Clearview National January 2018 - Issue 194 | Page 40

PROUD SPONSOR OF DOORS & WINDOWS
DOORS&WINDOWS
Doors last 40% longer in rigorous testing
» » FD30 FIRE DOORS FROM BESPOKE
timber experts West Port have been proven to
withstand fires for 40% longer than the legal
requirement.
To achieve an FD30 rating, products must
hold flames at bay for 30 minutes. Subjected
to rigorous testing by both Cambridge Fire
Research and BRE, West Port’s door managed
to withstand temperatures more than 800
degrees Celsius for 42 minutes 7 seconds, or
40% longer.
Ken Mercer, West Port Commercial Sales
Director commented: “After the tragedy at
Grenfell, fire safety is being talked about more
than it has for decades.
“It’s clear that for far too long, attitudes
towards fire safety have been too lax, and
it’s the responsibility of everyone in the
construction industry to help ensure nothing
like this happens again.
“It’s frighteningly common for manufacturers
to test their fire door components separately,
rather than testing the completely assembled
door set. That can lead to products with FD30
components that only last a fraction of the time
they’re supposed to. We’ve come across FD30
fire doors that fail in under 15 minutes before,
which is simply unacceptable.”
www.west-port.co.uk
THRESHOLD OF RAPID GROWTH WITH RE-LAUNCH
» » CRAFTED PRECISION IS SET TO BE
the buzz word for 2018 as Virtuoso Doors –
previously known as WB Group – makes its
rise to fame.
Virtuoso Doors has kicked-off the New
Year with a major re-launch to strengthen its
position as a leading manufacturer of high
end composite doors and PVCu door panels.
Under the launch, the company has unveiled
a bold new identity to capture the unique
craftsmanship and precision engineering that
goes into making every single Virtuoso door.
The move heralds the next exciting phase of
rapid growth for Virtuoso Doors, which is part
of the new Customade Group.
Tony Craggs, managing director of
Virtuoso Doors, explains: “Virtuoso Doors
will be the name on everyone’s lips in 2018.
We have a new name and we have a new
look, but what we stand for remains the
same.”
Based at an 80,000-square foot site in
Birtley, County Durham, Virtuoso Doors
recently invested £750,000 in new specialist
machinery and IT systems. The move has
boosted Virtuoso Doors’ capabilities and
created additional capacity for future growth
and development.
www.virtuoso-doors.co.uk
MODUS SYSTEM AIDS GOTHIC REVIVAL
» » BUILT IN 1875, THE BARNES
Hospital is a French Gothic style building
where patients from Manchester Infirmary
were sent to convalesce. The Grade II-listed
building, which was closed in 1999 and left to
deteriorate, is now receiving a new lease of life
as developer Henley Homes creates the Barnes
Village around it.
Alongside the 38 homes that are being
constructed within the Victorian building,
Henley is building a further 117 two and four-
bedroom townhouses in the hospital grounds.
The challenge for Henley and its construction
division Reis Construct was to find windows
for the new-build houses that would
40 » JAN 2018 » CL EARVI E W- UK . C O M
complement the character of the hospital’s
originals, while providing the best possible
insulation and acoustic performance.
The original specification from Jeffery Bell
Architects called for an aluminium and timber
profile for the new houses. However, in liaison
with the local conservation officer, Reis elected
to substitute these for Eurocell’s Modus flush
sash casement window in Anthracite Grey. As
well as satisfying the aesthetic requirements,
the Modus windows offered a more cost-
effective solution while delivering better
performance than the original specification.
www.eurocell.co.uk