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Like humans, buildings have personalities, much of which comes from the design of their windows and doors, and the way they blend with the personalities of the dwellers. Chris Tate

Award winning New Zealand designer Chris Tate believes in capturing the feel of “blending with the surroundings” when designing, which means selecting the right doors and windows to retain a natural indoor-outdoor flow.
“Since joinery plays a huge role in the design of a house, it needs to be right every time in terms of shape, design and strength,” Chris says.
“I like to specify the best and most suitable joinery profiles to complement my design style of ‘modernist’ and ‘friendly for New Zealand conditions’. Windowmakers offers me all that as well as great service support.”
Having recommended and used Windowmakers joinery in more than five of his recent projects, Chris looked for options with the company in the design of a twin gable beach house north of Auckland, a project that’s nearing completion. The house consists of black joinery to the gable forms, with white joinery to the connecting pavilion.
One of the challenges was deciding on the joinery to the angled gable windows, over height at 40 degrees pitch. Another demanding task was an 8m four-track sliding unit which needed careful attention to create a seamless look both inside and out.
“The exposed site offered additional resistance in the design conception. Besides, the weather proofing details for the raking windows and large sliders always seem to be a bit tricky.
“Also, I always need joinery to be as thin as possible from a visual perspective, as I like to hide all of the structural side of things,” Chris adds.
Faced with such a stringent set of challenges, Chris decided to rely on Windowmakers for possible suggestions and the right solutions.
“At the design stage we bounced ideas off one another. Windowmakers provided me with different options for the raking windows. We went through discussing a transition of different materials with the client, evaluating how they would work while retaining the crucial negative details.”
Chris is particularly pleased that all the advice from Windowmakers was backed up by the technical department at APL, which also assisted with custom raking flashings for the gables.
“Windowmakers also advised us on the different ways to manufacture the sliders to suit the site and the design. “The finished design looks stunning. It’s evolved exactly how I imagined it to be. Seamless, functional and an outstanding result,” Chris says.
Though aluminium joinery technology is crucial in terms of the finished product, Chris says it’s the profile, quality and precision of its use in a house that’s equally important and makes a design stand out and valued. In this respect, Chris says it is cruicial to work with a joinery manufacturer which can supply robust products and services.
“Working with Windowmakers offers the assurance of great customer service support and technical back-up. This isolates any potential hassles if things go wrong at the design or project management stage.”
To see some of Chris' fantastic projects or to contact him, visit http://christate.co.nz/

Windowmakers Provides Renovation Solutions

When Karen Franklin set out on a major project to turn her existing Manly house into the stunning executive home it is today, she sought out suppliers who could deliver what she wanted, and could do it with a minimum of fuss or stress.
She carried out some renovations to the original 1970s home five years ago, and in 2009 came up with plans to double the home’s floor space to what is now a 310sqm, four bedroom, three bathroom home.

The revolting gold joinery in the home had to go, Karen laughs. “I wanted joinery which was in keeping with the overall design. It was fantastic to be able to talk to Windowmakers about all the options, and get advice about the right option for the application I needed,” she says.

In hindsight, the best advice was Windowmakers’ recommendation to use sliding doors in the living areas. These have multiple moving panels which slide and stack behind one fixed panel, rather than the concertina affect of bi-folds. “When the doors are closed, it is fantastic not to have to look past the mullions [upright dividers] which the bi-folds would have needed. With safety glass in the sliding system, we’re able to have large windows with no interruption to the view.”

The bedrooms, living and dining areas flow out to the north though these sliding doors: “They slide right back and totally open the house up.”

Karen was particular about the type of window she wanted in the bathrooms, and was impressed with the frosted glass option suggested by Windowmakers. “Everything in the project was so simple, really. If I asked a question I was given a range of options, with a clear explanation about what each would deliver, the pros and cons.” “I chopped and changed what I wanted a few times, and Windowmakers simply re-quoted. It wasn’t a hassle; they wanted me to be happy with the final choice.”

Windowmakers’ advice – from Managing Director Heidi Johnston – to cover in the outside gazebo using bi-fold doors suitable for this use transformed this special part of the home’s indoor/outdoor lifestyle. “It was the perfect way to ensure the kitchen and bar is safe and secure when we’re not enjoying them.”

