We have recently installed a set of new aluminium bi-folding doors at Abingdon School, Oxfordshire.
Looking at the before image of the school’s gym, you immediately notice a lovely looking glass façade and a distinctive grey metal pair of commercial doors with an upright bar in the middle. These doors were of good quality and sturdy, and at the time of installation, they were a good solution as commercial entrance doors. But have they improved the appearance of the façade?..
Luckily, we live in a time of booming technologies, and new products are being discovered and launched almost every day. The fenestration industry has come a long way from the introduction of the first white double glazed uPVC windows to the walls made of glass. The choice of windows and doors designs, colours, and configurations is staggering! Everyone can find a product to satisfy their taste and fit their budget. But even the best quality products could be ruined if they are not fitted by skilful installers. New windows and doors can last a lifetime, providing they have been installed correctly.
The new job at Abingdon School that we recently finished required many skills from the whole team to complete, including a very detailed professional survey and planning, which were then projected into extensive preparations for the installation.
The customer wanted a set of new four-pane aluminium bi-folding doors in Anthracite Grey of overall sizes of 3740mm width and 2410mm height to be installed in place of the old steel commercial entrance doors. It would have been an ordinary job if the doors were not incorporated into a lovely glass façade.
The old doors were a part of the curtain walling system, where aluminium mullions carry large panes of glass. To install the new bi-fold doors of the required width, we had to disturb the curtain wall and take out one glass panel on each side of the doors together with the supporting structures holding the above panes of glass. The safety and stability of the whole system were the number one priority.
It is easy to underestimate the significance of surveying, which is the core of any project. It requires lots of knowledge and experience to identify possible risks and eliminate any, even the smallest, chance of something going wrong. Throughout the years of working within the double glazing industry, our team has accumulated the product and industry knowledge and expertise to successfully complete projects of high complexity.
After a thorough survey, we prepared the risk assessment and method statement; we have thought about any possible weak point of the project and come up with a solution for it and created a detailed plan for the installation. Our extensive preparation paid off, and we completed the job in one day. Planning is key!
To span the full top width to carry the weight of the above glass panels, we ordered and installed a 90mm x 2250mm five-layer Glulam Beam. As side supports, we installed two steel stanchion posts. These supporting elements have made the new structure solid, sturdy, stable, and safe. They were covered with a smooth Anthracite Grey aluminium profile to match the existing curtain walling system and the new bi-folding doors.
For the bi-folding doors, we utilised the Ultimate Evolution door system that is built around the latest innovations and provides ultra-slim sightlines, a choice of thresholds and hardware. The Ultimate Evolution aluminium bi-folding doors have recently become extremely popular with our customers for their excellent quality, design flexibility, effortless operation and reliability.
The bi-fold doors at the Abingdon school’s gym are a set of four double-glazed panels with laminated glass for enhanced security. The configuration of the doors is 4-2-2, which means there are four leaves in total, two open to the right and two to the left, creating a large opening with no obstruction in the middle.
As all bi-folding doors, these doors come with a multi-point locking mechanism at the centre. Side panels have shoot bolt locking handles.
Classic black metal lever-lever handles complete the elegant look.
The new doors naturally blended in the existing curtain walling system and created a beautiful glass wall with a wide opening and no obstruction in the middle, resulting in improved functionality and aesthetics of the building.
If you are thinking of giving your house an uplift, and new windows and doors are a part of this project, and you want it to be completed by a reputable and experienced installer, then contacting Admiral Windows will be the right choice! Give us a call on 01865 788333 or send us an email at sales@admiralwindows.co.uk, and we will take care of your project.