James Spraget

How to measure for a timber sash window.

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Traditional timber sliding sash windows are fitted into a reveal or recess in the brick work, both the sides & across the head (top of the window). There is NO recess at the bottom of the window, the hardwood sills are designed to sit on a flat surface.

When ordering a timber sash window, you will need the total window size so it is important to take into account the amount of window sitting hidden behind the reveal. We would recommend exposing approximately 30mm of the outer lining of the sash box on the top, left and right sides:



IMPORTANT – Check the internal width and height are larger than the external. It is also advisable to expose the overall size of the window by removing the internal architraves or linings, this can be a reassuring way to ensure that the windows are the correct size.




Sliding sash windows sitting in a standard opening.

New build properties tend not to have a brick recess for sliding sash windows, this is because they are designed to take spiral balance sash windows which can be fitted in a more conventional way, so the usual tight brick to brick measurement less 10mm clearance is the way to go with this. Traditional timber sash windows can also be fitted in a flush opening without a sash reveal, this is usually known as ‘brick to brick fitting’. When fitted brick to brick the outside facing side of a sash box can be ‘dressed’ with some trim if you feel this is required.

Should you require any further assistance in measuring sliding sash windows or any other type of window, please do not hesitate in contacting one of us. Why not send us a few photos of your windows and we’ll talk you through it!

Timber Windows
James Spraget

Everything you need to know about Timber Bi-Fold Doors

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Do you have a spectacular view of the city, a lovely garden or patio or even an outdoor landscape? Do you get the feeling that your existing doorways to these areas are simply not conveying the true impact of the view? Transform the look and feel of your home and incorporate aluminium bi-fold doors. Step outside of your comfort zone and consider bi fold doors. They provide one of the best ways that you can enjoy both outdoor and indoor living.

Bi-fold doors are one of the best ways to allow a homeowner to maximise a wide doorway. These special doors can be configured to integrate multiple door panels, typically two to eight, depending on the width of your doorway. Depending on the configuration they either stack to one or both sides.

Open plan living is an enviable feature of modern homes, and with their ability to be installed in very wide openings, a bi-fold door allows you to connect your living room with an outdoor entertaining area by essentially easily removing entire wall between the two spaces. This allows you to, in many cases, have your kitchen, living, dining, and outdoor areas all linked and open, offering a sensational aesthetic to your home. Even when they are closed, they offer a terrific amount of light and a near unobstructed view. This would be one of the most common ways to use a Bi-Fold Door.

How Do Timber Bi-fold Doors Work?

Interior and exterior bi-folding doors both use a simple track system that runs along the panels, which are connected on a train. The doors work by folding in on themselves and then gliding along the tracking system with the help of a series of wheels or a lower tracking system, which both lead to a smooth motion and quiet operation.

Bi-fold doors generally come in pairs, with two doors folding to one side or with four that part in the centre with two doors folding back to either side. Your bi-fold doors will usually come with all tracking and fittings already installed, can be opened either inwards or outwards. It’s this kind of flexibility that has led to their popularity in recent years amongst open-minded homeowners.

Most bi-fold doors will have anywhere between two and seven panels, all of which will be connected with hinges and attached to the roller track at the top or bottom of the door (or both). They are remarkably easy to operate, though it’s advised that you don’t get too carried away as if you use too much force you could end up pulling the doors out of the tracking system

In many homes, there are living and dining sections that next to each other but divided by a wall, or not divided at all. Sometimes, open plan isn’t always the best option, as you may wish to improve privacy or entertain two different groups at once. Installing bi-fold doors internally as a divided wall is a great way to make one large room into 2 without making the rooms seem boxed in or small. The glass panels keep noise transference to a minimum, but allow visibility into the adjoining room. This is great for families with small children for example, as you can have a dinner party in one room, with the kids table in the connecting room, where you have total visibility but can also enjoy some peace & quiet. Another example is if you work from home, where you could segment off a section of the living area during business hours, but then open it back up the rest of the time.

