SPONSORED FEATURE
BUILDING ENVELOPE
High performance glazing – the key to excellent thermal performance
I
mproved thermal performance is a priority for many self-builders and renovators. The aim is to create the ideal balance of light, heat and air (and to reduce energy bills) by eliminating the draughts, cold spots and condensation problems caused by inefficient building products and poor architectural design.
Achieving optimal thermal efficiency depends of a number of factors, not least the orientation of your home and the impact of natural light and local shade on each facade. As a result, the strategic installation of high performance windows can play a vital role in creating a comfortable and uniform temperature across the home, even in open plan designs. VELFAC aluminium / timber windows and doors are specifically designed to help deliver the perfect ‘indoor climate’ by providing the ideal combination of innovative (and stylish) low energy design and high performance construction. The VELFAC system delivers: • Up to 15 per cent more natural light through the ultra-slim 54 mm composite frame – the increased ratio of glass to frame also boosts thermal performance, as glass is a better insulator than frame.
• Impressively low U-values - standard VELFAC double glazed units meet most low energy targets, while also providing excellent acoustic control.
• Triple glazing for extra-insulated performance – offering U-values as low as 0.8 W/m2
K, with added acoustic protection.
• No visual impact when combining double and triple glazing as all VELFAC units have uniform sightlines – mix and match to deliver optimal (and more cost effective) energy performance without compromising facade design or interior finish.
• Discrete ventilation – acoustic trickle vents fitted flush within the wooden frame control ventilation and reduce noise without impacting frame profile.
CASE STUDY: SPOTTES MILL, SCOTLAND Built on the site of a former grain store, Spottes Mill brings together traditional and modern materials in a highly distinctive new build home. VELFAC composite windows and doors are installed in every facade, with units also combined to create a full height corner curtain wall which brings maximum light into the open plan interior and frames beautiful views of the nearby Spottes Burn.
Spottes Mill owner, local @cursetheseeyes
businessman Mark Paterson, worked with architect Peter Sassoon on a design which emerged ‘organically, although I knew I wanted a lot of glass,’ says Mark. ‘Architect friends had introduced me to the VELFAC system,’ he adds: ‘I really liked the external aluminium frame and knew it would look good against rustic stone walls and give a contemporary finish to a traditionally-styled building.’ When installing large areas of glazing, care is needed to ensure internal spaces remain comfortable all year round – which is what happened at Spottes Mill. ‘Peter positioned the glazed screen so that it only catches the morning sun, to minimise overheating,’
explains Mark. ‘He also overhung the screen with a metre-wide gable to provide added shade. The screen is made up of fixed units with trickle vents in the frames, which together with the opening windows, doors and sliding patio doors provide plenty of ventilation.’ Triple glazing was specified for good thermal insulation, essential as Spottes Mill is built in a shallow frost pocket (‘with swirling winds in winter’ adds Mark), and it also provides excellent acoustic control: ‘When the Burn is in full spate it’s actually quite noisy,’ he says, ‘but inside the house you can hardly hear a thing’. Design was also clearly important when creating Spottes Mill. Mark specified an anthracite grey finish for the aluminium external frames, making them stand out against the stone walls and western red cedar cladding while also linking to the slate and zinc roof. By contrast, internal VELFAC timber frames are painted white: ‘We opted for a paint finish because the interior design already features wooden staircases, bookshelves and beams,’ Mark explains. ‘As the windows are also installed in white-painted alcoves, the white finish helps make the slim frames ‘disappear’ so that the emphasis is on the glass, and on the view beyond.’
FIND OUT MORE • Visit the Velfac website for product and technical information, and more case studies
• Contact our team or email
directestimating@VELFAC.co.uk to discuss your project, ask for a no-obligation quote, or book an appointment to see the VELFAC system at our Kettering showroom.
01536 313 552
VELFAC.co.uk @cursetheseeyes
nov/dec 2020
www.sbhonline.co.uk
55
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100
