Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I use a member of the Property Care Association (formerly known as the BWPDA)
The BWPDA is the largest Association of its kind in Europe. It vets over 22 aspects of a member company's practice and procedures, including technical and financial, and from your point of view all aspects of health and safety with regard to you or your tenants.

How long has Shaw Preservations been trading?
Shaw Preservations has been trading since 1974

Are BWPDA members better than other contractors?
There are some excellent contractors who are not members of the BWPDA; there are also many contractors who are simply 'cowboys'. As they undergo no independent assessment, how are you able to tell the quality? The fact that they are approved by a manufacturer is not necessarily a stamp of quality, as most manufacturers have no inspection procedures, in others it is purely nominal, and only a few actually genuinely examine their contractors. The BWPDA examines every member, not only before being admitted to membership, but on an on-going basis. All member companies' surveyors are required to be qualified to CSRT, which is a written (and practical) examination on all aspects of wood destroying beetle (and insects), wood destroying fungi, damp proofing, and the legal implications of various aspects of treatment, (Party Walls Act, bats and endangered species Acts etc) and, of course, health and safety

Will anybody be affected by the chemicals used?
Unless you or your occupants are hyper-allergic, no. Our technicians are trained in the safe use, handling and disposal of chemicals, work to approved codes of practice and use the safest chemicals available on the market. Additionally, with the modern micro-emulsion the Health and Safety Executive approves re-entry time after one hour. The beneficial environmental impact of the new products should be emphasised. Potentially dangerous TBTO etc has now been replaced with mammalian safe low toxicity permethrin at 0.02% (common flea powder which you rub on your pets is 1%).

What if I am not happy with the contractor's work?
The BWPDA has an arbitration and mediation service which is available to everybody at a nominal cost. If the dispute cannot be resolved by this method, the BWPDA can advise on independent consultants who will arbitrate in the matter (though this of course is subject to their fees). The independent consultants who are members of the BWPDA are used as expert witnesses in Court cases both here and overseas and must therefore be completely impartial to protect their reputation.

What if the contractor goes out of business?
Most contractors issue 30 year guarantees but on average 70% of them go out of business within 20 years. This is much lower in the BWPDA where they are financially assessed before being admitted into membership. However, the Guarantee Protection Insurance Company Ltd (GPI) can offer an insurance certificate to insure you for a period of 20 years from the time the work is carried out (ten years for structural waterproofing). If the contractor does go out of business the GPI will provide another BWPDA contractor to rectify any problems under guarantee, free of charge. In the case of timber and damp, insurances, at the end of the 20 years it is possible to have the insurance extended for a further 10 years to cover the full period of the contractors guarantee if he has given a 30 year guarantee

What is the difference between an insured guarantee and an insurance-backed guarantee?
The GPI offers 20 years insurance for a one-off payment. You will receive an insurance certificate specifying your property for the full 20 year period or ten year period. Your premium will be subject to insurance premium tax (IPT) at 5% showing that you are buying a recognised insurance. 'Insurance-backed' guarantees usually have insurance on an annual basis (though the guarantee is for thirty years this is from the manufacturer and not the insurers) and is in the name of the company issuing the guarantee or the warranty. Should in any year the insurance not be paid then you have no or "insurance" redress at all. These guarantees are easily recognised as they do not charge IPT, clearly showing that it is not an insurance policy. Some contractors offer guarantees from an off-shore company stating that they are free from IPT and free from VAT. The Customs and Excise rules state that if the insured risk is in this country then IPT must be paid.

REMEMBER, IF YOU ARE NOT PAYING IPT ON AN "INSURANCE POLICY" OR "INSURED" GUARANTEE, THEN IT IS NOT INSURANCE. IF YOU ARE PAYING IPT AT 5% ON AN INSURANCE POLICY IT IS GENUINE INSURANCE. VAT IS NOT APPLICABLE TO INSURANCE POLICIES.

Why GPI instead of a manufacturer's guarantee when a manufacturer will cover the whole 30 years?
First of all the GPI is a genuine insurance for the full 20 years (see above). Secondly, GPI is completely independent and exists only to issue insurances, it does not manufacture, distribute, train or formulate. Guarantees are its only business, not an afterthought. Despite issuing 30 year guarantees, we believe that no manufacturing company has remained in the same ownership for 20 years, and many well-known names no longer exist, e.g. . Also remember that GPI is an authorised insurance company and is regulated by the FSA (manufacturers have no outside checks.)

How do we know if the guarantee offered has any worth?
Before accepting a long-term guarantee other than GPI you should insist the contractor produces the following, relating to the guarantee he is offering:

• A certificate of insurance specifying the property for the full
20 years issued by a UK authorized insurance company.

• The accounts of the company actually offering the guarantee


• Details of their contingency reserve relating to guarantees


• Declaration of the amount of claims they have paid out during the last 3 years