Leading Hardwood Manufacturer of Timber Windows » Timba News

Tilt and Turn Timber Windows

Noel — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 02:18:54 +0000

Timba Windows now supplies the efficient Tilt and Turn window system. We are working closely with leading trade distributor Lincoln Sentry who are, amongst other things, the sole importers of Gu Tilt&Turn hardware. Tilt and Turn windows can be custom made for any size space with an action that opens inwards and is operated with only one handle for an easy to use 3 position operation. Brilliant! The window fully opens inwards like a door or for ventilation, the window tilts at the top allowing for a more gentle air flow. When closed a modular central locking system provides fantastic security and an efficient climate control is a matter of course with the air tight triple weather strip system. Glass can be cleaned from inside with safety which is a bonus for those living in multi storey buildings. This beautifully designed and manufactured window performs perfectly every time.

Timba Windows Tilt and Turn Windows – utilising state-of-the-art GU hardware technology from Europe combined with the beautiful finish of Australian natural timber.

Function, form and design

Plenty of scope for design creativity due to floor-to-ceiling sash rebate heights up to 2800mm;
Vision not distracted by ugly hinges, just the handle is visible;
Barrier free balcony and patio door designs are possible;
Sound proof characteristics, improved window tightness, great energy saving measures;
Technically perfect hardware system, proven guaranteed quality and performance.

Windows, doors and door frames for RMIT University Swanston Academic Building

Noel — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 02:05:46 +0000

The Swanston Academic Building (SAB) is RMIT’s biggest investment in a teaching and learning facility to date and the largest construction project that RMIT has ever undertaken. Designed by Lyons Architects the building will cover a Gross Floor Area (GFA) of 35,000 square metres, will be 11 storeys and will form a significant part of RMIT University’s “Swanston Street precinct.” The Swanston Academic Building is aiming to achieve a Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) 5-star Green Star Education Rating that signifies “Australian Excellence” in environmentally sustainable design.

The Swanston Academic Building occupies the vacant Swanston Street car park next to the Oxford Hotel, on the corner of Swanston and A’Beckett Streets, and the former site of RMIT Building 48, at 449 Swanston Street, which was demolished in 2009. This new building is an impressive undertaking and Timba Windows are proud to be contracted to supply the internal windows, doors and door frames, glazing and wood paneling. Material specifications have strict design and environmental considerations, with all timber specified to be either re-used, post-consumer recycled or Forest Stewardship Council Certified timber. The certified timber we chose to use is Tasmanian Oak, made to order and painted in Japan Black and satin clear.

Building key features are:

35,000sqm of floor space and 11 levels (including basement)
12 lecture theatres, 64 teaching spaces and 10 specialist learning venues for the whole RMIT community
New home for College of Business students and staff
Two-storey cantilevered student portal that overhangs Swanston Street
Nine additional double-height student portals for study and recreation, with landscaped indoor gardens and curated spaces for public art
An innovative mix of teaching and office space on all levels of the building to encourage more interaction between staff and students
Retail outlets on Swanston, A’Beckett and Stewart Streets

High-performance facade

The high-performance facade includes external sun shading, internal blinds and double-glazed units.

Central Plant
Chilled water for the Swanston Academic Building will be sourced from a chilled water plant room that is located on the roof of RMIT’s Building 12, opposite SAB on Swanston Street on the City Campus. This option is more energy- efficient than the installation of a localised chilled water plant on the roof of SAB.

Water conservation
Rainwater and grey water collection and reuse for toilet flushing and irrigation. Greywater is non-industrial wastewater generated from domestic activities that include dish washing, laundry and bathing. This water collection will reduce the landscaping demand for potable water (water that is safe for drinking) by at least 90%.

Water efficient fittings and fixtures
The fixtures and flow rates for toilet flushing and hand wash basins have 6-Star Water Efficiency and Standard (WELS) ratings. WELS is an Australian Government labelling scheme that is designed to help Australian businesses and households save water.

Demand-based Control Ventilation (DCV)
DCV maintains proper ventilation and improves air quality while saving energy. DCV reduces the total outdoor air supply to an indoor space during peri- ods of less occupancy. Carbon Dioxide Gas (CO2) sensors control the amount of ventilation for the actual number of occupants.

Displacement ventilation in lecture theatres
Displacement ventilation systems supply air directly to the occupied area of a venue. This system is used for ventilation and cooling of large high spaces, such as lecture theatres, where energy can be saved if only the occupied zone is treated rather than trying to control the conditions in the entire space.

