As part of their 25th Anniversary celebrations Hazlemere Window Company Ltd are holding a special Champagne & Bucks Fiizz Open Weekend on Saturday 8th May 2010 (10am – 4pm) and Sunday 9th May 2010 (10am – 1pm). Existing and would be customers can enjoy a glass of complimentary chilled Champagne, Wine, Bucks Fizz or a soft drink and/or a freshly made cup of real coffee.
By attending this event at Hazlemere Windows’s 4,000 square feet Bucks High Wycombe Showroom, customers can take advantage of Hazlemere’s genuine special offers, plus get “on-the-spot” estimates by bringing in their own window, door, awning, blinds, canopies or garage door measurements.
Alternatively, they can download the Hazlemere Quick Windows and Doors Estimator, fill in their requirements and dimensions and visit the experts in Hazlemere’s High Wycombe Showroom anytime seven days a week for an on the spot estimate or email their sizes to enquiries@hazlemere.co.uk and/or request a home visit from a Hazlemere expert consultant.
CATAGORY|Home Improvements
Here at Hazlemere Windows, Doors and Conservatories we have spent some considerable time developing our products in response to the proposed changes to Part L of the Building Regulations that are scheduled to come into effect on 1st October 2010. As soon as the Government formally announces these changes (which is supposed to be around Easter time), it will mean big changes for both property owners and the entire double glazing industry.
The proposed changes, if all adopted by the Government on 1st October 2010 (which is expected as they are a necessary part of its commitment to reduce carbon emissions) will have wide ranging financial, legal, and timescale implications for every property owner in the UK who wants to replace windows or doors, build an extension or a conservatory or build a new house. Here at Hazlemere Windows head office and factory in High Wycombe, Bucks, we have been gearing up for these major changes for a fair period of time, as if enforced on 1st October 2010 as planned by the Government, they will make many double glazing products currently being sold in the UK obsolete overnight.
Consequently, Hazlemere has developed and had certified A, B and C rated aluminium and UPVC windows that will comply with the new regulations. These have a technically higher spec that D, E, F and G rated products, argon filled sealed units and higher specification glass and spacer bar. Consequently they do cost more to make, but in terms of energy efficiency and energy saving they are top notch, delivering the highest level of energy efficient performance.
The good news is that Hazlemere has been manufacturing and selling these products for years, so has the knowledge and expertise as independent double glazing manufacturers and installers to help home owners choose the right energy saving products for their property. In addition they have been tested and approved by the British Fenestration Rating Council and endorsed by the Energy Saving Trust. Hazlmere’s aluminium windows achieve an A, B and C energy rating by having a thermal break between the inner and outer aluminium frame.
Once the Government announcement on Part L of the Building Regulation changes is made, and all the detailed legal and financial ramifications known, both homeowners and the double glazing industry will know the cut off date for installing existing products, which as we understand it is likely to be 30th September 2010.
The bottom line, as it appears to me personally, is that it will be UK property owners like you and me (should we want to improve our property), who will legally be obligated to pay for and install higher energy rated double glazing to help the Government get anywhere near meeting its carbon emission targets. Not only this, but all the UK double glazing industry is going to have to gear up to these changes. Fortunately, in Hazlemere Windows case, we have spent considerable time and effort investing in energy efficient energy saving windows, so the Hazlemere Group is very much geared up for the future to assist properties cut their carbon emissions and thereby reduce their carbon footprint.
CATAGORY|Carbon Footprint, Home Improvements
Those of you who’ve lived in the area for the past 25 years, will have certainly seen any one of our two dozen conspicuous vehicles driving around, or possibly you’re one of 18,000 satisfied customers that the Hazlemere Group has happily serviced during our illustrious time as the leading home improvement specialists.
For those who are new to the area, you may not be aware that Hazlemere Window Company is a well established, family firm first founded in High Wycombe back in 1985 by Stuart Braham and his father George Braham who sadly passed away in 2006; leaving his three sons to operate and develop the business.
