Renegade Conservatory Guy

ProSun Conservatories

This is a really great video from an Irish conservatory supplier - ProSun.

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Are uPVC windows really good for the environment?

I read with interest Sam Kennedy’s recent article in the Glazine ‘Making the case for PVCu’. He points out an article in the Telegraph magazine - Is it worth it? Double Glazing. I haven’t seen the article, so if anyone knows of an online version please point me in the right direction.

I must admit I struggle to understand whether PVCu (or UPVC) windows and doors are good or bad for the environment. Certainly installing Energy Rated uPVC Windows are shown to have a very positive effect upon insulating our homes.

And clearly if the Energy Rated uPVC windows we install last for 35 years without being replaced, then it should be argued that they be considered to be a wise environmental choice.

Dr Patrick Moore, a founding member of Greenpeace certainly argues the case for uPVC (or vinyl as they call it in the US):

A key part of Patrick Moore’s argument is that Vinyl lasts so much longer than other products, and as for windows I suspect that the maintenance-free USP we have argued for years applies here. Equally, well maintained timber windows, where the timber has been sourced from managed plantations are surely equally sustainable.

The part of the argument I have a problem with is the assertion that vinyl (or uPVC) is easily recycleable. I’m sorry, but I’m not aware of a major part of our industry recycling the first generation of uPVC windows once they have been ripped out. How can installers be recycling these old frames? They’re covered in hardware parts such as hinges, locks and handles, and should have reinforcing steel or aluminium sections inside the profile chambers. They’re also bulky and difficult to unassemble and separate.

It is clear that for the good of the industry we need to be looking at replacing the replacements, but surely we need to be stripping these old frames down and recycling the plastic, glass, steel and other parts attached. Then we can start arguing that uPVC windows are a good choice for helping save the environment.

Your thoughts appreciated!

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West Yorkshire Windows win Conservatory Installation of the Year 2007

Leading home improvement consumer advice web site www.ConservatoriesOnline.com has announced its annual awards for the Best Conservatories to be featured during 2007. These awards are prized by the builders as they are seen as representing the State of the Art in conservatory design and build and show the way forward for the industry and indeed, for homeowners looking for inspired choices.

And, I’m happy to say a company very close to my heart was the overall winner!

The top honour as Overall Winner for 2007 decided the judges had to go to West Yorkshire Windows for an effort that required great technical and design skills to bring to fruition. During the year the company installed an ambitious T-Shape Conservatory design for clients in Morley near Leeds. The brief was to create a large living space for living and dining, and create a design that would complement the character of the existing property. This T Shape design incorporates a large Gable to the front with 4 pane patio doors giving ample access to the garden area. The Synseal Roof incorporates Solaris glass panels which contain a solar reflective coating to maintain a cool temperature on warm summer days. Solaris glass was also fitted to the wall frames, with Georgian Fret to the top lights.

The roof hips back to a box gutter, leaving a ridge which is parallel to the main house. Electric Roof Vents have been incorporated to create ventilation in the roof area, and underfloor heating was used to maintain a good temperature during the cold winter months.

This conservatory stands out from the crowd by having a Plasma TV screen suspended from the ridge and a chandelier! Needless to say, the customers were delighted with the finished conservatory.

West Yorkshire Windows normally install Victorian, Edwardian and simpler conservatory designs, but this conservatory highlights that they are also capable of grander bespoke efforts.

Peter Jervis of ConservatoriesOnline.com says that these installations raise the game considerably for conservatory design and build: “Conservatories remain an incredibly popular choice amongst home improvers for a number of reasons. These examples have all been installed to actually enhance the appearance and of course the use of the host building and in each case represent the very best application of conservatory skills and crafts, combined with modern building performance standards. They show others what can be achieved.”

www.westyorkshirewindows.com

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Timberwindows.com - for sash windows, wooden doors, bi-folding doors etc.

Chris Brunsdon recently visited my blog and rightly pointed out the growth potential of timber windows and doors. I’ve been a uPVC man since leaving school, and my dad was in the game in the 1980s, so wood has never really entered my radar.

Anyway, I decided to check out the Timber Windows website, and I must admit I’m really rather impressed:

The Home Page:

This is really neatly laid out. There’s clear links to the main sections of the website - window planner, door designer, gallery, contact us etc. And there’s quality images of hardwood windows and doors rotating across the front of the screen. This website clearly generates plenty of good quality enquiries, especially as there are easily-identifiable get a quote or order a brochure links.

