Forever Homes

Tuesday, February 06, 2024

What can be called a ‘Forever Home’? For many it is a family home where memories are made, where one stays for a long time, a home where children are brought up, and one later retires into. This home needs to be something that can handle any changes life throws at it. Important considerations are location, flexibility that the home can change with your requirements and lifestyle, that it provides a sense of belonging, and a feeling of being comfortable. Decisions for a Forever Home are made with longevity in mind, and less about potential resale value. Often owners want

Window Trend for 2024

Tuesday, January 16, 2024

Large expanses of glass are definitely the trend for 2024. To achieve this modern look and the connection to nature while still creating a comfortable indoor environment, the thermal performance is important with double or triple glazing and high-performance frames. Expanse of glazing Views, space, light, glass, natural, sun etc. are words that show people’s aspirations when building or renovating, and real estate sites mention the same. Large, glazed areas ensure an indoor-outdoor feel of openness and connection to the environment which boost our mood, health and wellbeing. It also let’s natural daylight in to make a room appear larger and enables

Award winning Projects featuring Paarhammer Windows

Friday, December 01, 2023

Over the years a number of architects, builders and suppliers received awards for projects that feature Paarhammer windows and doors. From new builds to renovations and additions, residential as well as commercial, see some examples here: Beach Retreat Winner of 2023 MBA Regional Building Awards, category Additions and Alterations, with the builder Davis Builders, also being awarded Young Builder of the Year and Residential Builder of the Year by Master Builders Association Regional Awards. This project is set on a steep slope at the edge of bushland with stunning views of the sea; the renovation and addition came with a fair share

Quiet Luxury - No Noise

Wednesday, October 18, 2023

In our fast-paced world where noise is a constant, quiet is a luxury. It is possible to create a quiet oasis to recharge one’s batteries by insulating your home. Air brings with it noise, so reducing air infiltration and sealing the house, and you are well on the way to a quieter space. And windows play a large role.What is sound? Noise level is measured in decibels (dB). The louder the noise, the higher the decibels. But noise does not increase in a straight line. Each 10dB increase is an increase of sound by ten times, e.g., a sound at 20dB

Handle Families

Wednesday, October 04, 2023

Handles create a focal point that catches the eye and at the same time have a crucial function to open, tilt or close windows and doors. If a building also features doors or lift-slide doors, often handles come as ‘families’ that match for all applications – tilt & turn windows, entrance doors, hinged doors, lift-slide doors -, allowing for design consistency within a build. Handles have come a long way. While up to about 10 years ago window handles were only available in one style and in the very limited colours of silver or white, modern handles can now make a

AGWA Conference 2023

Tuesday, September 19, 2023

The recent conference AusFenex 2023 of the Australian Glass and Windows Association (AGWA) covered topics crucial to our industry. It is of great benefit to any business in the Window Industry to engage with people across the industry supply chain, learn the latest the industry is facing, and network with industry colleagues. ‘A Clear Future’ was the overall theme of the conference and it featured many break-out sessions and interesting speakers from Australia and overseas. Topics included: Innovation in Construction, Energy and the Future of Buildings, A smart Vision for a Sustainable Future, The changing Economic Outlook, Adapting to Change, Standards and Consumer Law, Change in Regulation Space, Energy

Timber - Classic Window Frame Material

Thursday, August 24, 2023

Window frames made from timber have a long history, they are sustainable as timber re-grows, and offer a beautiful, natural indoor environment that is good for human health. Timber is also a good insulator, making it ideal for energy efficiency when combined with double or triple glazing. Thermal insulation Every individual wooden cell acts as a natural air storage. If a timber grows faster, the cell structure is larger and can store more air, achieving a higher insulating effect. In general, softwoods grow faster than hardwoods which gives it better insulation properties. It is durable when treated or finished correctly. The structure

Window Furnishings

Tuesday, August 08, 2023

Tilt and turn windows open two ways: inside at the top like a hopper window or inside to the side like a casement window. Because of these opening options it is important to choose window furnishings to suit and do not affect the opening and closing of the windows.Mounting outside recessCurtains and blinds are suitable window dressings and can be mounted inside or outside the recess. An outside recess mount is when the curtains or blinds are mounted on the face of the wall just above the window opening. Important is that there is enough space for the window to

End of Vic Ash timber

Thursday, July 27, 2023

The Victorian Government announced an end to native timber harvesting on 1 January 2024 which is 6 years earlier than the 2030 deadline as was originally announced. Where does this leave manufacturers like Paarhammer who use Victorian Ash timber for window frames?With only a few months transition time, Paarhammer has started to test different hardwoods including imported timbers. We are proud to manufacture in Australia and always prefer to use local supplies to be as sustainable as possible, but for timber this may no longer be feasible. In Australia there are three timber certifications recognised: FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council), Australian

More Awards for Mangerton

Thursday, July 06, 2023

This project has already received the Master Builders' Association as the best in the NSW Southern Region in the $1.5 million to $2 million home category for 2022. The home's builder, Icon Projects, was also named Residential Builder of the Year Southern Region. Now another award has been added to the list: winner in the residential over 80k category in the NSW 2023 Design Awards of the Australian Glass and Windows Association (AGWA). What is so special about this project? It started with the owners wishing to achieve a highly energy-efficient and secure home in a high bushfire prone area,

BAU Expo Munich

Thursday, June 22, 2023

Tony Paarhammer and Andrew Ferguson were part of the 190,000 visitors at the BAU Expo in Munich end of April, gaining insights into all the newest products on show. The 2260 exhibitors from 49 countries included the following topics which might also become significant for the Australian building industry: Façade insulation and secondary façade insulation, Prefabrication and materials to streamline the building processes, Lifting equipment like small tower cranes to make work easier on the building site, Solutions to reduce or eliminate thermal bridging in building envelopes, Low and zero level thresholds with drainage and thermal breaks, Screws, bolts, connectors for the timber construction industry, Low VOC

NCC - Energy Efficiency & Livability

Thursday, May 18, 2023

The new National Construction Code (NCC) which came into effect on the 1st of May 2023 (start date has to be adopted by each State and Territory) includes higher energy efficiency regulations and provisions for dwellings to better meet community needs including for the elderly or those with mobility limitations. Paarhammer products meet and exceed these new regulations. Today we look at new dwelling access regulations: Clear OpeningAccess to dwellings now require entrance doors (or 1 universal access point/door) with a clear opening of a minimum of 820mm, not including the frame or door leave. Step-free access is also a must