25 years on, Hazlemere Windows remains a community focused family firm, despite having grown year on year to become one of the largest employers in the locality. During the 1990’s, we quickly grew into the Commercial and Public sectors, although we’re more renowned throughout Buckinghamshire and Berkshire as suppliers and installers of high quality retail windows, doors and conservatories.
Hazlemere Windows Co. Ltd. Staff 25 Years On
We are extremely proud to say that the Hazlemere Group is still very much family owned and run, with many of the staff who have worked there for years having connections to the Braham family. George Braham’s son, Stuart is very much in the centre of things, being the “middle” one, and is quite literally in the middle of things as Hazlemere’s Chairman and Managing Director.
Alan Braham, the youngest of George’s three sons is one of Hazlemere’s specialist windows and doors consultants, having first served his apprenticeship on the factory floor in the early 1990’s before training to become the vastly experienced expert double glazing advisor he is today.
Alan and Stuart’s older brother Ian Braham, heads up Hazlemere Garage Doors and Hazlemere Blinds who manufacture supply and fit domestic and commercial pleated blinds, whilst supplying and fitting Roller, Roman, Venetian and Vertical made to measure blinds. Ian’s division also supply and fit bespoke garage doors, Fantasia conservatory ceiling fans, remote control and manual commercial and domestic awnings and canopies.
The company prides itself in high quality materials, craftsmanship, and excellent customer service, all backed by Hazlemere Windows own robust fully comprehensive 10 year guarantee. Hazlemere also offers all its customers the option of further deposit and guarantee insurance provided by the Independent Warranty Association.
Hazlemere Commercial, a major Division of the Hazlemere Group, manufacturers, supplies and installs a wide range of architectural aluminium windows, doors and curtain walling in schools, offices, business and commercial building in the UK. Hazlemere Commercial were awarded a £2.3m contract in 2008 to supply aluminium windows, doors and curtain walling for the new Bideford College in Devon, the bulk of which was delivered in 2009. This sustainability project involved the use of Sapa re-cycled aluminium to make the aluminium double glazed windows, aluminium commercial doors and aluminium curtain walling. The Commercial Division, LHC, Chas and Exor accredited, continues to go from strength to strength, and in 2009, Hazlemere Commercial were awarded a £1.7m contract to refurbish River Gardens in Fulham, West London during 2010. The highly successful Commercial Division is run by Commercial Sales Director Simon Keegan and Commercial Contracts Director, Barry Matthews.
Jason Bradshaw is the Operations Director responsible for all Hazlemere’s aluminium and UPVC conservatory installations, building works and Hazlemere’s dedicated experienced window and door installation teams. All the five board directors are based at Hazlemere’s Head Offices in High Wycombe, Bucks.
So 25 years on this growing family business is a highly respected FENSA registered company, ISO 9001:2008 accredited and Investors in People approved, employing its own expert consultants, designers, estimators, surveyors, fabricators, installers and service engineers. Consequently, the Hazlemere Group are able to control the entire design, estimating, manufacturing and fitting process, along with having sufficient in-house back up to provide the levels of after sales service required by developers, local authorities and end users alike, as well as being able to offer professional expert preventative window and door maintenance, along with repairs and replacement to schools and commercial properties.
Hazlemere Window Company Ltd are members of the Energy Saving Trust, British Fenestration Rating Council and are licensed/approved Pilkington energiKare Partners, plus were the first company in the UK to design, manufacture and install an “A” rated aluminium dual frame aluminium window system, as endorsed and approved by both the Energy Saving Trust and the British Fenestration Rating Council. Hazlemere’s energy rated, energy efficient, energy saving window range also includes an “A” rated UPVC window system.
