Clearview National June 2018 - Issue 199 | Page 64

GLASS & SEALEDUNITS

An innovative solution to traditional design

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THE LATEST GENERATION of flush sash and heritage-style windows has taken the market by storm. Traditional looking windows with Georgian bars combine beautiful sightlines with the benefits of warm edge, ideal for enhancing period properties and adding character to new builds. Most systems companies now offer a choice of flush sashes and vertical sliders, and they’ re selling fast.
Homeowners love the look of heritage-style windows but expect high performance too. Along with security and weather performance, energy efficiency is a top priority. A variety of surveys over the past 10 years show homeowners are concerned with rising energy prices. Homeowners may want beautifully designed windows, but they want windows that keep their properties warm and help to reduce heating bills.
In traditional timber windows, each square section was an individual glass pane. Today’ s vertical sliders and flush sash windows use a spacer bar inside the sealed unit to create the look of separate panes, with an outer astragal bar replicating the original design. Many window companies still use a warm edge frame with a metal Georgian bar, but that spoils the look of the window and the thermal performance.
SWISSPACER’ s Georgian bar is a modern solution to traditional design for authentic, high performance flush sash and vertical slider windows. It gives a seamless transition from the outer warm edge spacer bar to inner Georgian bar for outstanding energy performance and a high-end look. In response to growing demand, SWISSPACER recently launched new 12x18mm and 16x18mm bars
to fit the most popular windows sizes in the UK and Ireland. It’ s available in our best-selling colours and now features improved bar crosses with an integrated anti-rattle plug and matching end caps for a premium finish.
We’ ve produced high quality Georgian bar sample boxes to mark the launch of our extended Georgian bar range. The new sample boxes are designed to let sealed unit makers and fabricators see and feel SWISSPACER’ s
Georgian bar, and learn how it’ s put together. The attractive sample box includes a Georgian bar frame with new bar crosses and corner keys.
www. swisspacer. com

All pane and all gain

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FRAME FAST UK HAS SMASHED ITS own goals with glass unit production, as it’ s now manufacturing more than 1,300 insulated glass units every week.
“ Opening the glass factory has been a big benefit to customers,” says Nigel Leivers, Director at Derby based manufacturers Frame Fast.“ We have seen production continue to grow as demand has continued to rise. In fact, it’ s grown so much that we’ ve had to make more space for glass production.
“ We have added another 10,000 square feet of factory space. Both roof manufacture and aluminium window and door fabrication have moved to give them more space. Glass production has a new, much larger, home too. The £ 60,000 investment in machinery means we needed more space and we wanted to put glass production into a place where there was space for it to grow even more.”
Alongside the production of IGUs Frame Fast also has a decorative glass division where craftsmen hand make any design. It has attracted a lot of interest especially for entrance doors where some homeowners want to make a real statement. Now the move is complete, Frame Fast has also custom-made its own logo in glass.
“ Customers can get exactly what they want from Frame Fast’ s glass factory,” adds Nigel.“ It makes it even easier to order the glass and frames together, and that means one delivery or collection. It’ s been a real success for everyone.”
www. framefastuk. com
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