Active Chilled Beams
Active Chilled Beams will be installed in cellular and open-plan office spaces. Active Chilled Beam technology is a building conditioning system that uses convection and water that is transferred through a hydronic water loop system – to efficiently move energy throughout a building for the purposes of heating and cooling. The chilled beam units are linear in form, giving the appearance of a beam. Active Chilled Beams are known for energy- efficient, comfortable, quiet operation in a robust system and low maintenance requirements.

Energy efficiency lighting
Occupancy sensors – also known as ultrasonic switchers – activate lighting when movement is detected in a room. The lights remain turned on for as long as there is movement in the room. Lights automatically switch off when rooms are vacated.

Metering (water and electricity)
Building Management System integrated water metres will be installed throughout the Swanston Academic Building to allow remote monitoring of water consumption. Energy metres will also be installed throughout SAB to allow remote monitoring of electricity and gas consumption of electrical and mechanical services.

Low–Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) paints
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) refer to organic chemical compounds that have significant vapor pressures and can affect the environment and human health. Low VOC paints will be used throughout the Swanston Academic Building.

Carbon pollution and Wood as a building material

Noel — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 23:20:57 +0000

Going to air under the new Planet Ark Environmental Edge brand, a new television commercial highlights the fact that wood stores carbon and that this is an environmental positive. Australia’s native forests, timber plantations and wood products are net absorbers of greenhouse gases, sequestering 56.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2005, reducing Australia’s total greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 10%.

Presented by award-winning architect and host of Grand Designs Australia, Peter Maddison, the commercial was shot in Kangaroo Ground outside Melbourne where a home under construction featured recycled bridge timbers, and in suburban Kew using a finished house designed by Vibe Design Group.

The spot was directed by Rebecca Gilling and produced by Image Control for Planet Ark.

Wood – a low carbon footprint solution

Noel — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 08:26:31 +0000

Article from Ecos Magazine, A CSIRO publication

With the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warning that at least 60 per cent reductions in greenhouse gas emissions will be needed to stabilise emissions at double pre-industrial levels, organisations across a range of industry sectors are now considering where such deep cuts can be achieved at a profit. There are some surprisingly simple and practical options already being successfully employed. How many consumers in Australia, for example, realise that using more sustainable plantation timber products significantly reduces your carbon footprint?

Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) studies show that plantation timber products have a far less harmful ‘footprint’ than many other materials in terms of greenhouse gas emissions and embodied energy. If sourced from sustainably managed plantations, timber products can significantly reduce the greenhouse gas emissions impact from activities such as building, and products such as furniture, entertainment units, flooring materials, window frames and playground and park seats, to name a few. In fact, LCA studies show that of all the materials considered, plantation timber has the lowest environmental impact compared to other options. Why is that? Let’s consider how plantation timber performs in terms of greenhouse gas emissions when compared to other materials in a few key consumer markets. Within the building sector, a comparison of three houses established by researchers1 calculated that a predominantly steel house contains 553 GJ of embodied energy, whilst a predominantly concrete house contains 396 GJ. A predominantly timber house contains just 232 GJ.

Similarly, recent research 2 made a comparative assessment of steel, concrete and wood building material and found that wood had the lowest embodied energy. Also, the higher the embodied energy of the building, the more air toxins (such as carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide, particulates, nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons) were released into the atmosphere. Steel and concrete buildings are therefore much worse in this respect.

Flooring is a significant market globally, and LCA studies of three different types of material for flooring (solid wood, linoleum and vinyl/PVC) have been assessed. 3 The functional unit was defined as 1 m2 of flooring and the considered lifetimes of each of the products were based on real world data of average lifetimes: 25 years for linoleum, 20 years for PVC and 40 years for wood. The wood flooring was found to consume the lowest amount of energy in manufacturing (electricity and fossil fuel), followed by linoleum and PVC.

By comparing global warming potentials of these flooring materials, this study showed that PVC had the highest global warming potential (GWP) of 4.2 kg/m2. This was 2.5 times greater than linoleum (1.6 kg/m2), while the GWP of wood was negligible (0.42 kg/m2). In other measures – such as acidification potential and photo- chemical ozone creation potential – wood was found again to be the best performer.

