News
22 | JANUARY 2018
News
Fire window offers long-lasting barrier
Once again raising the bar and extending its range of durable , dependable fire-rated products , pioneering Astraseal has become the first fabricator to manufacture a 60-minute rated , fixed fire window .
Council building boom ?
Most headlines about the autumn budget focussed on the Chancellor ’ s stamp duty cuts . The threshold has been raised to £ 300,000 , supposedly to help first-time buyers and families who are desperate to move to bigger properties .
The jury is out on whether the stamp duty break will have its intended effect . But the detail that caught the eye of Chris Coxon , head of marketing at Eurocell plc , was a plan to lift borrowing caps on Housing Revenue Accounts for local authorities in areas of ‘ high affordability pressures ’ so that they can build more council homes . This follows on from Theresa May ’ s announcement of an additional £ 2bn funding to deliver 25,000 homes for social rent , during her embattled speech to the Conservative Party Conference in October . And while neither gesture can be considered a game-changer , what they do demonstrate is a change of heart from the Government towards local authority house building .
www . eurocell . co . uk
Instead of traditional hardwood or steel , Astraseal ’ s unique fire window system is based on the proven FireFrame from Winkhaus , combining durable composite and PVCu materials for advanced fire resistance . Add to this Astraseal ’ s fire-retardant sealed units and the new window system can provide a long-lasting barrier for both internal and external uses .
The new fire window system is available in a range of sizes in both single and double fixed pane configurations . Designed for use in any residential or
commercial application , the window offers incredibly slim , internal sightlines along with dependable durability and strength thanks to its , innovative hybrid frame .
The 60-minute fire window strengthens Astraseal ’ s industry-leading fire-rated product line , joining its range of PVCu and composite FD30 and FD60 fire door systems . As well as offering its new 60-minute solution , Astraseal also offers the RAUFERNO PVCu fire-window system .
www . astraseal . co . uk
LETTER
Read online at www . proinstaller . co . uk
WHEN COLOUR GOES WRONG
Pro Installer has been hearing about increasing calls asking for advice on rectifying coloured PVCu jobs that have gone wrong , because window frames just aren ’ t being reinforced properly .
Paul Sullivan , managing director at Anglo European , is one of those affected by such calls .
He writes : “ One involved a new-build apartment block where the architect had specified Anthracite Grey PVCu windows . The fabricator hadn ’ t used steel reinforcement in the frames and as temperatures rose in early summer , residents in the south facing apartments started to complain about sashes sticking and not closing correctly . On inspection , warping of the profile caused by heat from the sun was plain to see .
“ Today ’ s popular grey and black windows have none of the heat-reflective qualities of white PVCu and even lighter colours do not reflect heat well . The bigger percentage of foil profiles in a fabricator ’ s product mix increases the risk of warping frames caused by solar heat gain . Add to this the move towards longer guarantees on frames and it makes sense for PVCu window manufacturers to reduce their exposure to failures by choosing a steel reinforcement specification .
“ PVCu isn ’ t first choice for homeowners by accident . They know that it is low-maintenance , durable and that it will last . Now that the market has such a strong emphasis on coloured frames , it ’ s important for homeowners and specifiers to be able to choose coloured PVCu and know that it will perform for years to come .”
At Anglo European we ’ ve also launched a 10-year warranty backed with extensive testing on steel reinforcement to give fabricators extra reassurance on the life-time performance for windows and doors .”
www . angloeuropeangroup . co . uk
EPWIN EXPANDS SALES TEAM WITH TWO NEW APPOINTMENTS
Fenestration powerhouse Epwin is bolstering its sales team with the appointment of two respected industry veterans .
Boasting more than 50 years of industry experience between them , John Barry and Mick Thompson strengthen the Epwin sales force as a crucial time for the business , as it looks to significantly expand its activities in the years ahead .
Their focus will be growing two of Epwin ’ s constituent businesses , market-leading PVCu fabricator Sierra , and respected composite door specialists Safedoors .
Mick will cover the Midlands and the South East , while John ’ s patch will encompass Scotland and the North of England . Combined with Epwin ’ s existing sales personnel , this gives the group full coverage of mainland of Britain .
The pair will report directly to Epwin Sales Director Paul Tranter , who comments :
“ A combination of best-in-class products and outstanding customer service have helped Safedoors and Sierra establish themselves as leading businesses in their sectors .”
www . epwin . co . uk