Wed, 03 Jun 2026 07:43:20 +0100 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/ Lussumo Vanilla 1.0.3 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=11486&Focus=190708#Comment_190708 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=11486&Focus=190708#Comment_190708 Mon, 02 Dec 2013 15:38:12 +0000 Nick Parsons https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=11486&Focus=190709#Comment_190709 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=11486&Focus=190709#Comment_190709 Mon, 02 Dec 2013 15:47:02 +0000 beelbeebub
Luckily my door handles have good leverage, but I did find that using a file to ease the tips of the locking bars to give a lead in and "wedge" action. I also used some lubrication to help reduce the locking force.]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=11486&Focus=190712#Comment_190712 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=11486&Focus=190712#Comment_190712 Mon, 02 Dec 2013 15:55:33 +0000 Nick Parsons https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=11486&Focus=190714#Comment_190714 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=11486&Focus=190714#Comment_190714 Mon, 02 Dec 2013 16:18:53 +0000 owlman https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=11486&Focus=190727#Comment_190727 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=11486&Focus=190727#Comment_190727 Mon, 02 Dec 2013 17:56:00 +0000 Peter_in_Hungary I have 2 such locking mechanisms by different manufactures and they both have rollers on the sliding part in the door that engage with the ironmongery fixed to the door frame. The rollers are on an eccentric and with the use of an allen key you can adjust the amount of engagement. I had to adjust both of mine once on installation and have been ok since, but then the doors are engineered softwood so I don't expect them to move. I hope your oak doors won't be subject to seasonal movement otherwise you could be in for constant adjustment or non-tight seals at sometimes through the year.]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=11486&Focus=190730#Comment_190730 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=11486&Focus=190730#Comment_190730 Mon, 02 Dec 2013 18:13:44 +0000 Nick Parsons https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=11486&Focus=190791#Comment_190791 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=11486&Focus=190791#Comment_190791 Tue, 03 Dec 2013 14:06:58 +0000 pmusgrove https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=11486&Focus=190824#Comment_190824 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=11486&Focus=190824#Comment_190824 Tue, 03 Dec 2013 19:00:48 +0000 Fred56
I have removed some of the catches on the main entrance and the bottom stiker plates of the french doors. If the door frames and doors had been manufactured to something a bit more in square it would have helped. TWAS may be A+ in the BRE green guide but that does not make them good.]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=11486&Focus=190868#Comment_190868 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=11486&Focus=190868#Comment_190868 Wed, 04 Dec 2013 13:16:10 +0000 djh Posted By: Fred56TWAS

??]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=11486&Focus=190877#Comment_190877 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=11486&Focus=190877#Comment_190877 Wed, 04 Dec 2013 14:39:18 +0000 Fred56 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=11486&Focus=190882#Comment_190882 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=11486&Focus=190882#Comment_190882 Wed, 04 Dec 2013 15:09:28 +0000 djh https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=11486&Focus=190884#Comment_190884 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=11486&Focus=190884#Comment_190884 Wed, 04 Dec 2013 15:17:14 +0000 Jamster
"I have removed some of the catches on the main entrance and the bottom stiker plates of the french doors. If the door frames and doors had been manufactured to something a bit more in square it would have helped. TWAS may be A+ in the BRE green guide but that does not make them good."

Fred56, I'm not sure I like the sound of this - I am just thinking about ordering windows and doors from them! What has their aftercare been like? Who fitted the doors?]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=11486&Focus=190909#Comment_190909 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=11486&Focus=190909#Comment_190909 Thu, 05 Dec 2013 06:36:38 +0000 Fred56
Howarth were OK prior to order, except for a couple of sneaky changes they made in the final spec without warning me. You have to read every item before you agree the final version and not assume they are the same as the previous iteration of the quote.
The problems set in immediately on delivery.
The doors did not have a part M compliant threshold despite this being specified in my schedule. They do this by misrepresenting the door set in their catalog by airbrushing out the big, thick hardwood cill. They refused to resolve this and it took a lot of agro on site to amend things and reach a compromise with the BCO.
The main door also does not fit its frame, the frame is not square being 5mm wider at the head than at the cill. Howarth say that their trade body allow a +/- 5mm error on every dimension so no joy there.
The french doors have cheap and nasty rack bolts on the slave door - also not illustrated in the catalog.
One set of French doors were so far out of square that Howarth had to remake them. These doors, two sets, have been dreadful, and we have to keep on tweaking them, like taking off the bottom striker plates.
The french doors were by far the worst air leak when we did our air tests (we did did two, one prior to lining to identify leaks and one on completion). They are a bad sources of draughts in the rooms.
Two windows had cracked glass due to the factory fitters hitting the glass with brads when pinning the beads. Howarth replaced these, eventually.
One window has ill-fitted glass so there is a very bad air leak between the glass and frame. Another has bad scratching on the glass.
Paint finish is very poor in parts but good in others.