Above we talked about connecting two rooms, but by installing multiple bi-fold doors, you can turn your dining room into an outdoor entertaining area, simply by removing the walls around it. Depending on the layout of your home, you could install 2 or 3 bi-fold doors to make up the walls of the dining area, then when the weather’s beautiful, you can easily remove all the walls and dine alfresco!

If you’re lucky to have a bedroom that gazes upon the abundance of natural beauty, then why not take full advantage of it. This is one of the most beautiful ways to use Bi-fold doors. When it’s perfect weather, you can remove an entire wall to make the most of the sunshine and cool sea breeze, and even when it’s not the best conditions outside, you’ll have an unobstructed view of the reason you’re still in your PJ’s watching Netflix in bed.

Choosing the right bi-fold door for your renovation project can be both exciting and overwhelming. You’ve got a grand vision for your new space and a lot of questions about products, materials and styles. Although your contractor may make suggestions as to which material or brand to use, ultimately the final decision is up to you.

Bi-fold doors come in a range of sizes, glass types, colours and materials. One of the most important factors to consider when selecting the right bi-fold doors is which material to use for your project. When making your selection, you should note that not all materials are created equal. In fact, each of these materials has different properties which help to determine their price point.

Timber is one of the oldest building materials known to man. It is all natural, non-toxic and a high quality, timber doors can last many, many years. Timber products come from FSC certified forests which means that they are harvested from forests that are responsibly managed and farmed. Wood that comes from an FSC certified forest is replaced with new growth for future use.

Although more expensive than PVC, selecting timber for your bi-fold doors can greatly elevate the look of your project. it may also help to create an ambiance that is warm, welcoming and even rustic.

Timber Windows
James Spraget

Timber Windows the Environmentally Friendly Choice

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Whether it’s cutting out single use plastics, switching to electric cars, or volunteering for beach clean-ups, we all play our part in helping to reduce pollution and in making our planet a healthier, more sustainable place to live. At Timber Windows Direct, we are no different, that is why we ensure all the timber that we use is FSC certified.

The Forest Stewardship Council, or FSC for short, are a non-profit organisation that is dedicated to promoting responsible and sustainable forestry. They certify forests all over the world to ensure they meet the highest environmental standards.

To be given FSC certification a forest must be managed in an environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable manner. This is what makes the FSC system unique and ensures that a forest is well-managed from the protection of indigenous people’s rights to the methods of felling trees. Forests that meet these strict standards are given FSC certification and the timber allowed to carry the FSC label.

As well as our timber coming from environmentally friendly and sustainable sources, it also holds plenty of environmentally friendly properties itself. Wood has the best thermal insulation of any mainstream construction material, so that when you Timber Windows are paired with argon filled double glazed units, your home will stay warmer for longer, allowing you to keep the heating off for longer, saving both money, and the environment.

Timber windows also last up to 60 years, double the length of some other materials, and are repairable should any damage occur, meaning your investing into the future of the planet as well as the future of your home. When the time does eventually come to replace your windows, wood is fully reusable and uses much less energy to recycle in comparison to steel or aluminium.

Even after replacing your windows, you can rest assured knowing that you are making a positive impact on the planet!

A material that only needs sunlight and rainfall to grow? A material that uses 24 times less energy to produce than steel? Now that’s seems like the environmentally friendly choice for your windows…

Get in contact with Timber Windows Direct to obtain a quote.

Timber Windows
James Spraget

Should I choose Weights or Springs?

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Traditionally, all sliding sash windows were operated by cast iron weights.

Weights

A sash box of 98mm is built into each side of the window, which houses the weights. This is then attached to a piece of sash cord, which travels over a pulley in the top corners of the window and attaches to the sash that will be sliding. The weight is selected to closely match the weight of the sash that is sliding, so that a perfect counterbalance is achieved and movement of the otherwise heavy window sash is as effortless as possible.

Spring Balances

The use of weights and pulleys in modern sliding sash windows has declined over recent years, and has largely been replaced by the spring balance system. The Springs work using similar principles of counterbalancing, but achieve it through the use of two springs inside a PVC tube. Spring balances are normally visible on the inside of the window. However, a thin cover paint matched to the window and allow total concealment is used in manufacturing. This makes the windows with spring balances almost perfectly reflect the style of those with weights and pulleys.

