According to the World Health Organisation, the impact of noise pollution and particularly disturbed sleep can be enough to raise blood pressure, increase the chances of heart disease and even lead to premature death. Its recent campaign focussing on the impact of products in our homes found that 40 per cent of Europe’s population is exposed to noise levels in excess of 55dB. The average washing machine has a recorded sound level of 70dB, refrigerators average at around 50dB refrigerator while in some instances food processors can reach up to 90dB.
Sound proofing and windows
Windows may not be able to provide a solution to noise inside the home but they can make a significant contribution to the reduction of the impact of noise outside it – roads and traffic, aircraft and many others. This is done through the use of acoustic glass. This uses multiple layers and different thicknesses to disrupt sound waves as they travel from one side of the glass and through the glazing unit to the other. Put very simply, it creates more hurdles for the sound wave to pass through, reducing the amount that ultimately gets through. If the concept is simple, the technology which underpins it, is much more complex. In splitting the glass into multiple layers you have to bond it back so that it performs as a single ‘sheet’. This is where the use of Polyvinyl butyral comes in. It forms an adhesive bond between ultra-thin sheets but also creates an additional layer for sound to pass through, delivering a further dampening effect. It also makes bonded acoustic glass much tougher and durable than standard glass, making it harder to break, keeping would-be intruders, out. The exact specification of acoustic glass is defined by the type of noise that you want to keep out. Road noise, your neighbour’s ‘yapping dog’, the kid next door’s drum kit – they all create different sound waves and the combination of glass sheets and their collective thickness needs to be adjusted according to the noise you’re trying to block. The critical thing is that the glass which makes up double or triple glazed units should not only be as thick as possible but also be of differing thicknesses. The additional sheets of glass used in triple-glazed units for example, won’t necessarily make things quieter because the line of travel of sound won’t necessarily be disrupted. In bringing different thicknesses of glass together in a single unit, sound is deflected and the line of travel is disrupted, keeping noise out. It's definitely worth doing your research. The big glass manufacturers, for example Pilkington and Saint Gobain offer lots of guidance online. There are also lots of good installers out there – we would like to think we’re one – who can talk you through it. It does require a slightly more specialist understanding so it’s also worth double checking that what you’re being told adds up. Soundproofing can be achieved with both new windows and secondary glazing, you can find more information on soundproof windows
Windows and entrance doors can define the character of a property but getting it right can be something of a dark art.
Aesthetics will clearly play a defining role in most homeowners choice of windows and doors but alongside them there are also a number of additional considerations - security, performance and energy efficiency to name but a few - each with its own raft of more than often confusing accreditations and acronyms.
The silver lining for the homeowner is that innovation in window and door technology over the past few years has delivered a gargantuan leap forward in performance, delivering better products and greater choice.
We have been around since 1983 and in that time we have seen massive advances in window security, aesthetics and thermal efficiency. The technology in the products that we’re fitting today is unrecognisable compared to that of 30 years or so ago - advances across the board have been huge.
This rings particularly true in thermal efficiency - probably the single biggest reason why people buy new windows. There are a heady mix of factors that govern window performance and it’s all too easy to get confused.
There are two systems for rating the performance of windows and doors – U-values and Window Energy Ratings (WERs). U-Values assess a product on how effective it is at keeping heat in or how much heat is lost through it, as a single measure of performance.
Window Energy Ratings do the same and use the U-Value (heat loss) but also balance heat loss against solar gain (warmth which passes into the room from the sun) and also throw into the mix additional heat loss through air penetration.
This not only sounds complicated but is! However, fortunately for the rest of us, the WER system uses more or less the same system that is used on fridges, washing machines and Home Energy Performance Certificates to give windows a ranking from ‘A/A+’ to ‘G’ using a ‘traffic-light’ type colour code.
To be compliant with building regulations, all new windows must achieve a minimum WER ‘C’ rating or U-value of 1.6 or less. Windows fitted today - whether timber, PVC or aluminium - go far beyond this minimum. For example, at KJM we supply an energy saving triple-glazed window with a U-value as low as 0.8W/m².K and WER off the A+ scale.
The window industry has also worked hard to shake-off a historically sometimes deserved reputation for supplying replacement windows that were ‘unsympathetic’ to the original property. Investing millions in developing products with slimmer sight-lines and also introducing a wide range of subtle colour choices and finishes, the industry has again moved on.
Progress has been particularly marked in PVC-U windows. Always popular among home owners for their low maintenance qualities but less so among building conservationists, colour choices, traditional jointing systems and flush casement finishes, make it very difficult to spot the difference between a traditional timber window and u-PVC.
Conversely wooden windows, which have always delivered strong aesthetics now deliver significantly improved weather performance and security.
Innovation has also been applied to other related products. The industry still supplies for example conservatories but also garden rooms – a conservatory/home extension hybrid – and orangeries, as a solution to contemporary demand for extra year-round living space. Ancillary products, for example bi-fold doors, give additional flexibility and appeal.
We’re seeing a growing number of homeowners opting for a higher specification conservatory or orangery as an investment in their property. These provide far more flexibility and year-round living space, for example for use as dining room, sitting room, or even gym. There are also a number of different options, for example you can add an atrium or ‘lantern’ roof to a ‘traditional’ brick extension.
Good installation businesses will make the time to talk you through all of these options and more. As providers of home improvement and building maintenance, they have access to a raft of products and among them there will be a range which is absolutely right for the character of your property and your specific need, whether that’s extra living space or making your home warmer and more secure.
