After 40 years in the Building Industry, it still amazes me how long it takes for a good idea to take root and become popular! I suppose it’s due to our natural conservative and cautious nature – but the rewards are there for some, as the expression goes, ‘Fortune favours the Bold’.
Take windows, for example – timber for 100’s of years until the 1980s, when increasing maintenance from decreasing quality softwood windows, caused the Domestic market to start moving to PVC and the Commercial market towards Aluminium. OK for a while, but then the unexpectedly shorter life of PVC began to disappoint – and aluminium was falling short of the increasing demands for better thermal insulation, even requiring special dispensation for U-values, under Building Regs!
Thus, single material windows were struggling to meet industry requirements – so, in the late 1980s, two pioneering companies, one in Denmark and one in Italy – each developed the concept of the timber and aluminium ‘composite window’ (meaning simply, ‘made from more than one material’). Both recognised the performance and environmental benefits of timber but also its Achilles Heel – moisture ingress! So, by providing a weather protecting sheath of aluminium, prevented water reaching the, now engineered, timber, enabling it to stay dry and excel in providing high thermal and acoustic performance with excellent longevity. A brilliant solution, meeting all requirements!
Today, after over 20 years of sustained success and growth in the UK, there still seems to be some inexplicable reluctance to try it, by those who have not yet done so. All I can say is, ‘jump in, the water’s lovely!’
The Italian company, Uniform SpA, continued to innovate aggressively – and now supplies throughout Europe, Middle East, North America and beyond. Through wholly owned subsidiary, Uniform Architectural Ltd “UAL”, sales have mushroomed in the UK due to the many unique features and benefits, even over other composite windows. For example:-
- Welded aluminium corner joints to avoid corrosion, esp. in coastal areas.
- 12 beautiful, extremely hard wearing, permanent, internal finishes. Maintenance free!
- Integral Juliet Balconies, factory-fitted, with no visible fixings. Fully certified for guarding.
- Fully vulcanised gaskets as standard.
- The slimmest composite window frames – ever, from Format38™ casement windows.
- Delivered on certified steel pallets for crane hoisting straight off the truck.
- Highest acoustic ratings at Rw46
- Lowest thermal insulation U-values below 0.79 W/M2K – Passive House certified.
Don’t just take our word for it, see examples of these for yourself at https://uniform-arch.co.uk/gallery/
