia is the support of PVC panel that’s aligned next to the guttering. Having a fascia installed can enhance the aesthetics of your property. We specialise in uPVC fascias and guttering so you don’t have to worry about re-painting, flaking or cracking.
or this
The fascia is the roof board that protects your roof space from the elements. It preserves the timber rafters that hold your roof in place and provides a fixing point for your cladding.
Fascias and soffits protect your home from the weather. They prevent damp getting into the brickwork and rot from affecting rafters, roof beams and joists.What does all that mean? ANSWER It does not mean anything and is just total garbage.
Then study the images. To make it on to their website, these pictures should reflect their best work yes? NO
View these 7 examples below…
If they look OKAY to you, then look closer and check them against this short list of definate no-nos.
- Slotted hollow soffit [strippy lines which are bits of plastic slotted together] only use this to span large areas such as under porches, where it is impractical to join solid soffit boards together. – USE A SOLID ONE PIECE BOARD.
- Thick line of mastic sealing the soffit to the wall. YUK, did the architect specify this to the original builder? NO.
- Short Fascia – Bargeboard lengths joined together – scrap bits joined together belong on the rubbish pile. USE LONGER COMPLETE BOARDS.
- Fixings unevenly peppered all over the place. UGLY – HIDE FIXINGS UNDER TRIMS – MAKE IT NEATER.
- Round vents in soffits. Look ugly – go black USE ALTERNATIVE VENTING INSTEAD.
- And finally, nails driven in so hard that it causes the board to take on a wavy appearance. GO BY REFLECTION – SHOULD BE FITTED STRESS FREE NOT HAMMERED TO OBLIVION!
Again, it is totally laughable that they have these pictures showcasing their services.
Ask yourself, would you like these standards on your home? If you do not, you know who to call – we do not do any of that!