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Replacement sash windows by Gowercroft Joinery

Unseen and blessedly unfelt – a revolutionary draft proofing system for sash windows

I will be honest I was not really interested in ‘just another replacement window company’ when I went to Grand Designs Live at Excel in London. I was looking for something new and innovative that would wow our blog readers. Like our Tree Tent article or the write up on LoftZone products in previous posts

However then I met David Brown on the Gowercroft Joinery stand. He was so earnestly enthusiastic about his products, that he prompted me to spend more time talking to him, and by the end of our conversation he had officially proved himself to be The Window Specialist.

Accoya Timber Treatment

We initially started the conversation discussing the merits of Accoya timber. This is a non-toxic method of treating timber to resist weather damage, by treating the wood with ascetic acid to create a durable and stable surface.

Ascetic acid (also known as vinegar) makes the timber harder and more resistant to water. The process is similar to hardening conkers in vinegar. David joked that the treatment process means that his workshop smells of fish and chips. If you ever want to visit them in North Derbyshire he will be pleased to give you the tour, but I am guessing you will feel hungry as you wander around.

How To fit Sash Windows without the drafts

Not only does David’s company sell traditional wooden windows and sliding sash replacement windows, he also has a solution for completely draft proofing your home by fitting a window with his new Sash Sealer system. So if you are thinking of fitting a window but you believe that you can only avoid drafts by getting rid of your existing sash windows for the dreaded UPVc, then think again.

Although David was enthusiastic about his Accoya Timber, what he really wanted to show me was the SashSealer, this is Gowercroft’s answer to draughty sash windows. It is a truth universally acknowledged that if you want the aesthetic features of sash windows then you have to put up with a draught. However if the display model on the stand was anything to go by, Gowercraft may have found the solution. They certainly have the test results to back up their assertions.

Proving the system works

Gowercoft have been granted a patent for the SashSealer and they chose Grand Designs Live to launch it to market, visit their website to find out more about it. David is understandably proud of the product. He explains tests by the British Standards Institute showed performances equivalent to casement windows. He says “our sliding sash windows now exceeds Class 4 Air Permeability standards”.

It is an entirely invisible system and it does not alter the way the mechanism works so it can be used in conservation and heritage areas. It can be installed on all types of sash windows including spiral balanced or weighted sash windows whether double hung, single hung or fixed configurations.

So I left the stand reminding myself that sometimes the most effective building systems are unseen once they have been installed.

Quick Fix Remedies

If your renovation doesn’t run to a replacement sash window and you need to know how to referb a sash, you can learn how to replace a sash cord or how to paint a sash window in the DIY Doctor Projects section or visit our forum for help and advice on all sorts of Do It Yourself and Home Improvement problems such as repairing rotten sash windows

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The Storefloor loft boarding system allows more insulation material to be fitted under loft boards

Get a suspended loft floor and buy more insulation to save on fuel consumption this year

This is the third in our series of reports on this year’s Grand Designs Live. You can read more in the series like what DIY Doctor thought of Tree Tents and our report on clay plaster at the show. While I was at the exhibition I was looking for the unusual, the stylish, and the innovative.

This product by Loftzone comes in the last category, and is unashamedly useful. In fact you could say this system just floored me!

The Storefloor is a system of loft flooring that uses the strength of the existing roof joists to take a flooring ‘bracket’ that you can load with loft boards. The Storefloor system spreads the load of the boards, and whatever is on top of them, while also allowing enough space underneath it to let you add the recommended amount of insulation, with an all-important air gap to ensure the insulating properties of the insulating material are most effective.

Dave Raval from Loftzone explained about the height of the flooring system: “It is sized to allow up to 300mm of insulation . . . plus an air gap above the insulation and below the boards. We asked the Buildings Research Establishment to advise us on the size of this gap, which helps to reduce any possible moisture build-up on the underside of the boards.”

The system is formed of sectional pieces that use the structure of the existing roof joists to builds a structurally sound floating or suspended floor that can be used for storage and occasional access, and can be strengthened if you want to walk on it regularly, or to allow you to store heavier items.

Compressed loft insulation material is only half as effective

What many people don’t realise is that if they squash the minimum recommended fibreglass wool insulation, it becomes less than half as effective as it would be with enough space for it to sit unmolested by loft boards. You know how it is, you need space to store Christmas decorations, old school books and your scuba diving kit, so you place loft boards on top of your insulation so then it is compressed down to the height of the joists and it has no air void between it and the loft boards.

When you consider that fibreglass insulation is one of the best loft insulation materials, in that it gives you the best energy saving returns pound for pound, plus the fact that nearly all of us have items stashed in our loft (whether it is properly boarded out or not), then it makes absolute sense to have this system.

