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Choosing the right windows and doors for your home
Windows and doors play a major role within any home. Ronnie Pocock from Fletcher Aluminium shares his tips for choosing the right products that will give you indoor-outdoor flow, ventilation, light, safety, security, comfort and aesthetic style.
Renovating a home is one of the most exciting and challenging things you can do in a lifetime. That is why it is important to ensure disappointment is avoided by educating yourself on; design options, buildings materials and other products that will be used, suit your location and style of home.
An often undervalued or under considered product is the windows and doors. Windows and doors play a major role within any home. They provide; indoor-outdoor flow, ventilation, light, safety, security, comfort and aesthetic style.
Modern sliding doors like the Euroslider® or Eurostacker® make fingertip control easy, by using a patented chevron track and superior rolling gear, which allows even panel weight distribution. Greater weathertightness is achieved through pressure equalised frames and outside sliding door panels which keep the water out. Cleaning is easy and low maintenance due to a smoothtech™ sill design which means there are no cavities to collect unsightly dirt and debris.
Nowadays thermal performance is a major consideration when building a new home. Initially there was a lot of resistance for the need to increase thermal efficiency here in New Zealand, but with global trends on sustainability and energy efficiency taking paramount focus, New Zealander’s are now fully aware of how they can gain better efficiencies and sustainability within their home.
With the government pushing to be leaders in this new ideal, we have seen a change to the building code whereby new houses are now required to have higher R-values, meaning careful consideration must be taken on how walls, windows and roofs are insulated.
From a window and door perspective, “Double glazing” has become a familiar term, but does NZBC clause H1 mean double glazing is now mandatory? In many cases… yes, although by using the calculation or modelling methods (working out what is required more accurately than what the schedule method allows) a single glazed house can still be compliant. Smart planning at the design stage will maximise value for you while still delivering an efficient home.
Bear in mind, due to increased insulation in ceilings, walls, floors and windows a greater amount of heat may get trapped with nowhere to go. An important consideration is passive ventilation via discreet adjustable vents built into the window or door frame.
There are so many more options to consider from tinted, toughened or laminated glass through to bifold doors or sliding doors. Be sure when you are doing your research you ask what product will best suit your location and the way you live. For example; windy locations are generally better suited to sliding doors and if maximised openings are what you require then doors like the Foldback® Bifold which allow the folded panels to fold 180 degrees and lay flat against the cladded wall are perfect.
The Euroslider®, Eurostacker® and Foldback® Bifold are just some of the innovative products tailor made to the kiwi lifestyle that can be found in the Pacific Suite® of windows and doors.
Spending time selecting the right windows and doors for your home is worth it. It will maximise the views, improve ventilation and safety and make your place a more enjoyable home to live in. Whatever you decide to go with, make sure if you are getting quotes that you compare ‘apples with apples’ or in other words ‘windows with windows’.
Before and After - Project 1
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After
Before and after - Project 2
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After
This article was provided by Ronnie Pocock from Fletcher Aluminium. For an obligation free window & door consultation call 0800 26 26 36 or to see more options visit www.pacificsuite.co.nz.