To aid in opening windows, as well as hold windows open and closed, spiral balances utilize a spiral-shaped rod within a tube. This rod connects to a spring, which is what provides the tension for supporting the sash. The tension is adjusted by being wound to match the sash it is supporting.

Should I choose weights or springs?

Both systems have advantages and disadvantages, and the right system for you will depend on your location, the reveals in the window opening and the desired impact you are hoping for. Weight and pulley systems have an unmistakeable historic feel, they fit neatly behind traditional reveals, the systems last longer (many decades) and repair only requires fitting a new sash cord. Spiral balances systems fit neatly into all building/reveal profiles without reducing light.

If you would like a quote for sash windows with Weights or springs please get in touch.

Timber Windows - Meranti Hardwood
James Spraget

Meranti

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Meranti is a versatile hardwood timber suited to a range of projects where aesthetic beauty is a priority. 

Whether your latest creation looks like a window frame, moulding, piece of furniture or general joinery job, this straight-grain wood is a hardwearing and easy to work with choice that can be machined, sanded and finished beautifully.

With straight-grain consistency, meranti trees produce long, straight pieces of lumber. It’s used for moulding, structure, furniture, cabinets, window and doors, and veneers for plywood. Meranti is one of the more affordable hardwoods due in part to numerous subspecies, prolific growing characteristics and availability.

Red meranti is not a tree species but a loose wood term that is used for lumber from trees of the shorea genus. In total there are over 190 shorea tree species and all part of the dipterocarpaceae family. These trees grow in the tropical rainforests all throughout Asia and are famous for their hardwood properties. Red meranti is a classification term based on wood properties like colour, hardness, density and weight. Trees like shorea leprosula and shorea ovalis produce top quality red meranti!

Red meranti is one of the most used and traded tropical hardwoods. It is difficult to work with hand tools because of its hardness and high density. Pre drilling is always advised when screws or nails are used.

Red meranti will absorb paint quick and multiple layers are often not sufficient. It is therefore recommended to use special oils that soak into the wood. This protects it from the elements and gives it nice colorations. Red meranti can be glued well but due to its high density it is advised to use special heavy duty glue.

Hardwoods generally come from broad-leafed, deciduous trees such as oak, beech and mahogany. The thing that defines a hardwood from a softwood is the presence of special pores in the cellular structure of the wood itself. Their complex cellular structure gives them a great dimensional stability and durability. Hardwoods are used in everything from musical instruments, boats, tools and of course, windows.

Why not request a hardwood window quote from Timber Windows Direct?

Timber windows direct - Obscured
James Spraget

What does obscure glass mean?

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Obscure glass can be any one of dozens of types of glass, each set apart from ordinary glass due to their partial lack of transparency. Obscure glass of any sort distorts or obscures the items on the other side of the glass, whether this is by using textures or patterns. Obscure glass ranges from only offering very slight distortion to completely hiding the items in question from view or revealing only silhouettes.

Perhaps our most common sort of obscure glass is float mat glass, which has been chemically treated to stop it from being transparent, while still allowing large amounts of light through. Immediately distinctive with its smooth, frosted appearance, satin glass is a versatile and popular form of obscure glass – though many, many more types exist.

Frosted glass is produced by the sandblasting or acid etching of clear sheet glass. This creates a pitted surface on one side of the glass pane and has the effect of rendering the glass translucent by scattering the light which passes through, thus blurring images while still transmitting light

The increased use of glass as a modern decorative material leads to the necessity of satisfying the specific requirements which designers and architects place before it. Thus, ornamental glass should let the light come inside a room enhancing the warmth and depth of its features while at the same time preserving its privacy. The ornamental glass offered by Timber Windows Direct boasts the highest quality and a unique style to match.

Timber Windows
James Spraget

Timber Windows with Argon

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Why Are Double-Glazed Windows Filled with Argon?

When it comes to energy efficiency, windows are notoriously vulnerable.  Given a chance, they’ll drain the heat out of your home and into the great outdoors, far faster than brickwork and doors.

