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Streets Ahead Conservatory Interview - 18/03/2009

With over thirty years experience in the conservatory and window industry, Streets Ahead spoke to David Bown, Sales and Marketing Director of Finesse Windows to ask him what our readers should really look for when choosing a conservatory for their home.

SA: It’s now Spring and many readers, especially now that most won’t be moving home, will be considering having a conservatory fitted. Is this a good idea?

DB: Naturally I am going to say yes as it’s my industry, but I DO genuinely feel that a conservatory enhances most homes. If you plan it properly, deal with a reputable company that will take the time to find out your exact requirements and then design a specific conservatory to suit those needs, you are going to have an extra room on your home that can be used 52 weeks of the year. What is important is planning the right conservatory for your own requirements. Get it right at the planning stage and you will enjoy the benefits for years to come. Also, even in todays market, a conservatory will still add value to your home.

SA: So what things do we need to plan for?

DB: Well mainly who is going to use it and what will it be used for. A dining room is probably going to be used both in the summer and winter and it may therefore require both heating and cooling. A summer room may need to face a particular direction to get the best of the sun and avoid shadows. These are important factors to consider at the beginning. If it’s a family room, for example, where the children will spend a lot of time will it have enough internal space? A lot of companies specialise in a basic design with limited dimensions and this would not satisfy the purpose. Ensure the company you choose to install your conservatory is capable of building to the standards you require.

SA: Talking of choosing a company, if you read any local newspaper today you will see lots of companies selling conservatories. With so many to choose from, what should we be looking for before we call any of them?

DB: Research any that you are considering calling; go on the internet and read their web sites. Do you know any one that has used them before? Referrals are extremely important as it will ensure that the work will be of an acceptable quality. At Finesse we have an independent report that shows over 98% of our customers would recommend us to a friend or relative. This is really important to us and invaluable in making sales, as a third of our new business each year comes through recommendation. By the same token there are many bad companies out there and if you look around on the internet or ask in the area it will become apparent which company you need to avoid. Confirm that they have been established (under the same name with the same owners) for as long as they claim and ask to speak to a number of clients that has have used them previously.

SA: So price isn’t important? Some seem to be offering low prices, free gizmos and interest free credit – surely this is more important than ever?

DB: Price is very important! But you do tend to get what you pay for and sometimes all that glitters is not gold. For a start some of the advertised conservatories are ‘from’ prices and the price applies to the small basic shell only. Once the add ons are included and a larger size conservatory ordered the price rises dramatically. Let’s face it if one company can do a conservatory for £6,000 then most of its competitors could if they wanted. What you really need is value for money and that shows mainly in the design and the materials used in construction. Some companies will simply drop a concrete slab on the floor as a base, or four sunken concrete supports with a sub frame and then build the conservatory onto it. This is not the way to create a firm foundation to build on, we would never do this and only ever excavate proper footings and construct a strong reinforced base foundation. Some companies will use lower grade plastics, non reinforced window and door products and basic locking systems. Again we wouldn’t, all our conservatories are built to the highest specifications and come fully reinforced with excellent police secure by design approved locking systems. Obviously this adds to the price, however, having the knowledge that our customer’s conservatory is strong and very secure is important to us. We refuse to compromise on quality and our customers don’t ask us to.

SA: I understand that but some readers may only want a basic summer room type conservatory and not be too bothered about the specifications of the products.

DB: To say they are not bothered simply isn’t true. No matter what they want a conservatory for I am sure they want it to function properly and be able to use it for years to come. There are numerous accounts of people that have gone for a cheap option only to regret it later. Our service engineers go out every week to try and rescue many of these poorly designed constructions. At the end of the day this is a building, it is part of your home and is a room to be used. If you choose a poor company that use poor products it will be money wasted – no matter how little you have paid. I have visited people whose conservatories have sunk, who’s walls have cracked and whilst this may sound extreme it is happening more and more. In many cases where a cheap conservatory has been constructed movement has meant a shift in the roof and so creating water leaks. Surely nobody is going to want that, with proper design it can be prevented.

SA: Surely that will be covered by a guarantee? No firm is going to be that unreliable?

DB: You would be shocked at some of the terrible stories we have heard. What good is your guarantee if the company that you are buying from has no intention of continuing to trade, longer than twelve months. You really do have to be wary and only use a company who can prove their financial stability, if they are selling cheaply, they may not be making much money, it only takes a few poor installations needing service under the guarantee and they are out of business. In todays market one way to be sure that you are choosing a reputable company is one that shows the Energy Savings Trust Mark. Any business with this accreditation has to submit accounts for verification every twelve months, the Energy Saving Trust is a Government supported body and will only allow companies to use the certification mark who are financially stable.

SA: How do you know which conservatories are going to be of a sufficient quality when built?

DB: Well if you have chosen a reputable company they will normally answer your questions honestly and more importantly put what they say in writing to you. Ask how the base will be built and ask for the specification in writing. Ask how the sides (windows and doors) are constructed, make sure they are fully reinforced with internal steel or individual aluminium sub frames and get this specification in writing. Does the roof have BBA accreditation? It should have and ask for proof of this in writing. A good company will follow the Government conservatory construction guidelines that were issued fifteen months ago, ask the question, ask them if they know what these guidelines are! Again get it in writing that these recommendations are being followed. Finally ask them to produce a design plan showing exactly how your conservatory is going to be built as this will leave little or no doubt as to what you can expect. Make sure you understand the principles of construction and check out the plan beforehand. There are also some new national planning standards for conservatories issued to all local authorities in October 2008,
again make sure that these standards have been addressed and get that in writing also.

SA: So whilst it doesn’t pay to go with the cheapest quote, how do you decide between two reputable companies of a similar standing and quoting the same price? Is it just a gut feeling or is there a final check readers could make?

DB: I suppose a lot of people at that stage would decide by their preference of sales person and would tend to place the order with the person they liked most. There is nothing wrong with that as long as he represents a good company. My advice is to make an appointment to visit the companies’ premises and see for yourself the business with which you would be dealing. If you were still undecided, ask yourself which company went that little bit further. For example how much effort have they put into their product design, their energy efficiency and their security. How environmentally friendly are they? Whilst this may not be something that as a buyer you care about, though most people these day do care, for a company it does demonstrate they care and take their responsibilities very seriously. After all if they will go to great lengths for the good of the nation they are sure to go that little bit further for their own customers.

SA: Thank you for your time.

DB: My pleasure.