Having effective loft insulation makes economic sense

We are all becoming increasingly aware of the costs of energy bills and the savings to be made by improving insulation in our homes. Energy ratings or EPC’s are now mandatory for any property that is marketed for rent or for sale, and so it is likely that systems like this will be taken up to satisfy the need for increased loft insulation while allowing us the convenience of having our loft boarded for storage.

It wouldn’t surprise us to find this system being fitted into new build properties by companies for whom eco building is of paramount importance.

However even if it isn’t already in the loft of the house you buy it would a such a simple job to retrofit, using simple basic DIY skills. The system is modular so you can even fit it without clearing your loft first. To read more about the Loftzone Storefloor system check out their website – and I know we are raving about it but I can assure you no money changed hands for the making of this post.

If it’s good it’s good…

The StoreFloor, raised platform loft storage system, fits to the ceiling joists to suspend the floor well above the insulation

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Samuel-James Wilson describes himself as a Bricklayer/Builder/Blogger from North Yorkshire

He entered the building trade at 15, having been disillusioned with school, and started off taking a plumbing apprenticeship before switching to become a Bricklayer’s labourer for two years, and finally formalising his training by entering a bricklayers apprenticeship.Now self-employed his jobs have included working on a Gold Medal winning garden at the Harrogate Flower Show. He is currently undertaking the The Prince’s Foundation – Building Skill in Craft Programme.

He has been blogging for nearly three years, we found his blog on twitter and became really interested in his story. We decided to interview him for DIY Doctor’s blog, so we can share his story with our users. We hope you find it interesting.

Hi Samuel, thank you for agreeing to talk to us about your enthusiasm for the building trade today:

Q. It is really great to see you being so enthusiastic about your choice to complete an apprenticeship, what prompted you to train formally rather than just be a ‘handyman’?

A. At a very early age it became very clear If I was to continue in the same fashion I was heading (nowhere) I wasn’t going to achieve anything in life. I made the decision to get qualified very early. During my early years in construction I came across lots of people who had been in the trade years just doing the same thing without any qualifications just making money to spend on the weekend. I really didn’t want to be like them, I am not saying it is wrong to do that, it just wasn’t for me.

I also knew from a very early age I wanted to do something that would give me the option to work anywhere around the world in the future, an apprenticeship was the perfect choice and something I grabbed with both hands.

Q. Do you think that quality standards are improving in the building industry?

A. That’s a hard one. In certain aspects of the industry they’re due to the regulations getting tighter and tighter every year due to the influx of ‘cowboys’ in the trade but you still come across ‘bodge’ jobs now and again. Only last week I was asked to repair some stone steps in a garden that had moved and were unsafe to walk on. It was only when I took them up I realised that they were laid straight onto the soil and just propped up with mortar. This is becoming less and less common like I say but it does still happen. Overall I think standards are improving, less and less is being accepted and more and more people are feeling the need to complain about poor workmanship.

I have being doing just that over the past couple of months. Near where I live the local church is being extended, they have built a ramp up to the new entrance that in my opinion is shocking and looks terrible I took it upon myself to complain to the project manager and the council about this, I am currently waiting on action to be taken but I have received some very positive responses. The whole story is featured on my Blog.

Q. Do you think that customers are aware of the training necessary to be able to become a qualified and skilled trades person?

A. I am not sure, I get asked on the odd occasion how long I have been working as a bricklayer but not so much about the training. I would like to think so, its not an easy thing to do it takes a lot of dedication and rainy days to be where I am now. I used to go to college on weekends and days where I had no work just to practice building walls.

Q. Do you think customers place any value in the skills-training of the tradespeople they employ, and do you ever get asked to prove your knowledge?

A. I do, I have never been directly asked to prove anything but It always stands you in good stead if you can answer the questions you’re asked confidently. That is the difference between a tradesman and a handyman I guess the depth of knowledge. I spend hours researching about my craft, learning new things and I am coming up to my 10th year doing it. “Every day is a school day”

Q. What effect do DIY makeover shows have on customer expectation do you think?

A. I am personally not a great fan of these shows. I realise that they’re doing a good thing for the families involved but I think it can harm the image of a proper craftsman. Is it really possible to do a proper makeover job in 60 seconds? I will let you make your mind up. Also can you name any of the builders on these shows? They’re really just about the client and the customer. The only time you get the chance to know the builders name is on shows like ‘cowboy builders’ and that’s nothing to be proud of.

