The eyes of the house

When an old house starts to look dowdy, what is the first thing that shows? Is it the brickwork and the fascias, the roof? Well it might be a combination of these elements but mostly, in fact, it is the windows that show deterioration or long-term lack of maintenance. They truly reveal their state when the original wooden frames are in poor condition with tell-tale rotting sills. The paintwork is frequently poor and we often find they are over painted, reflecting their age, sometimes to the extent that sash windows are sealed up by paint and can no longer be opened.

The windows are the eyes of the house, from the inside and the outside. In the latter case they are the feature of a house that people usually first notice. So ensuring windows are fit for purpose – which means a lot more these days than it once did – is not just a necessity from the point of view of security, weatherproofing and aesthetics, it is also an investment.

For example, if you are considering selling your home and you have a house full of windows that need attention, you will find that serious buyers are well aware of the cost and effort of replacing and upgrading them. And if the windows are in poor repair buyers are not likely to look much further; or if they still want to proceed a low offer will reflect their concerns. Many buyers sensibly do a pre-tour (before even booking an appointment to view officially) to look at the property’s location and the general set of the house. It is said that buyers know whether or not they are interested in a house within 15 seconds of arrival. Give them rotting window sills and you can make that 3 seconds.

With windows it is not just a question of presentation of the house, it is a matter of integrity of the property. Best therefore to deal with windows early and take advantage of some affordable prices for new, robust, long-lasting, appealing, energy-efficient windows from Tradeframe.com. We’re here to help and we offer a full service from manufacture to installation, or supply-only as an option.

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New windows for old work beautifully

Window and glass manufacture has in common with so many other technologies, changed enormously over the years. There was a time not so long ago when new technologies were being sought to work with existing period feature window frames, for example to provide improved weatherproofing and increased energy efficiency for old sash windows, and give these a new lease of life. In this way, the rage to maintain period houses exactly as they were, including all the original windows and doors, was able to be fed – but only to an extent.

The truth is, of course, that new windows, double and triple-glazed, can offer exceptional energy efficiency and weather-proofing and they can look great, last for a very long time and will submit generously to just a little maintenance. But for a long time, as people decided to install new windows and enjoyed the benefits, there was still a trade-off to be made between the look of the original and the look of the new. There was often something not quite right about a brand new window, however much it tried to imitate the original that it replaced.

But today, thanks to the continuous development and dedication of – we humbly offer – companies like ours, working at the forefront of framing technology and doing the whole job from manufacture to installation for our customers, the story is different. For example, we have installed wonderful-looking new bay windows in period houses that do nothing but enhance and preserve the Victorian or Edwardian house. They literally rejuvenate the façade of the building and we have the means to make them and fit them effectively, tidily and affordably. By working in new materials we are able to offer the latest and best at prices that our customers often tell us are significantly less than other companies. If you have not already done so, we would highly recommend you to read some of our customer testimonials.

But we stray from the point – which is, if you are still concerned about losing an old window because it is authentic, come and look at our gallery, and you will see the difference between a harmonious new window and one that is becoming very difficult to keep in good repair and is no longer doing the job it was designed for.

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Famous Windows

What’s the first thing that pops into your head when somebody says ‘windows’?

Don’t worry; you don’t need to tell us what you thought of. For a bit of fun, Tradeframe have compiled a top three list of world famous windows. These are the windows that have somehow made a cultural impact on a wide or historically significant scale…

• South Rose Window – Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral

This staggering work of stained glass artistry resides peacefully in the Notre-Damn de Paris Cathedral and has done so since 1260 A.D. The rosette has 84 panes divided into four circles, measuring 12.90 metres in diameter with a total height of 19 metres. It is frequently lauded as a benchmark in religion visual art and despite consistent damage over the years, it has received faithful restoration. You can read more about the artistic details here.

• Rear Window – Alfred Hitchcock (1954)

A film… that’s not a window you may be thinking. Aha! Yes, but what other window carries as much cinematic resonance as that of James Stewart’s? This layered, metaphorical work of mystery genius remains a cultural highlight of Hollywood cinema and at its core; it’s actually a very simple concept. A man confined to his apartment finds his interest perked by the drama witnessed through his window leading to a dense tale of murder, deceit and voyeurism.

