Cut The Cost & Complexity Of Window Repairs At Height

An innovative tool called Sashmate – developed by safety solutions specialist Glazesafe and available to buy at Window Ware – is helping locksmiths, double glaziers and window repair specialists across the country to work smarter, not harder, as well as win more jobs with cheaper scaffold-free quotes and a novel approach that solves all kinds of access issues.  So even awkward repair jobs on windows above conservatory roofs, over kitchen worktops or baths, and up high-rise buildings are brought within easy reach from the safety of inside the property.

It takes one-person mere seconds to set the system up to hold the sash firmly in place leaving both hands free to remove stubborn fixings, fetch tools and carry out repair work – hassle-free! And because you don’t need a second worker, ladders or scaffolding, you keep your costs down, your prices competitive and you can tackle jobs where external access is simply unworkable. Even if you always send out two people to a repair job as standard, Sashmate frees up the second person to carry out a health check on the other windows, helping to create a value-added service for clients and generate new business for you. Then when the job is done, Sashmate packs down quickly into a compact carry bag, which can be stored in your van, ready for action. According to A&C Contracts, Sashmate “saved the client over £3k on hydraulic access equipment”.

Though the Sashmate system has been on sale at Window Ware for several years, it’s enjoyed a surge of interest since its recent appearance on prime-time TV when it won the backing of not one, but two millionaire entrepreneurs! It wasn’t just Sashmate which caught the investors’ eyes, Glazesafe’s Stronghold mobile anchor and barrier system also garnered support. It ensures two workers can operate safely and securely on harnesses around window openings, lift shafts and many other kinds of apertures – from inside the building at any height. At the same time, Stronghold creates a visible barrier to cordon off the work area and keep other contractors and the public out of harm’s way.

Stronghold is portable (weighing just over 30kg), fast-erecting (set up in under 5 minutes) and free-standing to minimise damage to internal walls or floors. But when it comes to load bearing, it’s no lightweight; Stronghold is capable of supporting 1.9 tonnes. This mighty, yet mobile muscle means it meets the requirements of the British Standard BS EN 795 B:2012 and TS 16415:2013.

Both the Sashmate and Stronghold systems are available from Window Ware now – call sales on 01234 242724 or visit www.windowware.co.uk/brands/glazesafe to find out more and buy online.

With the news that the WarmCore Inline Patio Door has passed PAS 24:2016 security testing, Head of Research & Development Phil Parry talks about the importance of these stringent standards

PAS 24 is the UK benchmark for security testing and is one of the first things specifiers, fabricators and installers look for when choosing their product ranges. As homeowners become more aware of Secured by Design as a security scheme, it’s becoming more important than ever for suppliers to design products which will meet the latest PAS 24:2016 requirements. At the end of 2017, our new WarmCore Inline Patio Door was successfully tested to meet PAS 24:2016 requirements, meaning we now offer a complete suite of secure aluminium products including bi-folds and a full range of windows. When we set out to design WarmCore, security was one of our top priorities – alongside thermal performance and ease of fabrication. We consider these to be the three core criteria our customers are looking for in an aluminium product, particularly when choosing to specify aluminium instead of PVC-U.

Secure as standard – Of course there are a range of PAS 24 compliant patio doors available on the market, but from the outset we wanted to ensure that the WarmCore Inline Patio Door met PAS 24 requirements as standard. This may be a novel idea to many fabricators and installers, who have grown accustomed to paying more for additional hardware or plunge bolts in order for the product to be PAS 24 compliant. With WarmCore, however, there’s no need for any alterations. The standard specification includes a bespoke bi-directional lock developed with ILH which is secure to PAS 24 standards when locked not only internally, but externally too. This is an important specification consideration often overlooked, which is crucial when considering a patio door slider for annex buildings and garden rooms which are often only locked externally. This opens up new opportunities for installers as more homeowners look to extend their properties to add value.

We believe we have the only patio door on the market which meets this criterion – giving our customers a unique selling point against their competitors in the marketplace. For savvy homeowners who understand the importance of Secured by Design, this added benefit will certainly catch their attention. Attempted break in – At the end of last year, we heard from a WarmCore customer, SBS (Cumbria), that one of their homeowners has had an attempted break in. The burglar tried to access the property through the WarmCore windows and doors and simply couldn’t get in – which is a great example to support the standards set by PAS 24, but also a great anecdote for our fabricator and installer customers to add substance to the claims they make about the security of our products. Sometimes it takes a real life experience to really appreciate the value of SBD-approved products, and the homeowners in this circumstance will certainly appreciate the precision engineering behind WarmCore which makes it such a security-focused product – and be glad they chose the recommended glass specification.

