DIY Trade News October 2013
34
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Success built on traditional values
A window to the world
The Swartland story began in 1951
with Oupa Hanekom in the small town
of Moorreesburg, a few wheat fields
north of Cape Town.
Thinking long term
‘Think Long Term’ guides the company
in everything it does, from how it makes its
products and how the business sources
raw materials, to the value it places on
relationships. Swartland’s commitment
He started supplying the local community
integral part of the Swartland culture. It’s a place
to increased energy efficiency and
with hardware and electrical goods, but Oupa’s
where traditional values, such as hard work, and pride
environmental sustainability is deeply
ambitions lay far beyond the boundaries of
in our craft, live in harmony with new technology and
ingrained. Furthermore, the company
Moorreesburg, and it wasn’t long before joinery
inspired ideas. The results speak for themselves,
prides itself on its integrity and insist that
became Swartland’s specialty. When Oupa’s son,
windows and doors crafted to perfection and
environmental resources be utilised in a
Oom Jurgens, took over the reins, he brought
manufactured to last a lifetime. The company’s ranges
sustainable way.
new ideas to the business, one of which was his
offer leading products in their class and the back-up
personal philosophy of continuous improvement.
and support offered by the knowledgeable national
In the forest
service teams is unrivalled.
It gives preference to responsible loggers
Today, this desire to constantly improve is an
and we monitor the harvesting process on-
Fenestration trends for 2014
Fenestration plays a major part of the look and feel
of any building. Cobus Lourens offers an overview of
what is driving fenestration trends today.
Fenestration is a fundamental element of
architectural design, defining both the outside
management, wood is a renewable resource.
In the factory
Its processes are focused on reducing waste.
The innovative recycling system uses excess
wood chips to fuel the boilers that kiln-dry
the wood, and the hi-tech air-management
system dramatically reduces emissions.
In the home
appearance of a building, as well as its interior
The products are designed to improve
atmosphere. Lourens says: “The style of your home
every home’s thermal performance, keeping
will largely dictate the style of windows you choose
it as warm or as cool as the homeowner
to include. If it is a Victorian-style home for example,
prefers. The company recently introduced
you will more than likely select wooden windows
Double-Glazed windows to the market.
with a more traditional feel, such as sliding sash
Independent tests prove them to be the
windows for example. For more contemporary
most energy-efficient windows in South
homes, streamlined window frames, with a sleek,
Africa. The inclusion of rubber seals on all
minimalist appearance would be more suitable.
windows and selected doors also reduces
However, styles aside, fenestration design is being
temperature loss.
directed by a number of other market drivers.” He
offers an overview on the hottest trends driving
Wood is an extremely efficient insulator
fenestration today.
and its carbon footprint is much smaller
than other materials. It takes 6,34
Energy Efficiency
times the amount of energy to make an
As the cost of electricity is increasingly on the rise,
aluminium window, 4.41 times to make
so are more and more homeowners looking for ways
a steel window and 11,7 times to make a
of improving the energy efficiency of their homes.
uPVC window than it does to make the
Lourens notes that windows play an extremely
equivalent window from treated wood. The
important part of improving a home’s insulation.
business is fully committed to preserving
“Between 20% and 30% of a building’s heat loss
the environment; this process is on-going
and gain can occur through doors and windows.
Choosing quality fenestration products, such
site. It also believe that with responsible
Swartland Sliding Sash
and continuously improving.