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GLASS

GLASS
Before the advent of Insulated Glazed Units, glass was a simple material; it came roughly all in the same thickness and was easily fitted to the sashes using putty.  Big sheets of glass were more expensive than little ones so sashes were often divided into numerous ‘lights’ by placing glazing bars at regular intervals. Glass tended to be more brittle than today and less consistent in its composition.  As a building material, it was remarkable in two ways:  it was fragile and not very good at keeping out the cold.

Glass Times have moved on and even single sheets of glass can be engineered in ways that a 19th Century glass-blower would have marvelled at – it is fair to say that, nowadays, glass is an engineered product with a bewildering range of features and specifications available.  Add to this the numerous methods of forming an insulated glazing package, the range of spacers available and the types of inert gases that can also be defined to minimize heat transfer and we have a recipe for confusion….

You might already have met a number of window dealers who speak at length with confidence on the comparative benefits of various ‘uValues’, package compositions, cavity treatments and other such knowledgeable topics…

We are proud to announce that we are not part of this ever-expanding trend in UK window sales:  we are a design-led joinery manufacturer first and foremost, glass is a major part of the products we offer but it is incorporated as part of the whole to achieve a lastingly beautiful result.  We wish to produce windows that are as aesthetically close to the originals as is practically possible.  Deep glazing units require ‘fat’ joinery to accommodate them; this neither looks authentic nor leads to a frame that will fit into the hole left by the original, leading to further disruption…

The standard glazing package we offer has a combination of features which balance thermal performance with traditional sash joinery which, for all intents and purposes, will look the same as the architect originally intended.

Your planning authority might have a maximum uValue guideline for replacement windows in your area, our standard package achieves an approximate centre-pane (Ug) value of 1.24w/m2K:  it is probably wise to run this by building control regulators if you are at all unsure.

We can modify the glass packages (and the joinery) to practically any specification you might require to get the perfect window-style for your project; this might include toughened or laminated panes, solar or acoustic resistant or obscure glass. Glazing bars, ‘exotic’ gas-filled cavities, etc. Some packages are available as ‘standard options’ whilst others must be priced separately.

The more options that you select will, understandably, lead to a higher price; also, certain configurations take longer to arrange and might lead to a slightly longer lead time for delivery.

There are regulations which, quite sensibly, dictate where certain types of glass can be specified, we will be happy to provide advice and guidance should you need it.

We care passionately that your window will perform its function well and provide you with a comfortable and attractive home for years to come.

We feel we can provide these things by designing and making beautiful versions of a classically British form of joinery with all modern conveniences. We won’t blind you with technical jargon, but, if you would like to see the upgrades available to you, click into the options area.

GLASS – OPTIONS

To discuss all the glazing package configurations available to you would be a bewildering and frustrating exercise, so, to get things started, let’s tell you what your window will be fitted with as standard:

4mm low ‘E’ glass – 12mm Argon filled cavity with Thermix © spacers – 4mm float glass

This system confers a thermal transmission coefficient (Ug) of approximately 1.24 W/m2K

This is a solidly performing package designed to fit discreetly into the sash joinery and retain the inherent elegance of this window form: specifying slim joinery sections also positively affects the weight of the sashes meaning they require less lead (or steel) to counterbalance them; this in turn has a positive effect on the price you pay.

STANDARD OPTIONS

GLAZING BARS

This is a straightforward addition to the joinery to accurately simulate traditional ‘Georgian’ bars from inside and out. We apply solid timber bars to the interior and exterior of the glass and include an internal spacer to the glass package so the bar appears to travel through the depth of the sash. We are also charged by our glaziers for each crossing point of the bars and this will be passed on in the final price. To select bars for your windows, merely tell us how many bars run vertically and horizontally in each sash and the calculator will do the rest, if you have asymmetrical bar arrangements, this is fine, just send us a photo; we might ask you to provide some sizes but this is easily done.

TOUGHENING

Part N1 of the Building Regulations dictates that if a piece of glass is located within 800mm of the finished level of the room’s floor it must be toughened, as well as in other areas of risk, including staircases, etc.: this means that if the underside of the cill is within 650mm of the floor (that’s 25½ inches in ‘old money’) we would urge you to have the lower sash toughened. We can also toughen the top sash but remember, tempering glass is a time consuming and relatively pricey business. Select only the windows which require toughening by ticking the appropriate boxes.

OBSCURING

You might well need this for bathrooms, loos and anywhere you require a bit of privacy. We can offer a variety of patterns and, once again, this form of glass is charged at a premium. Select the windows which require obscuring by ticking the appropriate boxes.

THERMAL EFFICIENCY

Our single intention in this section is to not in any way to ‘blind you with science’ or sell you something that you do not need: specialist glass is expensive and we make our money from working wood, not selling glass! Consider the anatomy of a box frame window, there is a minute passage of cooled air around the sashes, this is unavoidable and many people, me included, consider this to be healthy. If you are committed to a higher specification, we are definitely able to help… Selecting one of the following will convert the entire order to the chosen specification.

HIGH SPECIFICATION THERMAL GLASS PACKAGES

HIGH SPEC 1

This is the same depth as our standard package (20mm) but, instead of ‘low E’ glass, the inner pane is ‘GN 1.0’, lowering the Ug Value to approximately 1.14 W/m2K.

HIGH SPEC 2

Once again, the same depth as the standard package except with Krypton gas replacing the Argon within the cavity, the Ug Value consequently drops to an impressive 0.95 W/m2K.

NON-STANDARD OPTIONS

The list of non-standard options is comprehensive and, at the rate at which glass technology is evolving, quite possibly endless. Here is a selection of some of the common glass types for which we can cater…

  • ACOUSTIC GLASS
  • ARMORED GLASS
  • LAMINATED GLASS
  • TINTED GLASS
  • DARKENED GLASS

Prices change on these products quite regularly and in some cases, due to glass weight, we must re-design the joinery to accommodate it, but feel free to send an email with your ideal package and we will see what we can do and what it will cost to achieve it.

Finally we should mention that we also have a long-standing relationship with a traditional lead-worker who has an impressive portfolio of designs that she can be commissioned for; this must be considered a luxury purchase but it’s unbeatable if you are looking for something truly unique!