Clearview National November 2017 - Issue 192 | Page 80

ENERGYEFFICIENCY
Thermally
efficient
range now
includes
inline patio
» » SYNSEAL GROUP HAS EXPANDED
its thermally efficient aluminium range,
WarmCore, with a new inline patio door
which boasts the same thermal core used
in the folding sliding door and window
systems.
WarmCore is a composite product
combining the architectural aesthetics of
a hardwearing aluminium exterior with a
full width PVC-U core, giving the product
range U-values comparable with PVC-U
products – offering the best of both worlds
to customers looking for an affordable
aluminium suite.
Phil Parry, Head of R&D at Synseal
Group, explained:
“The initial product design specification
for WarmCore was to create beautiful,
hardwearing products that shared the
thermal efficiency benefits of PVC-U. There
wasn’t a product range like this on the
market, and while PVC-U suppliers have
come a long way in driving improvements in
thermal efficiency, it’s never really been on
the top of the agenda for aluminium systems
companies.
“It is more difficult with the raw
materials involved to achieve good U-values
while maintaining the architectural looks
aluminium is specified for. No-one has
really stood up and questioned aluminium
thermal standards in the same way we
have for PVC-U in the past decade or so,
which means aluminium customers have
just accepted that poorer performance
is an inevitable trade-off for aluminium
aesthetics.
“Before WarmCore, homeowners therefore
had to choose between the aesthetically
pleasing looks of aluminium doors vs.
products that could deliver U-values of less
than 1.4W/m²K. During our research for
80 » N OV 2017 » CL EARVI E W- UK . C O M
the WarmCore bi-fold door, most of leading
market contenders we benchmarked against
tested U-values between 1.76 and 1.94 W/
m²K when using standard double glazing,
meaning some systems available weren’t
even meeting Building Regulations Part L
requirements for replacement doors which
specify 1.8 W/m²K.
“Our aim was to offer the market a real
alternative that met all their requirements -
thermally efficient, stylish, modern, affordable,
quick dual colour, secure and easy to fabricate,
with the installed look and feel of aluminium
and the heart of a PVC-U system. In just three
years we have taken these core principles and
applied them to a full suite of WarmCore
products, including the original folding sliding
doors, a standard and slim vent window
range with flush sash option, a discreet fixed
roof light for our Celsius Solid Roof, and
now a next generation aluminium patio door
system.”
The new WarmCore Inline Patio Door has
been designed to match the energy efficient
standards set by WarmCore’s folding sliding
door. This means it can produce U-values as
low as 1.0 W/m²K with triple glazing and
1.4 W/m²K double glazed. Unlike many
aluminium doors, WarmCore’s suite has been
robustly designed to take the weight of 44mm
triple glazing units as standard, making it an
ideal product for projects which specify lower
U-values in exposed areas.
“If you can have the best of both worlds
with a product that has the thermal efficiency
of PVC-U and the clean, sleek lines of
aluminium, why would you look anywhere
else?” Phil asked.
“What makes our new patio system
stand out is its accessibility to your average
homeowner. We can produce sizes fully
manufactured from 1500mm x 1750mm
up to 4000mm x 2400mm in two, three
and four pane configurations. It’s also been
designed to be child-friendly with optional
protective safety brake mechanisms which help
to prevent trapped fingers, and a thermally
broken anti-separate bracket for added
security.
“It’s the perfect replacement product for
old-fashioned PVC-U and wooden patio and
French doors which are looking tired and out-
dated, at a price point equivalent to PVC-U
bi-folding doors. If you had the choice, which
one would you buy for your home?”