When the Braham family started this business 25 years ago, I am sure they never envisioned the rapid growth and the amazing support they would receive from the local community, which has fuelled their success and been the bedrock of their continuing business growth. Consequently in 2009, Hazlemere Windows Board of Directors unanimously agreed to purchase the adjoining 38,000 building adjacent to Hazlemere Windows existing Head Office, Factory & Showroom in Wellington Road on Cressex Business Park, High Wycombe.
This strategic acquisition has enabled the Hazlemere Group to invest in the future, whilst continuing its steady growth by streamlining its manufacturing, further improving quality control and remaining highly competitive in the fenestration industry – not bad for a family run business with strong community ties that has steadily grown from humble beginnings to become the largest independent double glazing manufacturer and installer in the region today.
See how Hazlemere home improvement’s rich history and experience can help transform your residential or commercial property. Our friendly team look forward to hearing from you!
CATAGORY|Home Improvements, Windows & Doors
When I was thinking about the ways I could insulate my own home against future cold snaps, I came across an excellent Wales Online article by Graham Henry of the South Wales Echo. Having lived in Wales for three years when at Lampeter University in Dyfed during the early 1980’s I recalled a time when I was one of only a handfull of students that had gone back early before the start of the term, only to be caught up in and witness the greatest snowfall of my lifetime, yes far greater than the January 2010 snowfalls in Southern England.
The snowfall was so great, there were drifts over seven feet deep and all the roads were impassable even for snowploughs and tractors! All the electricity supplies were cut off for days and the only heating we had was the gas stoves in the Refectory (at least we had food!). None of the University rooms on campus had any heating, so at night we literally froze, however many layers of clothes and gloves we wore. We ended up being cut off by road for over a week, something I will never forget, as it delayed the start of term. Boy, did we appreciate heating and lighting after that!!
So when I read “How you can beat the big freeze and cut your carbon footprint” published on Wales Online on 12th January 2010 by Graham Henry of the South Wales Echo I thought it would be helpful to let you read the article, given the recent Arctic conditions in the entire UK.
“THE big chill has meant many people have been forced to stay in their homes and crank up the heating. That can hit not only the pocket – leaving many fearing higher bills during the cold snap – but also the environment. Wales already has the unwanted title of highest carbon emitter in the UK, with the Energy Saving Trust estimating we waste £200m of energy every year due to poorly insulated homes. So, as the mercury plummets, we have a handy guide of top tips to keeping warm this winter without harming the environment or your bank balance.
1. Cavity wall insulation
Cavity wall insulation saves around £115 a year from heating bills. The typical cost of installation is about £500, but with many grants available to qualifying Welsh residents the cost can be as low as £99.
2. Loft insulation
Insulating your loft can save around £150 every year on energy bills at the recommended level of 27cm. The typical cost of installing loft insulation is around £250, but there are many grant schemes operating in Wales to help ease costs. Insulation reduces the need for the heating to be on high, and leads to less energy being wasted.
3. Replace old boilers
Replacing an old boiler with an A-rated one and fitting a full set of heating controls can reduce your heating bills by up to 40%. Any boilers that are more than 15 years old can be considered G-rated and might be inefficient. The Government’s boiler scrappage scheme offers a £400 cashback voucher when you scrap your old boiler and replace it with an A-rated boiler or renewable heat technology.
4. Tweaking your thermostat
Turning the temperature of your thermostat down by just 1°C can save you 6% on your heating bills – about £30 a year. You probably won’t notice the difference at home but, if you do find that you’re cold, set your boiler to come on earlier, That way, you won’t be cold while you wait for the house to heat up.
5. Water tank insulation
Just fitting a “jacket” around your water tank could save you about £35 a year and190kg of CO2. Installing a British Standard jacket around your tank reduces heat loss by more than 75% and insulating your primary pipe work can save another £10 from your bills and around 60kg of CO2 emissions.
