Hi,

We decided that this year's fun is going to be replacing all our old/blown double-glazed units with triple-glazed, and happily our friendly local glazier will now do 3G from their supplier Whiteline.co.uk with the additional thermal break and glazing flipper to get to Uw = 0.8E/Km^2 (PH compliant).

Any comments on this supplier or design?

Also, I'd quite like to (re)fit the Enviroform aerogel reveal insulation to minimise thermal bridging (we already have some round 2 upstairs windows that would be replaced and are in the aerogel dry-lined wall).

Am I wasting my time?

If not, should I have the glaziers do it, or have my builder come back and do it?

I have already stressed the need to be very careful about air leakage and damaging the aerogel.

Two or three of the replacement windows would go in the wall that we have not yet dry-lined, so I assume that we wait until we get them drylined to get the insulated reveals if we do them?

Rgds

Damon

Here is the profile:

http://whiteline.co.uk/NRG%20Triple%20Glazing.pdf

Rgds

Damon

Thanks!

I may annoy the surveyor with most of this as and when he comes along!

Rgds

Damon

Do whiteline manifacturer profile in UK or just fabricate here ? couldn't find it on thier site,
the multi chamber profile seems to do away with the metal reinforcing WMS mentioned.
be interested in what they want m2
What a glazing flipper ?
As you've gone to the effort elsewhere , might as well use the aerogel on the reveals, I'd DIY or get your regular builder , rather than the glazing fitters , might be worth get your builder to supply/fit windows he may get a better price and if he's 'on program' he'll make a better job of it.

I think Damons got a couple of single room MHRV

I try not to spec. trickle vents , seems silly to go for these high spec windows then drill a hole through it.
You can generally get the BC officer to accept a lockable opening sash as back ground ventilation. Then leaves the occupier the abiltiy to ventilate as required , just cracking the handle will act like a trickle vent.

Hi,
Damon - I think with all the detail you mention above it will all rest on the installation. Being facetious here, but the surveyor will only nod humouring you as he is in the window surveying business and you are the home-owner aka punter (bit harsh but double glazing sales are a by word for hard selling).

Regardless, the folk who need to take on board the intricacies of the installation are the fitters (aka white van men) who will be sub contractors who no doubt will reassure you that their way is best (obviously because they always do it this way). This will also be the quickest possible method - thereby saving you any further mess and leaving you in peace as quick as possible.

So if you could buy the windows and engage someone who is on your wave length to the installation that would be fine. My worry with UPVC is always that it attracts people who call themselves joiners but wouldn’t know a piece of wood if they tripped over it, likewise a good joiner wouldn’t touch UPVC (someone might see him). Either way I’d sooner have average windows well installed than brought in top spec incompetently fitted. Again though this is an opportunity to highlight to the surveyors/fitters that the buying public do have high expectations, they do have knowledge of the best way to do things etc so keep on at them.

For me now with kitchen / bathroom / window fitting the key question to ask the salesman = are the fitters full time employees of the company I am writing the cheque to – Yes or No?

Cheers, Mike up North

Wheeew! Thanks for all that feedback.

1) No trickle vents: would be a crying shame with 3G. We'll open windows where necessary or else use our (currently insufficient) MHRV.

2) I hear what you say about the fitters, but they don't subconbtract, so if I get what I want written into the contract then they'll probably do it and their after-care seems OK. And they've made a reasonable job of the previous two doors that they've done for me.

3) Glazing flipper appears to be the magical 3rd draught excluder alluded to elsewhere.

4) The remaining magical PH part is a thermal dam, ie what appears to be a chunk of foam, in the bottom-most channel where it rests on the cill.

Rgds

Damon

Damon, what's the glazing profile?

The Rehau supplier which I used says that they have a couple of new 3G profiles coming out in the next 6 months or-so (including at least one open-outward if I remember correctly), which he said will be going through Passivhaus Institute approval...

BTW, we stuffed the multi-chamber cill profiles which we used with bits of XPS (whizzed off the right size on a table saw), and also solvent-welded PVCu angle-section "horns" onto both ends in order to prevent driven rain ingress into our EWI build-up.

Cills are the main tricky spot with PVCu 3g, it seems...

Damon, these Whiteline windoews are I think bought in - they are http://www.liniar.co.uk - see www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/forum114/comments.php?DiscussionID=9257 posts around 1 July. Shop around, or go to source.

Tim small,
The open out ph window from Rehau will be the Nordic window, trust me it will not take off in the UK, we are currently manufacturing samples,

Anyhow, thanks for all the feedback.

Stuff to chew over.

Rgds

Damon

I am too looking at 3g UPVC, Rehau frames as that is what the man is use installs. Had the guy round to measure up and mentioned 3g to him and he made out I was from another planet and that he didnt see the point of going past a 'C' rated window.

Even though Rehau insist you can fit 3g into their standard frames Edge or S706.

So have sent him off to investigate costings/availability.

Why is it hard to do anything past building reg standards in this country!

I'm quite happy to be helping my local glazing company into the world of 3G: I think they've taken it on in part because I've been badgering them for a couple of years at least.

Rgds

Damon