Pro Installer April 2014 - Issue 13 | Page 27

27 PRO INSTALLER APRIL 2014 PRO NEWS @proinstaller1 Open-Out Windows: A Roto Hardware Guide As a window manufacturer, you’re always being bombarded with information about products. Various manufacturers are always trying to get your attention and convince you theirs is the best. But how many of them really look at it from your point of view? We’re going to talk about OpenOut windows. Maybe you call them outward-opening, or casements. Chances are they’re a core product for you. Pretty much everything That’s good, because as it happens, Roto makes pretty much everything you could need hardware-wise. We decided to make this particular blog article a guide to Open-Out hardware - but from your point of view. Let’s start with your most basic casement window. This is one where price is an issue: you have to keep the cost as low as possible. Security is not a prime concern here, because this window will probably be fitted on a first level floor or higher, perhaps on a newbuild house or apartment. Or it could be a replacement for an older window. You don’t want cheap and nasty So what you’re looking for is a standard espag. A straightforward, one-piece unit with two cams, maybe three on larger sized windows. Dedicated strikers for the profile would obviously be needed as well. This is a low-priced espag. But you don’t want cheap and nasty: you want to fit this thing and forget it. It should last a minimum of 10 years. You don’t want to be called back to replace it because something’s snapped or the customer is complaining it has rusted. A German product Very tall casements At the same time, even though this is a lower-priced product, wouldn’t it be good to be able to tell the customer the hardware unit is a German product, made from the most modern materials and designed for durability and corrosion resistance? It sounds like you need to look at our range of one-piece espags. There are other issues you might have come up against. When top hung windows become very tall, locking across the bottom horizontal only is really not enough, especially if the windows are also exposed to strong winds. The ideal solution would be to have locking points not only on the bottom plane, but also on the sides as well. Entry level SSL 10 is the entry level espagnolette. Featuring a small-sized zinc die cast gearbox requiring the a minimal level of routing, this two-cam unit is suitable for rebate sizes from 240 to 1400mm. That should cover the majority of windows you need to make. However, if you often need to supply windows that are larger or smaller than those dimensions, you might want to look at TSH 10. This range of espags covers sizes from as small as 150mm (with a single cam version) and goes up to 1800mm. The TSH 10 gearbox is made from a glass-reinforced polyamide material of the same type used for many automotive components. It offers high levels of strength and durability and of course, is entirely corrosion proof. A convenient night vent mode Another advantage of TSH 10 is the option of being able to offer your clients the more convenient TurnPlus night vent mode. Instead of having to line up the cams with the slots in the strikers, the user just turns the handle around to the 135 degree position when unlocking the window. Then, when the sash is pushed open, the TurnPlus night vent striker does the rest. ‘the TSH 20 ... choose whether to add shootbolts or even corner drives with cams’ “I want shootbolts” But what if you are making windows that are going to be placed on the ground floor, or which are otherwise more accessible to potential intruders? Perhaps you even have clients who say, “I want shootbolts”. In that case, the first product you look at should be the TSH 20. It’s a modular system which enables you to gear sashes of any size from 320 to 1790mm, and choose whether to add shootbolts or even corner drives with cams. The latter is useful for many situations, including double sash windows. With TSH 20 you also get a glass-reinforced polyamide gearbox - and this one features a locking cam. Low handle heights Increasingly, there are situations and specifications where even TSH 20 isn’t quite enough. Many building specifications are now demanding windows with low handle heights for accessibility. That’s something many fabricators have found to be very difficult if not impossible to achieve using their standard range of hardware. Scan the QR code to visit the Roto Blog and find out more... No bodging required That kind of arrangement and many more are now possible without ‘bodging’ or adapting hardware. Because Roto TSH 30 has been designed to be the most adaptable casement locking system ever made. Suitable for PVC, timber and aluminium, TSH 30 enables you to create a highly secure window of any size. Like most great ideas, the thinking behind it is remarkably simple. It enables components from our Tilt&Turn programme to be used on casements. Roto Webshop Open Now Visit: www.roto