The fabulous Residence Collection of timber alternative windows and doors are available in Timberweld form from Stedek, but why should Timberweld be the fabrication method of choice for installers? And, why do we think it makes the very best version of the Residence Collection we call “Residence Excellence” out in the market today?
History of Timberweld
From the ground up the Residence Collection was designed to be a timber alternative window. R9 the first horse the Residence Collection stable was specifically designed to replicate 19th century timber windows with its 4” or 100mm frame and 3” or 75mm sash.
Despite being made of UPVC its biggest hurdle wasn’t the shape of the extrusion, it was how to make the joints faithfully look like a conventional mortice and tenon jointed wooden window.
MORTICE AND TENNON JOINT
The concept … MECHANICALLY JOINTED UPVC WINDOWS
The answer was to develop a complex method of machining that cuts the end of each profile to create mortices, then inserting an injection mould tenon into both parts, gluing and screwing it in place and then bonding the glass to the joint so that the glass provided long term structural support to the corner.
Whilst the result did create the perfect aesthetic it was most certainly a time consuming, labour intensive, messy and ultimately difficult process to scale. Manufacturing challenges aside, glass bonding created two major post fabrication issues.
- Any broken or failed bonded glass unit resulted in the costly replacement of the entire sash rather than just the damaged pane of glass.
- Larger windows and most doors were too heavy to install with the sashes in place, so installers were forced to spend hours on site stripping sashes from frames to be able to lift frames into people’s homes then refitting everything on site.
- You couldn’t ever toe and heel a bonded sash on site to get nice equal sightlines.
In short, fitting the residence collection was hard work at best, often very troublesome.
The solution …. Timberweld.
The question was… ‘How to combine the finished appearance of the mechanically jointed glued and bonded corners with modern trusted quality and efficiency of fusion welding more commonly associated with UPVC window and door manufacturing?’ The answer is Timberweld.
Timberweld re-thinks the welding completely. Unlike a conventional weld that welds all the way through the profile leaving a visible mitre joint, Timberweld cleverly fuses all the unseen faces and chambers of the sashes leaving the straight cut machined edges of the timber effect joint on display both inside and out.
Why does this matter and what’s in it for the installer?
First up is the scalability of the process. Despite still needing 16 milling operations per sash, the welded element of the joint completely removes the need for glue and glass bonding. This means capacity grows, costs are stabilised, and Residence windows become more competitively priced and can be delivered on shorter lead times than ever before.
It means that windows can be made with the glass supplied loose or even unglazed allowing the installer to use their own glass supplier meaning further savings for sure.
Fitting becomes easier, lighter, and quicker. No more stripping sashes from frames, means windows and doors can be fitted as one fresh from the factory direct into the home. Time saved on site means on to the next job sooner.
Glazing on site means installers can toe and heel to get perfect sightlines (critical to the overall appearance of any flush system).
Broken panes can be replaced like any other UPVC system – no more expensive replacement sashes.
Summary…
Timberweld offers the most competitive, quality driven version of the Residence collection that maintains the original concepts of being a true mechanically jointed timber replica window. It’s the easiest to fit, easiest to maintain, and available on the shortest lead time. It is “Residence Excellence” the very best version of the Residence Collection available today.
For any queries regarding any of our products ranges at Stedek, then fill out our form here. One of our expert team will be in contact with you as soon as possible and help form a quote for you.
