Top-quality timber architectural accents, such as beautifully crafted wooden windows and doors, can add an organically attractive and timeless aesthetic to any building they grace. Over and above the beauty of these features, wood is also a wonderful environmentally friendly choice of building material – it is renewable, an excellent insulator and, if properly maintained, is exceptionally durable and long lasting.
Problems of the past
In the past, wooden windows and doors did not receive the necessary care and treatment they require. Installation methods were often not able to guarantee perfect results due to inconsistent levels of workmanship. Also, any raw timber products left outdoors on-site were at the mercy of the elements until they were installed, glazed and sealed. Any exposure to rain or damp conditions could lead to serious long-term damage of the timber. Installation was also a very time-consuming procedure.
Best practice requires that you paint or seal your doors and windows prior to installation. Very seldom is this done on site. Windows and doors are usually installed, then glazed, and lastly the sealant or paint is applied. This means that your timber is exposed where it is built into the wet works, causing it to take up moisture and swell. Another problem is that timber is exposed behind the glass and glazing beads. If glazed using traditional putty, the timber will draw out the oil from the putty, making it brittle. This allows water to seep into the opening. Trapped water caused the rot and decay of your timber.
Lastly, to properly maintain timber windows and doors, you needed to sand them down and reseal them on a regular basis, which is an arduous and laborious job.
The solution: Swartland’s Ready-2-Fit range
With Swartland’s Ready-2-Fit range, however, all these problems are a thing of the past. The Ready-2-Fit range of wooden windows and doors are professionally sealed and glazed before they leave the Swartland factory, so that when they arrive on the building site, they are ready to be installed. A newly added service included in the Ready-2-Fit range is that doors can be pre-hung in its frames, fitted with hinges, flush bolts and locks.
This not only saves the builder and homeowner time and money on installation costs, but also ensures that the windows and doors are adequately protected against exposure to the elements. It also vastly increases the overall build quality – ensuring the windows and doors are finished to Swartland’s exacting standards and, therefore, ensuring that any warranties are upheld.
Some of the many benefits to the Ready-2-Fit range:
- The benefits of being pre-sealed: All Swartland’s Ready-2-Fit windows and doors are pre-sealed with high-quality water-based sealant before they leave the factory to ensure unbeatable protection against the elements. The chosen water-based sealant boasts a number of benefits, including the fact that it is an environmentally friendly sealant, with low VOC emissions, it is UV- and water-resistant, non-flammable, lead-free, and it contains anti-fungal properties to protect the timber from fungus, such as dry rot. It will also offer years of protection from the damaging effects of extreme temperatures, humidity, cold, rain and sunlight. To cater for darker colours, such as Teak and Imbuia, the water-based sealant contains heat-reflective pigments that lower the surface temperature of the wood to reduce natural movement.
- Colour of your choice: Since 2012, when this range was first launched, Swartland offered the following colour options: Teak, Imbuia, Light Oak and White. Recently, four new colours were introduced to give our clients more choices. The colours chosen are a natural palette that will contribute to your modern home or fit in with traditional designs.
- No more sanding required: What makes water-based sealant a winner is the fact that it makes wooden windows and doors a cinch to maintain in the long term. Gone are the days when you had to laboriously sand wooden windows and doors before re-sealing them – now you can simply wash and wipe them down to restore them to their original beauty.
- All glazing is taken care of: All windows and doors in the Ready-2-Fit range come pre-glazed with standard 4mm glass or 6,38mm safety glass, in accordance with the National Building Regulations. A variety of other types of glazing, such as double-glazing and Low-E glass, is also available on request.
- Pre-hung doors: Due to public demand, Swartland decided to pre-hang doors in its frames in the factory, with all the essential hardware. We have had overwhelming response from builders who require this top-quality finish.
- Compliance with the National Building Regulations and Consumer Protection Act: Swartland continuously tests its products to ensure they are compliant with the National Building Regulations. In order to ensure that its windows are compliant with the SANS 613 Mechanical Performance Criteria, the Ready-2-Fit range of windows are tested for deflection, structural strength, water-resistance, airtightness, operating forces, and the best possible energy efficiency.
Benefits of Swartland’s Ready-2-Fit range at a glance:
- No more sanding – easy wash ‘n wipe maintenance.
- Excellent durability ensured with high-end water-based sealant.
- Improves build quality at no extra cost.
- Validates the Swartland guarantee.
- It is an eco-friendly and energy-efficient solution.
- Constant testing ensures compliance with the National Building Regulation and Consumer Protection Act.
- Offers good thermal and sound insulation, depending on the glass chosen.