Thankfully, certain types of Timber window offer considerable protection against this loss of heat.  Of these, the most widespread is Double Glazing, which features in a majority of homes in the United Kingdom.  It works by placing two panes of glass parallel to one another in the frame – an arrangement which helps to impede the flow of heat from one side of the Timber window to the other.

Inert gases like argon, krypton and xenon are more often used by manufacturers today.  Each offers considerable improvements in thermal efficiency and noise reduction.

What is Argon?

‘The chemical element of atomic number 18, an inert gaseous element of the noble gas group. Argon is the commonest noble gas, making up nearly one per cent of the earth’s atmosphere.’

It is therefore amazing that it was not discovered until 1894, the technology was simply not available before then. Now we do know it exists it is very useful, Argon is non-reactive so it is a perfect element when really high temperatures are required such as with welding, when you look in a light bulb it looks like there’s nothing there, but in fact you are looking at Argon it is non-toxic, colourless, odourless and chemically inert.

Argon is heavier than air, and so provides superior insulation and sound-proofing characteristics.  It’s also far more resistant to the formation of condensation, and will corrode the surrounding window far less than its equivalents – particularly at the bottom of the window, where condensation tends to start forming.

If you’re looking to upgrade your existing windows, an argon filled double-glazed replacement makes a sensible choice.

http://www.timberwindows-direct.co.uk

Timber Windows
James Spraget

Timber Sash Window – Horns

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Window horns were originally used in timber sash windows to strengthen the window’s structure. They supported the mortice and tenon joints and prevented the sashes from opening too far and becoming jammed. As the Victorian period progressed, architects wanted to use increasingly larger glass panes. Without the glazing bars, a new method of support was needed. Thus, sash horns were born.

If you look closely at any period property from the Victorian era, you should be able to see the window horns. They were manufactured in several shapes depending on the architectural fashions of the time and place. Some are a simple curve while others feature an ‘s’ shaped design, an inverted slope, or a more intricate combination of inset and protrusion. They are now representative of the period style and are considered essential in any heritage property renovations.

Victorian houses are now associated with large single pane windows many with canted rather than bowed bays. Canted or square angled bays were a third of the labour cost of bowed windows. During this period many late Georgian and regency properties had their windows upgraded; a sign of wealth was large windows without glazing bars. To accommodate these heavy single panes of glass the horn or joggle was introduced on the upper sashes. This is a detail you can see in the corner of the sash which is to hide a mortise and tenon joint which slots into each other. Earlier multi pane window were just slotted together but this joint proved to be weak with the weight of the new glass.

Originating almost 400 years ago sliding sash windows have a rich history having spanned various eras including the Victorian and Georgian eras and have seen many design developments over the years. One of which being the inclusion of a sash horn; dating back to the mid-Victorian period sliding sash horns were a little piece of intelligent Victorian engineering designed to make the joints stronger. Taking on various shapes and sizes over the years, these horns, often intricate, are used today as purely a decorative element and, despite their size, can make all the difference to the overall look of the window.

James Spraget

Timber Window Glossary

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Antique Glass – Generally refers to the process of flat glass production using the traditional mouth-blown method. The sheets produced are of modest size but are large enough for most restoration works.

Casement Window – Generic name for a window that has openers which are hung on hinges, at the side – usually metal or timber frames.

Cathedral or Rolled Glass – “Cathedral” is a rolled glass and started to be commercially available in 1830’s. Produced by pouring molten glass onto a metal or graphite table and immediately rolling it into a sheet using a large metal cylinder. The rolling can be done by hand or machine and can produce a very wide variety of colours and surface textures including hammered, rippled, seedy, and marine textures.

Chamfered – The edges have been removed lengthwise at an angle.

Crown Glass – Crown glass was an early type of window glass and relatively primitive. It was formed by twirling a sphere of molten glass into a disc. At the centre of the crown glass, a thick remnant of the original blown glass would remain, hence the name “bullseye.” First made in 1674, and until 1830’s.

Dovetail – A type of joint. One piece has a splayed shape – like a dove’s tail – and fits into the socket or eye of the second piece.

Doweling – Cylindrical piece or length of wood. Also known as rounded wood.


