More than meets the eye
By Richard Burrells, sales director of Roseview Windows.
Sash windows are more popular now than at any time since their heyday. Growing interest in all things heritage, combined with ever-more original windows reaching the end of their life-spans, has fuelled a sash window boom.
Roseview Windows has been manufacturing sash windows for over 30 years. Today we’re one of the best-known names in a timber alternative sector that’s developing new ways of combining heritage aesthetics with the benefits – both to consumers and installers – of modern materials and techniques.
With an uncompromising commitment to authenticity and performance, Roseview focuses on the things that other fabricators overlook. This is driven by our determination to evolve and innovate – not in response to customer requests but motivated by the desire to make our Rose Collection sash windows as good as they can be.
When it comes to class-leading sash windows, quality isn’t just in what you can see, but also what you can’t. Behind the scenes details that consumers are unlikely to ever see help transform a good sash window into a great one. They are a crucial part of a window that will operate and perform at the highest level for many years.
All windows in the Rose Collection include, for instance, extreme weather packs as standard. Designed to protect windows from the fiercest conditions, these internal features are generally only used in cliff-top, coastal and exposed locations. We include them on every window, not so much for their performance today, but for what they’ll do in years to come.
Similarly, every Roseview sash includes the butterfly clips usually only found on Secured by Design windows. These add an extra layer of strength and, more importantly, reduce sash play even after thousands of operations. In combination with Hardex coated hardware and UL9 torsion balances from Caldwell, this ensures that sashes operate smoothly and accurately for many years.
Even on the more accessible exterior, Roseview has developed features that end-users are unlikely to notice, but improve the overall performance and quality of a window. An example is the bespoke full-length aluminium carrier that Roseview developed for astragal bars. This system provides bar-to-glass adhesion that’s up to four times stronger than the standard clip and tape method used by other fabricators, and if an astragal bar ever does come off, it’s much simpler to reattach. It can simply be clicked back on, helping to avoid unnecessary service calls for the installer.
Quality isn’t just about the components, but also the methods and attention to detail used when assembling those components. Roseview checks this by passing every window we manufacture through a specialised QA test rig before despatch. Not only does this allow us to check every detail on the window, but it also simulates installation, ensuring that tolerances between sash and frame are perfect before sign-off.
Much is made of appearance and authenticity when talking about sash windows – critical features, especially in a market focused on heritage. But for consumers and installers, quality, performance and reliability are important too, albeit more difficult to identify.
Adding features and enhancements to products – not because they’ve been asked for, or because they’re obvious – but because they quietly enhance them, is the mark of a company that understands this principle.