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,

Condensation and Humidity

Thursday, March 20, 2025

As nights are getting colder again in the southern States of Australia, condensation can form inside the home. Air has moisture in it which is called air humidity. The dew point depends on how much humidity there is in the air and at which temperature condensation happens. If the temperature in your room is 20 degrees, the air finds a surface below 20 degrees, and water vapour in the air will condense to form droplets. This is most easily seen on hard surfaces like glass or aluminium. It is the amount of water vapour in the air that determines the

Why Windows May Fail

Tuesday, February 18, 2025

Mistakes in window installation can lead to drafts and/or water egress, or windows that do not work well. Correct flashing, fixing and gap sealing are extremely important. But it starts even before a window gets on site, with the correct installation of the glass into the sash, so the double/triple glazed glass units (IGU’s) do not fail.Mistake 1) Using the wrong support blocks while glazing:Wrongly positioned support blocks or blocks that are not load bearing may cause the window frame or sash to sag and deform. This could affect the seal, leading to condensation within the IGU. Support blocks must

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

Window = Frame+Glass+Hardware

Wednesday, July 31, 2024

Windows are an important part of any building and have to comply with several Australian Standards (AS). This is the reason why windows are made as a whole system where frame, glass, and hardware, are designed as a unit to achieve the required results. If any part of such a system gets changed, it will not comply with the AS’s anymore and become a ‘deemed to satisfy’ or ‘engineered solution’. When hardware details, profile details, or any components are changed, or the overall size is made larger compared to tested sizes, the window system may no longer be compliant and

American Oak Windows

Wednesday, June 19, 2024

Paarhammer is now in full production of American Oak windows and doors. Since Victorian Ash is no longer available due to the Victorian Government ending native timber harvesting, American Oak was chosen as its replacement for high-performing window products due to its colour, grain, strength and sustainability. American Oak – Quercus Rubra – is a blond, medium density hardwood of about 730kg/m3 with a straight open and even grain, and uniform texture. Windows and doors made of hardwood are naturally hard-wearing, strong, energy efficient and visually stunning. American Oak has itself a BAL-rating of 19, but should higher BAL-ratings be

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

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

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