Calculate your Heat Loss

Monday, June 06, 2022

Heating (and in warm climates, cooling) are a large part of energy use, and this can be reduced dramatically by installing energy efficient windows and doors which will decrease energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions. yourhome.gov.au writes that 'Up to 87% of a home’s heating energy can be gained and up to 40% lost through windows' and provides the following calculations: The amount of heat conducted through a glazed unit (in watts; W) is calculated as Uw × T × A: the U value (Uw) multiplied by the number of degrees difference in air temperature on each side (T) multiplied

Powering the Window Factory – and some

Thursday, May 12, 2022

Paarhammer’s solar panels saved 173,860kg of CO2 the last 12 months which is equivalent to planting 3,400 trees, and could power around 30 homes.The focus at Paarhammer is to manufacture sustainably. On sunny days the almost 100 kW photo-voltaic solar system provides enough electricity used to manufacture windows and doors, and more to feed into the grid.As a leading manufacturer of energy efficient windows and doors, environmental responsibility and sustainability are taken seriously. The inputs as well as the production process are believed to be just as important as the products produced. Therefore, timbers used in the manufacture of our

Why is airtightness so important?

Friday, March 18, 2022

The size of an average Australian house is 250m2 – or about 625m3 of volume - and most homes require heating or cooling for a large part of the year. If the building is not airtight – meaning if there are draughts – the home requires a fortune on energy costs just to keep it feeling comfortable. Why? Air leakage is defined as uncontrolled flow of air in and out of a building due to pressure differences across the building envelope. This means that the air of an average Australian home is unintentionally exchanged between the inside and the outside

2x Passive House Tradesperson

Tuesday, February 08, 2022

Paarhammer is proud to have 2 certified Passive House Tradespeople on staff and congratulates Thomas Paarhammer (Paarhammer Windows) and Andrew Ferguson (Siegware - Architectural Innovations) to the successful completion of their course. ‘A PHI Certified Passive House Tradesperson (CPHT) is equipped to implement the Passive House building standard. They have passed the accreditation exam issued by the international Passive House Institute, and they are in a unique position to work with design teams that have targeted Passive House certification as a project goal.’ is stated on the Australian Passive House website. Passive House is a holistic construction certification standard, that

International Year of Glass: 2022

Monday, February 07, 2022

Glass is a major part of window and door products and of our daily work here at Paarhammer. But with its unparalleled versatility and technical capabilities, glass provides so much more to our society like glass optical fibers, containers for life-saving medicine, optical glasses, support of solar cells, glass fibre, glass art and so much more. Therefore, the United Nations has decreed the year 2022 to be the Year of Glass. As window makers, we require glass in sheets, first flat glass was used and later float glass. The float glass process was invented by Sir Alastair Pilkington in 1952

Upgrade your Entrance Door

Thursday, January 20, 2022

Whether you would like to increase curb appeal, increase security or stop drafts and noise, a new entrance door might be the solution. For new buildings or renovations, the right entrance door is an investment worth making. Size Often modern homes use extra-large entrance doors or double doors for a generous entrance. Pivot doors are a consideration although if one wants to be energy efficient and stop drafts and noise, the sealing is much better on hinged doors. Materials: Timber and timber /glass doors have the widest design possibilities. Timber is also a very good insulator and combined with double

What is the largest size for sliding doors?

Tuesday, December 07, 2021

Giant lift-slide doors can be made up to 400kg per leaf. This means that a height of 3.4m and a width of 2.5m (maximum of 8.8m2) per sliding leaf is entirely possible, or a slider leaf height of 2.4m with a width of 3.6m (again at a maximum of 8.8m2) can be made. Stacker lift-slide doors can be made up to 14m wide. Even large sizes like these can be easily moved manually and glide smoothly, and single slider configurations can also be automated. How lift-slide doors work: With a turn of the handle the slider lifts up to free

Your entry to comfort and energy efficiency

Tuesday, November 23, 2021

Windows and doors are one of the weakest links when it comes to energy efficient buildings. With many houses still being built with single glazed windows, it lets down owners in aspects of comfort and energy efficiency. Komfortline and Komfort+ are about to make it more affordable. Less time to manufacture Technologically advanced window and door products can be quite costly as these are very involved to make, from the materials used to the time it takes to manufacture them. Komfortline and Komfort+ are an entry range for domestic sizes that still uses the same high-quality Australian timber and glass,

Avoiding Renovation Regrets

Wednesday, November 03, 2021

Australia's love affair with renovating is expected to continue not only because Australians love to renovate, but also as households increasingly prefer to direct excessive property transaction costs towards improving their existing homes, rather than trading up. Top 5 regrets But renovations can be fraught with issues: according to research by the Victorian Government, the top five renovation regrets are insufficient insulation, air leakage, poor lighting, not selecting double glazing, and poor design. Energy efficiency Windows and doors play a very important role in buildings. They let in light but at the same time protect the home from wind, rain

Difference in U-value Calculations

Wednesday, October 06, 2021

Windows around the world get tested and certified using different criteria: Australia uses the North American NFRC (National Fenestration Rating Council) system, Europe uses ISO 10077-2 and ISO 15099, then there is the Passive House Criteria and ift Rosenheim Directive WA15/2. How do you know you get the best window for your build? One thing is clear: the lower the U-value, the better your window. But if the outcomes of the different methods are not the same, can you compare apples with apples? Is an Australian U-value of 1.1 worse than a European U-value of 0.8? Or is it better or

Large Windows

Wednesday, September 22, 2021

Creating a sense of space and openness while at the same time achieving a sanctuary can be done by careful placement and sizing of windows and doors. Advantages A large expanse of glazing can ensure a lightness of a building and an indoor-outdoor feel of openness and connection to the environment. Large windows let indoor spaces bask in natural daylight and offer views to the surrounding areas. Views to nature boost our mood and have a positive effect on our health and wellbeing. Large, glazed areas also make a room appear bigger and can add value to your home. Placement

Choose your Door Style

Wednesday, August 18, 2021

Enjoy your outdoor areas all year-round, whether you’re dining alfresco on balmy nights or rugging up and toasting marshmallows in the heart of winter. The doors you choose to connect these outdoor spaces with the interior of your home largely depends on the building design and your requirements.Paarhammer presents its most popular door designs so you can choose to go inside or out in style:Sliding DoorsInterior/exterior flow comes easy with this crowd-favourite option. Think outside the box with custom-made giant sliding doors, sliding stackers and corner sliders. This space-saving door can slide over a fixed glazed area with no protruding