First Decide What You Are Trying to Protect Reducing a glazing budget becomes much easier once there is agreement about what the glazing is supposed to achieve. On one project, the priority may be an uninterrupted view across the garden. On another, it may be thermal comfort, generous daylight or the ability to open a […]
Tag Archives: Bath renovations
07
Sep
Sep
Start With the House, Not the Window Catalogue The most effective way to reduce the cost of windows is often to make better decisions before choosing them. It is easy to begin with materials, brands and individual prices, but those comparisons come relatively late in the process. By then, the architecture may already have determined […]
07
Sep
Sep
The Biggest Underestimate Is Usually the Specification, Not the Window When a glazing budget begins to move, it is tempting to assume that the windows themselves have simply become more expensive. Often, the explanation is more complicated. An early allowance may have been established when the project consisted of preliminary drawings, approximate opening sizes and […]
07
Sep
Sep
Why Two Similar-Looking Windows Can Cost Very Different Amounts At first glance, the difference between a moderately priced window and one costing £1,200 can be surprisingly difficult to see. Both may have double or triple glazing, similar dimensions and frames that appear broadly comparable. Once installed, particularly when viewed from several metres away, there may […]
04
Sep
Sep
The First Price Is Not Always the Final Cost The price paid for windows and doors at the beginning of a project is only one way of measuring their cost. Glazing becomes part of the fabric of a building, which means that changing it later can involve far more than purchasing a second set of […]
04
Sep
Sep
£30,000 Is a Budget, Not a Glazing Specification A budget of £30,000 sounds precise. In architectural glazing, however, it does not describe a particular quantity of windows, a certain size of sliding door or a predetermined level of specification. It establishes a financial boundary. What happens within that boundary depends on the architecture. Two projects […]
03
Sep
Sep
A Glazing Guarantee Is Rarely One Simple Promise A glazing guarantee can sound reassuringly straightforward. A particular period is quoted, the installation is described as guaranteed, and it is easy to assume that every element of the finished glazing carries the same protection. In practice, a substantial window or door installation can contain several distinct […]
03
Sep
Sep
Why Sliding Doors Need a Different Approach to Maintenance Large architectural sliding doors can appear remarkably simple. A broad glazed panel moves aside, the boundary between inside and outside opens, and much of the engineering responsible for that movement remains concealed within the surrounding system. That visual simplicity is intentional, but it can disguise the […]
02
Sep
Sep
Glass Is Not the Architecture — It Serves the Architecture Large areas of glass have become closely associated with contemporary residential architecture. It is easy to understand why. Glazing can bring daylight deep into a home, create a stronger relationship with the landscape and give rooms a sense of openness that would be difficult to […]
02
Sep
Sep
Why Open-Plan Living Is Being Reconsidered Open-plan living transformed the way modern homes were designed because it answered several problems at once. Removing internal walls could bring kitchens, dining areas and living rooms together, allow daylight to travel further through a floor plan and create a greater sense of space within an existing footprint. In […]
11
Aug
Aug
Why Slimmer Does Not Automatically Mean Colder It is easy to assume that making a glazing frame slimmer must come at the expense of thermal performance. The reasoning appears intuitive: if there is less visible frame around the glass, there must surely be less material available to resist heat transfer. In practice, however, sightline and […]
28
Jul
Jul
Not Every Draught Comes Through the Window Feeling a movement of air near a window can understandably lead homeowners to conclude that the window itself is letting cold air inside. In many cases, however, the source of that sensation is more complex. Buildings are constantly responding to differences in temperature, air pressure and ventilation, creating […]
27
Jul
Jul
Protection Starts Before Anything Is Ordered When homeowners invest in premium glazing, it is natural to assume that protecting it begins on installation day. Frames are carefully handled, glass is lifted into place and protective coverings are applied while construction continues. Although these steps are important, architects understand that the real protection begins much earlier. […]