The replacement French doors and glass took a long time to correct. Howarth do have a fleet of vans with remedial joiners - you may ask yourself why. These chaps seems quite good but the head office person I spoke too when we first got the windows was hostile, rude and totally unhelpful. I had to drag everything out of Howarth and I am not satisfied.

We never managed to get satisfactory invoices from Howarth that was adequate evidence of responsible sourcing. If you are working to the Code or BREEAM, don't use them as you will not get adequate evidence of responsible sourcing.

We will never use Howarth again.

Our doors all came as sets with the doors pre-hung to the frame. They fitting to the building was done by a joiner from Darlington called Richard Coates. He is first rate even among the joiners we know and we do know some very good joiners. Any one in doubt about this can visit and look at his work here.

Fred]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=11486&Focus=190910#Comment_190910 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=11486&Focus=190910#Comment_190910 Thu, 05 Dec 2013 07:50:33 +0000 Beau https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=11486&Focus=190911#Comment_190911 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=11486&Focus=190911#Comment_190911 Thu, 05 Dec 2013 08:05:06 +0000 Fred56 As time go by some of the SbD windows are becoming very hard to open and close. Wood is a natural material and it does not stay the same shape all the time. This does not mix well with the multipoint closures.]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=11486&Focus=190918#Comment_190918 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=11486&Focus=190918#Comment_190918 Thu, 05 Dec 2013 09:18:38 +0000 owlman https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=11486&Focus=190920#Comment_190920 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=11486&Focus=190920#Comment_190920 Thu, 05 Dec 2013 09:25:26 +0000 Nick Parsons
You ask are multipoint locks really necessary. Ironically, for myself, no, but as I was looking at third parties' security, I felt they should have 'bells and whistles'. Hmm. Didn't realise how much tuning the bells and whistles would take!!]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=11486&Focus=190928#Comment_190928 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=11486&Focus=190928#Comment_190928 Thu, 05 Dec 2013 10:18:36 +0000 Nick Parsons
Have you made sure that all possible recipients within the Howarth group are aware of that, and of the 'saga'?

It does not always work, but when I have an issue with a company, particularly where I do not have a specific point of contact, or where that P-O-C has been useless, I send e-mails to 'info@', 'admin@', webmaster@', 'enquiries@', as well as to any senior execs whose names I can find via web-sites or LinkedIn or whatever.

In one case, with a letting agent who continued to hound my son and his flat-mate for 'arrears' after they had left a flat (with a clear rent a/c), after such an onslaught at 7 p.m. one evening, I was copied in to an e-mail at 8.07 a.m. the following day saying ''Morning

Please could somebody take responsibility for and handle the below (sic)?

Many Thanks''

By 8.30 a.m. the following day I had received a phone call. Not half as apologetic as it should have been, but at least confirming that they would cease their attempt to chase non-existent rent arrears!]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=11486&Focus=190935#Comment_190935 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=11486&Focus=190935#Comment_190935 Thu, 05 Dec 2013 10:56:16 +0000 owlman
Sounds like you went through the wars with these windows Fred. I'd just like to redress the balance, slightly. Last year I built a large rectangular walk in bay and I used three of Howarth's Storvik 3G range of windows to construct the bay. I fabricated my own corner posts I wanted to oversize them, although Howarth offered to supply their standard size. The windows were well made, pre-painted, and delivered on time, but without a warning phone call which left the lone driver struggling until, after a client phone call we all rushed to help. The 3M long main unit weighed a ton and may have been better supplied with some at least of the window sections loose for on site fitting. We managed, but it was a five man lift. Apart from these minor hiccups the windows were fine, within their quite competitive price range. The clients are very happy with them.]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=11486&Focus=190947#Comment_190947 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=11486&Focus=190947#Comment_190947 Thu, 05 Dec 2013 13:13:33 +0000 Andrew_Doran Posted By: BeauAre multipoint lock really necessary?

I made a front door recently (inspired by DIY insulated doors on here) and chose a multipoint lock in preference to mortice locks.

I chose one with hooks and roller cams because I wanted the rollers to pull the door tight against the seal when closed, and also to counter any warpage that might develop over time (due to anticipated poor workmanship). I read that rollers are usually only used with UPVC doors. I was also interested in the convenience of easy unlocking+opening.]]>