Tuesday 3 December 2013

Case study-Door/window with security grills in Lucknow, U.P.


 

This project has been done by my colleague, Amit Pandey based in Lucknow.. While sharing details of this project, He shared about client's concerns about security & same time convenience to operate Doors/ Windows.. We suggested to the client- Security Laminated Glass. ( Remember your first experience with Laminated glass is Windshield of your car as it has one PVB film in between two glasses so in case of accidental impact, Glass will not fall on you)

Secuirty Laminated Glass takes approx. same time as much Steel Grills takes to Break-in. Please watch Below video even striking with sharp object like Hammer , Glass is intact to its place & doesn't fall..

 


But always Customer needs to make final choice & He has made decision to go with steel grills. Then We discussed design of grill & also choice of handles to operate easily...

The important part in the project is fixing of Windows & Steel grills as most of the time we presume that if Grills are there, we are secure.. that is not true as choice of screws (anchor screws) as well as distance in between while fixing of windows & grills plays pivotal role to secure your home.

Installation team under supervision of Amit has chosen screws with burglar resistant properties in the resistant class WK2 according to DIN V ENV 1627. While choosing screws, We have considered surface properties & hole pattern of the stones..


"Promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind." - Christian Larson







uPVC Louvers






Thursday 12 September 2013

Case study-Palam Farms, New Delhi



               "People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within."-Elizabeth Kubler Ross


The purpose of this quote is not to let one compare once struggle during difficult time but journey of glass from stained glass to High Performance glasses....

Now modern days glasses not only creates illusion of more space but also stops heat ( partially), UV radiation & protects from Burglar or, forced entry.

While working with this Project, it was made clear to us & our fabrication partner by Architect & Client that it is like glass house and Doors/windows are going to play a very important role in the whole project. 

Each room were having  big window opening ( approx. width 9 feet * height 8 feet) as purpose to make it maximum natural lights in but on the contrary same time it makes whole house vulnerable to more heat during summer & less thermal insulation during winter...

We have suggested to have sun path analysis to be taken in account while quoting as it will let us know that which part of house will have more heat or, less sun...



At which angle Sun moves over your Home, makes your Home vulnerable to its Heat





Typical Diagram Example of Sun Path























Case study- Mr. Sudhir Malhotra, DLF Phase 1, Gurgaon

Some people form the background score of your life. At times diffusing the din. At times breaking d silence. At all times making a difference ~ Anonymous

Some times we look our job in the same way as per above Quote. While meeting & listening Mr. Sudhir Malhotra's requirements, Would You believe that it took almost two years to him finalize the Door/Window company! He want to go with the brands which are most advertised. Many consumer forums have been formed and they are full of consumer complaints of most advertised brands, which does not show good sign as it will affect on long term basis.You can see Balance sheet of these companies which are available on their website which shows they are into heavy losses as they money on advertisement but don't focus on quality through which customer can be satisfied.

In " n" number of meetings , we have tried to understand his requirements & offered him solutions in a cost effective way.


















Thursday 8 August 2013

How to buy uPVC Door/Window in India ?



For most people the word " windows" bring the image of the computers windows rather than the image of the house window. In our contemporary world where progress enters our everyday life so fast that we sometimes don't even notice it, "regular" windows have also undergone significant changes and one can probably say that ordinary windows have managed to become extra-ordinary.

There is surely one connection between user of the computer operating system windows and homeowners. Without basic knowledge of how things work it is not going to be easy to maintain both the windows system and house windows. That's why it is important to be aware of certain elements.

If you are buying a new home, be prepared that your builder or, contractor might not do his best in installing the windows and doors even if on the superficial level everything looks nice. I had a chance to see some new homes where the owners had to deal with the window & door problems.

Probably one may ask, " what is so special about windows ? There is just a frame and glass". Well, both the frame and glass of a modern window differ drastically from the earlier one.

Today there are more than 200 upvc windows & doors manufacturers in India & as per market growth, you will be amazed to know that in next 10 years, it is going to be more than 2000....as a customer, options are unlimited for us. But still million dollar question is Which one is better ? Should I go with India Manufactured or, should I go with German Manufactured or, What is the cost of upvc windows ? or, How do I get best deal out of my hard earned money......; so here are few points which will definitely help you to get a better deal -


REMEMBER "Quality is never an accident. It is always the result of intelligent effort." - John Ruskin


1. BUY WINDOWS WITH WRITTEN SPECIFICATIONS- It is one of the most important factors while making decision to buy high quality doors & windows in India which is going to affect you & your family for next 15-20 years. In my own experience which is reinforcing same thought day-by-day , most of the time advertisements corrupts our need-based decision making & we fill our world buy things we do not need, instead of things we actual needs. So it is important to buy doors & windows with written specifications rather than buy heavily advertised No. 1 or, best Brand worldwide. One more thing I would like to mention doors & windows are manufactured worldwide as per International Standards as Britain has BS norms(EN 12608 ), Germany has DIN norms, America has ASTM norms even country like china is following EN standards(GB/T 8814-2004 is same as EN Norms) but in India still there is a long way to have standards for Doors & Windows, so in India if you are no.1 it does not mean you are following high quality standards. Trust my experience in Building industry, there is no safety norms followed while designing uPVC doors &windows in India. So once again BUY WRITTEN SPECIFICATIONS RATHER THAN BUY SELF PROCLAIMED EXPERTS BRAND.

