Many fabricators are concerned that offering an ‘A’ rated window can result in a product that customers perceive as too expensive. Here, Martin Saunders, Sales Director at Eurocell, takes a look at how Bristol-based CR Windows addressed this specific issue.

“When CR Windows was looking to provide its customers with the option of an off-the-shelf, value for money ‘A’ rated window, it knew that it would have to focus on the glass specifications – simply because sealed units add most to the cost of an ‘A’ rated product.

The decision to develop an ‘A’ rated window followed the success the company had enjoyed in making all its windows ‘C’ rated as standard.

The feedback we had from CR Windows was that it could only just achieve an ‘A’ rating with steel reinforcements, so the glazing options for its customers were very limited. By using PVC-U Thermal Inserts it can now achieve an A+11 with an argon filled IGU. This gives its customers more scope to choose the glass which best suits their needs.

Affordable ‘A’ rating

CR Windows was able to achieve a cost effective ‘A’ rating comfortably using a combination of the Eurologik profile system and our new recycled PVC-U Thermal Inserts. This is because the multi-chambered design of the inserts delivers benefits over other non-metallic, hybrid or recycled reinforcings by creating what is essentially an eight chambered profile in many cases.

The effectiveness of the PVC-U Thermal Inserts on the CR Windows product was demonstrated when we simulated the same window, but without the inserts, which failed to achieve an ‘A’ rating. The BFRC-Certified test, which the Eurocell team of five accredited simulators can carry out in-house, indicated that the only other method of achieving an ‘A’ rating without inserts would have been to increase the glass specification – making the window prohibitively expensive.

Extruded in specially formulated ORM- PVC-U, Eurocell inserts can be cut and welded during the normal production of the window, therefore eliminating the need for the additional step of cutting and fitting steel in the production process. This adds structural rigidity and ensures a much more efficient and therefore lower cost fabrication process.  Although completely hidden inside the profile, they play a vital role in eliminating the need for expensive glass specifications. This is done by subdividing the profile creating multiple chambers, significantly reducing the convection currents in the profile to provide greater thermal efficiency.

Performance testing

After 12 months of rigorous indicative testing – culminating in a full UKAS test to BS6375 at the BBA, we now have a window which does not compromise hardware screw retention and is a real alternative to steel and aluminum reinforcements. Plus it not only far exceeds current Building Regulations, but betters proposed legislation for 2013 and beyond.

PVC-U Thermal Inserts provide a considerable improvement over unreinforced profiles, giving an Energy Index improvement of up to six points. This is a step change in window system development, in which we have introduced an engineered product with proven thermal and strength characteristics.

In addition to the improved thermal performance they also give extremely good screw retention. We have carried out comprehensive testing to support this claim with SFS that covers unreinforced, PVC-U Thermal Inserts and steel reinforcements. Furthermore we have a number of fabricators that have achieved BS7950 using PVC-U Thermal Inserts without shootbolts, utilizing a standard espagnolette rail. Our latest success is achieving PAS 24 using  PVC-U Thermal Inserts in The Dales Collection composite door’s outer frame.

A sustainable future

The result for CR Windows of creating a cost effective ‘A’ rated window using our PVC-U Thermal Inserts speak for themselves – during the last 12 months, sales have grown to over 50 per cent of the total. Even more encouraging for the company is the fact that sales of the ‘A’ rated window tend to be on large scale projects, such as local authority or private developer schemes.

Cost effective energy efficiency has not been the only advantage to CR Windows of using our PVC-U Thermal Inserts. That’s because they are manufactured from 100 per cent ORM -recycled PVC-U, which makes it one of the most sustainable PVC-U windows on the market. Looking to the future, once these windows have served their purpose in the field they can be de-glazed, the hardware removed and the window can be simply granulated without the need to cut up and remove steel.

PVC-U Thermal Inserts are helping many Eurocell fabricators around the UK provide their customers with cost effective ‘A’ rated windows. The ultimate beneficiaries will be building designers and homeowners as an ‘A’ rated product will mean that the property requires less energy to heat and therefore generates fewer carbon dioxide emissions.

Offering one of the best value ‘A’ rated windows in the market enables CR Windows to address the conundrum faced by its customers – an acceptance that an ‘A’ rated window is better for the environment, but with a need to remain within budget.  As the legislation around climate change becomes ever more stringent, it is initiatives that put energy efficient products in the reach of a greater proportion of the market that will succeed –and CR Windows are doing just that.”

For more information about ‘A’-rated performance from CR Windows, call 0800 0133 122 or visit www.crwindows.co.uk.

Throughout October, Eurocell is holding a series of seminars on WERs, Building Regulations and other key industry issues impacting on its fabricators. Also presenting will be representatives from the BBA and BSI, who will be on hand to offer advice and answer questions.

To find out more about Eurocell’s PVC-U Thermal Inserts or fabricator seminars, contact the customer services team on 0800 988 3049, visit: http://www.eurocell.co.uk or email press@eurocell.co.uk

This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 13th, 2009 at 10:36 am and is filed under Customer Stories, Eurocell Stories. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.