Drip groove – A groove cut or moulded in the underside of a door or window sill to prevent rainwater running back to the wall.

End grain – The exposed face of timber produced when it’s cut through a plane that’s perpendicular to the grain.


End-jointed – See glossary entry fan-jointed.


Engineered wood – Layers of hardwood compressed together, as with our excellent Engineered Redwood timber option.

Fanlights – A fanlight is a window with glazing bars that is placed over another window or doorway, that opens like a fan, and is sometimes hinged to a transom.

Fascia board – A strip of wood that covers the ends of rafters and to which external guttering is fixed.


Finger-jointed – Also called end-jointed. Shorter pieces of wood are joined to create a longer piece of wood. The joint looks like interlaced fingers.


Fixed – Whether describing a door or a window, then the word fixed refers to it being non operable.

Float Glass – A modern & standard technique since 1959, molten glass is poured onto molten tin to create an even, smooth and uniform finish.

Glazing Bars (also called Georgian Bars or Astragal) – Originally glazing bars of both sash and casement windows were abundant and thick. On the inside they were moulded to refract light and reduce glare. On the outside they were rebated to hold a glass pane (with traditional wooden or metal frames).

Hardwood – Timber produced from broad-leaved trees.


Head – The top horizontal member of a wooden frame.


Head plate – The top horizontal member of a stud partition.

Horns – Small spurs of timber that project on a Sash Window – hanging down from the top sash and up from the bottom sash in some instances). Horns were introduced in the 19th Century to strengthen the joints.

Jamb – The vertical side member of a door or window frame.

Muff, Cylinder or Broad Glass – Preceded Crown glass and was made by blowing a cylinder of molten glass, which was then cut along its side and flattened in a furnace, leading to seeds and bubbles.

Mullion – Vertical bar or pier made of masonry or timber that separate opening casements and/or “fixed” lights to cater for larger windows.

Ovolo – Is a rounded convex moulding

Preservative treatment – The treatment of timber with chemicals to improve its resistance to attack by biological organisms, such as fungi, insects and marine borers. The chemicals can be brushed or sprayed onto the surface of the timber but treatment is more effective if the chemicals are impregnated into the timber under vacuum and/or pressure in special treatment vessels.

Rebate – A rectangular recess along the edge of a timber [frame] designed to receive a shutter, door or window.

Reveal – The vertical side of an opening in a wall.

Sanded – Smooth surfaced – smoother than a planed surface.

Shake – Wood that’s split to reveal its natural texture.


Shingle – Wood sawn lengthwise that’s thicker at one end – the butt – and thinner at the other end – the tip.


Short grain – When the general direction of wood fibres lies across a narrow section of timber.


Sill – The lowest horizontal member of a stud partition or the lowest horizontal member of a door or window frame.


Soffit – The underside of a part of a building such as the eaves or archway.


Softwood – This is usually obtained from pine, fir, spruce or larch. Most structural timber used in the UK is softwood.


Staff bead – The innermost strip of timber holding a sliding sash in a window frame.


Stile – A vertical side member of a door or window sash.


Stopper – A wood filler which matches the colour of the timber.


Strength grade – The strength of timber varies with the species and is also affected by characteristics like knots, slope of grain and splits. Each piece of timber used structurally has to be strength graded, either by visual inspection or by machine. The timber is marked with its grade and other information such as its species, whether the timber was graded wet or dry, the company responsible for the grading and the certification body responsible for overseeing the grading operation.


Sap – Liquid – mostly water – contained within cells in a tree or timber. Sap is the means by which dissolved food and salts are moved around the tree.

Sash – In the first sash windows produced the top sash was fixed and the bottom sash slid upwards in a groove, held open in position by means of pegs or metal catches. In the late 17th Century a variant was introduced as we are familiar with today – the ‘double hung’ sliding sash window, with both upper and lower sashes hung on cords and counter-balanced by hidden weight.

Stained Glass – Traditionally this is glass that has had a stain applied to the surface and permanently fused with the glass by firing in a kiln. Panels constructed in the same way as traditional leaded lights.

Stay – A horizontal length of metal bar affixed to an opening casement and that attaches to the window frame to hold open.

