Additional benefits of bushfire windows

Thursday, February 09, 2023

Paarhammer manufactures bushfire safe windows and doors for all BAL (Bushfire Attack Level) ratings including BAL-FZ (Flame Zone). They are tested, certified, approved and compliant to all relevant Australian Standards and are designed to keep the fire out and you safe in the event of a bushfire. But the benefits go far beyond bushfire safety.High energy efficiencyA frame thickness of 78mm combined with special double-glazing achieve 7 to 8 WERS (Window Energy Rating Scheme) energy stars for heating and cooling, with a U-value from a very low 1.6. Such high energy efficiency can dramatically reduce energy bills while at the same time increase comfort

Lift-slide doors vs. Sliding doors

Tuesday, January 24, 2023

What are the main differences and how do they compare? With outdoor living areas being an extension of modern homes, sliding glass doors are all the rage. There are two options when choosing sliding doors: regular sliding doors or lift-slide sliding doors.Regular sliding doors have been used in Australia for decades and usually have basic rollers along the bottom which allows the door to roll on the threshold or are top hung. Some door types already feature seals or brushes but there is little clearance between the rail and the threshold, which results in a compromise between making the door somewhat

Windows - Advantage through Technology

Friday, December 02, 2022

Ever wondered how technologically advanced windows are manufactured? This video showcases what goes into the manufacturing of custom made high performance Paarhammer windows and doors. There are in fact 26 steps that custom-made windows or doors must go through before it can leave the Paarhammer factory. Starting with a piece of sustainably sourced timber which has to be planed on all sides, cut to length and laminated together for strength and stability. Rebates, and mortise and tenon joints are next before four pieces are put together into a square. Hinge recesses, points for mounting handles etc. are routered out, and

Summer can equal Bushfire Danger

Wednesday, November 30, 2022

Bushfires are a threat we have to live with in Australia and other countries around the world. Planning controls apply to many aspects of how land can be used and what has to be considered when building. A large component of building in bushfire prone areas are windows and doors and strict regulations apply.Different BAL-Levels6 levels of severity of Bushfire Attack Levels: BAL-low, BAL-12.5, BAL-19, followed by BAL-29, high BAL-40 and extremely high BAL-FZ (Flame Zone). If your planned building is in a Bushfire Prone Area, you will need a Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) assessment. Each BAL-level measures a buildings

Working with Indigenous Sawmill

Tuesday, November 15, 2022

The search for an Australian timber for their Bushfire Safe window and door Range brought Paarhammer to a remote corner of the Northern Territory. Here the Gumatj Corporation, an Indigenous Corporation of the Yolngu people of East Arnhem, mills Darwin Stringybark.Traditional owners are planning ahead for when mining royalties from the Rio Tinto bauxite mine end.Gumatj Corporation was established already in 2007 to offer training, create jobs, provide resources for remote living, and is taking steps towards the economic independence of the Yolngu people. A part of this overall vision and the wide range of businesses now owned and operated

Invest in climate action

Tuesday, October 25, 2022

Australians produce around 499 million tons of CO2 per year *. More and more people are asking themselves how they can reduce their carbon footprint. Heating and cooling consume the most energy in a house and cause the most CO2. Since older windows are a real energy waster, there is a huge savings potential there.Energy LossThe greatest weakness in old windows are poor glazing with insufficient insulation (especially single glazing) and leaky window joints as well poor installation. This is where most of the energy is lost.High-techWindows have developed rapidly in recent years and are now real high-tech components of

National Construction Code (NCC) changes

Wednesday, October 05, 2022

The NCC 2022 has recently been released. The new edition will become effective on the 1st of May 2023 with a transitional period which may vary in each State. About the NCC: The NCC is Australia’s primary set of technical design and construction provisions for buildings. As a performance-based code, it sets the minimum required level for the safety, health, amenity, accessibility and sustainability of certain buildings.’ Changes: NCC 2022 introduces a considerable amount of change both in terms of the number and complexity of the reforms, particularly with the introduction of the new Livable housing requirements and residential energy

Window Installation

Wednesday, September 28, 2022

As per the Australian Glass and Windows Association (AGWA), weatherproofing of openings, specifically flashings to windows and doors, have been added to the National Construction Code (NCC) in 2019. A membrane should also be used to cover gaps between the window and the building envelope. This could be wrapping or sisalation. In essence, wall insultation should not be compromised where a window or door meets the rest of the building envelope.Paarhammer windows and doors are made with or without reveals (lift-slide doors always have reveals), and reveals are costed separately. This way you can chose to specify your products delivered

NEW product: 30min BAL-FZ

Monday, September 12, 2022

Paarhammer recently had new BAL-FZ windows tested, well exceeding minimum requirements of the AS1530.4 test. These are 30-minute products (-/30/-) which are allowed to be used in Flame Zone without shutters as per the 2018 Australian Standard for Building in Bushfire Prone Areas with limitations. Two Options: AS1530.4 products (-/30/-) can only be used in BAL-FZ without shutters if there is ‘... a minimum setback distance of 10m from the edge of the classified vegetation’.  The Australian Standard (AS) states that ‘In circumstances where the 10m setback distance between the building and the edge of the classified vegetation cannot be achieved, those elements

Glazing - Latest Trends

Wednesday, August 31, 2022

Would you like thermal comfort, natural acoustics and safety and protection, or all in one? Glazing companies have now developed glazing to suit highest energy efficiency and comfort: Viridian Viridian has released a new type of glazing: Vista Tech and Vista Tech XP. Both are triple glazed Insulating Glass Units (IGU’s) with either 1 coat of Low-E or 2 coats of Low-E coating, and a warm edge spacer. Viridian mentions that there are minimum sizes of 600mm x 400mm to maximum sizes of 5000mm x 3100mm, subject to component, spacer and weight limitations, and the maximum unit area permitted under

Longevity is the real Sustainability

Tuesday, August 16, 2022

With the move towards a more sustainable lifestyle, architects and designers are also looking at more sustainable building materials. Considerations are given to the whole lifecycle of different material used in a building - including windows and doors – and the following issues are taken into account: from the responsible sourcing of raw material to the way the products are manufactured, the shipping distance, expected lifespan and if they can be re-used or recycled at the end of their life.The longer a product has a useful life, the longer it will take for the need to replace it which means

External Timber Finishes

Tuesday, July 12, 2022

Colourless coatings on external timber elements, whilst very fashionable, only provide limited and short-lived protection from UV radiation in the Australian sun. As human skin must be protected from UV radiation with sunscreen, timber too must be protected from UV attack by pigments in the protective coatings used.The basics of how UV degradation occursUV radiation permanently destroys all organic substances. This includes wood even it has been varnished with a colourless coating that has no UV protection. UV radiation destroys the lignin within the wood structure. Lignin constitutes about one third of the timber structure but also accounts for 80-95%