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UCD publish Home Environment Survey

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At FAIRCO Windows and Doors, we always ensure our products are made to and exceed the highest standards, so for us, it’s very important that we keep up to date with the latest studies that could influence how we design our products.

The UCD School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy recently published the results of a survey they carried out on the Home Environment. The survey is very relevant to the current Irish market, as it was carried out over October and November 2020 and had 984 respondents. It looked at the levels of satisfaction of the home environment and what affected their answers, mainly looking at the following areas:

  • Temperature levels – satisfaction and desired changes
  • Ventilation – satisfaction with air quality and issues
  • Lighting – satisfaction with lighting levels and issues
  • Noise levels – satisfaction with noise levels.

 

Why Irish homeowners aren’t happy with their homes

The Hardware Association of Ireland provided us with the data from the 253 respondents who are homeowners, so we could see what insights we can gain to help us continuously improve our windows and doors.

Here are some of the major findings:

Home Hearing

  • 46% are not satisfied with the heating in their home
  • 38% say that they would like a warmer home, 8% a cooler one
  • Of the 38% who say that they would like a warmer home, 75% of them believe that their home is draughty and expensive to heat

Air Quality

  • 46% are not satisfied with the air quality in their home
  • 26% believe their home to be too stuffy
  • 20% believe their home to be too draughty

Lighting

  • 37% are not satisfied with the lighting in their home
  • 27% say that spaces in their home need electric light during the day
  • 9% use half electric light and half natural light during the day and
  • 1% have to brighten their homes with electric lights, even during daylight

Noise Levels

  • 9% say that their homes are too noisy

 

How draught proofing can improve your home environment

Of the 253 respondents, 38% of Irish homeowners said their house was too cold and 34% said their house was too stuffy or too warm.

When installing windows, it’s important that your fitter takes a precise custom measurement and designs your windows to fit your space, not the other way around. At FAIRCO, our experienced fitters properly align your windows to your opening, and fill and insulate any gaps properly to can ensure proper draft proofing.

Draught–proofing is one of the cheapest and most effective ways to save energy relative to the overall cost of any window project. We also offer a wide selection of window types with various openings made of different materials to ensure you have full control of your ventilation. This helps maintain a consistent temperature throughout the summer and winter, and also reduces condensation and damp, by letting fresh air in when needed.

 

How windows can affect the brightness of your home

It almost goes without saying that windows let light into your house and can control how bright your home is, but surprisingly, 37% of respondents said they were not satisfied with the lighting in their home.

Aside from making sure your current windows are clean, the best way to allow more natural light into your home is by installing large new windows and doors. Bi-folding Doors and Sliding Doors are great options, where you can turn an entire wall of your kitchen or living room into glass. This will allow you to open your home up to your garden more in the summer, and allow a lot of needed natural light into your house year-round.

Where you don’t have space to change an entire wall, you can also upgrade existing French Doors that have fewer panels and more glass, sometimes increasing your light by 30%.

Transform your home today with FAIRCO Windows & Doors

If you’d like a free consultation with one of our home experts, call our showrooms here to see how we can help you improve your satisfaction with your home.

Our proud customers upload pictures of their Fairco installations

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Our proud customers upload pictures of their Fairco installations

Scroll through the gallery of customer uploads above. Send your photos to info@fairco.ie

At Fairco, 65% of our business comes from customer recommendations.

Fairco offer a ten year guarantee on all windows and doors and all our windows and doors come burglar resistant as standard.

And with our Fairco Protection Promise, if your home is broken into by forced entry, you are entitled to up to €6,500.

From your first interaction with our customer service advisors, to our surveyor’s site visit, to our installers vacuuming your home on completion of your project, we are confident you will be happy to have chosen Fairco.

Creating a welcome buzz, front doors by Fairco

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A beautiful front door can say a lot about your style and set the tone for the rest of your home.

It is the first thing visitors to your home will encounter so your front door needs to make a good first impression.