• Microsoft Windows

If you grew up in the 1980s and 1990s you’ll no doubt recall the rise of home computing into the mainstream. Early versions of windows (1.0 was launched November 1985 believe it or not) offered primitive yet accessible home computing with popularity steadily growing until the ground breaking Windows 95 launched. The boot up screen, the windows logo and jingle for each subsequent operating system took on a cult of its own, there’s even this chap who took a photograph of a hill now immortalised by the default background on Windows XP.  It may not be a window in the typical sense but it’s a window into a larger digital world that changed the path of history.

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The tireless struggle of double glazing

There are many aspects of daily life which bring us pleasure but are ultimately taken for granted. Simple privileges like running water or that first cup of coffee just become another routine part of life. To stop us falling into such a mindset, it’s important we take the time to appreciate what we have and in some cases; learn more about why it brings us pleasure. Take double glazing for example, for many it’s just there, they don’t care how, why or when it got there, just that it does its job. Well guess what, we’re going to fill you in on a little history!

As you may already know, double glazing pertains to the notion of trapping a layer of air in between two sheets of glass as a means to create natural insulation. Thanks to this method, the amount of heat loss which could have escaped through the window is significantly lowered. An archaic variation of this method is believed to have first been used in Scotland, Switzerland and Germany in the late 19^th century wherein another sheet of glass was ‘puttied’ to the existing window.

It wasn’t until 1930 that contemporary double glazing was invented by an American gentleman called C. D. Haven. Despite his idea proving effective, Haven struggled to find a manufacturer to mass produce his design due to the expense of flat, uniform thick glass. Fast forward to 1941 and Haven was successful in gaining the support of the Ohio based Libbey-Owens-Ford Glass Company who happily patented his idea as ‘Thermopane’. In another stroke of bad luck, Haven would once again have to wait until 1952 until double-glazing was made available for public consumption… why?…. World War II.

Today, Tradeframe now offer Triple Glazing. What a world, eh?

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Competitive Composite Doors

Over the last 30 years Tradeframe have worked tirelessly towards the highest possible quality craft while maintaining an affordable and competitive price tag. This is something we’re confident we’ve achieved but more can always be done to go the extra mile for our customers. If there’s one aspect of our catalogue we’re particularly proud of it’s our Composite Doors.

Starting at the highly competitive price of £800, these Secured by Design approved doors come in a diverse range of colours and aesthetic styles. We understand that everybody is different and this sense of individuality bleeds into all aspects of our contemporary lives. The clothes we wear, the opinions we hold and of course to the way we customise our homes, everything must be just SO.

Tradeframe’s Composite Doors are built to an appearance of hardwood and receive a natural carved aesthetic which makes them look like newly furbished vintage style products. In reality they are made from Glass Reinforced Plastic which offers a far warmer, safer and stronger build. This certified quality extends into every facet of the door, including the colouring itself which is bled into the entirely of the door skin to ensure years of protection against natural perish and discolouration.

The fibreglass panels will never dent, rust or rot and the internal glazed windows ensure that no external threat will be able to remove the panel from the outside. If security is your number one concern then all our composite doors are installed with high security multipoint locking which meet PAS 23/24 standard. To ensure that our locks are true to their word, we put them to the test in a controlled environment. Low and behold it took over 4 tonnes of force to get the lock to break on one of our standard composite doors! It was a tiresome test and only certified the reliability of our locks.

If you’d like to discuss the installation of a Tradeframe Composite Door then please get in touch here. We have four different outlets including Peterborough, Cheltenham, Swindon and Hertfordshire.

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A long struggle for clear vision

At Tradeframe we have been making and fitting uPVC double-glazed windows for 30 years and now, of course, we have added triple-glazing to our offer. Reflecting on even 50 years ago, the standards of modern glass windows, in terms of insulation, energy efficiency and sound-proofing, are quite extraordinary. Our triple-glazed products are measured to demonstrate 40% more efficiency than A-rated double-glazing. And all three panes, which carry two air-filled gaps 16mm wide, sit in a standard-sized profile of 70mm – which means the windows can be fitted into any modern British home.

But it is extraordinary how we all take glass windows for granted, including their absolute transparency and flawless appearance. The evolution process to reach such technical perfection has taken thousands of years.

