With the Build It Education House, we want to show that you can get real wow factor on a relatively standard self build budget. To achieve that, we’re including some finely-tuned statement features that give us plenty of bang for our buck.
One of the most important areas to get right is the fenestration. Windows make a huge contribution to the finished look of a house. The Build It House design includes a stunning glazed apex at the front, complete with wraparound corner. So we’ve worked closely with our architect and glazing supplier to get the best results.
Initial meeting
When it came to selecting a window partner for our self build, Kloeber’s reputation for great customer service was a big factor.
We’ve chosen them to supply and install the windows, French doors and fixed glazing for the Build It Education House. They’ll also fit a FunkyFront door for the main entrance. We’re appointing other partners for elements such as the rear sliders and rooflights (more on these in a future instalment).
Read more: Advice & ideas for your window installation from Kloeber
The window specification developed over the course of three meetings with sales director Matt Higgs, spread across several months as the Build It House design evolved.
I’ve found Matt and his team excellent to work with. They’re proactive, explain technical details in an easy-to-follow way and are willing to go the extra mile to help ensure we get the right result. Exactly the kind of service a self builder needs!
We booked in our first meeting with Kloeber well before going on site. Lapd Architects and our structural system provider, ICF Supplies, joined us for this. Much of the discussion focussed on design and practical considerations.
The design for Build It’s Self Build Education House features a significant amount of glazing, including some complex features such as the front apex. So getting the windows right will be crucial to the overall aesthetic
At this stage, we had an early window schedule – prepared by Lapd – but it needed refining to suit Kloeber’s installation requirements. In particular, we wanted to ensure everyone was on the same page about how the units would fix into the ICF walls.
Window lead times were another hot topic. Most suppliers deliver in six to eight weeks once you press the green light for the order. Typically, they prefer to measure up in situ before manufacture starts. But we were keen to specify the windows off the drawings to try to avoid down time on site – and Kloeber was happy to accommodate our request.
The only exception is the apex glazing. Both Matt Higgs and our architect Opinder Liddar (rightly, it’s fair to say) felt this was too complex to produce off-plan. So we measured this on site once the Education House roof was on.
Sequencing-wise, installing the windows is the next big job once the main roof structure is weathertight.
Why timber windows?
We’re opting for factory-painted engineered softwood frames for our windows. The external finish is three coats of microporous paint in RAL 7034 Gelb Grau (yellow-grey).
The dual-colour windows can have a different finish inside. We’ll have white for the ground floor and hallway apex glazing, with the natural character of clear-lacquered pine elsewhere upstairs.
On the upper floor, we’ve gone for the character and softness of a timber internal finish for the windows – as seen in the master bedroom
Properly-treated slow-grown softwood can deliver impressive durability. In fact, engineered formats offer a lifespan very similar to hardwood. Kloeber’s timber windows also offer better U-values than their equivalent aluminium product.
All our windows will deliver a good U-value (a measure of heat loss, where lower values are better) of 1.3 W/m2K. Working in tandem with the airtight, highly-insulated ICF superstructure, this will deliver very strong results and low long-term energy bills.
Importantly, we can achieve our performance goals using good-quality double glazing at real-world prices. There’s no need for us to buy triple glazed windows.
One area up for debate was the top lights (small panes above the main window) on the ground floor. The planning drawings show dummy sashes, but on such narrow units the frame-to-glass ratio can be a little mean.
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