Useful information.

Choosing the right windows and doors

Windows and doors can have a huge impact on the look, feel, functionality and overall comfort of your home. There are many aspects to consider when choosing your windows and doors. Here are a few of them.

View

The outdoor scenery that will be viewed from the house, plays a significant role in the size and the placement of the windows.

Privacy

To control the privacy in areas with large glass areas, drapes, blinds, louvres or shutters need to be considered. Placing windows higher in the wall could also provide better privacy.

Design

We find that a combination of window types is normally the best for interior requirements and exterior appearances. The use of large fixed glass windows with one or more operating windows for example, means your window is placed high enough to let in the daylight, with a low sill for optimal air movement as well as unobstructed views through the middle.

Speak to us to help you choose the right windows and doors for your home.

How do energy efficient windows and doors work?

Energy can be transferred into or out of your home through conduction and radiation. The energy efficiency is expressed in terms of how well the window insulates against both. The U-value expresses how well it insulates against conductive heat transfer. The lower the number, the better it performs.

The Solar Heat Gain Coefficient indicates how well the glazing lessens radiant heat – once again, a lower number means better performance.

Common solutions for noise reduction

• The thicker the glass, the better the noise reduction for low frequency sounds like traffic noises.
• The interlayer in laminated glass is particularly effective at noise dampening and offers a good solution for aircraft and voice noises.
• For insulating double glazing glass units to be effective at noise reduction, an air gap of 50mm to 100mm needs to be provided. However, the incorporation of one or two panels of laminated glass or a glass of differing thickness into the unit, provides excellent results.
• Good sealing is crucial. It’s easier to get good sealing and reduce noise with solid, filled or heavier frame cross sections.

Speak to us about acoustic options for your home.

Light & ventilation

The number, size and placement of windows all impact on the ventilation and comfort of your home.

Appearance

The number, the style and the placement of windows can affect the architectural character of the house.

Heat loss and heat gain

Window areas are a major source of heat loss in winter and heat gain in summer. This can be reduced through the correct placement of windows in relation to the sun and through using insulating glass.

Energy rating

Windows and doors bring light, fresh air and beautiful views into your home. Unfortunately they can also be a source of unwanted heat gain in summer and significant heat loss in winter.

Our range of energy efficient windows and doors will make your home more comfortable and reduce your energy costs.

What is WERS?

With the Window Energy Rating Scheme (WERS), windows and doors can be rated and labelled according to their annual energy impact on the entire home, in any Australian climate. The scheme is managed by the Australian Window Association. Because WERS is independent, it’s a fair, rigorous and credible system for testing performance claims.

Speak to us about efficient options for your home.

Acoustic rating

When you want to leave the world behind and relax in the comfort of your home, you really want to block out everything from noisy neighbours to bustling traffic. It’s not surprising then that more and more designers and homeowners are insisting on better acoustics.

There are various factors to consider when you’re looking at the acoustic values and qualities of doors and windows but here are some common solutions for noise reduction.

Bushfire rating

Bushfires continue to be a major threat to our community. In response to the devasting losses of life and property in previous bush fires, the latest release of the Australian Standard AS3959 – Building in Bushfire Prone Areas, introduced some significant changes to the construction of homes. Speak to us about our range of products that have been designed to perform in the harshest Australian conditions.

Speak to us about safer options for your home.