Issue 04 • Winter 08
INSIDE:
• Case studies: Focus on London Commercial
• Energy improvements: it’s pay back time
• Safe as Houses
• Ventrolla gets FSC approval
• Environmentally Friendly
Welcome to In The Frame
Welcome to our Winter issue of
In The Frame, the newsletter from
Ventrolla, the UK’s leading sash
window renovation specialist.
In this issue you’ll find news of what’s been
happening within the Ventrolla network, with
particular focus on the high profile projects
we have been working on recently.
We also discuss Noise Control through draught
Noise Control
Over recent months, Ventrolla has
noticed an increase in enquiries
regarding noise reduction in relation
to our draught proofing system.
For a sliding sash window to operate correctly
they have at least a 3mm gap around the
sashes. In an average sized window of
1.2m x 1.8m the aggregate gap area would
be 15cm x 15cm, amounting to 1% of the
area of the window.
By installing Ventrolla’s unique Perimeter
Sealing System around the sashes we
eliminate this gap effectively sealing the
window, thus improving the sound insulation
of the window.
Ventrolla commissioned testing of its system
by Independent Consultants in Acoustic Noise
For more information and to find our nearest office call FREEPHONE 0800 0277 454 or visit www.ventrolla.co.uk
In The FRAME
proofing and renovation, the common
misconceptions regarding energy saving
improvements for properties, our recent FSC
accreditation and in-house Environmental Policy.
I hope you enjoy reading this edition of In The
Frame, and we at Ventrolla wish you all a happy
and prosperous New Year.
David Greaves,
Managing Director, Ventrolla Ltd
and Vibration Control, Hann Tucker. improvement will depend upon the condition of
the windows prior to installing the Ventrolla
The tests were carried out in accordance
Perimeter Sealing System. For example,
with BS EN ISO 140-5 1998, the International
windows that are painted or nailed shut are
Standard for the measurement of
already sealed, therefore any benefit in terms
sound insulation in buildings and of
of noise control is likely to be minimal.
building elements.
There is a misperception that the two panes of
The results showed the Ventrolla system fitted
glass of double glazing provide noise reduction,
into a sash window improves the sound
when in fact it is the seal around a window that
insulation level within the range of 6-10dB(A),
offers the improvement which is matched by
which in acoustic terms is deemed to provide
the Ventrolla system.
‘significant’ noise reduction.
If you or your clients have a particular noise
However, whilst these results show an
issue, you need to create an air gap of around
improvement, noise reduction should be
150mm between the two panes of glass,
viewed as an added benefit of installing the
which is achieved through installing
Ventrolla Perimeter Sealing System rather
secondary glazing.
than a solution to a particular noise issue.
Noise is extremely subjective and the level of www.ventrolla.co.uk
 Bruce Castle Museum
Museum exhibits
pride in restored windows
Bruce Castle Museum in Tottenham
now has something new to show its
visitors… beautifully restored Victorian
sash windows.
The work was undertaken by Ventrolla London
Commercial and saw eight windows renovated
within the museum, which houses local history
collections and archives for the Borough
of Haringey.
Ian Mathieson, Managing Director of Ventrolla
London Commercial, said: “The windows had
been painted closed and become completely
unusable. There were also problems with the
window mechanisms, which were rectified
once we fitted new pulleys and weights.
Work was completed within a week and
has helped improve the functionality of
the windows, without affecting the period
Energy improvements: it’s pay back time
Customers wishing to make their
property greener can be excused for
coming to the conclusion that the
only way to achieve this is to replace
or rebuild. Too much of the advice
available centres on installed
efficiencies rather than the benefits
which can be achieved by improving
what’s already there.
This can be frustrating if the building is older,
which more than a quarter of British homes are,
dating from before 1919, officially classifying
them as "historic buildings". There is a wealth of
eco-friendly information available, but attempting
to find the facts is confusing and often doesn’t
relate to either a benefit in terms of CO², when
you consider the whole life impact, or that on
the pocket.
splendour of this landmark building.”
Bruce Castle Museum is a Grade I listed manor
house sitting in 20 acres of parkland and dates
back to the 16th century. Originally the home
of Sir William Compton, a member of the court
of Henry VIII, it has served as a museum
since 1906.
