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AWARD WINNING FLATS REFURBISHMENT WITH PROFILE 22

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AWARD WINNING FLATS REFURBISHMENT WITH PROFILE 22

 

Triple glazed PVC-u windows played their part in a major refurbishment for Merseyside-based One Vision Housing, a not-for-profit social housing provider with around 13,000 homes across Sefton, Liverpool and Wirral.

The work was for 96 units in eight blocks that make up Hornby Flats in Litherland, where the replacement windows were used alongside external wall insulation to reduce carbon emissions as well as residents’ heating costs. A mark of the success of the project, it gained a ‘Sustainable Project of the Year’ award for its re-use of existing buildings in the annual ‘Builder and Engineer Awards’.

With a total cost of £2.4million, the project received £1million of funding from REECH, (Renewables and Energy Efficiency in Community Housing) a project managed by Sefton Council and financed by the European Regional Development Fund, aimed at improving energy efficiency in some of the Liverpool City Region’s most deprived communities.

The 520 white casement windows and 120 PVC-U doors were made using the Profile 22 FS70 system by Walsall-based fabricator Select Windows, a company with extensive experience in commercial refurbishment and social work as well as a member of the Profile 22 Approved Window Contractor scheme.

This scheme offers clients access to a UK-wide network of experienced window contractors, trained in matters such as construction law and site management and fully supported by Profile 22’s own technical and specification teams. It also offers specifiers benefits such as a completely free design and specification service, where many other system suppliers and schemes would charge for such a service. Select Windows also spent some time before the work began assisting architects with the design, to accommodate features such as render insulation.

With the Hornby Flats contract, One Vision Housing had not only specified Profile 22 by name but also insisted on triple glazing, because of the need for a high standard of energy efficiency. The resulting casement windows therefore contributed significantly to the priority on heat retention for the overall refurbishment project.

The main contractor on the project was Seddon Construction. Select Windows MD Gary Wylde credited all contractors and other bodies for a level of co-operation and communication that helped the project to run as smoothly as it did, and he added: “I believe the quality of the Main Contractor and how they work with their sub- contractors is one of the main reasons for the success of the project.”

As well as Seddon Construction and REECH, One Vision Housing worked in partnership with Cost Consultants WYG, Trowers and Hamlins, Architectural practice Halsall Lloyd Partnership (HLP) and was able to turn the project around within an accelerated timescale.

GRAND-SCALE PORCH REFIT IN ALEXANDER PARK

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GRAND-SCALE PORCH REFIT IN ALEXANDER PARK

Teamwork, good communications and the application of traditional skills all came to the fore when more than 200 dated and decaying timber porches need replacing in Alexander Park in Manchester’s Moss Side.

 

PVC-U had been the natural choice for the replacement, offering greater thermal efficiency as well as significantly lower maintenance. Profile 22 was chosen as frame system, not only for its product specification but also the well-known benefits of working with its Approved Window Contractor scheme.

However, the entire project would have been a non-starter but for a little inspiration and traditional expertise, as Gary Wilde, MD of the chosen scheme member, Select Windows, explained: “At first it was thought it couldn’t be done with PVC-U because of possible problems lining up with existing roofs and gutters. But Tony Wood, one of our co-founders, with over 35 years’ industry experience, cut and re-welded the guttering to a purpose-made angle. Without his expertise, the project might never have got off the ground in the first place.”

The original porches had been part of a major redevelopment of the estate in 1994 but ongoing repair and repainting costs, as well as rotting frames and insecure doors made replacement inevitable. Initially, Profile 22 was asked to provide advice to Cselty South Manchester Housing Trust, as the two have worked closely in the past. Profile 22 got on board with CAD drawings and a specification that was put out to tender through the Approved Window Contractors network. Select Windows was chosen, via main contractor Mears Group PLC.

During the contract, every element of the chain paid tribute to every other for good communications and co-operation that led to a smooth, efficient team effort with a completely complaint-free outcome. City South Building Surveyor Nick Moulding said: “It has all run remarkably smoothly. The product and fitting teams have been excellent. My thanks to the operatives as they have fitted 202 porches and we have received no complaints at all from the residents.

“Select attended every property on time and returned immediately to any where there was a query or problem. Many residents have mentioned how good the porches look and they are pleased with the added security from the windows and doors.”

Walsall-based Select Windows, as a Profile 22 Approved Commercial Manufacturer, was able to access details of the original tender from the Profile 22’s tender portal, as it had done many times to gain work on previous occasions. In just under six months, Select installed 202 porches using Profile 22 doors and frames with 28mm double glazing.

Select has been in business 35 years and recently reached a milestone of producing 1,000 units a week. Around 55% of its work is commercial and 15% retail, with the remainder as trade supply to other installers.