Andersen windows and doors from Black Millwork have been used in a unique style to create an exceptionally light and airy conservatory at a home in the North Yorkshire village of Croft-on-Tees.
Thanks to their clean lines and minimal maintenance requirements, the Andersen windows have provided an abundance of daylight and solar gain, which has significantly reduced the property’s energy use.
The retired homeowners decided to add the conservatory to the south-facing wall of their home in order to bring the outdoors in. The house is a converted stable block in the old rectory’s former grounds. Their son, Stephen Wood, managing director of registered Black Millwork dealer Vitrage Ltd, designed and built the conservatory to his parents’ exact requirements using the best materials available in the market.
The conservatory was designed around Andersen’s standard sized ‘A’ series casement windows and sliding doors, using a traditional concrete and block foundation with brick-faced insulated dwarf walls. The supporting pillars were constructed from combined and insulated railway sleepers used to create a unique and substantial assembly, adding strength and a deliberately heavy structural statement to the design. The sleepers were painted with black Bitumen paint to provide a rustic contrast with the clean lines of the Andersen products.
“Although we knew that Andersen’s products would provide exceptional thermal performance, I still wanted to make sure that the conservatory could be used during the winter months and so I also included 100mm of insulation between the pillars,” Stephen commented. “We are using the south-facing wall inside the conservatory as a thermal sponge to soak up the heat in the day time, which then radiates back into the conservatory after dark. All this adds up to a very comfortable and energy efficient living space.
“I chose Andersen’s products because they have very clean lines yet they look like traditional timber windows. Andersen also has a wide range of timber finishing options and their products provide maximum light thanks to their narrow frame profiles – the narrowest available in the market. What’s more Andersen’s products are economically priced and don’t need to be repainted like other timber windows, which made them perfect for this project.”
Andersen windows and doors from Black Millwork feature a unique Perma-Shield® system that forms a protective shell to safeguard the inner wood. This exclusive cladding repels water, and resists dents and corrosion, keeping the windows in top condition and reducing future maintenance – ideal for projects like this where the homeowners do not want to worry about redecorating.
The exterior of Andersen’s ‘A’ series casement windows and sliding doors were finished in the Canvas colour to complement the design of the conservatory, and the aluminium frames of the glazed roof were powder coated to match the Andersen colour.
Stephen continued: “Black Millwork has an enormous range of products for all different kinds of housing requirements and since Andersen have been manufacturing since 1903, and are now the world’s largest timber window manufacturer, it gives me great confidence that the windows will perform to the high standards that my customers demand.”