Brand Cutting Edge Technology

Facades, Doors , Windows Are Not Like Walls and Insulation

The high prices for we pay for natural gas, electricity, and home heating fuel have made energy a high profile issue, this along with the awareness of climate change or global warming; call it what you will have made many consumers be they architects, main contractors, house builders and even everyday home owners aware of the need for achieving the best "U" values – possible for their homes or buildings. The U-factor measures the rate of heat transfer (or loss) Therefore, the window industry measures the energy efficiency of their products in terms of thermal transmission, or U-factor.

Building Envelopes are very different from insulation in walls and ceilings. Windows and Facades let the light in and allow people to see out, and they interact with their environment in ways that insulation does not. They react to outside air temperatures, sunlight, and wind, as well as indoor air temperatures and occupant use.

Building Envelopes are strongly affected by solar radiation and the airflow around them. U-factor measures the rate of heat transfer through a product. Therefore, the lower the U-factor, the lower the amount of heat loss, and the better a product is at insulating a building.

Emissivity is the ability of a product to absorb certain types of energy (specifically infrared) and radiate that energy through itself and out of a room. A product with high emissivity, such as one pane of clear glass, will transfer over 84 percent of the infrared energy from a warm room outside to the cold air. The lower the conductivity and emissivity of the glass, the lower the rate of heat loss and the lower the U-factor.

There have been significant technological developments over the last 10 years involving low emissivity (low-e) coatings on the glass. There are now many glass products available with these low-e coatings, which are typically used in double glazed or triple glazed windows and insulating glass units.

These glass units are now joined with increasingly Hi-Tec profile systems in both aluminium and Upvc, Fenstertechnik Brand is a leader in the manufacture and installation of these systems allowing us to offer the lowest "U" values on the market today.

New technology allows us to mix and match aluminium and Upvc into the same building, offering the same colour and almost identical profiles of which only an expert in fenestration would be able to notice the minute differences.

Our standard Upvc windows offer thermal values of 1.4 W/M2K. with up to 0.74 W/M2K being possible. This of course is way in advance of the current Document L specification and our standard acoustic value is 34 dB with up to 55 dB being possible.

Our most advanced Façade to date has been that designed and installed at 53 Park Avenue, Chelmsford which had to achieve "U" values of 1.2 and lower for an all glass and aluminium façade to both the crescent and tower blocks.

Cutting Edge Security to both BS7950 (Secured by Design) and EN 1627

Security is something which all householders put at the top of their list, police statistics tell the story, most break-ins occur in broad daylight, between noon and eight pm and not as generally assumed in the night. The opportunist perpetrators take the opportunity when the owners are out of the house. They know where the weak points are in a house, and they know how to get to them fast, the focus here is on terrace doors (49%) and windows (34%). Main doors to the house follow way behind (11%) as do basement windows (4%) and doors (2%). Intruders who cannot get into a house rapidly, will in most cases give up and move on. With Brand Windows and Doors we guarantee the highest security level available in the European market place.

We have recently completed new testing for Secured by Design (BS7950) with aluminium and Upvc windows and doors fitted with the latest Winkhaus ironmongery and we tested the windows to the largest size the test frames would allow 1400mm x 1400mm. We also tested aluminium and Upvc framed all glass doors to PAS 23/24. Security Door Locks from Wink Haus with up to six steel bolts provide security against intruders. All Brand Front Doors of which there are over 2,700 to choose from also feature exceptional insulation for heat and sound.

Fenstertechnik Brands quality manufacturing and innovative designs keep us ahead of current trends. Whether it is a simple glazing assembly or a complex aluminium shape made to complement building façades, we can provide a complete engineered package from design through fabrication to installation.

We have secured and completed many prestigious projects with the reputation for delivering to our client a product with quality and innovative design; we hope that you will look to us for your glazing needs.

Please visit us at the building centre, if not we look forward to hearing from you and offering you our exceptional products and services at the right price. Welcome to the world of Brand Windows and Doors.