Windows for Heritage Buildings

Tuesday, May 27, 2025

You have just bought a beautiful building, and it has a heritage overlay. How can you renovate such a building and bring it into the 21st century? You would like energy efficiency, thermal comfort, no drafts, sound protection, etc., all of this can easily be achieved also in a house with a heritage overlay. What is Heritage Overlay Heritage overlay is used to protect buildings or even whole precincts that have a heritage value. It is used to retain a consistent look of streetscapes and their overall attractiveness, and to conserve and enhance heritage places. As a rule of thumb,

Choose Windows Wisely

Thursday, October 31, 2024

With windows being a significant cost factor of a new home, it is worthwhile to start your decision-making process early. Already at the design stage, consider how the build will work, how the position of windows and doors will allow for airflow through the space, and how and where doors will provide access. Design for natural light and solar heat gain in winter, and shading requirements in summer, and plan carefully with current and future needs in mind.Building EnvelopePriority must be given to creating a well-insulated building envelope - walls, floor, roof and windows. All these are items that should

4 Awards - A BIG Thank You

Monday, September 16, 2024

Recently Paarhammer was awarded the NSW State Award for Residential Window/Glass Retrofit for Beach Retreat and the Victorian State Award for Commercial Window/Glass Project under $750,000 for Clifton Hill Passive House Primary School. Both projects were also successful and received the Australian National Awards in their category from AGWA, the Australian Glass and Windows Association. A big thank you to all our Paarhammer staff who as a team were making the windows and doors for these projects. A big thank you to our clients, architects, and builders who chose Paarhammer to work with them on their remarkable projects and to all

Window Development 1950’s to today

Monday, May 27, 2024

The building industry in Australia represented by HIA and Master Builders are addicted to low cost windows. From the 1950’s onwards, glazing became cheaper and allowed architects to frame views and bring light into the building. Also, builders realised that windows at that time per square meter were only about half the cost of a wall. So with using more glass, one could construct cheaper buildings. As a solution to keeping such glasshouses at a liveable temperature, larger air-conditioning systems were required. Central Europe: Houses and windows in Europe developed quite differently. In the alpine region already a couple of centuries ago they

Paarhammer at THRIVE PASSIVHAUS Conference

Monday, May 20, 2024

The THRIVE PASSIVHAUS conference is on in Melbourne on the 23rd and 24th of May 2024. Experts from around the world will present on the potential of good design principles and more. Our managing director, Tony will run a training session on the first day of the conference at 11am. Under the topic of Windows and Doors within the Passivhaus Building Envelope, Tony will explore: European door and window installation approaches Essential materials for airtight installation The 4 biggest mistakes when installing windows Important documents to request from your window supplier Comparison between window construction types Comparison between window opening types Door threshold options Criticality of certification of the

Compliance: Insights and Pathways

Thursday, April 18, 2024

The integrity and compliance of building components are paramount to ensuring health, safety and sustainability in the evolving landscape of the building industry. Among these components, windows play an essential role in the structural and environmental performance of buildings. Poorly manufactured or standard windows lose more heat in winter and gain more heat in summer than any other surface in a building. This whitepaper delves into the multifaceted dimensions of window compliance within Australian standards and regulations, highlighting the economic, legal and social implications of non-conforming and non-compliant building products. It underscores the importance of rigorous independent testing and certification processes

International Window and Door News from Fensterbau

Friday, April 05, 2024

In March 2024 the Fensterbau Expo in Nuremberg / Germany was held again after a 6-year Covid break. There were more than 600 Exhibitors and 75,000 visitors from around the world, and Paarhammer went there to learn about the latest developments in the window industry to be able to offer these to our clients. Automation – Convenience and ConnectivityThe biggest innovations were made in home automation and many expo stands offered products that could either be integrated into existing home automation or as stand-alone systems. Paarhammer’s German hardware supplier Siegenia had a display under the topic ‘It’s magic’ with wireless technology

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

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

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