Today the museum seeks to acquire cultural
material of relevance to Haringey’s past,
present and future and has become a valued
community resource.
Deputy Curator, Robert Waite said: “The
museum is very much a focal point for the local
community as it reflects the important history of
the borough.
We are delighted with Ventrolla’s work and the
efficiency and professionalism shown by its
staff at all times during the project.”
The main beneficial impacts come from using
the energy we have more wisely, such as
installing a more energy efficient heating system
or turning the heating down a few degrees.
However, energy savings from replacement
materials is where the true confusion lies. If we
listen to manufacturers, and even the
Government, the cost to the environment of
manufacturing the replacement products is
ignored to arrive at false payback period, which
means we get hit in the pocket without helping
the environment.
The research, conducted by RICS’ Building Cost
Information Service (BCIS), which formed part of
RICS’ response to the Governments UK Housing
Green Paper, gives the facts below.
“Payback times for Energy Performance
Certificate (EPC) energy improvements, on an
average three bedroom terraced house, range
Hospital’s windows
get the all clear
Ventrolla London Commercial has
completed a 12 week project to
renovate period windows at St Leonard’s
Hospital in Hackney.
A total of 170 sash windows at the historic premises
on Nuttall Street were surveyed and repaired, along
with a number of fire exits, which were draught
proofed and polished.
Ian Mathieson, Managing Director of Ventrolla
London Commercial, said: “The condition of the
windows varied enormously. Some just needed
re-glazing or minor repairs to the window frame,
while others needed a complete overhaul with
new mechanisms.
We had to be flexible in the way we worked because
the hospital remained operational during the project.
In some cases, for example when repairing windows
in a consultation room, we opted to stay late or come
in over a weekend in order to reduce disruption.”
Ventrolla’s window renovation formed part of a larger
refurbishment scheme at St Leonard’s, which was
implemented by Castons of Ipswich and lasted
six months.
The hospital building dates back to 1866 and by
1872 had been extended to provide beds for 503
patients. St Leonard’s played an important role
during the Second World War caring for air raid
casualties and suffered bomb damage itself in 1941.
The hospital stopped receiving in-patients in 1984
and today is used as a home for various district
from 5 years for cavity wall insulation, to 208
years for solar heating.
Alarmingly, the next most viable energy
improvement is loft insulation which will take
homeowners 13 years before they begin to
notice any real cost savings.
On average people spend 16 years living in one
property, which makes the EPC energy saving
measures financially unattractive options for
over half of all homeowners.
Other common energy saving measures include
double glazing (124 years pay back), boiler
replacement (38 years pay back), and under-
floor insulation (61 years pay back)”.
The clear message is that if we are to advise
customers of such energy saving measures, we
must all be aware of where the facts and figures
derive from and therefore what their agenda is.
St Leonard’s Hospital
services, including physiotherapy, chiropody,
a disability resource centre and a diabetic day centre.
It is administered by the City and Hackney Teaching
Primary Care Trust.
For further details on these and other projects,
please go to:
www.ventrolla.co.uk
Safe as Houses
Security is front of mind for most
homeowners at this time of year, with
less daylight hours and expensive new
Christmas presents in your home.
It is a common opinion that timber sash and
casement windows are a security risk in
comparison to UPVC alternatives, however,
Ventrolla provides a number of security
solutions for period windows to give you
extra peace of mind.
A new hardware range that offers double
locking systems and sash restrictors that
For more information and to find our nearest office call FREEPHONE 0800 0277 454 or visit www.ventrolla.co.uk
FOCUS
on
London
Commercial
Celebrating
Safecontractor
Certification
Exceptional health and safety standards have earned Ventrolla
London Commercial, who also trade as Tottenham Glazing Co.,
accreditation from the nationally recognised
Safecontractor scheme.
The company was presented with the standard
for ensuring its personnel operate in
a professional and safe manner
when undertaking projects.
Managing Director of
Ventrolla London
Commercial and
Tottenham Glazing Co.
Ltd, Ian Mathieson, said:
“We are proud to hold
Safecontractor certification,
which demonstrates our
commitment to
carrying out work to the
highest possible standards.
The Safecontractor assessment is totally
independent and our certification gives clients
recognisable confirmation of our skills
and competency.”
Safecontractor is operated by
National Britannia, a leading health,
safety and environmental risk
management company.