• Always buy from a FENSA accredited installer.
• Trading Standards, the Glass and Glazing Federation, Trust Mark and Check-a-Trade, can also help you find a reliable supplier.
• Make sure your installer is formally certified through a competent persons scheme to fit the product – if they don’t have the paperwork to prove it, your product isn’t rated.
• Make sure that if they do offer you a guarantee it’s worth having – how long have they been in business and will they be there in the future?
For more information visit www.kjmgroup.co.uk email sales@kjmgroup.co.uk or call 01264 359355
Double glazing discounts?
While it pains me to say it, stereo-types exist for a reason and they don’t come anymore firmly established than that of the ‘double-glazing salesman’. It’s a well rehearsed routine; go in, quote 50 per cent above the price, add ‘theatrics’ – calls to their manager etc. – and drop the price by a couple thousand pounds with a few throw away comments: ‘only because its you’ or ‘my manager would fire me if he knew how cheaply I was letting you have this’.
The prospect of buying replacement windows, as a consequence, sends an understandable chill down the spine of many a consumer. But while some homeowners will find themselves in a ‘double-glazing nightmare’ most won’t. Window companies, are by-and-large, cleaning up their act. There are the rogues but if they’re clued-up, homeowners can avoid them.
Buying windows, door & conservatories?
So where should you start if you’re thinking about buying windows, doors, conservatories or orangeries? Well the first thing is that if a salesman starts by dropping his price by 30 per cent within minutes of walking through the door, tries to get you to sign on the day or throws in any of the phrases already mentioned, the alarm bells should be ringing.
Most will, however, be professional. They will discuss your requirements, the options available to you and go away and deliver a quote by post, email or phone call. If they’re doing it on the day, they’re probably shooting from the hip – that’s fine for cowboys but not responsible businesses.
KJM has a ‘No pressure promise’ – we won’t try and close the deal on the day, we won’t hound you on the phone. We send out the quote, we’ll call to check that you have it and that’s it. Where our customers go from then is up to them.
To avoid ‘the Cowboys’ consumers should be buying from a FENSA registered installer as a minimum. This means that they deliver work to agreed standards and are subject to quality spot checks.
KJM is a fully registered member of FENSA, we’re also registered with Constructionline, are Trading Standards and BBA Trust Mark approved, while we’re also members of Checkatrade.
We believe that this has been important in supporting our growth because these schemes offer home owners peace of mind. Ultimately it’s word-of-mouth recommendation which is the foundation of our successes.
We install the highest quality products and fit them to the highest standards. But sometimes products do need the occasional ‘tweak’. Our customers know that if small adjustments need to be made over time or something isn’t quite right after a few months, there’s support just down the road.
It’s also important to us that all of our sales people are fully trained and fully understand our products so that they win business but also and no less importantly, so can talk homeowners through the right products for their property.
Getting the aesthetics right or the right security options are critical. Rising energy prices mean that energy efficiency is definitely on the ‘need to know about’ list.
Energy rated windows
There are two systems for rating the performance of windows and doors – U-values and Window Energy Ratings (WERs). U-Values assess a product on how effective it is at keeping heat in or how much heat is lost through it, as a single measure of performance.
Window Energy Ratings do the same and use the U-Value (heat loss) but also balance heat loss against solar gain (warmth which passes into the room from the sun) and also throw into the mix additional heat loss through air penetration.
This not only sounds complicated but is, however, fortunately for the rest of us, the WER system uses more or less the same system that is used on fridges, washing machines and Home Energy Performance Certificates to give windows a ranking from ‘A/A+’ to ‘G’ using a ‘traffic-light’ type colour code.
To be compliant with building regulations, all new windows must achieve a minimum WER ‘C’ rating or U-value of 1.6 or less. Windows fitted today - whether timber, PVC or aluminium - go far beyond this minimum. For example, at KJM we supply an energy saving triple-glazed window with a U-value as low as 0.8W/m².K and WER off the A+ scale.
Alongside energy efficiency window aesthetics have also been hitting the headlines. The double-glazing industry has come in for significant criticism, notably for some hugely unsympathetic PVC-U installations to period properties in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Clearly uPVC double-glazing won’t be right for everyone but significant innovation in PVC window technology means homeowners can now select products and finishes from a vast range to fully compliment and enhance the appearance of their property.
Always popular among home owners for their low maintenance qualities but less so among building conservationists, colour choices, traditional jointing systems and flush casement finishes, make it very difficult to spot the difference between a traditional timber window and u-PVC.
Conversely wooden windows, which have always delivered strong aesthetics now deliver significantly improved weather performance and security.
Windows and doors can define the character of a property so getting it right is absolutely critical. Good retail companies will sit down with homeowners and work with them as design partners to support them in making the right choices.
The same applies to other areas where new and better products are giving homeowners more choice. For example higher specification conservatories, sun rooms and orangeries are giving homeowners far more flexibility and year-round living space, for example for use as dining room, sitting room, or even gym.
There are also a number of alternative options including the addition of an atrium or ‘lantern’ roof to a ‘traditional’ brick extension, plus ancillary products, for example bi-folding doors, that when retracted can open whole facades to the great outdoors.
There are a lot of options out there and that can make it confusing for the homeowner but equally it means that they will almost certainly be able to select a product that meets every aspect of their individual need. A little careful research early on and the right choice of company can pay dividends in the long run.
As a closing thought, we’re frequently asked by our customers as to why we don’t discount. The answer is that we’d rather offer homeowners the best price we can first time around!
