The demand for timber windows has recently been revived due to home owners, builders and architects all beginning to rediscover both the environmental and aesthetic value of timber windows. This has been great news for an industry that has struggled to compete against cheaper PVC alternatives for the last 20 years.
However, timber window manufacturers large and small all face the same issues with working with wood. As one window manufacturer put it “wood is the only thing on the planet that is still alive when it is dead”.
Wood when hot and dry can warp & bow and when cold and wet can swell & rot if not treated correctly. Even if every precaution is taken due to the small nature of the beads used in wood window manufacture there is still a chance that they’ll warp, bow or swell out of shape.
It is no surprise that the beads tend to be the most vulnerable part of a wood window. The natural characteristics of wood means that even if every attention to detail is paid when selecting, preparing and fitting wooden beads and bars they can move when in a finished window on site.
This means that many if not all window manufacturers have to return to site post installation to replace or repair beads in windows that when fitted were totally fine. This leads to unnecessary time, money and energy being wasted. Long term traditionally it is the beads in a wood window which are first to degrade and rot.
The question that QPSL were presented with was; ‘How can you ensure the beads you use measures up to the highest of manufacturing standards for timber windows?’ This question was answered after much trial and error. The result has created a beading system made from recycled wood dust and PVC-u, known as Q-wood. This product offers a high performing and extremely stable alternative to traditional timber components.
Embracing different material properties during development has left Q-wood with the look and feel of timber without any of the issues that are traditional associated with timber. Handled in the same way as traditional timber with no need for specialist tools or techniques many have found working with Q-wood easier due to the absence of knots or raised grains.
More importantly peace of mind about the long-term stability of the beads used is gained. This is thanks to Q-wood’s excellent moisture resistance, its minimal expansion and contraction when exposed to temperature changes and the fact that it does not rot. In turn this has helped to ensure manufacturers reputations of supplying high quality and long lasting products to end users are protected.
Q-wood has a variety of beading profiles available to window manufacturers. Visit www.q-wood.co.uk to find out more or to request a sample pack.
For more information about QPSL, Q-wood or any of our product range, please either email tim.hayes@quantum-ps.co.uk alternatively call our customer care team on 0161 627 4222
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Visit - www.q-wood.co.uk