TRUST this if you get it in written, then Half the battle is won...


Normally Sales People will not understand your concern as rightly said by Upton Sinclair ," It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his job & entire salary depends on not understanding it."

  • UPVC Profile specification : Which company profile he is using? (German/Turkish/Chinese/Indian) 
  • Steel Reinforcement type : What type of reinforcement he is using ? (Galvanized steel & its thickness ) 
  • Fittings: What type of fittings or, hardware he is using ? (German/Turkish/Chinese/Indian ) 
  • Glass: What make Glass he is using ? (AIS or, Saint Gobain or, Others ) 
  • Warranty- What kind of warranty for after sales service is he providing ? (Is he providing only on upvc profile or, also on fittings )-ASK MIN. 10 YEARS WARRANTY ON PROFILE AS WELL AS ON FITTINGS FROM MANUFACTURER... 

2. UPVC PROFILE - Every one talks about benefits of upvc doors & windows, no doubt upvc is best material to be used in place of wood, aluminum & steel but it has one disadvantage i.e. limited tensile strength, that’s why it has steel reinforcement inside all upvc profiles.

Worldwide standards( EN 12608 accepted in Germany, Europe, China & Britain) have been made to use regarding uPVC profile as below mentioned-


  • Outer Wall Thickness- As shown in picture uPVC profile is having outer wall thickness "A" means its outer wall thickness is more than 2.8mm . If it is "B" than outer wall thickness is more than 2.5 mm. If it is C than it is less than 2.5 mm. 




  • Impact Test- As shown in picture uPVC profile is having class "II" Impact Test -Class II is better than Class I as Impact test is for 1.5 meter height & Class I is for 1 meter height. (Please check specially in Indian Profile as they match outer wall thickness of International players but Impact test is important which will confirm their Material mix )




  • Weather Test- As mentioned in the below picture it is " S "i.e. for Severe weather , it can also be " M" that means for Moderate weather which is not suitable for Indian condition ( Please check specifically uPVC Profile from Germany as Germany has Cold climate & Moderate weather profile can turn yellowish due to sunlight exposure) 

Please check profile marking as per EN 12608 guidelines.( check below mentioned picture )












3. STRUCTURALLY STABLE OR, SAFE DESIGNED DOORS & WINDOWS- This is another one of the important factors while choosing high quality doors & windows. As discussed earlier uPVC Profile has limited tensile strength so it is important to ask the uPVC windows & doors manufacturer about maximum deflection allowed when exposed to wind speed as per your city. (Please note as per DIN standards, it should not be more than 8 mm i.e. DIN 1055 part-4 & DIN 18056).(I know it would be bit technical but it is some thing like your car, How much maximum safe speed you can attain with-out vibrations ). It will cover the point of inside steel reinforcement's thickness as well as shape as reinforcement gives required tensile strength to uPVC windows & doors system.




4. FITTINGS CHOICE – One of the major differentiating factor in upvc windows & doors in comparison to wooden and aluminum counter parts-i.e. wider range in fittings. We can choose multi point locking to single point locking –no more locking the door with 3 different locking mechanisms. ( I remember when I visited a customer’s Home & lady was pregnant & she has to bend to lock the door from the bottom, it was dangerous way to live life when we have wonderful product like uPVC doors &windows –Please check picture )








                                    

3 Different Locking points in wooden doors                     
                                                                                   


Also Functioning of windows & doors depends on good fittings. Three types of fittings are available in the market. German, Turkish & Chinese. Go with German fittings if you want peace of mind for min. 10 years.Ask your vendor about weight of sash as in uPVC doors & windows each high quality fittings comes in according to sash weight. E.g. Hinges for Doors are available from 50 kg. To 180 kg. . If your supplier is not calculating or, mentioning sash weight on its proposal then most likely you will have trouble while functioning of doors &windows.

5. GLASS: - Glass itself is one of the important factors in window & door. One need to do self analysis while choosing glass( I will address Glass in a separate article )-




Written Specifications will answer below mentioned queries-

  • Where do I need safety? 
  • What are my security requirements? 
  • Do I need to control noise? 
  • How my building look like aesthetically? 
  • External & Internal Reflection? 
  • Can I make my residential/commercial project more green efficient as well as minimize negative impact on environment? 
  • How can I control solar heat in tropical country like India? 
  • Availability for service in case of breakage? 
  • U-value & UV radiation? 

6.SEARCH FOR LOCAL FABRICATOR- Try to search for local supplier for high quality windows & doors. (Remember your old carpenter & old Doctor- I know; you can not leave your Home & Body to be in vulnerable condition). It is easy to contact local guy as he is always there for broken glass or changing the handle. BUT TRY TO GET LOCAL FABRICATOR BY UPVC PROFILE MANUFACTURER CERTIFIED !