But while your front door creates a welcome and offers an opportunity to present your personal style, it also has several other important jobs to do.

“A good front door not only looks well, it also has to provide safety, security and draught-proof peace of mind for the homeowner,” said Jim Toal of Fairco Windows and Doors.

Front doors come in a host of different styles from traditional to modern, there are also a whole range of materials from composite, uPVC, aluminium or timber to pick from.

All this choice can present those looking to replace or install a new front door  with something of a challenge.

“Most people decide to change their front door when it no longer meets their needs because it is either visually unappealing or it is rotten, draughty and unsecure,” said Jim, who has 30 years’ experience in the trade.

“Along with the style you choose for your door there are other important points to consider such as how secure it is, whether it will be draught-proof and how much maintenance it will require.”

As a windows and doors expert Jim recommends high-quality composite doors and those made from Accoya timber, which not only look good, they score highly where it counts on security and comfort.

“Composite doors come in a vast range of colours, designs and styles, they will last a lifetime and best of all they are maintenance-free.

“For those who prefer the look and feel of wood but don’t want the workload involved in regular maintenance, Accoya timber makes a particularly good choice.

“It has all the qualities of hardwood but is extremely low-maintenance and more environmentally friendly.”

All Fairco’s hardwood and Accoya timber doors can be made to bespoke shapes and sizes if required.

When it comes to individualising your door and maybe letting some extra light in there are lots of options worth considering such as glass inserts, front door arches, fanlights and glass panelling either side of your front door.

“Whether your taste is traditional or very contemporary, we can help you create a front door that looks a treat, works for your home and creates a welcome buzz for everyone who visits,” said Jim.

Fairco crew brave bad weather to get job done

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Fairco crew brave bad weather to get job done

 

We’re not deterred by bad weather here at Fairco!

It was the “worst day of the year” according to Fairco customer Darragh Curran, but when he called we were only too happy to help.

Fairco Windows & Doors provide a free call-out service to our customers and can help secure your home in the event of an attempted burglary. (Applies to Lifestyle range only).

Fairco receive multiple call-outs every week from home-owners across Dublin whose windows and doors were not installed by us.

If you need a repair, our prompt and professional team will repair your doors or windows with minimal fuss, leaving no trace behind.

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Third time's a charm for Fairco customer

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Third time’s a charm for Fairco customer


At Fairco, 65% of our business comes from word-of-mouth referrals and we are always delighted when customers return to us for work in the future.

This week the Fairco team worked on a whole porch installation, including interior decorating, roofing, wood grain doors and windows, as well as exterior guttering.

This is the third time Catherine has used Fairco to work on her home and we are proud that she has placed so much trust in us over the years.

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Fairco's summer security tips for Dublin homeowners

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Fairco banner

Fairco’s summer security tips for Dublin homeowners

 

Homeowners should not get complacent coming into the summer months, despite a drop in burglaries across Dublin, Fairco Windows & Doors have warned.

Although days are getting longer, homeowners should not ease up on home security measures, according to Jim Toal, managing director of Fairco Windows and Doors.

Jim, who has advised security authorities on burglary prevention over the past decade, believes that summer brings a rise in opportunist criminals.

“Homeowners should not let down their guard in the summer months by making simple mistakes like leaving doors and windows open,” Jim said.

“Many people leave windows and front doors open while sitting in their back garden having a barbecue with friends, not knowing that opportunist burglars are often lurking.

“Most burglars of this type just drive into an estate or area looking for an open point of entry to get an opportunity to be in and out in minutes with your valuables.

“It’s summer and that means more daylight hours but burglars don’t always hide under the shadow of night. If the window is large enough to stick your head through, it’s large enough to break-into.

“Leave your window open enough for ventilation but not for access,” he added.

Dublin North

The number of burglaries in the area has fallen by 475 from 2,173 in 2015 to 1,698 last year, according to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO)

Raheny saw the biggest slump in burglaries with figures plummeting by 43%, from 144 to the latest figure of 82, according to statistics

Incidents in Lusk were also reduced significantly, according to the latest data which showed a 42% decrease, from 91 to the latest figure of 53.