Number one priority – From the work we do with housebuilders, we are fully aware that the first question they ask about a new products is, “Does it come with Secured by Design approval?” Homeowner preferences are dictating the marketplace, and they are looking out for these seals of approval not only for retrofit applications but when purchasing for the first time too. As security becomes a pressing concern for homeowners, this knock-on effect is going to make it the number one priority further up the supply chain, so we will continue to ensure our products are designed and produced with the highest standards in mind to meet this demand.

The post Surpassing stringent security standards appeared first on Windows Active Magazine.

Working alongside John Sisk & Son and specialist contractor Elite Aluminium Systems, Senior Architectural Systems has delivered its largest order to date for its thermally-efficient PURe® aluminium windows at Manchester Life’s new Cotton Field Wharf residential development.

Cotton Field Wharf is the first scheme to be completed as part Manchester Life’s plans to create over 1000 new private rental homes across the Ancoats area of Manchester.

The 302 new apartments at Cotton Field Wharf benefit from the use of Senior’s patented PURe® aluminium casement windows, which offer some of the lowest U-values available on the UK market. Senior’s PURe® FOLD aluminium doors open up to private terraces, many of which enjoy picturesque waterside views thanks to the scheme’s location overlooking the New Islington Marina. On the lower levels, Senior’s slim profile aluminium curtain walling system has been used to frame the communal areas, which include a gym and club room, and maximise the sense of light and space.  Senior’s robust and secure SPW501 commercial aluminium doors complete the development’s attractive glazing package.

Through early engagement with Elite Aluminium Systems, the team were able review the initial specification for the project and pioneer the use of Senior’s PURe® system. Elite successfully demonstrated that unlike alternative products, the PURe® aluminium windows and doors could provide exceptionally low U-values at a competitive cost.  Quality and reliability could also be assured through the use of Senior’s advanced in-house powder coating facility and standard 25 year warranty on all coatings.

Commenting, Mark Longmore, general manager at Elite Aluminium Systems Ltd said: “We have worked with Senior Architectural Systems for over twenty years now and so it was an obvious choice for us to look to their extensive product range for a cost-effective solution for the Cotton Field Wharf contract. Senior’s PURe® system fitted the bill perfectly by offering a range of benefits to the client whilst also being a pleasure to install.  We are really proud of the results and to have secured additional contracts with Manchester Life as part of the ongoing regeneration of what was once the centre of Manchester’s industrial revolution.”

Simon Scholefield, Senior Architectural System’s architectural advisor for the North West region added: “Product innovation and supply chain collaboration have played a key role in the delivery of Cotton Field Wharf and we are extremely proud to have been involved. We are also delighted to be continuing our relationship with Elite, John Sisk and Manchester Life following our appointment to supply to the fenestration package for the new Smith’s Yard scheme that forms part of the same development.”

Senior’s patented PURe® aluminium window system is the first on the UK market to benefit from an enhanced thermal barrier manufactured from expanded polyurethane foam (PUR). Traditionally used in cladding and insulation products, the innovative use of PUR as a thermal barrier in windows and doors gives the PURe ® range the potential to achieve U-values as low as 0.71W/m² K when calculated as a commercial CEN standard window and 0.93W/m² K when calculated as a CEN standard door.

www.seniorarchitectural.co.uk 

Central London’s newest luxury boutique hotel is said to offer guests a sleek, contemporary interior enhanced by the installation of Crittall Windows’ screens and doors.

The Radisson Blu Edwardian Hampshire Hotel features bespoke Crittall steel products, designed and supplied by Lightfoot Windows (Kent), to delineate the various public areas within the ground floor.

The screens and doors are constructed from W20 double-glazed, polyester powder coated components. The inherent strength of the steel makes possible the slimmest of frames and glazing beads to ensure the maximum amount of light enters the interior spaces.

The installation also includes a cold form door from the Jansen ECO 50 range supplied by Crittall Fabrications. In addition to the lobby and ground floor interior Lightfoot has also installed screens and doors in the hotel’s exclusive penthouse suites.

The post Crittall enhances West End hotel luxury appeared first on Glass & Glazing Products Magazine (GGP).

