46
APRIL 2014 PRO INSTALLER
PRO PRODUCTS
www.proinstaller.co.uk
COMPOSITES?
THE ONLY WAY
IS KERTO...
VBH Adds
Yale Blade
Window
Lock to
Range
VBH has added Yale’s Blade security window lock to its
range of locking systems for outward opening windows.
The company describes
the product as ‘a totally
new concept in casement window locking.’
‘a totally new
concept in
casement
window locking’
Instead of traditional
mushroom cams and shootbolts, the product features a
rotating blade that projects
from the Eurogroove to lock
behind the striker plates on
the frame. Because the rotating blade covers much of
the length either side of the
gearbox there is a great deal
of flexibility in the positioning of the striker plates,
which speeds up production
time and cuts down on keep
positioning errors.
When in the open position
the rotating blade is fully
retracted into the Eurogroove housing. The lack of
mushroom cams reduces the
instances of multi-system
fabricators needing to stock
different versions for each
profile; only the backset is
variable.
VBH claim that Blade is
quick to fit with central
fixings and a single screw
fixing at either end as standard. This reduces screw
consumption, although
double screw end fixing is
available to special order if
preferred.
Blade is suitable for sashes
from 250 – 1599mm and is
also available with an offset
handle position to order.
VBH Marketing Manager
Gary Gleeson states ‘VBH
already stocks the widest selection of Yale products for
our market in the UK and
we’re pleased to add Blade
to our offering. Not only
is Blade strong, but it is
built to last, too. Endurance
testing to 30000 cycles and
a corrosion resistance rating
of 240 hours (BS EN 1670
Grade 4) are proof that it
will stand the test of time.
In fact, Yale are so confident
in Blade that it is sold with
a 12 year Yale guarantee.’
‘double screw
end fixing is
available to
special order
if preferred’
Call VBH on 01634
263300 or visit the Downloads page of www.vbhgb.
com for further details.
Kerto is an engineered laminated veneer lumber
which is designed to stay straight for structural
applications. North Lincolnshire-based door
manufacturer Rocal recognised its use as the
core material used in their composite doors
back in 2003 and has never looked back.
Stephen Nadin, Managing Director
says, “At Rocal we feel there is no
other product on the market today
that has all the characteristics and
benefits as the Kerto Q, these benefits are passed on to our customers
who can be guaranteed they will
receive the strongest and the most
robust composite solid core door.
Using a mixed species blank is not advisable as it can be more susceptible to
moisture which can result in more movement and torsional twist. However, Kerto
uses the same material all the way through,
making it much more reliable and suitable
for use in fire doors.
The regularity of the core ensures stability, even after machining, profiling and
moulding. The engineered nature of the
Kerto product disperses the normal defects
inherent in solid wood alternatives, producing a dimensionally stable structure and,
more importantly, dimensionally predictable. Moreover, the veneers that are used to
make up Kerto are kiln dried in an incredibly complex series of driers that stabilise
the moisture content. The investment in this
process was in the millions of pounds, but
Rocal feels the results are evident and well
worth the money.
Unlike Kerto, the cheaper cores have a
thin internal sub frame that is designed to
be planned for only slight adjustment, like
any other off-the-shelf door you buy from
a DIY store. They are not designed to have
the face cut away to accept inverted mouldings or have the stile and rail sub frame
trimmed more than 5-10 mm.
Metsa Wood in Finland has been producing the Kerto material for over 60 years, and
has unrivalled expertise in the engineered
timber arena. The mixed species blanks
from other companies are made in the Far
East and shipped to the UK through an
agent. They are subject to long sea voyages
in containers – having been manufactured
in very hot and humid conditions, and are
then brought to the UK, where temperature
variations are significant.
Unfortunately, the Far Eastern manufacturers tend to crop up and then disappear
quickly with, in reality, no hope of redress
when things go wrong. In times of economic depression, it is also not unheard of for
some of them to water down their glues
– rendering the product with potentially
catastrophic claims.
In this situation, you are effectively left
dealing with an agent in the UK who
doesn’t have the technical backup or the
willingness to resolve the claim, compared
to that of a major corporation, whose reputation is, without doubt, far more important.
To ensure your doors are safe, sturdy and
secure, choose Rocal, and know that you are
getting a Kerto core of the highest quality.
For further information contact Rocal:
T: 01652 659259, [email protected]
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