Conservatory Association - what are the trade bodies I should be looking for.

The main ‘conservatory association’ that most reputable conservatory suppliers and installers belong to is the Glass and Glazing Federation (GGF)which is a trade association representing companies who make, supply or fit, glass and glass related products. - Note the term ‘Trade Association’ - These are bodies funded by the trade or their members themselves so it is not to be confused with a consumer lead protection body.

The Glass and Glazing Federation, or GGF as it is usually called, is the primary representative organisation for companies involved in all aspects of the manufacture of flat glass and products and services for all types of glazing, in commercial and domestic sectors. Conservatory installers are a typical example of their membership.

Members of the GGF include companies that manufacture and install energy efficient windows, in homes and commercial buildings, the performance glass used in every type of building from houses to high-rise towers and the components that are used to manufacture every type of glazing.

Their members produce and install safety, fire and emergency glazing, special films to protect against the sun’s rays or terrorist and vandal attacks and in fact, every type of glazing installation, no matter how specialised.

The GGF is recognised by government and plays a part in the setting of new standards and regulations, such as The Building Regulations, the rules that govern and control the way our buildings are constructed in the UK.

Organisations within the GGF, such as ‘FENSA’ help to ensure that energy efficient windows, doors and conservatories are installed to the appropriate Building Regulations to ensure they comply with planning rules, whilst another, the British Fenestration Ratings Council, developed Window Energy Ratings, to allow anyone choosing new windows to ensure they choose the most efficient using symbols familiar to anyone buying electrical appliances.

They say that one of the key missions of the GGF is to protect homeowners against unscrupulous traders and to ensure that everyone that improves their property with new efficient windows and doors, can do so with the confidence that the products will be manufactured to the highest standards, perform at least to the regulated requirements and be installed perfectly and with care and consideration for your home.

They also state that by choosing a GGF member company backed by our schemes that protect your deposit and installation and you can enjoy your new, high-performance windows and the benefits they will bring to your home and family.

Within the GF they have also set up the conservatory association. This is what they say…

The Conservatory Association is made up of 240 of the country's leading manufacturers, suppliers and installers of conservatories who meet on a regular basis. There are many different ways you can improve a home, but the installation of a conservatory is without doubt the finest way of giving a property a whole new lease of life.

Not only will it help bring your home closer to your garden, but the additional space it offers can turn a previously congested household into something substantially larger. It will also improve the existing aesthetics of a home and make it that little bit more appealing to the eye.

However, a conservatory can offer so much more: