Accrediations
BT Preservation external accreditations - PCA,TrustMark,CHAS,Investors in People
Why do we join these outside organisations? What have they got to do with delivery high quality damp-proofing, cavity wall tie replacement or structural repairs?
We believe that by opening up our business, to outside scrutiny, we are challenged to focus on improvements in all these areas:
- Technical skill (Property Care Association, Wall Tie Installers Federation & ConstructionLine)
- Customer service and consumer rights (TrustMark & Federation of Master Builders)
- Our responsiblities as a good employer (Investors in People) and
- Health & Safety standards (Chas & Property Care Association).
The organisations below cover all these areas and are crucial in taking Brick-Tie Preservation forward and helping us meet our customers' expectations.
We've listed them below and describe their individual importance, though there are often overlaps between them. Membership/approvals which we've earned are relevant in helping you choose the right contractor; skilled, honest, responsible and safe - That's Brick Tie Preservation.
The Property Care Association
Formerly part of the BWPDA (British Wood Preserving and Damp-proofing Association), the PCA is the trade body for the structural and basement waterproofing, wood preservation, damp proofing, wall tie replacement and structural maintenance industries in the UK. BT Preservation are proud to be members.
Gaining membership involves a strict vetting procedure, regular quality audits and acceptance of the PCA's code or conduct and ethics. Insurance and Health & Safety standards have to be met too. Only committed and qualified companies gain membership. The PCA also supplies essential industry recognised and on-going training for our staff, on rising damp, condensation control, woodworm treatment, basement waterproofing and dry rot control.
The PCA logo is always worth looking for, when searching for a specialist in damp, dry rot, wall ties or waterproofing company. Without it, there is no way of knowing if the specialists' capability, competence, insurance and qualifications, have been independently vetted - without the logo anyone can call themselves a specialist company; even if they have never passed any exams or had any training at all.
The PCA runs annual awards for excellence in the industry. We are very proud that for the second time in three years, we have been highly commended for our training and personal development of the BT Preservation team.
Check-out the Property Care Association web site for further details
We are the Property Care Association member for clients in Leeds, Bradford, York, Wakefield, Harrogate and Sheffield too.
The Wall Tie Installers Federation - member for Yorkshire
If you are looking for a wall tie specialist The Wall Tie Installers Federation is the representative trade organisation for registered installers of replacement wall ties and related services in the UK.
Most registered wall tie installers also offer the ancillary services, such as lateral restraints and bed-joint reinforcement, all carried out in conformity with the recommendations of the Building Research Establishment. The WTIF have a gurantee insurance bonding scheme, covering cavity wall tie work, which is only available to members.
Brick-Tie are proud to be one of the founder members of the Wall Tie Installers Federation, joining right back in the 1980's when cavity wall tie work was in it's infancy.
We are still only one of a handful of members in the Yorkshire region, serving the needs of clients who need a cavity wall tie specialist for wall tie replacement and installation in Leeds, Sheffield, York, Harrogate, Skipton, Huddersfield, Pontefract, Doncaster, Scunthorpe and Bradford.
Visit the Wall tie Installers Federation web site for further details
CHAS - your assurance of safety competence in damp-proofing and wall tie work
This is another logo which you may not be familar with, but is very important, though you won't see it on many wall tie specialist and damp and timber companies web sites.
Without it we couldn't work for many of our local authority partners or larger organisation who are keen to promote good safety standards. They insist that their approved contractors pass this hurdle, often before they are even allowed to tender for work.
The Contractors Health And Safety Assesment Scheme (CHAS), involves strict checks on a company's safety practices and safety records to ensure that they are aware and are meeting basic safety laws.
The scheme is operated independetly of companies, so in effect the logo is your assurance that someone qualified in health & safety has checked us out thoroughly to a set government approved criterior.
Damp proofing, timber treatment, waterproofing, structural repairs and wall tie work all carry risks for our staff and for others on the site. We are often working at height (wall ties and structural repairs), drilling and hammering (Cintec anchors, Helifix work and damp proofing), using chemicals (Dry Rot and Woodworm treatment), working in confined spaces (structural waterproofing and vandex tanking). This is all risky stuff - for us - for you and for others on the site.
