Getting windows right first time

Malcolm Taylor, Product Manager at REHAU, explores how evolving window installation construction methods for window installations can minimise the risk of snagging and unexpected project delays.

Developers can face many obstructions when completing projects, and windows are no exception. Time delays, increased costs and long-term issues from inefficient work go hand-in-hand, and can prove problematic to those looking to provide high-quality builds to deadline. In particular, ill-fitted windows can cause multiple problems, from leaking, low insulation, poor sound attenuation and even colour finish matches.

For installers, snagging issues like breakage or window sill damage, which can easily occur during installation, are an all-too-common problem. This is usually down to a job being rushed to meet project deadlines. Investment into off-site construction methods has grown strongly in recent years, with the aim of resolving these issues and speeding up project builds.

Moving the building process away from the physical site can decrease project completion time and reduce disruption to the customer, while enabling more accurate planning and timeframes. However, though off-site construction may be a viable solution, it comes with its own risks. For example, obtrusive parts may be damaged in transit, so products should be selected during planning stages to best avoid damage risks.

In response to these challenges, the window industry is continuing to design and develop products that evolve traditional methods of construction and incorporate modern techniques. Through supplying easy-to-fit products – such as those that allow the installation of base parts at the build’s beginning and simply finished at the end when danger from on-site activity is minimised (for example, two-part sills) – we can offer full flexibility to fabricators, installers and builders alike. This, in turn, will ease the pressure for that “right first-time” installation.