Within the brief keyword-rich text there’s further links to important sections of the website.

Window Planner

I really like the window planner section. You can trial different window colour options with different hardware options. Even though I’m not in the market for windows, I couldn’t help trying to work out which colour would suit my older property. The pages loaded very fast too.

There’s then a similar option to play around with door designs, and then choose options such as letterplates, knockers and so on.

Gallery

In the gallery, you can view quality shots of all the different products Timber Windows provide such as:

bi-fold doors
flush casement windows
sash windows
stormproof windows
French Doors
and so on…

Sustainability

I particularly liked the honesty of the text in the section about the sustainability of tropical hardwood supply, and the recommendation for customers to choose European Redwood from managed plantations in Northern Europe - a nice touch!

I checked out to see how the website is performing on Google, and they are performing well for searches such as ’sash windows’ and ‘hardwood windows’. There’s clearly been a bit of effort put into SEO which is paying dividends.

There were a couple of things I felt could be improved upon. I would have liked to see images of the factory and the manufacturing process. In fact I am unsure whether Timber Windows buy in from other manufacturers.

Secondly, I feel it would be nice to see who the installers are on the quotation page. The map shows a roll over option for an overview of the network, but it doesn’t seem to work.

But, overall, the website works very well, ranks well on Google, and I’m sure builds the desire of consumers to purchase from the company. I feel many uPVC companies could learn a bit from the marketing skills of TimberWindows.com.

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Lock bumping UK

There’s a lot of talk in the industry magazines these days about lock bumping - an unpleasant trend we have inherited from the USA.

The following video highlights the problem. The presenter is a bit naff, but the demonstrations of the break-in attempts on the standard door cylinders are a bit of a worry:

I think we better get our locks changed at home!

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El Cumbanchero

Absolutely nothing to do with double glazing or conservatories, but if you’ve got 2 spare minutes, it’s worth a watch!

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Is the double glazing industry in the proverbial?

January 2008 has clearly been the worst for many years. A rep from one of the main hardware suppliers told me yesterday that their sales for January are as bad as January 1983.

Having spoken with major suppliers such as Avocet and Synseal there is clearly a much lower volume of products being manufactured than this time last year. My feeling is that the industry is 30% down!

With the news so many companies have gone bust recently, house prices falling and talk of recession in the general global economy, then it’s not looking good. And today, I’ve heard many rumours about one of the big super-fabricators going into administration - Shepley Window Systems! Now, I don’t know this for sure at this stage, but the signs aren’t good.

Despite all the doom and gloom, I’ve spoken with a number of installation companies over the last few days and it seems the volume of customers walking into showrooms and picking the phone up is looking surprisingly good.

So, is it time to pack in and get a proper job in a different industry?

Of course not! It’s still a great business to be in and for those that can ride the storm there’ll be plenty work left for those left standing.

Besides, what else would we do?

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You will find shopping for a conservatory a very pleasant experience with the Lancashire and Cheshire Conservatory Outlets. Our showroom displays give you every opportunity to generate ideas and discuss your design with the most experienced and professional staff in the industry. Simply bring in your dimensions and thoughts and we can prepare a free design for you!

As a specialist conservatories company, we can offer you all the experience gained from the thousands of successful installations we have completed.

We will ensure your conservatory delivers exactly what you are looking for and gives years of pleasure. And because the Conservatory Outlet control the whole supply chain, when we say work will start at your home, you can be assured it will!

Everyone at the Conservatory Outlet is committed to giving you the best service possible, from our design consultants, surveyors, manufacturing plant, building and installation teams, electricians and tilers, all the way through to our after sales support service. We know it’s this trouble free experience, something we call our ‘seamless service’, that gives the Conservatory Outlet such a large number of satisfied customers who in turn recommend us to their friends.

Our fully built lifestyle themed conservatories give you the opportunity to decide, without any pressure, what size, shape and colour will best suit your needs and budget.
Stand inside, and get a genuine feel for how a conservatory can become an extra room that is both uniquely relaxing and yet totally practical. Explore the many options we have for doors, like the popular double opening French style and view the wide variety of coloured and bevelled leaded lights available.

Please visit the Conservatory Outlet website at www.theconservatoryoutlet.co.uk.

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Cycle India outtake

I mentioned in my previous post about Cycle India and my involvement in it. Well, we took over 30 hours of footage in India which we are currently editing so we can produce a mini-documentary of the event.

In the meantime, the following outtake gives a flavour of the beautiful scenery … oh, and a man having a wee…

There’s some more serious stuff coming soon!

