Tag Archives: Glass

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Self-Certification Scheme For Tradespeople

Customers of double glazing and replacement window and door companies are being urged to look out for a regulation scheme which is aimed at bringing more peace of mind to homeowners and buyers.

Self-Certification Scheme For Tradespeople

LocalQuoter, a company which puts customers in touch with reputable local tradespeople who are all specialists in a particular sector in the home improvement field and Cheap Double Glazing Quotes, believes that the Certass (Certification and Self Assessment) scheme offers valuable guarantees covering the quality of manufacture and installation of new windows and doors.

It is designed to ensure that all work complies with building regulations, which means that homeowners will be able to produce a certificate which will satisfy the conditions required under Home Improvement Pack (HIPs) regulations should they wish to sell on their home after completion of the work.

Glazing companies working under Certass also sign up to an insurance scheme, which assures customers that, should their installer go out of business, any repairs required under guarantee will be carried out by another Certass member.

LocalQuoter believes that this is a valuable safeguard for homeowners, and will prove especially useful when they want to sell their home, as the information has to be included in the Home Information Pack offered to prospective buyers.

Approval by Certass Glazing will allow member contractors to self-certify work, which means Certass Glazing will be in a position to issue Building Regulation Completion Certificates to homeowners.

Every prospective member of CERTASS glazing will first have to be vetted by the scheme’s officials, who can also carry out random inspections of their members’ work to ensure that they are complying with regulations.

Certass Glazing members will have to apply to rejoin the scheme every year runs from the date of initial approval, so each contractor’s annual period will be unique.

The Certass scheme runs alongside the similar accreditation process operated by FENSA, which in turn covers 9,000 registered window and door manufacturers and installers.

“At LocalQuoter, we offer our customers the double reassurance that companies we recommend meet the requirements laid down by both CERTASS and FENSA,” said Les Yates of LocalQuoter.

Via EPR Network
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An Insight Into Conservatories And The Effects Of The New Planning Regulations

It is now ten months since the introduction of the new UK planning regulations that came in to effect on the 1 st October 2008 and here, ConservatoryLand, a major manufacturer and supplier of DIY conservatories report on the effects that they have had on the conservatory industry since then.

David Bingham, director of ConservatoryLand says “I have heard reports from certain large conservatory roof manufacturers that the volume of their roof orders have increased but their sales revenue has actually decreased in 2009 compared to that of 2008.

This is thought to have been caused partly due to the new planning permission regulations which are causing consumers to opt for smaller conservatories with a view to keeping within the new size criteria for which you do not now require planning permission approval.”

The size criteria elements within the new planning regulations that could be affecting this are:

•  No extension to be higher than the highest part of the roof

•  Maximum depth of a single-storey rear extension of three metres for an attached house and four metres for a detached house

•  Maximum height of a single-storey rear extension of four metres

•  Maximum depth of a rear extension of more than one storey of three metres including ground floor

•  Maximum eaves height of an extension within two metres of the boundary of three metres

•  Maximum eaves and ridge height of extension no higher than existing house

•  Side extensions to be single storey with maximum height of four metres and width no more than half that of the original house

•  Roof pitch of extensions higher than one storey to match existing house

Taking the above criteria in to consideration, it is clear to see why some manufacturers of conservatories and conservatory roofs are thinking that consumers are being guided in to buying smaller conservatories and are blaming this for a smaller average order value.

Here you can find more information about planning permission and building regulations requirements for conservatories.

Via EPR Network
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Expert Inside View Into Conservatories And What To Look Out For

David Bingham Managing Director of Conservatory Land has given an insight into the conservatory industry and the current trend he is seeing. With 20 years personal experience in the industry he has given some useful advice and tips for anyone looking to buy a conservatory.

Currently, one of the UK’s most popular and appealing home improvement projects for homeowners is adding conservatories to their homes. The choice is vast and if you are considering a sizable investment it is wise to start with the company itself. Choose a company that has satisfactorily supplied or installed conservatories for friends, family or someone else you know. The next step is to decide what type of conservatory you want, or more importantly, what type will best suit your property and keep within your budget.