Picture above:  (L-R) Paul Hinds, National Sales Manager at Safeware, with Jim Shearn, Co-owner of Seal-Lite Group, and Rod Johnson, Area Sales Manager at SFS.

Leading South West fabricator and installer Seal-Lite Group is gaining an important competitive edge for its PVC-U doorsets through a mix of aesthetics, quality and reliability by combining the Swish profile with Dynamic 2D hinges by SFS.

The Clevedon-based company, which serves trade and retail customers throughout the South West of England, produces more than 300 PVC-U doorsets every month, all featuring Dynamic 2D hinges supplied by Safeware. The combination of the Swish profile design and the Dynamic 2D’s bespoke hinge sash plate delivers excellent visual appeal in a robust, secure doorset in which Seal-Lite customers can have complete long-term confidence.

Seal-Lite Group Managing Director, Chris Shearn, said: “The quality of our doorsets, and all the products we manufacture, depends on choosing the right components and system, and our excellent customer feedback to date suggests that our new specification for PVC-U doors is ticking all the boxes. Switching to the Swish system has enabled us to achieve an important uplift in quality, and one that has been amplified through our decision to use Dynamic 2D hinges.

“SFS provided excellent technical support from the outset to ensure the hinges provide us with that ‘fit and forget’ solution, which is so important for customer satisfaction and for protecting our reputation. The hinges also mean we can provide the assurance of Secured by Design on our doorsets, and the ability to colour match with a durable finish gives our doorsets a visual appeal that sets us apart.”

SFS – a global leader in the design and manufacture of door hinges – is a long-established supplier to the Epwin Group’s hardware specialist business Safeware. This organisation offers a ‘one stop shop’ for fabricators of all the window and door systems produced by the Epwin Group, providing a simplified supply chain with easy access to the highest quality hardware and technical support.

Paul Hinds, National Sales Manager at Safeware, comments: “We’ve stocked the Dynamic 2D hinge ever since it was launched in the UK and it continues to impress our fabricator customers, whether it’s a Swish profile or any of the Epwin Group systems. The excellent results that the Seal-Lite Group is achieving with the Swish system and Dynamic 2D hinge combination is a clear demonstration of the technical excellence that lies behind these products, particularly in respect of the system-specific sash plate developed by SFS.”

Find out more in the Fenestration section at www.sfsintec.co.uk.

Picture above:  Inside the Rapierstar distribution centre in Cheshire, which now holds more than one billion fasteners in stock.

Customers of Rapierstar, the leading fastener supplier to the door and window industry, are benefiting from its latest investment in logistics and supply chain technology as it reports a near perfect record in on time in full (OTIF) deliveries over the last 12 months.

The company’s latest customer service data reveals that 99.4% of all orders last year were delivered OTIF and error free, when promised. This record high figure comes at a time when Rapierstar has increased its customer base to supply a market share of over three quarters of the UK and Irish window industry, and it has increased stockholding at its warehouse and distribution centre to over one billion screws.

David Furness, Rapierstar Managing Director, says: “We’ve been supplying fasteners to the UK and Irish door and window markets for over 25 years now, and through our strategy of continuous improvement we are doing things better for our customers year after year. This now means we get almost 100% of orders to our customers on time in full, which we are immensely proud of given the huge variety of screws and installation fixings we supply and the geographic spread of our customers.

“It’s a reflection of the professionalism that underpins every aspect of Rapierstar. For many years we have committed to the ISO 9001 quality management system, plus the Investors in People training and development standard. We also operate on the award-winning Microsoft Dynamics fully integrated ERP software, which is programmable, multi-site, multi-currency and synchronizes with HMRC for running our Customs Warehouse.”

Rapierstar operates from a purpose-built head office and 100,000 sq. ft. bonded distribution centre near Congleton in Cheshire, with supporting sites in Belfast and Norwich ensuring smooth distribution to all parts of the British Isles.

Its own branded products are designed and manufactured to exacting speed of insertion, strength of drill point and high plating standards, with quality assured through comprehensive testing at both its manufacturing plants and its ‘in-house’ R&D test facility at Congleton. This industry leading regime enables Rapierstar to comply with all appropriate British, European and international quality standards and to continuously improve product performance thorough innovation.

David adds: “It’s easy to take fasteners for granted, but without having the right types in stock when you need them, production would simply be brought to an abrupt halt, or the wrong types of fastener would need to be used as a substitute. Neither is an appealing option. That’s why we invest so heavily in making sure our global supply chain is strong, utilising the latest technology and the deepest stockholding, in combination with our decades of experience, to deliver a reliable service for our customers.”

