Fenestration and doors make up a sizeable investment; therefore, you should choose the best quality you can afford. This choice will not only help the overall aesthetics and build quality, but it will also have a significant financial impact in the long term regarding insulation and maintenance costs.
Timber ticks many boxes – it is an eco-friendly choice because it is a renewable resource and an excellent insulator, and you can’t beat the warmth of wood in the home. However, not all timber windows and doors are created equal, and several best practice procedures need to be followed from the outset to ensure their longevity and optimum functionality:
Sealing and finish
All timber windows and doors need to be sealed. Leaving raw timber products outdoors on-site places them at the mercy of the elements. Exposure to rain or damp conditions during storage or installation could lead to long-term damage to the timber. All wooden products must be adequately sealed before installation and before the glass is fitted.
Ready-2-Fit wooden windows and doors are professionally sealed and glazed before they leave the Swartland factory, and arrive on the building site ready to be installed. This means no additional labour is required to seal or glaze them, saving the builder and homeowner time and money on installation costs. It also ensures that the windows and doors are adequately protected against exposure to any dampness or wetness.
As a result, Ready-2-Fit vastly increases the overall build quality – ensuring that the windows and doors are finished to Swartland’s exacting standards and, therefore, ensuring that any warranties are upheld. And they have eight fantastic standard colour options available.
Hardware matters
Although it might seem like any choice will do when it comes to handles, bolts and locks for your windows and doors, the hardware that you choose makes an enormous difference to their aesthetics, functionality and durability. It will also impact the overall security of your home. Swartland‘s Ready-2-Fit range has high-end brass hardware, including pulleys, fasteners, lifts, pivot mechanisms and hinges on all its windows and doors, and ultra-strong stainless steel barrel locks on its doors.
However, hardware is not just for security and aesthetics – since timber is a natural material, it dries and swells as it adapts to the equilibrium of the climatic moisture content. Movement can be expected on the timber, depending on the ecosystem where the door is installed – for example, regular exposure to harsh sun, heat or rain. As such, it is best practice to install bolts on both leaves of any double doors for a minimum of two to three seasonal changes to prevent warping and movement until the natural balance of the wood has been achieved.
Two barrel bolts on each leaf are recommended on patio doors that are not used as entrance doors. It is advisable to fit a roller catch on the traffic door in question for traffic doors. Securing both leaves may seem inconvenient, but it is vital and will go a long way to minimise the risk of future movement and warping.
Roof overhang
Removing direct rain and sun from any natural product is always advisable. Just like you will put a hat on in the sun or use an umbrella in the rain – timber needs to be protected similarly, which is the reason installing overhangs is standard best practice internationally.
In most climate conditions, the following formula can be used to determine the appropriate amount of overhang: A=½B (where A is the length of the overhang required, and B is the distance from the bottom of the door or window to the base of the overhang). Regarding the width of the overhang, the general formula used is C=(2 x ⅓D)+E (where C is the width of the overhang required, D is the distance from the bottom of the door or window to the base of the overhang, and E is the width of the door or window).
So, for example, if the measurement from the bottom of the door to the base of the overhang is 3m and the width of the door is 0,813m, then the depth and width of the required overhang will be 1,5m x 2,813m, respectively.
