Homeowners love the warm beauty of wooden windows and doors. Our cover advertiser, Swartland, provides homeowners with some useful product advice to ensure those important timber features are beautiful and welcoming.
Traditional installation and glazing methods don’t always do justice to even the highest-quality products because on-site skills and standards vary. In short, the best-made product might end up being less than perfectly glazed and fitted.
That’s why Swartland introduced its Ready-2-Fit windows and doors, which are sealed and glazed in the factory during manufacture. The product is then thoroughly wrapped in protective two-stage packaging before being transported.
When it arrives on-site it’s ready to be installed immediately. This not only saves the builder time and money, but also ensures the overall quality of their workmanship at no extra cost. Swartland’s offering is unique in the wooden windows and doors market.
There is, however, a lot more to the story of these highly sought-after products:
Pre-sealed
During manufacture, all Swartland’s Ready-2-Fit windows and doors are pre-sealed with Maxicare, a high quality, water-based sealant that ensures optimum protection against the elements.
Maxicare boasts a number of benefits: it’s an environmentally friendly sealant with low VOC (volatile organic compounds) emissions, it is ultraviolet- and water-resistant, non-flammable, lead-free, and has an element of anti-fungal protection against dry rot and other threats.
It will also offer years of protection from the damaging effects of extreme temperatures, humidity, cold, rain and sunlight. And while Maxicare was developed in Germany, it copes well with the harsh African sun: to cater for darker colours such as Teak and Imbuia, it contains heat-reflective pigments that lower the surface temperature of the wood to reduce natural contraction and expansion. Swartland’s expert team advises against using dark colours in direct sunlight, though.
Colour choice
When this range was launched in 2012, Swartland offered the following colour options: Teak, Imbuia, Light Oak and White. Recently, four new colours were introduced to offer clients more choice: Bali Deep, Dusted Moss, Sombrero and Ivory Parchment. They form a natural palette that will enhance your home’s modern or traditional design.
Variety
Ready-2-Fit windows and doors are available in Swartland’s Cape Culture and Winsters ranges on request.
Low maintenance
What really makes water-based sealant a real winner is how it makes wooden windows and doors a cinch to maintain. There’s no need for laborious sanding and re-sealing – just wash and wipe them down to restore their original beauty.
Glazing is standard
All windows and doors in the Ready-2-Fit range come pre-glazed with standard 4mm glass or 6.38mm safety glass, in compliance with National Building Regulations. Other types of glazing, including double-glazing that improves insulation and reduces noise, as well as Low-E glass (low-emissivity, to reduce infrared and ultraviolet light) are available on request.
Pre-hung doors
Due to public demand, Swartland pre-hangs doors in their frames in the factory, with all essential hardware fitted. The building trade welcomed the move, as well as the introduction of adjustable frames to compensate for swelling and shrinking.
Fixtures and features
Ready-2-Fit doors and windows offer a number of features to ensure security and energy-efficiency, including:
- Espagnolette lock – a multiple locking mechanism that enhances security and ensures a snug, draft-free fit (available in the Cape Culture Supreme range).
- Brass thumb-release handle.
- Double-glazing – a variety of glass thicknesses are available to meet a range of needs.
- Composite gaskets, which form an airlock between the frame and casement, to improve insulation.
- Wood sections are available in varying thicknesses to ensure windows have optimal thermal and security properties.
- Four-bar friction hinge to handle the weight of the extra glass and thicker frame.
Compliance
Swartland continuously tests its products to ensure they comply with the National Building Regulations and the Consumer Protection Act. To ensure compliance with SANS 613 Mechanical Performance Criteria, the Ready-2-Fit range is tested for deflection, structural strength, water-resistance, airtightness, operating forces, and energy efficiency.
Unique offerings from the Ready-2-Fit range by Swartland
- Wood finish without the hassle
- Unique international finish
- Manufactured locally to European standards and quality
- Only from Swartland
- Minimal maintenance