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Cycle India 2008 - Heal charity bike ride

While the double glazing industry has been in turmoil in the first two weeks of 2008, I have been cycling through Andhra Pradesh in India with my wife and 30+ other brave volunteers.

As you may be aware this event - Cycle India - has been close to my heart as the original creator and organiser in the UK. As Head of Fundraising for Heal UK, I managed to convince a group of people to join me.

And if you’re interested this is my account:

January 2nd

A team of 4 members from Conservatory Outlet (myself, Alison, John Goldie and Andrew Bean) set out early and met the bulk of the UK cyclists in Peterborough, where we caught a coach to London Gatwick. There we met the remaining cyclists at the Emirates check in area - a team of 20 cyclists and 8 people just there for the experience. As many of those participating had never met each other previously, it was an early chance to start getting to know each other. We were destined for Hyderabad in India, after a stop over in Dubai.

January 3rd

After a tiring flight we arrived at Hyderabad airport at 8.40am and were met by a welcoming committee and swiftly taken by coach to a local hotel - a chance to freshen up and have our first Indian breakfast of Idlees, curry, rice etc. This was to be the first day of a hectic schedule, and we were soon back on the coach for our next stop - Bhadrachalam - which was a mere 7 hour journey.

Upon arrival at Bhadrachalam, we were greeted at the hotel by a surprise welcoming committee. As the coach pulled up we heard the sound of drums and local tribesmen greeted us with traditional dancing and music. We were adorned with garlands, danced with many of the local people, then attended a press conference and had tea with local dignatories. Despite being totally exhausted we all enjoyed the welcome and would like to thank the people of Bhadrachalam for their hospitality!

January 4th

The next morning we had a very early start by coach, as we were due to have a rest day on a boat on the Godavari River. On the coach journey, though, we had an unexpected stop (the first of many during our trip) as the hosts of the previous evening’s welcoming committee had invited us to tour their school. Heal is a UK registered charity which raises money for helping orphaned and underpriviliged children in this area get an education, so this was a good opportunity to have a look around a great school.

We then got back on the bus after saying goodbye to the 900+ children at the school, and continued our journey to reach the start of the boat trip. We were a bit behind schedule, but then managed to find time for an unscheduled stop at a remote rural village. We were invited into the village by the local people (who had never seen Europeans before!) and looked around their small homes. It was an experience neither the people of the village or the rather spoilt visitors from the UK will ever forget.

Around lunchtime, we arrived at the starting point for the boat trip. We were soon on our way, and enjoyed a leisurely 6 hour journey down the beautiful Godavari river. The best way to describe the Godavari river is like travelling down a very long Lake Windermere, but much warmer, and certainly far less untouched. This was a great day.

We then arrived at Rajahmundry, and after a short bus journey we arrived at our hotel - the Anand Regency. We were met there by Siva, one of the main organisers and the guy who plotted our cycle route. We were then introduced to our brand new Hero cycles for a bike fitting. We were all a bit weary of these old fashioned style bikes, with no gears and a very heavy sub frame, but we were to be proved wrong once we got cycling.

We were all eager to start our charity bike ride.

January 5th

In the early morning we were taken by bus to our starting point on the outskirts of Rajahmundry. We were met by 2 cyclists from the US, and a number of local Indian cyclists (including our guides Bujji and Siva). After a few warm up exercises, the 30 strong team set off on our first day - a mere 70 kilometres!

The first half of our cycling was along a reasonably busy highway. For those who have experienced Indian roads, you will be aware that they are renowned for being a bit dangerous, but, we were all safe - not least because the locals tended to slow down and watch this unusual site - a group of people from around the world cycling through Andhra Pradesh - hardly a normal site!

After the first stop off, where we had breakfast, coconut milk and cold Red Bulls, we were then back on the road, cycling through far quieter rural areas. It was clear that everywhere we were to cycle, we would be greeted by happy smiling people, delighted to see us cycling through their villages and towns.

After 70 miles, and no casualties, we arrived at our first overnight stop - at the grounds of a church at Peerupalem. We were right next to the beach, and our hosts arranged a disco and campfire on the beach, where we had the chance to relax, recover and have a welcome beer.

The accommodation in the grounds of the church was very basic, and we all slept in dormitories, but we all felt that this was part of the adventure!