Measure the space you have available and decide what size you would like and which style would look best. Choose a style and size that will provide you with a usable, furnishable living space whilst at the same time not looking out of place or out of proportion with your property. This step is the most important one so take your time as you will only get once chance to get it right. No one wants to end up with a conservatory that is too small to be of reasonable use or too large for the size and style of your home. David Bingham went on to say “I have heard so many times, customers saying that they wish they had purchased a larger conservatory so that there was more room to seat the whole family for dinner or for watching TV, so choose carefully, but don’t over do it, it needs to be just right”.

Conservatories

Once you have decided on the size and style, be it an Edwardian, Victorian or a simple traditional lean-to conservatory, you need to decide on the actual design. There are three main designs to choose from, dwarf wall, full height glass to ground and full height bottom panels.

Then there are the doors. The most popular choice are French (double) doors but in some situations, sliding patio doors or bi fold doors and be more suitable for some conservatories depending of their location on your home and how you intend to use your conservatory. The company you choose will be able to give you further advice on design options and supply you with CAD drawings to help give you an idea of how the finished conservatory will look.

Colour is also very important. Modern PVCu profiles are available in many colours with the most common being white, mahogany, rosewood, golden (light) oak and more recently cream has been introduced. White PVCu is usually the cheapest option. It is a good idea to choose a colour that will best compliment the fabric of your property and your existing windows and doors.

The final step is to decide on glazing types, both for the frames and roof and you don’t necessarily need the exact same glazing type in the roof as the frames. Frame glazing for conservatories can take many different forms. The very basic frame glazing used in conservatories is clear toughened safety class, usually made up in double glazed sealed units.

However, you may want a higher insulating glass to help keep your conservatory warmer during the winter months such as Pilkington K Glass or a solar reflective glass to help keep it cooler in the summer such as Pilkington Activ Blue which is also self cleaning – or even a combination of both to help keep your conservatory more comfortable all year round. Your conservatory supplier will be able to give you advice and associated costs regarding this.

Then there’s the roof glazing which is very important. There are two basic materials, polycarbonate and glass.

You should decide how you would like your conservatory to look and consider your budget as glass roofs for conservatories are far more expensive and often require additional reinforcement of the frames and roof, further adding to the cost.

The main disadvantage with polycarbonate is the ‘drumming’ effect which can become very loud during heavy rain. Glass roofs can be a better option for conservatories as there is far less noise during rainfall.

David went onto say “I have tried to provide this advice with a view to helping anyone buying a conservatory, whether it is fully installed or a DIY conservatory to make sure that they get exactly what they want and need. When it comes to conservatories, especially DIY conservatories, getting it wrong can be a very expensive mistake and I like to think that ConservatoryLand is one company that can professionally advise on these issues”.

Via EPR Network
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Lonsdale Metal Company Limited Has Secured A Deal With Network Rail To Provide Roof Glazing At More Than 40 UK Railway Stations

Lonsdale Metal Company Limited has secured a deal with Network Rail to provide roof glazing at more than 40 UK railway stations.

Roof Glazing

The North London based company has previously installed glass roofs for many Network Rail properties. Major work undertaken so far includes a 16,500 sq/m roof at Liverpool Lime Street, a 28,500 sq/m roof at Waterloo and an intricate canopy at St Pancras as well as glass roofs at a number of other stations including Carlisle, York and Derby.

While Lonsdale will be manufacturing the roof glazing, the company’s strategically located dealers throughout the UK will be installing the roofs.

Lonsdale’s sales director Richard Burgess commented on the deal, saying: “It’s really a question of the right product for the job at the right price. You only have to look up at most rail stations to see evidence of patent glazing from years gone by in various states of repair all over the country. The modern systems Lonsdale supply can be installed 60-70% cheaper than sloped curtain walling and at half the price of cassette style, linking panel type systems.”

Patent glazing can have a life span of up to 40 years, with very little maintenance required during that time, as well as an excellent safety record. Burgess added: “When you are suspending glass over the heads of thousands of members of the public who flow through these stations, you have to be sure everything stays put. At Waterloo, for example, there is over 264 tonnes of glass sitting up there. It is not the time to be specifying questionably inferior products and our systems are tried and tested.”

Key considerations for safety in roofing include regulations regarding non-fragility. Safety glass that stays in place even when broken and ensuring the system can cope not only with the usual design wind and snow loads, but also exceptional forces such as the vortex caused by express trains travelling through stations at speeds in excess of 100mph.

