Clearview National December 2014 - Issue 157 | Page 21

INDUSTRYNEWS

Installation
Designed To
Secure Energy
Efficiency

U70

Jamie Lewis, Business Development
Manager at SFS intec, discusses the
importance of specifying purpose
designed window bracket systems
for EWI applications, which are
suitable for the application.
»»Part L of the
Building Regulations (Nov
2013) states that any PVCu or
timber framed window (installed
vertically) or fully glazed door,
should have a Window Energy
Rating (WER) of band C or
better, or a U-value of 1.6W/m
2k or better.
As U-values fall and
airtightness levels increase,
concerns over a building’s heat
loss become more significant.
This means that implementing
energy efficient measures at the
initial design stages which will
prevent it, is now more crucial
than ever.
One such measure which is
increasingly being specified is
external wall insulation (EWI),
which requires the windows
to be fixed outboard from the
structure over the insulation
zone, to be truly energy efficient.

It can improve a building’s
thermal performance and heating
bills by minimising heat loss and
heat gain, reducing costs by as
much as 40%.
However, questions are being
raised about the window’s
position in the structure
to ensure that the optimal
isothermal profile can be
achieved. If they’re not fixed
correctly the impact on the
efficiency of the EWI and the
building as a whole, could be
huge.
This will ensure a secure
fix, reduced risk of cold
bridging through the brackets
and long term comfort for
the homeowner. Similarly, a
manufacturer which understands
the most efficient position of the
window and distance from the
structure will ensure performance
and compliancy every time.

www.clearview-uk.com
Wishing you a merry
Christmas and a
prosperous New Year

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