This was followed in Howth where homeowners were safer by 30%, down from 166 to 117, while Santry saw break-ins fall by 33% to 370 from the 2015 tally of 248.

The downward trend continued in Skerries where there was a 29% drop in burglaries, from 62 incidents in 2015 to 44 last year.

Garristown showed a decrease of 23% on the 2015 figure of 22 which fell to 17 in 2016 and there was a drop of six percent in Malahide from 158 burglaries to 149 last year.

In Balbriggan, a drop of eight per cent in burglaries was recorded, from 151 in 2015 to 139 last year, while over in Ballymun, figures fell by just one incident from 99 in 2015 to 98 in 2016.

The latest data also showed a falls of 20% in Clontarf, from 297 to 238,  18pc in Coolock where burglaries decreased from 270 to 238 and 16% in Swords where the latest tally was 239, from 284 the previous year.

Dublin South

The number of burglaries in the area has fallen by 701 from 2,301 in 2015 to 1,600 last year, according to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO)

Tallaght saw the biggest slump in burglaries with figures plummeting by nearly 42%, from 829 to 483, according to the statistics.

In Rathfarnham, homeowners were safer by almost 36%, down from 525 to 337, while Terenure saw break-ins fall by 25% to 196 from the 2015 tally of 263.

There were 264 burglaries in Crumlin in 2015 which fell to 201 last year and the downward trend followed in Rathmines which saw an 18% decrease in incidents last year, from 226 to 185.

Only in the Sundrive Rd. area was an increased amount of burglaries shown in the recent data.  Here the number rose by four, from 194 to 198 to give a 2% increase.

Dublin East

The number of burglaries in the area has fallen by 451 from 2,293 in 2015 to 1,842 last year, according to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO)

Blackrock saw the biggest slump in burglaries with figures plummeting by nearly 29%, from 419 to 298, according to the statistics.

In Dundrum, homeowners were safer by just over 26%, down from 778 to 573, while Shankhill saw break-ins fall by almost 24% to 191 from the 2015 tally of 250.

The downward trend continued in Cabinteely where there was a 17% drop in burglaries, from 427 burglaries in 2015 to 356 last year.

Only in Dun Laoighaire was an increased amount of burglaries shown in the recent data.  Here the number rose by five, from 419 to 424 to give a one per cent increase.

Dublin West

The number of burglaries in the area has fallen by 753 from 2,392 in 2015 to 1,639 last year, according to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO)

Ballyfermot saw the biggest slump in burglaries with figures plummeting by 54%, from 271 to the latest figure of 126, according to statistics

Incidents in Clondalkin were also reduced significantly, according to the latest data which showed a 49% decrease, from 476 to the latest figure of 244,

This was closely followed in Ronanstown where homeowners were safer by 47%, down from 293 to 155, while Lucan saw break-ins fall by almost 39% to 172 from the 2015 tally of 280.

The downward trend continued in Rathcoole where there was a 33% drop in burglaries, from 143 incidents in 2015 to 96 last year.

Cabra showed a decrease of 30% on the 2015 figure of 110 which fell to 77 in 2016 and there was a slight drop of four percent in Blanchardstown from 546 burglaries to 523 last year.

In Finglas, a 10% drop in burglaries was recorded, from 273 in 2016 to 246 last year.

About Fairco

Dublin company Fairco Windows and Doors were the first Irish company to achieve the ‘police-preferred specification’ PAS 024 certification and their windows and doors are high security as standard.

The firm also launched Ireland’s first guaranteed burglar-proof windows and doors which are impossible to breach.

“A human being cannot generate enough force to break into these windows and doors, and any traditional methods used by burglars have been closed off thanks to a series of enhanced high-security measures,” Jim said.

“Our windows have never been penetrated in a domestic situation, and I doubt if they will be.”

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