Burgess said: “I think our expertise in providing good, reliable technical information and the ability to perform structural and impact testing to comply with the latest regulations, gives engineers and designers the confidence they need and know they are dealing with the right people”.

Network Rail has committed to spending £2bn in a refurbishment programme across the UK.

About Lonsdale:
Established in 1946, Lonsdale Metal is the UK’s market leader for aluminium patent glazing and rooflight systems. Lonsdale has been responsible for recent installations at 10 Downing Street, Buckingham Palace and Legoland.

Via EPR Network
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Optima Products Launches New Environmentally Friendly USB Version Of Its Designer’s Guide

In line with Optima Products’ corporate responsibility and environmental awareness policies, the innovative glass partitions company has come up with a new, eco-friendly way of getting vital information to its clients.

optimasystems

Optima Products is now using an ingenious and eco-friendly alternative to the heavy paper version of their Designer’s Guide.

The Designer’s Guide contains in-depth information on office partitioning and other architectural and construction issues spread out over 100 pages of A4. In previous years Optima Products printed in excess of 1000 copies of the Designer’s Guide for its glass partition customers and associates. To bring the production of this year’s Designer’s Guide in line with the glass partition company’s energy efficiency and waste minimisation policies, Optima Products will be providing this fantastic portfolio of information on a small and stylish USB storage device.

This new system will save thousands upon thousands of sheets of paper, not to mention large envelopes, as well as cutting down on the huge postage costs that come with sending out bulky paper packages. This, in turn, cuts down on the amount of fuel used for delivery of the Guides, reducing Optima Products’ overall carbon footprint.

Shaped to resemble a capsule pill, the new USB format Guide will help thousands of Optima Products clients by ‘taking the pain out of detailing.’ It includes:

• The full Designer’s Guide
• 3D interactive Explore-a-Product technical specifications
• Detailed CAD drawings (.dwg files) for designers and architects
• Optima’s Project Photo Galleries
• 3D animations of the Deflection head and Nebula joint solutions
• In-depth case studies of Optima’s latest projects
• Links to Optima’s highly popular Optiman game

The new USB format Designer’s Guide is the latest in a long line of ingenious ideas from the glass partitions specialist to curtail the environmental impact of Optima Products business activities.

Managing Director, Nigel Westray said, “Our products are installed in the offices of some of the most prestigious companies in the UK, companies who are totally committed to Environmental Management, and it is only right that we meet or exceed their standards of environmental best practice”.

Optima Systems’ environmentally ethical practices recently earned the company IS014001 accreditation for its Environmental Management System and the glass partition company has also drawn up plans to make further emissions reductions across all sectors.

Paper copies of the Designer’s Guide will still be available this year by request; however Optima Products aims to faze them out entirely over the coming years.

To find out more about Optima’s eco friendly glass partition systems and services or to learn more about the Designer’s Guide, please visit: http://www.optimasystems.com.

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Two New Glass Doors By Optima Systems Can Be Used In Seamless Conjunction With Optima’s Other Glass Partitioning Products

Optima Systems’ team of technical engineers have come up with two exciting new products to add to the Optima range.

The two new glass doors are designed to glide smoothly open, saving precious office space and creating a sophisticated and sleek office aesthetic.

The two new products, the Framed Sliding Door and the Pocket Sliding Door, are very different and can be used in conjunction with different Optima glazing systems.

Traditionally, sliding doors and acoustic performance do not go hand in hand, but Optima’s new Framed Sliding Door ensures that this design dilemma is a thing of the past.

The minimal aluminium frame of the Framed Sliding Door incorporates full length brush seals at the head and base and compressible seals on the vertical ‘door stop’ edge for an enhanced acoustic performance.

The door is operated by pull handles which run on Optima’s ever popular Kinetic dual trolley rolling system. The base detail incorporates a discreet anodised channel to fully control the door’s travel, thus eliminating the potential for leading edge drift and ensuring a light yet solid operating feel.

Optima’s Framed Sliding Door is the perfect way to form a space efficient office entrance within Optima’s 117 single glazed partition system, without compromising on acoustic performance.