January 6th

After a good early breakfast, we set off cycling at around 8.30am. Despite today’s distance being only 60 km, many of the cyclists were to find this day more hard work than the previous day, mainly due to saddle soreness and tired muscles. A number of the non-cyclists (including my wife, Alison) had become jealous of the fun we were having on the bikes, so 4 extra bikes were drafted in, and the number of cyclists became 34.

The highlight of the day’s cycling was passing through all the small villages and the beautiful scenery of rice fields and coconut trees. We stopped and had lunch in a small town where we had the chance to walk around a fish farm. One of our Indian organisers found a snake, which although non-venomous certainly scared all the cyclists!

Our destination on the second day of cycling was Manginupudi beach. The group had to be split on this evening with half the group staying at a hotel in Machilipatnam. To be honest, the accomodation in Machilipatnam was a bit ropey, and a few of the cyclists were a bit frustrated with the cleanliness etc. However, after an evening’s entertainment, and a few beers, everybody laughed off there concerns.

January 7th

After a short bus journey, we set off on this morning from Machilipatnam for another 70km bike ride. The scenery was very similar to Day 2, with lovely views over rice fields, coconut trees and small villages.

The highlight had to be the crossing of a beautiful river. All the bikes and cyclists were put on 6 or 7 small boats, and we had a marvellous 1 hour journey down the river, with diverse views of wildlife, villages and local fishermen.

This was another hard day, but we all made it to Suryalanka beach resort at Bapatla. It was great for all the cyclists to cool down in the warm waters of the Bay of Bengal. The accommodation here was far better than the previous night and after another evening’s entertainment, we all had a good night’s sleep ready for our final day’s cycling.

January 8th

The countryside on our fourth day of cycling (approx 60km) was not as picturesque as the previous 3 days, but there was still a lot of locals out waving us along our route. Word was starting to spread of Cycle India in this part of Andhra Pradesh, and on three occasions we had impromptu stops at schools on our route. The welcome from the children at each school was unbelievable - it was just a shame that we couldn’t stay for longer.

We had a schedule to adhere to and finally arrived at our final destination - the Heal Children’s Village at around 2pm. We were escorted for the final 2km by motorbikes carrying UK and Indian flags, and the children from the Village and Bala Kuteer school lined the route. It was a truly emotional finale for many of our cyclists. We had cycled 260km in total, but the tears were mainly of joy at such a memorable welcoming committee.

Dr Prasad (the founder of Heal), Carl Brodie (the Chairman of Heal) and I were honoured to unveil a sculpture of Gandhi - the Father of the Nation. It is difficult to explain in words what we all experienced, but the festivities that greeted all of us, by the children and staff of the Heal Children’s Village will live with us all for ever!

The children put on a show, and we all had a brief tour of the Village and school, before being taken to a hotel in Guntur for a welcome rest!

January 9th

With the cycling part of our adventure complete, we spent today shopping for presents in the morning, and all the ladies purchased saris from the town of Guntur.

One of the features of Cycle India was that the schedule tended to drift every day, and after shopping we arrived a little late at the Children’s Village (around 4pm). There was another show lined up for us and the children, parents, press and local dignatories. The children excelled themselves once again with dancing, performing and Tae Kwondo show.

This was another fantastic day - the highlight of the whole event.

January 10th

This was our final day in India. We got up early again (around 4am) and set off to the airport at Vijayawada for our return flight to Hyderabad. On the way, we stopped at the Nagajuna Hospital, where we met the team who had made all the arrangements for Cycle India. Their local knowledge, hard work and enthusiasm ensured that cycle ride was problem-free and well managed. THANK YOU to the Nagajuna Hospital.

On our arrival at Hyderabad, we were taken by coach to visit the Vivikenanda Public School, a Heal project. It was great to see the hard work of the trustees and children of the school with limited resources.

Finally, we had a much earned rest in the afternoon, followed by a reception at the Secunderabad Club to celebrate the completion of our first charity bike ride in India. The following morning, sadly we returned to the UK.

For more information about Cycle India please visit the Heal website. It’s early days, but it is likely that we may be planning further Cycle India events for 2009 or 2010. Please watch this space.

So far Cycle India has raised close to £100,000 which is a lot of money for a small charity, and we are now looking to use the funds to develop a new project similar to the Childrens Village in Guntur.

Finally, Andrew Bean from Conservatory Outlet took 30+ hours of video footage while in India. He is now editing this and we’ll produce a mini-documentary which will visualise the events far better than I have explained here.

If you are interested in taking part in the next Cycle India, please get in contact with me, or find out more information at the Cycle India blog.

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