Transom – A horizontal bar dividing a window into two or more “lights”.

Toplight – A window above another window or door (see glossary entry fanlight)

U -Value – The u-value is a measure of how easily heat can pass through the materials that make the door or window

Timber Windows
James Spraget

What is Low-E Glass?

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Ordinarily, glass will allow solar energy to pass from one side of the Timber window to the other.  This includes the relatively narrow spectrum of visible wavelengths, as well as those higher and lower wavelengths (known respectively as infra-red and ultra-violet light).

This is bad news!

Ultraviolet light has a habit of bleaching materials it comes into contact with.  Fabrics and wallpaper will fade much more quickly if they’re exposed to UV for a significant period of the day.

Infra-red light poses a different problem, in that it’s transmitted into the building as heat.  If you’re looking to keep cool during a blisteringly hot summer’s day, you’re going to struggle – you might even be tempted to draw the curtains in order to keep the sunlight out.

The Low-E glass in our Timber Windows comes with a special coating that’s designed to act as a filter, allowing visible light through while excluding the superfluous wavelengths to either side.  This will allow your interior to enjoy the benefits of more light, without the downsides posed by ultraviolet and infra-red.

How low-E Glass Works

When heat or light strike a surface, that surface will absorb a portion of that energy and re-radiate it.  How large a portion this might be will depend on the surface in question.  If you’ve sat in a car with black leather seats on a summer’s day, you’ll know that dark materials tend to absorb and radiate more energy than reflective ones.

The amount of energy radiated by a surface is known as its emissivity. Glass, unfortunately, is naturally high in emissivity.  The more we can reduce this, the better an insulator our glass will be.

On the surface of each pane of low-E glass is a microscopically-thin coating that is designed to reflect infra-red rays.  This coating can be made from silver, or a variety of other metals, but their purpose is always the same: to deflect heat away from the glass.

Types of Low-E Glass

Low-E glass comes in two different varieties, and it’s produced using two different techniques.

A passive Low-E coating is built to contribute to the amount of heat within a home, preventing energy from leaving and thus lowering the heating bill.

A solar-control low-E coating works in the opposite way. It reduces the amount of energy entering the home, helping to keep it cool.

The right type of low-E glass for you will depend on the location of the building.

How is Low-E Glass Coated?

Each type of glass can be coated using one of two methods:

Pyrolytic

This process emerged in the 1970s.  It is applied to the glass shortly after production.  The coating fuses neatly with the hot glass before the latter has a chance to set, and stays that way for the entire lifespan of the window.  The glass is then cut to size and shipped.

Magnetron Sputter Vacuum Deposition (MSVD)

This process came a little bit later, in the 1980s.  It’s slightly different in that it’s applied to the sheets of glass after they’ve been cut to size, using a vacuum chamber and magnets to apply the coating at room temperature.

For many years, passive coatings were produced using the pyrolytic method, and solar-control coatings using the MSVD method.  More recently this line has begun to blur.

What does Low-E Glass Look Like?

So what effect, if any, does a low-emissivity coating have on the appearance of the window?  Since there are many different types of low-E coatings, and they can be applied at different thicknesses, it’s easy to be misled by reports of a set of ‘tinted’ low-E windows which block out certain colours, and distort the view of the exterior.

If, however, you want to ensure you don’t get any nasty surprises, it’s worth inspecting the sort of low-E glass you’re considering before making your purchase.

How Much UV Does Low-E Glass Block?

The thermal performance of windows is typically measured using the U-value.  This number refers to the amount of heat loss the glass permits per a given area.  According to the U-value, low-emissivity windows tend to be twice as efficient as their plain-glass counterparts – but it’s important that an impartial initiative backs up the manufacturer’s claims.

Naturally, this figure doesn’t cover the UV light that low-E glass will block.  Depending on the strength of the coating, low-E glass can prevent anywhere between 80% and 99% of ultraviolet light from entering the home (compared with around 60% by a standard window).  This extra protection is especially worthwhile if the sunlight entering a window is immediately falling on a set of curtains, a fabric-covered sofa, or a prized rug.

Contact us for a quote – Timber Windows Direct.