“DON'T LEARN SAFETY RULES SIMPLY BY ACCIDENT”

7. SITE CONDITIONS & INSTALLATION STANDARDS– It is the most important factor which lies in our hands. Most of the time we make same mistake as rightly said AL-GORE (Ex. vice president of United States & Presenter for An Inconvenient Truth of a documentary film about climate change, specifically global warming and a future ice age in Northern Europe)- “ Old Habits plus Old Technology have predictable consequences. Old Habits, that are hard to change, plus New Technology can have dramatically altered consequences.”


Same true for while thinking about site readiness about windows & doors. Most of the time customers request to install windows & doors when site is not ready & bad installation conditions can kill high quality product. (Check picture)



Drainage Slot has been blocked by Post-Stone installation


UPVC has high resistance to weather,to corrosion and to the most materials found on Building sites so it would be best to install uPVC windows & doors after final paint or. P.O.P. . Installed windows are subjected to dead load, live load and wind load, high and low temperature and weathering. These factors have also big influence on the joint between walls and window as well as Doors. Careful planning and good craftsmanship is therefore essential for the quality of installation.


Some times Good Installer has to follow instruction of Customers as Arc. Wren did. In 1688, Sir Christopher Wren, the celebrated English architect, was asked to design a town hall for the city of Westminster. When the mayor saw the design, he told Wren the second floor was not secure and that it could all come crashing down. And therefore, he wanted Wren to add two stone columns for extra support. Wren didn't argue. He complied even though he knew it would serve no purpose. It was only years later, when workmen got on a high scaffold for some minor repairs did they see that the columns Wren gave in to stopped a few centimeters short of the ceiling. They were dummies. But the point is, both men got what they wanted. The mayor could relax and posterity demonstrated Wren was right.


8. ENERGY EFFICIENCY IS MUST- UPVC windows & doors is an energy efficient material but we have to choose glass & windows combination in a manner in which it should save energy. E.g. if it is south facing opening, we should choose heat reflective glass with double glazing to save energy.


Making mistakes in centuries and generations past would have consequences that we could overcome. We don't have that luxury anymore......


9. HOW TO GET BEST PRICE FOR UPVC WINDOWS & DOORS – Most of the time first time buyer ask this question to me.One has to understand Doors & windows is not a ready-made product & there is no thumb-rule for costing. One has to go in details to get best deal out of his/her hard earned money as It is customized product so price depends on below mentioned factors-

  • UPVC windows & doors Profile- Good Quality profile will increase price 15-20 % costlier than cheaper Turkish & Indian profiles made windows & doors.(Go for Profile as per International standards as it is customized product , You can change fittings but not profile easily) 
  • Fittings – Good multi point locking & as per sash weight calculating fittings will increase price 20-30 %. 
  • Glass has 20-40% share in window & door price. E.g. 6 mm toughened glass costs approx. 60/- Sq.ft & double glazed glass costs approx. 150/- Sq.ft 

10. LAST CHECKING POINT: - Last but not the least- [quoting Mark Twain] "What gets us into trouble is not what we don't know. It's what we know for sure that just ain't so." So BE ALERT ALWAYS.


THERE IS MORE TO A WINDOW THAN MEETS THE EYE......

Wednesday 20 March 2013

Case study-Noise insulation of A Home @ Unitech South City , Gurgaon


There is a famous song by singer-songwriter duo Simon & Garfunkel , " Sound of Silence". It is one of the song which I liked most & perfectly fit in India's metro city life right now.

But can we achieve absolute silence in a Home ! Can we control outside noise level & feel Himalayan abode in our Home ?  yes it is possible... We did it many times..sharing one case study.... Residence @ Unitech South City II, Golf Course Road, Gurgaon. In my previous post, I have shared sound terminologies & ill effects of noise.

There are different standards & Indexes to measure noise levels.. I being associated with a German MNC always like to follow DIN ( German ) norms which are safest & highest in Quality.


After visiting the site, I realized that it was quite terrible situation as noise levels @ that House was around 60-65 dB during day time & also in the night, it was 70-75 dB with existing aluminium doors & windows.









Town planners, Builders & Developers are not thinking about reducing noise levels in the city &  in the apartments as there is no vision for

  • Regularly review the City Plan rules relating to acceptable levels of noise.
  • To ensure the quality service is provided for enforcement, response & complaints.
  • To develop the noise map of Delhi NCR and monitor trends over time.
  • To develop a system that identifies areas of concern. e.g. residential areas which are near motorways and other road network.


Now come back to our story, the challenges for us were-

  • Removal of existing Doors/Windows - As family was residing their, We need to complete the house same day as they can not keep their house remains open in the night.
  • Fitting of New Doors/ Windows with Joint insulation- It is prevalent industry practice to use silicone for joint insulation between wall & frame. But silicon is not fixing material. For proper noise insulation, one needs to use PU Fom. ( Rw ; 61 dB )

Joint insulation by PU Fom & sealing tape








" Listen to yourself not the noise of the world, only you know what is right for you."




Removal of existing Aluminium Door/Window via cutter





















Sound level outside 
Sound level inside after installation



Sound level inside after installation
Noise level outside road side















Before Aluminium Window
After installation window