Optima’s Pocket Sliding Door provides an attractive solution where minimal detailing, space efficiency and acoustic performance are important considerations.

The door was designed as an addition to our popular Revolution 97 double glazed mullion-free partition system. The 12mm glass leaf door is suspended from Optima’s highly popular and proven Kinetic operating system which enables the door to glide effortlessly into the double glazed screen.

The door is designed to be operated by pull handles, providing the benefit of upgrading to floor deployment lockable handles if necessary.

For more information on any of the Optima product range, visit http://www.optimasystems.com.

 

About Optima:
Optima offers the highest quality service and innovative design to secure consumer satisfaction, ensuring that their extensive range of partitioning systems are able to meet customers’ exacting specifications, supported by technical expertise to achieve successful project completion.

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Conservatory Land Is Anticipating An Increase In Demand For Bi-Fold Doors As Many Homeowners Start To Look Forward To Spring

David Bingham, Managing Director at Conservatory Land stated that “Besides fitting a conservatory, they are one of the best ways of adding value to the home, as well as making the garden a much more accessible and enjoyable area for the whole family,” and went on to say “In the last 12 months, bi-fold doors have become a must-have on many homes and we always recommend them to our customers who are fitting a conservatory.”

Sliding bi-fold doors have the advantage of providing full access to the garden or patio area, which means that on a warm summer’s day homeowners can literally open up their home to the sunshine, dramatically connecting the indoor and outdoor space. Bi-fold doors can replace an existing patio door in a house or form part of a new conservatory.

The bi-folds’ amazing flexibility is seen in the various fold options, which make it easy to adjust the doors, depending on how much fresh air you require. Opening up to the largest 6.5 metres wide, bi-fold doors are certain to create a beautifully practical living space and ensuring circulation of healthy fresh air throughout your home.

Conservatory Land uses the market leading Eurocell profile system to make the sliding bi-fold doors because it has the reputation as one of the best quality systems on the market. Conservatory Land also sources from Eurocell because it is a local company, based in Derbyshire that offers a full range of windows, conservatories and doors. Offering a full range means being able to provide customers a perfect colour between the windows, conservatory and bi-fold, which is a great way to create a real “wow factor”.

Homeowners that choose bi-fold doors from Conservatory Land have been immediately impressed by the practicality and stunning aesthetics of the product. Because every home is unique, bi-fold doors are available in a choice of sizes, colours and woodgrain finishes. This extensive range of styles means that bi-fold doors can be individually selected to complement both traditional and contemporary homes.

Exceeding the minimum requirement for construction, security, safety, weather-tightness and strength, bi-fold doors are a great way for families to enjoy their garden and patio areas – the wide open space they create makes it easy to both hear and see children in the garden. When fitted into a new conservatory, it provides a truly stunning addition to any home.

Conservatory Land offers a wide range of high performance glass to ensure that your new bi-fold door, conservatory or windows provide you with an efficient and easy to heat home.

Customers wishing to view its bi-fold door range, along with a wide selection of conservatories, will find a welcoming atmosphere in its new showroom on Old Mill Lane Industrial Estate, in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire.

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Glass partitions specialist, Optima Systems has been nominated for a coveted Construction Marketing award

Optima Systems is proud to announce that it has been shortlisted for a prestigious Construction Marketing award 2008. The company, who specialises in demountable office walls, has been chosen as a finalist in the Best Use of a Website category. The judging panel liked Optima Systems’ use of flash animations to convey important and complex information about the inner workings of each partitioning system, as well as the overall site presentation.

The website was created by award-winning digital design agency, Cyber-Duck, whose previous accolades have included a gold Communicator award for its own website, www.cyber-duck.co.uk, along with various other highly coveted awards for its client’s websites.

The Construction Marketing Awards are universally recognised as a unique and highly regarded measure of excellence in construction marketing and business development and recognise the creativity, innovation and effectiveness of a company’s marketing strategy.

The black-tie awards ceremony will take place on 27th November in London and will play host to some of the biggest names in construction.

For more information on the awards visit: constructionmarketingawards.com.

About Optima Systems:
 Optima offers the highest quality service and innovative design to secure consumer satisfaction and ensuring that their extensive range of partitioning systems are able to meet customers’ exacting specification supported by technical expertise to ensure successful project completion.


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