In Karen’s view, the measure of a supplier is how they deal with a customer when things don’t go according to plan. With a project of this size, glitches were inevitable. When something did go wrong – such as a window joinery measurement being out, Karen was impressed with Windowmakers’ reaction. “The problem was identified during installation on a Thursday. They must have stopped production of our joinery just like that, because by Friday the correctly fitting joinery was on site and installed.” “The problem just got fixed with no delay, and that is rare with the companies I’ve encountered.”

The project manager had an impressive attention to detail, Karen says. When he noticed a window latch was facing the same way as the one next to it, rather than the correct mirror image, he had the team replace it. “The sliding doors needed to be fine-tuned once they had been in place for a little while, and Windowmakers was not satisfied until this was done to perfection, even if they had to come back several times.”

Karen says she also trusted the company to recommend the right product for her home, rather than the one which they could charge the most for. This trust developed during the project has since become friendship with Windowmakers’ owners, and she can’t say more about the company’s service than that.

Technology Second to None

In recent years, Windowmakers has focused on gaining a competitive advantage through investing in the best state-of-the-art technology available globally. This is part of our commitment to the highest quality finished product possible, and goes hand in hand with having experts in our team who are always coming up with innovations to use the technology to the maximum benefit.

Technology Second to None Our production scheduling software system enables us to enter all accepted jobs with individual bar codes so that we have an accurate picture at all times of the work schedule, where each job is in the process, can identify potential bottlenecks, and put staff where they are most needed.
The machinery - from the cutting saw, to the CNC machine centre, and through to glazing - is programmed with the exact job specifications. The end result is joinery which fits without further trimming, and is finished and glazed with excellent consistency.
Staff who were initially sceptical about the arrival of automation have received full training and been involved in the process of implementing the technology. They no longer fear losing their jobs to machines, and enjoy the challenge of working the technology to best advantage.
The production team carries out full maintenance once a week, which maintains the high standards required and gives a sense of pride in the workplace.

Technology Second to None The value of investing in technology is measured in increased production, reduced workload and customer satisfaction at the quality of our products.

It is always interesting to watch and listen to the reaction of customers who visit the Windowmakers Design Centre in Silverdale.
Let's face it, humans are tactile beings - we like to touch things, feel things.

Design Centre

Clients can't do that if they are trying to decide on a joinery or door product from a brochure or website photo.
Coming into the Design Centre allows them to walk around and through our joinery products, and perhaps more importantly, feel them: slide doors, open windows, run their hands over the myriad of finishes available in our product range.

The stylish finishes include powder coat, wood grain powder coat, anodised, and frosted. Each is unique and distinct.

Design Centre

Our powder coated products feature Dulux architectural powder coatings, which have a low environmental impact - including no organic solvents, PVC, lead or cadmium. They are recyclable and have outstanding colour and integrity warranties - up to 20 years, depending on the coating chosen, which is dependent on the environment the joinery is to be used in.

The options include coatings suitable for typical New Zealand environments, including as close as 11m from salt water.

Come in to the Windowmakers Design Centre to check out the range.

Most people would rather have something a bit more exciting than a wooden door with a rubber strip at the bottom that warps when it rains and cracks when it's dry.

We are pleased to see a return to some of the artistry of earlier generations, when people really focused on making their home's entranceway a special feature. Occasionally you see a classic glass door from the 1950s, with frosted designs, which really said something about the home's owners.

Meta4 is able to combine textures, colours, finishes, materials and hardware to create unique and dramatic visual effects. As you can see from the gallery at www.meta4.co.nz, the company has a great range of options, from stainless steel and anodised aluminium to various paint finishes with a clear gloss coat. You can take the ultimate step and have something original and timeless designed specifically for your dream home.

There has been a lot of negativity around residential building recently, from talk about the shortage of available land, through to the number of building consents being vastly down on previous years.

This says a lot about the herd mentality of both industry commentators and the general public, but it also provides opportunities for savvy people.

There is an old saying: buy in doom, sell in boom. It is still a useful guide to investing. In our industry, that should read build in doom.

The advantages of this are clear: No time like the present

due to the downturn, a lot of tradespeople are looking for work and that means price competitiveness rules the market

some of the tradespeople available right now are among the best in the business, so it's a great opportunity to grab them while they don't have work coming out of their ears.

If you build now, you can look forward to having your project done by an expert who you might normally not get the chance to sign up and probably at a price which is below what it might be when the market does start to pick up.

When we are in boom times, a lot of cowboys are able to survive due to the sheer demand for tradespeople. It is in the leaner market periods that businesses and tradespeople with a reputation for quality and customer service come into their own.
It won't be long before people are looking back and saying 'I wish I'd taken that opportunity to build a couple of years ago'.