6. Draught proofing
Draught proofing your windows and doors can save about £25 a year and around 130kg of CO2, meaning that it often pays for itself within a year. Seals are usually made from self-adhesive foam, rubber or brush material and you can get them from DIY shops or you can have a professional fit them.
7. Wear layers
There is often no substitute for keeping warm by wearing a few layers of thin clothing rather than just one big, bulky item. Try wearing slippers inside and don’t leave the house without a warm hat and scarf.
8. Glazing
Installing double glazing in your home can cut heat loss through windows by 50%, as well as saving you £135 a year on your heating bills. It can also cut around 720kg of carbon dioxide (CO2) usage a year. For those who can’t afford double glazing, there is a budget alternative. Cover windows with a clear, plastic film that tightens over the pane when heated with a hairdryer, which reduces heat loss cheaply.
9. Blocking unused chimneys
You can seal unused chimneys with newspaper or a purpose-made “chimney balloon” which inflates to block the fireplace. Remember to take them out again should you decide to use your chimney.
10. Stick to new year’s resolutions
Stopping smoking is a little-known way of keeping warm during the cold snap. Not only will it save you money, but kicking the habit can improve your circulation within just two weeks and means that you don’t have to go out in the cold to have a cigarette.
Exercise can also help circulation and keep you warm from the inside. You don’t need to join a gym, just a little bit of housework each day can improve your health and reduce the need for heating.” (”How you can beat the big freeze and cut your carbon footprint” published on Wales Online on 12th January 2010 by Graham Henry of the South Wales Echo)
For advice on how to stop wasting energy, you can contact the Energy Saving Trust on freephone 0800 512 012 or visit www.energysavingtrust.org.uk
CATAGORY|Carbon Footprint, Home Improvements
When the weather turned milder after the “Big Freeze” in December 2009/January 2010 it would be foolish to think that such Arctic conditions will not occur again. If you remember back to that time, you will no doubt recall having noticed the areas of your property that are exposed to the elements, like doors, fireplaces and windows that let in freezing draughts or where cold penetrated and consequently heat escaped.
In the “old days” front and back entrances were covered up by a large thick curtain being drawn across the door when closed to keep out the cold and draughts, but nowadays we have tended to abandon curtains for double glazed doors. However, the recent low temperatures exposed any flaws in thermally inefficient doors and windows, many of which were fitted years ago and consequently are not in the same league as the high quality energy rated products available in today’s marketplace.
Two important tips for keeping out as much of the draughts and cold as possible is to ensure both sides of your letterbox are shut. The other (assuming you have a double glazed door) is to lift up the door handle as if you are going to lock the door. The engages the rubber gaskets, giving your property the best possible seal against the elements. You will be amazed the difference remembering this simple tip will make in cold weather. If you have a wooden door, you can fit draught excluder to all the edges to reduce draughts and put a sausage dog to block the cold coming through the door threshold.
One option is to go back to installing a hanging curtain which you can draw in the coldest winter months, but if you buy a modern thermally efficient insulated double glazed door, there is no need to have to resort to such “old fashioned” measures, unless you want to as heavy, thick lined curtains that drape onto the floor do act as an excellent, though slightly unsightly and inconvient barrier to the cold if you have wooden entrance doors, or early double glazed doors that are not as thermally efficient as some modern equivalents, such as high quality composite doors which are now the amongst the best at providing insulation from the freezing cold.
CATAGORY|Home Improvements, Windows & Doors
Get your FREE copy of Hazlemere's 20 page Awnings, Blinds & Canopies Buyers Guide
Having already published independently edited Window & Door Buyers Guides and Conservatories Buyers Guides, the Hazlemere Group published a Garage Door Buyers Guide in December 2009,
all of which are available free online or as a hard copy by post. They followed these up with an Awnings, Blinds & Canopies Buyers Guide in Janaury 2010 to help home owners made informed decisions on which product(s) would be best suited for their particular property.This latest buyers guide contains twenty pages of consumer advice, help and guidance on choosing the right solar protection for the home. Issues such as automation or manual, fabrics and materials, suitability and durability are all looked at in detail in relation to each product. All Hazlemere Windows buyers guides are aimed at assisting homeowners make the right investment choices for their property, so they add both comfort and value to their home.