Q. Building is a hard job physically does it bother you that it is so demanding?

A. I have been doing this work since I was 15 so its something I have got used to. I really enjoy it. I am never happier than when I am working hard all day created an exciting project for a customer. The most recent job I have complete, building a folly/garden feature in a back garden near where I live was possible the hardest yet in terms of being so physically demanding. The garden was just a HUGE slop. The only way to get the materials down to where I was building was in wheelbarrows down the concrete steps that were two average strides long. There was thirty steps to the project and another ten steps to the mixer – I now have legs of steel!

Q. With so many people willing to work ‘cash in hand’ or being unskilled in the building jobs they undertake, does it make it difficult for you to make a proper living?

A. I think it effects certain jobs. The little jobs people just want doing quickly without really knowing the whats involved. For example the repair of a roof. It isn’t hard from a customers point of view to take some tiles off and replace but there is so much more to it and if you don’t get the correct professionals in you will end up paying for it in the future.

Q. Will that improve or deteriorate in the future?

A. Who can say. I hope it improves for the sake of my craft and all the others. I would hate to grow old in the knowledge that people are getting away doing rubbish jobs all the time with no qualifications after I worked so hard to achieve them.

Q. And finally, on a lighter note,  what do you listen to when you are working?

A. Anything that doesn’t give me a headache. I am currently rather addicted to the new Stereophonics album.

Thank you so much for spending the time to talk to us Samuel, and if anyone wants to read more about Samuel-James and his crusade for good building practices please do visit his blog ‘The Apprentice Ship’.

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What do we mean when we say contract your build? Well maybe we should say contract your builder. It is an astonishing fact that less than 5% of all building jobs carried out in the private sector, are protected by any sort of contract.

Would you let your property without a Tenancy Agreement? Or employ someone without a Contract of Employment (well no, actually you can’t do this legally anyway – but you know what we mean).

It is easy for you and your builder to be setting out on the adventure that is your new build at different tangents. It is not necessarily a case of your builder being ‘good’ or ‘bad’, it is simply easy to misinterpret each others expectations of the outcome.

We want to make the process of employing a good builder a much easier one, and so we set up an area of DIY Doctor that is designed to do that – we called it ‘Home Improver Protection Solution’ – or HIPS for short, either click on the link or you will find that HIPS button on our navigation bar.

The whole solution is split into 5 sections:

• Price Doctor – price checking software (free version available)
• Desired outcome contract – free and written in clear English
• Notes for using the contract
• Payment scheme
• Find a tradesman

If you use this simple process it will help you get the job you want from your builder – and root out the rogue ones too.

Our Founder Mike Edwards asked his Daughter and Son-in-Law and their builder to use the contract and comment on their experience of using it – you can see the video here:

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Can you help us hit the Million?

We are getting so close to a million views on You Tube, and we would love to hit the big one by the end of the month, so we are encouraging all our users to go to our channel and browse through all the fantastic videos we have been uploading to entertain educate and review.

UPDATE – we did hit 1 Million views on 28th April 2013 – thanks to everyone involved!

Please visit our You Tube Channel to see the following 10 most popular videos, you can click on the video or the link at the bottom of this page.

Hanging a door in minutes 127,417 views
If you haven’t got time to hang around and you need to know how to hang a door then this video is ideal for anyone who is pressed for time.

Easter Bunnies – DIY Hopping Easter Bunnies 120,165 views
Just a bit of fun really but this shows you what you can get done with a free afternoon and some spare timber!

Karcher K2 300 Pressure Washer Product Review 57,214 views
This looks at the pros and cons of this pressure washer, we also have lots of other product reviews and instructional videos on the channel.

DIY Christmas Tree from DIY Doctor 53,335 views
More fun, more spare timber (and other bits and bobs).

Mixing Cement and Concrete with a Cement Mixer 48,297 views
Just as the title describes really this goes through the process of Mixing cement and Concrete.

This is one of the most common projects our users tell us they need help with, which is why we did the video. We are always pleased to get your suggestions on what we should film next.

How to Lay a Path 32,253 views
This is a weekend project that is very popular, and we also have a project page on the main website with lots of useful information including tips and tricks when laying a path.

Mag, Mig and Arc Welding How To Tips and Information 30,831 views
This needs a bit of specialist equipment but can be easily mastered with a bit of patience. Safety is paramount here so do follow the safety advice.

Nilfisk C110 Pressure Washer Product Review 26,016 views
Another one in the ever popular product review range, if you have suggestions for what products you want to see reviewed please leave a comment here on our blog.

Hard Water Solutions from Eddy Water Descalers 23,808 views
Hard water affects about two thirds of the population, and this details an easy system to soften your water.

How to Use a Laser Level 22,960 views
We have lots of ‘How To’ videos on our You Tube channel some of the for specific tools and some for DIY and Home improvement jobs, why not start with this one and see what else we have that might interest you?

Please visit our You Tube Channel to check out all our video offerings

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