The first type of glass manufactured in Britain by the Romans was known as broadsheet. An elongated balloon of glass was blown, the ends cut off and the resulting cylinder was split and flattened on an iron grate. This was very poor quality glass, however, and was barely translucent and because of the small size of each sheet it was made into leaded lights. Broadsheet production stayed around for hundreds of years and was taken over by the production of crown glass, initially imported from France and then manufactured in Britain from the 17^th century. Crown glass was made by blowing a sphere of molten glass, opening the end opposite the blowpipe and spinning it out into a circular sheet. While it still contained air bubbles and concentric ripples its quality was a great improvement over broadsheet glass but it could still only be made in small-pane sizes. You can still recognise this method of production in cottage windows where the ‘bullion’ section containing the bulls-eye is still visible. This was the part of the glass which was cut from the blowpipe and is generally thicker than the rest.

Then a polished glass process evolved, initially done by hand but, by the 19^th century using machines to grind and polish the surface. Large panes could be made this way but it was still an expensive process and was the reserve of the best rooms in the larger houses. It took a further 100 years of steadily improving technology to produce modern glass. And then came double and triple-glazing. At Tradeframe, we are grateful to all those who laboured to produce what we handle with so much ease today.

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The Core of a Good Business

It takes a long time to build a solid and reputable business and, these days, it doesn’t take long to dismantle that reputation. At the core of our business of more than 30 years as window, frame, door and conservatory manufacturers, is the old-fashioned concept of trust. With our factory in Peterborough producing some 30,000 frames each year for a variety of commercial, contractor and general public customers, we continue to trade because our customers trust us to do what we say we will do and to charge what we say we will charge.

As proof of the point we are the only business in this particular field which has an open pricing policy. This means you can visit our website and put together a list of the items – doors, windows, frames etc. – that you need and total the cost of them and you are left with a sum that you will pay at the end of the job, provided the job is completely satisfactory. There are no hidden extras. We do not send out salesmen who will try to convince you of the benefits of this or that product and tell you their company is the only one to buy from. Instead we build to the highest possible specification for prices that few, if any, other manufacturers will match.

The service aspect includes a surveyor and a fitting team. Among our surveyors we have people who have literally decades of experience. The purpose of their visit to customer’s houses is to make sure that the right products and correct sizes are being ordered. And among those who fit and install our windows there are none with fewer than ten years’ experience in this trade. We use the best because it pays us to do this. More than 50% of our new business comes from recommendations from existing customers and our new customers will often ask for the same fitters who installed the windows and doors, conservatory or other products in their friend’s home.

In a field where there have been and still can be corner-cutters and people out to sell whatever they can, we are proud to offer a service and a product range that is completely trustworthy.

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What is a conservatory?

At Tradeframe we have for decades been proudly building all kinds of conservatory15, supplied as parts to contractors and also built and installed for private customers. But what exactly is a conservatory and how does it differ from other buildings like greenhouses and orangeries.

There is, in fact, a legal definition of a conservatory in the UK which is a building that has at least 50% of its side wall area glazed and at least 75% of its roof area glazed with translucent materials, either polycarbonate sheeting or glass. Even with such a description, which allows a lot in translation, the terms sunroom, solarium and conservatory are highly interchangeable. The actual style of the modern conservatory is reasonably distinct, with sloping glass roofs and details, such as finials, which still reflect an earlier Victorian style. This look has become popular since the 1970s when the fashion for building conservatories took off in the UK.

By comparison, an orangery tends to be a larger building – it still has plenty of window light in the walls and ceilings but is less similar in look to a highly ornate greenhouse than the conservatory. Both forms of building grew out of the search in Europe for some kind of protective housing for citrus fruit – particularly oranges, but also lemons and limes. The process actually started with relatively crude types of pergola built to provide protection for plants grown beneath them. Eventually a full building was designed with the south-facing wall housing large or entire areas of glass. Then, later, came the sloping glass roof.

In Victorian times conservatories were extremely popular and most large towns and cities in Europe devised their own public spaces with impressive glass structures including domes where both the preservation and nurture of plants and trees could take place while also providing space for public recreation. In cold climes these large municipal conservatories would be built to house tropical plants and hold flower displays. Today, many of us make use of the extra light and space for our own comfort – as an inside-outside sitting room.

At Tradeframe we have the manufacturing capabilities and installation experience to build conservatories to the size and shape that customers desire. These wonderful buildings remain one of the best ways of developing inexpensive additional space – and bringing more sun into the home.

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