Howells Patent Glazing Limited, a family run West Midlands manufacturing business, have been involved in the supply and installation of patent glazing for over 40 years.
This year marks their most successful in terms of sales in the firm's history.
Employees of the Black Country based firm have over 150 years' experience within the industry, giving Howells their in-depth expertise in both roof and vertical applications using single or double glazing or polycarbonate sheet.
The systems used by Howells are suitable for use in railway stations, shopping centres, schools, retail complexes, heritage buildings, domestic applications and factory units. The range provides for inverted glazing bars to suit various spans. Traditional types of bar such as the heritage wing bar, can also be provided if required.
Howells is able to give customers a bespoke service by providing portal frames and giving advice on the requirement of structural supports.
Howells Patent Glazing offer their own patented system, made from extruded aluminum alloy complying with the BS EN 1999-1-1:2007+A2:2013. Eurocode 9: Design of aluminium structures.
The firm's bars can be supplied in mill finish, anodized to BS EN ISO 7599:2010. Anodizing of aluminium and its alloys. General specifications for anodic oxidation coatings on aluminium or powder coated in a variety of colours to BS EN 12206-1:2004. Paints and varnishes. Coating of aluminium and aluminium alloys for architectural purposes. Coatings prepared from coating powdering.
Howells has vast experience in Railway station refurbishments, stations that they have worked on include: Windsor royal, Temple Meads, Melton Mowbray, Loughborough, Shrub Hill, Stoke, and Kettering.
The criteria that are to be taken into account when working on railway stations is complex; the main consideration being that, as the stations are never closed whilst works are undertaken.
Tracey Jackson from Howells Patent Glazing limited commented to say: "We have had to work during the night with sheet or mesh over the exposed areas to ensure the railway stations can still carry on as normal. The type of work we have carried out includes removing old and reinstating overhead glazing using heritage and current patent glazing bars, installing canopies, curtain walling and specialist glazing which included at Windsor a feature leaded semi hemispherical dome."
Howells's wide portfolio of specialist projects also includes the prestigious Millennium Point in Digbeth, Birmingham, as well as schools, colleges and nursing homes.
Howells's contracts have also included domestic installations of swimming pool covers and conservatories including portal frames, along with industrial/commercial buildings, airports and shopping centres. The contracts value from around £10,000 to a substantial £1,000,000.
Following a record year of sales the patent glazing firm has now diversified into supplying the new PPC coated aluminium bar system and the new VT plus bar, fully thermally broken to meet the ever increasing demand for thermal efficiency, low maintenance materials to combine both modern, traditional and authentic appearance of timber structures.