You can get all these helpful buyers guides for free online by simply requesting them. If you would like to actually look at the different types of product available, these are all on display at Hazlemere Windows 4,000 square feet home improvement showroom in Wellington Road on Cressex Business Park, High Wycombe. This extensive showroom is open seven days a week and is staffed by experienced home improvement experts who are on hand to offer no obligation free advice, on the spot estimates, and where required, no obligation written quotations and home consultations.
CATAGORY|Home Improvements
Double-glazing cannot cause condensation, whether you have aluminium, wooden or UPVC double glazed sealed units. In fact, the opposite is true, as double glazing acts as a heat barrier and providing an inner pane, which is considerably warmer than the outer pane, condensation is reduced.
Modern buildings are designed to eliminate draughts and do not have the natural ventilation that some older houses have with their chimneys and ill-fitting doors and windows. Houses have been completely sealed by the installation of cavity wall insulation; loft insulation, double-glazing, and draught proofing throughout are likely to become moisture traps. In such cases, condensation is a ventilation problem. Provided the rooms are heated normally, the solution will probably be found providing controlled ventilation.
In the case of older ‘unsealed’ buildings, the dominant factor is likely to be the indoor temperature, and additional heat, or the introduction of localised heat near the windows, will probably provide the answer.
To help reduce the condensation in your home stop water vapour from your bathroom finding its way into the rest of the house, particularly during and after bathing. After bath or shower, close the door and open a window for a few minutes. Position a radiator, or heated towel – rail, under the window.
In bedrooms, if possible extend the central heating programme to compensate for the night-time drop in external temperature and the increase in water vapour caused by the occupants breathing. Also bedroom windows should be opened during the day to allow at least one complete air change.
In living rooms and bedrooms allow the room’s warmth to reach the windows. Position heaters under the windows, and use fittings that hold the curtains at least 15 cm to 20 cm away from the glass to allow free movement of warm air. Open your living room windows for at least a few minutes each day to permit air changes. Where open fires are not provided, or existing flues are blocked off, see that wall vents are fitted and kept clear. When a gas fire has been installed in an open fire aperture, the back plate should have vent holes below the fire, unless this is provided for in the fire design. Where possible, avoid glazed or non-absorbent wall coatings as these can promote condensation on walls.
In your kitchen and/or laundry close internal doors and keep a window open. Alternatively install extractor fans or cooker hoods, ventilated to the outside air. Want to know more about the causes of condensation? Then find out the facts about condensation
CATAGORY|Home Improvements
A prolonged spell of snow, which then turns to ice, which then re-freezes, slightly thaws, re-freezes, has fresh snowfall ontop, freezes is not the ideal environment for gutters and downpipes, be they old cast iron or plastic ones. The worst cold snap for 30 years between Christmas 2009 and mid-January 2010 has severely tested and damaged much of the UK’s guttering and downpipe stock.
One knew “there may be trouble ahead” when tens of thousands of icicles starting forming beneath guttering joints, in some cases creating giant “stalactites” looking like the ones often seen in limestone caves. As snow and ice makes it way via gravity from the roof to the gutter, the gutters can act like a dam, putting enormously pressure on both your guttering, guttering joints and guttering brackets.
Likewise, frozen snow and ice stuck inside downpipes can cause them to expand and crack, and whilst modern plastic downpipes and guttering does have some give, old fashioned rusting cast iron downpipes do not, and although they were originally “stronger”, they do weaken (like most metals) over the years, so will need replacing if they do crack.