Around 6,000 contractors currently
limit the height to which your sash windows
can be opened, contribute to a safer home. hold Safecontractor accreditation.
Our hardware comes in a range of finishes to Their details are placed on an online
suit the period in which your home was built, register at www.safecontractor.com,
which is accessible to clients seeking
as well as your interior decoration.
new contract partners for projects.
Ventrolla London Commercial is one of
For more information visit 23 offices of Ventrolla located
throughout the UK.
www.ventrolla.co.uk
www.ventrolla.co.uk
Keep an eye out for the launch of our
“Save Our Sashes” campaign.
Ventrolla gets FSC approval
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is
an independent, non-governmental,
not for profit organisation established to
promote the responsible management
of the world’s forests.
The FSC provides help and support to
companies interested in responsible forestry.
Products carrying the FSC label are
independently certified to assure consumers that
they come from forests that are managed to meet
the social, economic and ecological needs of
present and future generations.
The facts surrounding the implementation of such
a scheme focus on the 32 million acres of forest
that is cleared each year – this is the equivalent
to losing 71 thousand football pitches every day.
This equates to removing 4.4 million trees per
year, of which only 38% are currently replaced.
In addition, deforestation contributes to many
environmental issues around the world, including:
• 25% of all carbon emissions into the
atmosphere come from deforestation
• Overuse of natural resources
• 80% of the world’s resources are consumed by
only 20% of the population
• Rising global temperatures will bring changes
in weather patterns
• Loss of Biodiversity
• 20% of known plants and animals became
extinct in the last 40 years
The process is built around being able to follow the
“Chain Of Custody” of timber from forest to end
use through ethical suppliers. “Chain Of Custody”
is defined as the path taken by raw materials,
processed materials and finished products from
the forest to the customer.
The FSC process provides a labelling scheme
for forest products that come from a well
managed forest.
In a bid to demonstrate our socially and
environmentally responsible practices within the
market place, Ventrolla Ltd now offer nine FSC
approved softwood products to their commercial
and consumer customers.
All FSC approved companies are given a
Registration Code by a Certification Body once
they have met the requirements of the scheme.
Ventrolla’s registration code is TT-COC-002450
and all codes can be checked on the FSC website.
For more information you can visit www.fsc.org

Environmentally
Friendly
Ventrolla recognises it has an impact on the
environment primarily through the use of natural
resources, energy utilisation, use of packaging
and the generation and disposal of waste.
In light of this, we introduced our new
Environmental Policy in 2008.
Ventrolla is committed to providing resources
and infrastructure to comply with relevant
environmental regulatory requirements and
applicable codes of practice, and to also deliver
continuous improvement of environmental
business performance.
Our aim is to minimise Ventrolla’s impact on
the environment and develop business
practices that contribute to the sustainability
of natural resources.
To meet our aims we are committed to:
• Only sourcing and using timber from
sustainable (managed) forests that meet
recognised timber certification schemes,
such as the Forest Stewardship Council
(FSC) or equivalent.
• Measure Ventrolla’s carbon footprint and
become carbon neutral.
• Where practical, only using recycled
materials and packaging.
• Liaising with our suppliers to keep packaging
to a minimum.
• Minimise waste and, where practical, reduce
the amount of waste sent to landfill.
• Recycling of waste materials and products,
where possible.
• Minimising use of solvent based paints,
during restoration work.
• Being aware of the chemicals we use
and, where practical, use only
biodegradable chemicals.
• Implementing procedures to minimise noise The Ventrolla service itself contributes to
disturbance to neighbours. saving energy, by focusing on the renovation
• Minimising our energy and fuel consumption. of existing materials rather than replacing with
new. This applies to both the timber and glass
• Maintaining equipment and vehicles on a in the period windows we work with.
regular basis.
In addition to the above measures, offices For more information or for a copy of our
throughout the Ventrolla network are Environmental Policy you can speak to our
introducing further measures to help contribute Technical Team on 01423 859 323, email us at
to reducing our carbon footprint, such as low info@ventrolla.co.uk, or visit our website
emission vans in and around London. www.ventrolla.co.uk.

For more information and to find our nearest office call

FREEPHONE 0800 0277 454 or visit www.ventrolla.co.uk