Borden Grammar School

When contractors Waller Associates contacted fabricators Swan Doors & Windows Ltd (Swan) about a project to replace the existing windows and doors at a traditional grammar school in Kent, Swan knew exactly who to recommend for the job. Sheerline had the ideal solution to transform the look of Borden Grammar School’s building with its Prestige range of aluminium windows and doors, without compromising on safety or thermal efficiency. 

Challenges and Objectives

The aim of this project was to replace the existing sliding sash windows throughout the school. At 20 years old, there were safety concerns as the springs controlling the movement of the sash windows had begun to fail, meaning a window could fall at any time if it was open. In addition, the windows and doors were not as thermally efficient as modern options.

As the project was due to start and be completed over the summer holidays, it was important that everything was manufactured to the correct specification and delivered on time, so the overall project deadlines were adhered to. Another consideration was the style and colour of window frames, which had to be in keeping with the character of the school and match the other buildings.

Sheerline offers two choices for customers as standard, which are Part L Compliant. The Classic range, which offers slim, ultra-secure aluminium windows in 12 colours, and the Prestige range, which offers innovative, high-performance aluminium windows. After a period of consultation, the school chose a different style of window instead of replacing like for like. They opted for the Prestige aluminium window frames in Gloss White for their contemporary Georgian style glazing.

Key features of the Prestige range include a patented corner assembly method to save time and reduce waste, which ultimately saves money. It also enhances the frame corners to eliminate problems with misalignment. The frames offer exceptional thermal performance as they have a U-value as low as 0.9W/(m2K) with triple glazing or 1.3W/(m2K) double glazed.

How Sheerline helped

Both Waller Associates and Swan regularly carry out works for schools, commercial, and public buildings, but they didn’t have much experience of working with Sheerline, which gave the team an opportunity to showcase their quality easy-to-install products. Sheerline was selected to support the project because of the overall quality of its product and the availability.

As Sheerline manufacturers and paints everything in-house, as well as having its own fleet of delivery vehicles, the team met the tight project deadlines. In addition, to streamline the project, Sheerline provided on-site technical support for Swan’s first few jobs to ensure all operatives were trained appropriately and that the product was fabricated correctly. This help was invaluable to Swan and expedited the installation process. Sheerline aims to support all customers, whether they are home or business owners, contractors, or fabricators.

Results

With input from Wallers Associates, Swan, and Sheerline, the overall result has enhanced the look of the building to give it a brighter contemporary feel. In addition, changing to 50/50 top opening sash windows means they are easier to operate and improve the safety of the windows. The thermal efficiency has drastically improved, which is key when organisations and individuals alike are becoming more energy conscious.

The fabricators at Swan particularly appreciated the quality of the profiles and the feel of the windows in operation – they required little to no adjustment and worked straight away. The school was very pleased with the windows and how they have transformed the look of the building.