When the thaw finally came in the UK by mid-January 2010, many guttering joints and brackets were found to have been snapped, broken or loosened by the constant expansion and contraction of the ice, as one snowfall was followed by other in freezing temperatures. The rainfall that signalled the real start of the thaw exposed thousands of joints that had been broken, with the precipitation gushing from these new leaking points where the “seals” had been broken. Thousands of properties discovered twisted and warped guttering, caused by the severe weather conditions.
UK guttering and downpipe suppliers and installers are clearly going to have their work cut out to keep up with the demand for repairs and replacement low maintenance gutters and downpipes. Even some of the modern UPVC guttering and brackets did not cope with the sheer weight and volume of snow that fell on the UK within a three week period, which then rapidly turned to more compact and heavier ice, which expanded and created such havoc on Britain’s roads and transport network.
Going forward, property owners may have to consider clearing gutters of snow before it turns to ice to protect properties, in the same way we clear our paths, driveways and roads at home and at work to be able to get about on foot and by road. Manufacturers of UPVC gutters and downpipes may have to consider further strengthening their product range to offer property owners an even stronger and more durable low maintenance solution, as surely we can not let snow and ice cause the downfall of gutters and downpipes?
CATAGORY|Home Improvements
Hazlemere Garage Doors Buyers Guide
With 25 years of experience to call on in the home improvement industry, the Hazlemere Group have produced yet another home improvement buyer’s guide, this time on garage doors, to assist homeowners make informed decisions before investing in the best garage door for their property, ensuring they get the right product for their particular circumstances.
Click here to order your free copy of Hazlemere Garage Doors Buyers Guide
Hazlemere Window Company have already produced an independently edited Window & Doors Buyer’s Guide, a Conservatory Buyer’s Guide and an Eco Friendly Windows & Doors Brochure. You can obtain these free Buyer’s Guides on the Hazlemere Group website, plus access lots of home improvement useful resources.
Hazlemere Garage Doors Buyer’s Guide looks at all the different operating mechanisms, the material choices and offers invaluable expert help and advice for homeowners considering a replacement garage door or who have to buy a new garage door for a new build garage. The Garage Doors Buyer’s Guide looks at the pros and cons of the different types of garage doors available, both in terms of how they open and close and the benefits of one garage door material over another.
Hazlemere are also producing an Awnings, Blinds and Canopies Buyers Guide, which like the Garage Doors Buyer’s Guide will be available both online and as a hard copy in the post. If you would like to receive a free copy of any one of the Hazlemere Group buyer’s guides, simply click here provide your name and address, and in the box marked “Nature of Enquiry” state which complimenatry buyer’s guide you would like to receive by post. This free buyer’s guide will then be sent out to you by the Hazlemere Group on the next working day. (Please note hard copies of the Garage Doors Buyers guide will be available from around mid-January 2010 and the Awnings, Blinds & Canopies Buyers Guide from around the end of January 2010).
CATAGORY|Home Improvements
Whilst the Hazlemere Group are primarily known throughout High Wycombe and Buckinghamshire as independent window, door, curtain walling and conservatory manufacturers, suppliers and installers, Hazlemere are also independent suppliers and installers of all types of garage doors, including up and over garage doors, sectional garage doors, roller garage doors and side hinged garage doors.
Hazlemere Garage Doors supply and fit garage doors in all the different materials available in the UK marketplace today, including glass reinforced polyester (GRP), ABS (plastic), steel, aluminium and solid timber. Consequently, Hazlemere decided to pass on their years of experience and expertise by producing a Garage Door Buyers Guide to assist homeowners choose the right garage door for their property.
Hazlemere Garage Doors Buyers Guide
This
free twelve page Garage Doors Buyers Guide looks at the different garage door operating mechanisms available, and discusses the merits of the various different garage door materials. The guide is full of useful tips and advice for property owners, along with the sort of things you should consider before deciding which garage door is the best for your particular property.
Click here to look through all the different garage door types Hazlemere Garage Doors supply and install.
CATAGORY|Home Improvements