A typical Kiwi reaction to those steamy nights we experience at this time of the year after a blazing hot day is to fling open the windows, and spend most of the wee small hours under attack from merciless mozzies.

Unfortunately, thermal efficiency is something most people think about once the first chilly winds arrive in autumn, not at the height of summer.

Correctly installed modern window systems - particularly those with thermal breaks - prevent a home turning into a tropical hot house in summer.

The design features of a thermally efficient home help to keep the occupants' living environment at a fairly constant temperature. The key is to regard thermal efficiency as an overall concept.

Windowmakers can help improve your comfort levels, in summer and winter, reducing heating or cooling electricity bills at the same time.

A thermal break - which features in the Metro Series Thermal Heart joinery range - stops aluminium joinery acting as a conductor. So it stops warm air escaping in winter, and crucially at this time of the year it also stops warm air outside invading.

The other key factor is window glass. Windowmakers works closely with National Glass to ensure customers can choose the right options for their windows - this can include double glazing, types of tints which reduce sun penetration, and laminates.

We can't control the mozzies, but we can help with everything else.

While many of us would love to build a dream home, the reality for a lot of people is they will purchase a house that was constructed anywhere from a few years, to many decades ago - and home renovation becomes a priority.

Along with the usual suspects such as kitchens and bathrooms, in a lot of cases the existing window systems leave a lot to be desired. An investment in this area can be crucial to the overall comfort of your 'new' home.
Typically, older New Zealand homes have windows which do not provide thermal comfort, whether through ageing aluminium joinery that was built up to 40 years ago with outmoded technology, or wooden frames which align poorly after years in the hot sun, and cold rain.
Windowmakers work with builders to help owners comprehensively renovate their home's window systems. This dramatically increases the thermal efficiency of the house, adding greatly to their family's living environment, making the house cooler in summer and warmer in winter.

At the same time, this will improve their house's Homestar rating and therefore the capital value of their home. Overseas research shows homes with performance ratings sell and rent faster, and sell for higher prices than non-rated homes.
Homestar is the web-based residential rating tool from the New Zealand Green Building Council launched last month. It takes into account the air quality and internal moisture of the home, and the energy required for heating and cooling - all factors which are heavily influenced by the quality of a home's window system.
Investing in a quality new window system has never been more rewarding for homeowners. Homestar has helped identify the major advantage in installing new windows and joinery rather than just re-glazing.
It is important to plan carefully alongside a builder who understands the pitfalls and benefits of different systems, and can install them professionally. Windowmakers works with builders who can help homeowners make the right renovation decisions from the outset.
At the end of the day, what most of us want in our homes is peace of mind and comfort for ourselves and our families. Renovating with the correct quality window product is crucial.
Here is a link to more information about Homestar:www.homestar.org.nz You can register and carry out a self assessment of your house. Let us know how you get on and please don't hesitate to contact Windowmakers if there is anything you don't understand about window options.

Get a grip on internal hardware

You only have to wander through a house built in the 1980s to see how frustrating it is to be exposed to poorly designed and poor quality door opening solutions. If there is one product the saying 'you get what you pay for' is applicable, it is door and window handle hardware.

Windowmakers is excited to announce it is now offering internal hardware - something that considerably adds to our service to customers.

Products on offer include those from Assa Abloy, the global leader in door opening solutions, and the Icon and Miro range from Architectural Profiles Ltd (APL), which are exclusive to APL fabricators and match Windowmakers' external hardware, so providing a complete family of hardware for window, doors and interiors.　

Together, these ranges provide Windowmakers' customers with sleek and stylish products to suit every New Zealand home, both new and retrofitted, at a range of price options.

The crucial aspects of internal hardware include that the systems fit with the home's aesthetic, are reliable, easy to install and use, and provide the level of security and safety homeowners seek. The end result is a home which has great flow thanks to efficient hardware.

Assa Abloy works with trusted household brand names such as Yale, Lockwood and Interlock, so from the internal stairway door to the all-important bathroom lock, homeowners can feel secure.

All hardware available through Windowmakers incorporates the latest technology, and will add value to a house long term, especially as it can be matched to the exterior hardware.

Icon hardware has a square-edge, rectilinear look in keeping with the high specification window and door ranges it has been designed for. The fashionable Miro range includes lever locks and sliding door grips, a bi-fold swivel operator, and a wedgeless window fastener.