Find out more about Rapierstar at www.rapierstar.com.

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VBH (GB) has promoted Sales Director Simon Monks to the position of Managing Director from 1^st of January 2018. Current Managing Director Peter Rowlands, who has been in the position for the last 10 years, moves into the newly created position of Business Development Director. Simon will become responsible for leading the VBH team through the next phase of business development and growth, as well as the overall day-to-day running of the business.

In his new role as Business Development Director, Peter will be responsible for the development of VBH’s own brand, greenteQ, and managing the VBH engineering team in the Far East. He will also be working with VBH’s branded hardware partners, as well as existing and new customers to develop new business opportunities and partnerships.  Peter comments: “In an ever-changing window and door hardware market, it is vital for businesses that they do not stand still, but can reshape and adjust with market trends as well as creating opportunities in new markets.

“Simon and I have been with VBH since 2007, and during that time we have seen many positive changes in both the company and the industry. The management team at VBH has worked hard to shape the business into the innovative, customer and service driven company that we are today. I would like to thank all of our customers, suppliers and employees for their support during my time as MD, and to join me in congratulating Simon on his thoroughly-deserved promotion.”

The post Simon Monks promoted to Managing Director at VBH appeared first on Windows Active Magazine.

Teal Products, the UK’s leading specialist distributor of window controls, openers and actuators has introduced yet another new product innovation to its line-up. Fresh from adding WindowMaster’s new folding arm actuator, the Gloucestershire-firm has launched a brand-new, intelligent chain actuator.

Designed for top-hung, side-hung and bottom-hung windows as well as domed or pitched rooflights, the Micro Evo from Mingardi is a highly-versatile solution to automate opening and closing in multiple applications. Easy to install thanks to its intuitive fixing system, the Micro Evo can be programmed to work in sync with up to three other actuators for large vents or even parallel opening vents.

“We’re delighted to be making a second addition to our product range so early in the year with the new high-performance chain actuator from Mingardi,” comments Teal Products Director, Sam Yiend. “At Teal, we are always investigating new innovations which can bolster our product line and provide our customers with a full range of added-value products suitable for any application.”

“The Micro Evo is a fantastic, high-specification actuator that’s perfect for both domestic and commercial markets, turning an ordinary window into an automated opening device. It’s fully compatible with our range of electric control systems that can open and close manually (switch or remote) or automatically (timer, thermostat, rain sensor, wind sensor or CO2 sensor). And as ever, we can provide full technical support and training to fully support installers new to this profitable part of the market.”

The new chain actuator joins Teal’s comprehensive range of both manual and electronic window control systems, including the new WMD 820 folding arm actuator from WindowMaster. Launched in January, the WMD 820 is designed for side-hung windows and doors, providing a complete 90-degree opening in just 60 seconds.

Founded in 2000, Teal Products is one of the UK’s leading suppliers and distributors of manual and electric window openers, controls and actuators. Family-owned and family-run, Teal stocks products from leading brands including WindowMaster, Mingardi and Highline, supplying to customers across the country. As well as an extensive product range, Teal prides itself on its comprehensive customer service including technical assistance, training and after-sales support.

For more information visit www.tealproducts.com or call + 44 (0) 1242 620318.

John King returns to Carl F Groupco as National Sales Manager. With over thirty years’ experience gained across a wide range of door and window industry management, technical, sales and hands-on roles, John returns to the hardware distribution company to head up its nationwide team of Regional Sales Managers (RSMs). After starting his career in fabrication in the early days of PVCu, John moved to a technical services post. He went on to take the positions of Production Director and head of a commercial installation operation. He previously worked for  Carl F Groupco for eight years as an RSM.

Commenting on the calibre of the company, John King said “Carl F Groupco has a widespread reputation across the industry as a highly professional hardware operation with excellent products, systems and processes. The commitment to service and investment in initiatives, such as SmartSecure, keep the company at the forefront of the fittings supply industry. A large number of people have worked for Carl F Groupco for a very long time and it is good to be back among friends. We are a close knit organisation and are passionate about what we do. There are no closed doors and we focus on what’s best for the customer by developing long-term relationships.”

Managing Director John Crittenden and his team welcome John back into the Carl F Groupco organisation.

The post John King, National Sales Manager at Carl F Groupco appeared first on Windows Active Magazine.