As CHAS accredited contractors we identify those risks and hazards and ensure that any risk of harm is minimised. That's worth something and it's why we value and are very proud of our CHAS accreditation.
Safe and sound wall tie installation and damp-proofing is available across Yorkshire including Leeds, York, Chesterfield, Scunthorpe, Ripon, Malton, Selby, Huddersfield and Bradford.
Check out the CHAS web site
Investor in People
What has this to do with wall tie work, damp-proofing, timber treatment and waterproofing? Well, to us, it's crucial.
It's a logo often seen on the web sites and letterheads of larger organisation, like government departments, schools and larger successful businesses, we are proud of our IIP accreditation. Even small firms can aspire to great things and that is what we thrive on here.
We won the award in 2007 and have recently being re-accredited following an inspection in early 2011. A company with poorly motivated and unhappy employees, who are not engaged with the business will usually deliver poor service and quality and may not survive.
So what's this got to do with damp proofing, waterproofing, wall tie work or woodworm treatment? Well, in choosing an IIP holder you know that the staff working for you feel valued and are consulted in the development and direction the company is going in; they're not just turning up for work; they love it.
The work we do is often hidden on completion; under floors and in cavity walls, where it can't be seen. Waterproofing and wall tie work in particular can be 'botched' if the installer is not diligent and dedicated. Our entire team are enthusiastic and engaged in giving you the best possible job - they've decided that that is the direction they want to go in - they haven't just been told to 'get on with it'.
IIP accreditation takes time and effort to achieve, but we believe that the discipline this places on us, feeds through to better service and performance for customers. Keeps us all happy in our work too, so it's a double whammy!
find out more about the Investor In People scheme here.
ConstructionLine -your assurance of financial stability and competence
Constructionline is the Government's national register for suppliers. The Construction Line accreditation is similar to CHAS, though the focus is on our ability to cope with the specialist work we do, both financially and technically.
Cavity wall tie work on a large housing estate or block of hi-rise flats is big important stuff - stuff we do every year. Many government departments and local authorities use the ContructionLine database to find pre-vetted contractors, who have had to prove that they are capable of doing the wall tie work or damp proofing they want to tender for; have excellent technical references and are financially sound. These contracts can't just be sent out to a few specialists chosen at random from the yellow pages or simply googled; the stakes are too high.
The benefit for us is reduced paperwork, in that we don't always have to fill in a pre-tender questionnaire (though often we do). It also lets new clients see that we take our work seriously and again, the outside scrutiny keeps us on our toes.
Find out more about the ConstructionLine scheme.
TrustMark - The government approved consumer protection scheme
This is a really essential one for domestic client's.
We hold the TrustMark accreditaion because the Property Care Association's membership criteria and vetting methods comply with TrustMark's strict policies.
The TrustMark logo (combined with our presence on the Trustmark database - please check), mean you are assured of all the following points:
- Our technical skills have been independently checked through regular on-site inspections, as well as checks on our trading record and financial position;
- We've signed up to a code of practice and ethics which includes insurance, health and safety, and customer care;
- The Property Care Association has checked and will continue to monitor the quality of our work, trading practices and customer satisfaction levels (we do this ourselves too, of course);
- We are able to offer an Insurance Backed Warranty;
- Deposit Protection Insurance is available for you in the unlikly event we go bust (this is our 26th year in business);
- If you have a problem or disagreement with the us, there's a clear and user-friendly complaints procedure to help resolve the issue;
The scheme is fully supported by Government, the building industry and consumer protection groups.
All of these checks will give you - Peace of Mind
Important Note:
When employing a TrustMark tradesman always check they are 'licensed' for all the trades / work you are asking them to carry out. This can be done by looking on the trustmark website, by searching under the 'trade' then 'their company name' and finally 'more information' - you will then see a list of the 'only' trades that the firm is licensed for under the protection and standards offered by TrustMark. (search for us there under damp-proofing and wood preservation as Brick-Tie Ltd)