Click here to view Hardware Brochure

It is hard not to be impressed by the classic lines and smooth feel of the Velocity series' four models which come in two finishes - chrome plate or satin chrome pearl. The series includes sets for connecting doors, bathrooms, and cupboards or wardrobes, to allow consistent styling.
The pre-assembled industry standard sets eliminate the installer having to fiddle with screws and spindles; and screws align through the rose, taking away blind guesswork.

Windowmakers recommends customers view the Assa Abloy website

Windowmakers will be happy to provide an estimate for your internal hardware requirements, based on house plans.

http://www.assaabloy.co.nz/en/local/nz/

to see a wealth of further information, or better still, come in to the Silverdale design centre to try out the products first hand.

Design Centre visit should be a must-do

Given the size of investment a house involves, and how difficult it is to reverse poor decisions once they have - sometimes literally - been set in stone, it is amazing how few people do full and early homework on some critical aspects of the home they expect to live in for years.

The right windows and doors are crucial to the aesthetic integrity of a home, and the overall architectural and design vision. Their quality can markedly add or subtract from the value potential buyers see in a house years down the track.

　 Windowmakers Showroom Thermal Heart Joinery

In Windowmakers' view, it can't be overstated how important it is for customers to consider window joinery and door options as early in the planning process as possible, and how sensible it is for people to visit design centres before making decisions.

Windowmakers are more than happy to provide an added value service for builders and architects customers, with the end goal of achieving the best possible outcome for owners: an exceptional home.

There are a myriad of factor's which should be high on the list of considerations, and an expert on hand at Windowmakers' design centre can discuss things such as:

· special views which need to be captured

· optimum use of natural light, or being in touch with the external environment

· thermal efficiency

· possible use of oversized doors and windows

· the degree of indoor-outdoor flow desired

· sound control

· location factors such as salt spray, high winds, access difficulties

· the quality of specifications required (own home versus rental or investment· )

· automation

· security considerations

· and last, but not least, the budget and timeframe required.

A visit to a reputable company's designcentre will give home owners an excellent understanding of the specification options. With glass alone, they should be thinking about double glazing, tints, security and safety, and lamination. With aluminium joinery, included are factors such as thermal efficiency, colour, and finish.

A visit to a design centre is the best way for home owners to ensure the windows, doors and joinery in their new home matches their lifestyle dream.

Click here for details on our design centre's location and how to contact Windowmakers.

The poor insulation in many New Zealand homes is never more evident than on days when the sun refuses to show up following a cold winter night. We have had plenty of those lately, and for some people it becomes a test of endurance. It is a sad reality that a lot of Kiwi families live in a house where the temperature plunges well below the World Health Organisation’s recommended minimum of 18°C. Many migrants find it hard to believe the poor thermal efficiency in older joinery found in houses here.Any warmth retained in the house during the day escapes like a thief into the night, following the natural law that warmth tries to find its way to the cold. An estimated 50 per cent of the heat lost is through glass and joinery.In summer, when we would like to enjoy the comfort of cooler interiors, warmth tries to flow from the outside in. We can’t win.A brilliant way to achieve efficient insulation is to use the next generation in windows and doors – the Metro Series Thermal Heart – in conjunction with high performance glass double glazing. This is Windowmakers’ recommended solution, and is on display at its Silverdale showroom.

Clients are delighted when they find out Thermal Heart can be dual colour – they can have a light colour on the inside to match their home’s interior décor, and a colour on the outside to match the house exterior.The type of thermally efficient technology is common in Europe, North America and Asia, but is still under-used here which is unfortunate. Consumers should consider this option when building houses and specifiers – designers and architects – are encouraged to use Windowmakers’ experience and knowledge to help them understand this exciting new joinery technology.The NZ Building Code H1 Energy Efficiency requires new homes in most parts of New Zealand to demonstrate thermal efficiency of the building envelope.When combined with double-glazing, Metro Series Thermal Heart windows and doors meet contemporary aspirations for energy conservation and comfortable interior temperatures. In terms of thermal efficiency, this new product range rates 20 per cent better than standard double-glazed windows and doors.

Essentially, Thermal Heart products include a glass fibre-reinforced nylon insulator – the thermal break – between the inner and outer layers of aluminium window frames.Clients who have installed Thermal Heart joinery report a reduction in condensation and therefore increased warmth and comfort in winter, and enjoy not having a lounge like a hothouse in summer.The end result is thermal efficiency and lower heating or cooling bills, and reduced noise pollution. But most importantly, it means a comfortable living environment for Kiwi families.

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