Cyclone Proof Windows

Monday, April 08, 2019

Recently Paarhammer had their Wood-Alu composite window tested, and achieved the highest rating for windows with N6, C4 (general) and N5, C3 (corner) with the Ultimate Limit State Pressure Testing result at +5900 Pa and -5900 Pa. This test as per Australian Standard AS2047-2014 covers Structural Deflection, Air Infiltration, Water Penetration Resistance and Ultimate Strength, and was performed by a NATA-accredited testing facility in Melbourne. Under the National Construction Code (NCC), the Building Code of Australia (BCA) is a set of technical provisions for the design and construction of buildings throughout Australia. It allows for variations in climate, and geological

New barrier-free door threshold

Sunday, February 03, 2019

External hinged doors with a level threshold that stop drafts would be the ideal in many situations. No door draft stoppers - or fabric door snakes - just a perfect level seal to keep out drafts, noise and water. This is now possible with the new patented barrier-free magnetic threshold by Alumat-Frey GmbH, Germany. How does the barrier free door threshold work? When the door is closed, 2 double seals with silicone contact in the threshold are automatically attracted to the 2 magnetic strips at the bottom of the door. The seals come up from the level threshold, meet the

Bushfire Compliance

Wednesday, January 16, 2019

Flame Zone (BAL-FZ) product testing requires successful completion of the AS1530.8.2-2007 test. This test has a 30 minute furnace cycle and a 60 minute cooling down cycle in which the product still has to keep its integrity. Part of the test is also a radiant heat requirement of a maximum of 15kW/m2 on the inside. Paarhammer BAL-FZ products showed a heat flux on the non-fire side of between 1kW/m2 and 2kW/m2 in the test, depending on the product. This is just 1/10th of the allowed radiant heat. To put this into perspective, naked skin can tolerate 5kW/m2 for approximately 10 seconds

Bi-fold Doors to open up your house

Wednesday, January 09, 2019

Bi-fold doors in a variety of configurations and up to 10 metre wide can open up your home for perfect summer entertaining. No bending down or stretching up to open or close shoot-bolts, all you do is turn a handle on every second door for easy operation. Watch this video to see how. For more information please see: Architectural Timber Range - Bi-fold Doors link

Sliding Doors for Entertaining

Monday, December 10, 2018

Paarhammer sliding doors are available in a variety of configurations, ranges and sizes including corner sliders, stacker sliders and giant sliders. View this video to get ideas for your own build and imagine how your indoor outdoor summer entertaining could be.  For more information on the variety of sliding doors (and other doors) please see: Architectural Timber Range Komfort+ Timber Range Wood-Alu Range

Coastal Solutions

Monday, November 19, 2018

If you are lucky enough to build near the coast, there are a few things to consider, e.g. do all your building materials stand up to strong winds bringing salt and sand to your front door? Higher levels of alkaline, moisture, salt and corrosive deposits can significantly affect the performance and lifespan of windows and doors. The combination of salt, humidity and wind eat away at all unprepared materials. Hardware for coastal locations For coastal locations, Paarhammer use the Titan AF range of hardware from the German company Siegenia (sold in Australia by Siegware), with the E-look finish. With a

Compliance - the next Step

Wednesday, November 07, 2018

In response to non-compliant building products, the Queensland Government has taken the lead in creating new laws to cover the sale and use of building products, and creating a chain of responsibility. Bunnings Queensland reflects these changes in the updated information on the building products stocked. Compliance information and fitness for intended purpose for a building product must now be provided by each person in the supply chain, to the next person in the supply chain. This includes manufacturers, importers and suppliers who all have a responsibility to ensure that the building product in question is compliant and fit for

Window Trends

Wednesday, October 10, 2018

The recent Fenestration conference of the Australian Windows Association has again featured excellent guest speakers on a variety of topics, including future trends for windows and doors which include larger sizes, better insulation and automation. Size One main change, according to what customers want, are ever larger and larger products. No longer are standard window and door sizes on the ‘want’ list of customers but whole walls of glass. To add to this, the need to lower energy use as energy prices rise brings us to the next trend, which is - better insulated products. Insulation Single glazed aluminium windows

Energy Costs versus House Prices

Tuesday, September 18, 2018

You want to be comfortable in your home, right? To have a fairly even temperature is one of the things which make a house a healthy, comfortable place to live in. If your house is insulated the costs for heating and cooling are low, meanwhile, if your house is not insulated your costs for heating and cooling are high. Home-ownership is still the goal of many Australians. Many get into the housing market by buying a relatively ‘cheaply’ built house. But those are the ones who will be out of pocket for high energy costs the rest of their lives

Window Care and Maintenance

Thursday, August 02, 2018

If in doubt, use water and a soft sponge The timber floor in the living room, the glass in the shower, the family car, all these areas of our lives receive some care and maintenance on a regular basis. On the other hand, windows and doors are often neglected. The only focus may be on the cleaning of the glass, and this can be done without proper consideration to the health of the glass. With a little bit of effort, windows and doors remain functioning, and looking as good as new even after years of service. At least twice a

RACV Tiny Home Open this weekend

Wednesday, July 25, 2018

The RACV Tiny Home is on display this weekend from 10am to 4pm behind Her Majesty’s Theatre as part of Open House Melbourne. Designed by architect Peter Maddison from Grand Designs Australia, it features a Paarhammer bi-fold door as part of sustainable living. Using smart design principles and carefully chosen materials, this concept showcases what contributes to creating a home that is not only comfortable to live in but more affordable to run. The floor space of the Tiny Home is just 18.75 square meter with a head space of 3.6 meter, the weight is 7.5 tonnes and it features

Energy Performance of Buildings

Thursday, July 05, 2018

New rules by the European Commission will make existing buildings in Europe smarter and more energy efficient, saving money and creating jobs in the renovation and construction sector. How about in Australia? Like the EU countries, Australia has signed the Paris Agreement, promising to decrease emissions and energy use. Buildings are the culprit everywhere and windows are a big part of that. As the population increases, Australia needs an additional 185,000 new dwellings every year. We also have a large stock of existing dwellings that have been built without energy efficiency in mind. The recently ratified rules of the European