LCA studies of window frames again showed the same trend for wood, compared with aluminium and PVC, in terms of global warming potential, acidification potential, eutrophication potential and photochemical ozone creation potential. 4But does this footprint benefit extend to the use of wood components in particular products? Absolutely. LCA studies looking at the effect of including more wood in entertainment units for TVs and DVD players, for example, found that wood reduces the overall environmental load of the product. 5LCA studies of office furniture suggest there is great potential for timber furniture, or at least office furniture with higher timber content, to make a significant difference to greenhouse gas emissions. Furniture (particularly in the office environment) can contribute a surprising amount to the overall environmental impact of a building. A number of analyses of office and residential buildings show that the embodied energy in the structure of buildings is significant. 6 But a Forest and Wood Products Research and Development Corporation 2003 7 report highlights that ‘When the life span of the building is taken into account, the embodied energy from the office furniture, which is replaced many times over the life span of the building, actually becomes the most important item in the life cycle of the building. 8 In fact, McCoubrie demonstrates that office furniture, compared to other elements in the building, accounts for 31 per cent of the life cycle energy of a medium-rise Melbourne office building over a 40-year period. 9 Frequent replacement of the office furniture was found to be the cause of the high percentage of embodied energy.’

However, the report points out that McCoubrie’s model does not account for any reselling of used furniture for second- hand use, therefore re-using furniture in addition to increasing wood content would reduce the energy implications over the life span of the building even further.

But the conclusions of these LCA studies – and thinking on the beneficial effects of plantation forestry – recently appeared to have been dealt a blow by an article in the international science journal Nature. Frank Keppler and colleagues reported for the first time that plants can directly emit methane, a significant green- house gas that plays a central role in atmospheric oxidation chemistry and affects stratospheric ozone and water vapour levels. 10 An opinion piece by David Lowe in the same issue of Nature stated ‘we now have the spectre that new forests might increase global warming through methane emissions rather than decrease it by sequestering CO2’, which has sparked significant interest from the media.

The authors of the paper itself soon responded 11 to what they saw as misrepresentation and misreporting of their results by Nature’s opinion article and other media. In the clarification they said ‘these estimates show that methane emissions by plants may slightly diminish the effect of reforestation programs. However, the climatic benefits gained through carbon sequestration by reforestation far exceed the relatively small negative effect, which may reduce the carbon uptake effect by up to four per cent. Thus, the potential for reduction of global warming by planting trees is most definitely positive.’

In Australia, Ensis scientists have tested this assumption, using Keppler’s methodology as reported in Nature, by comparing estimates of methane emissions for radiata pine forests with the amounts of carbon stored, to determine the overall effect. 12 They found that the average amount of methane emitted would offset about five per cent of the carbon dioxide stored by trees in terms of its effect in contributing to global warming.

In further evidence of the benefits of plantation timber to greenhouse gas reduction, world-first studies by the Australian CRC for Greenhouse Accounting show that timber and paper products could be significantly better carbon stores than previously thought. Until recently it was assumed that it took about 10 years in landfill for timber and paper products to decompose and release their carbon emissions. But the research by the CRC showed that timber that had been in landfill for 46 years had only lost between 1.4 to 3.5 per cent of its carbon. Paper, likewise, had lost very little of its carbon over 20–50 year periods in landfill, significantly altering the thinking on carbon storage times.

Similarly, in the past, scientists have assumed that the rate of decomposition of leaf litter and the roots of felled trees was rapid, thus quickly releasing stored carbon. But, again the CRC for Greenhouse Accounting’s research shows that the actual rate of decomposition is orders of magnitude less than thought previously.

These outcomes underline that further research is now needed on this critical carbon accounting issue by other nations, in order to establish whether the same results occur under different local conditions. They also reinforce how timber products from plantations can help to appreciably reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Buchanan AH and Honey BG (1994) Energy and carbon dioxide implications of building construction. Energy and Building 20, 205–217.
Glover J (2001) Which is better? Steel, concrete or wood. A comparison of assessments on three building materials in the housing sector.Fourth year thesis, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Sydney. (In this work, the comparison of embodied energy was derived from data obtained by Lawson B (1996) Building Materials Energy and the Environment. Towards Ecologically Sustainable Development. The Royal Australian Institute of Architects, and The Canadian Wood Council (1994–2000) Life cycle analysis for residential buildings. Canadian Wood Council Technical Bulletin No. 5.)
Jo?nsson A, Tillman A and Svensson T (1997) Life cycle assessment of flooring materials – case study. Building and Environment 32(3), 245.
Findings of Glover J, (2001) and Jo?nsson A, et al (1997) summarized in this article are based on the research presented in Taylor J,Langenberg, K V, (2003) Review of the Environmental Impact of Wood Compared with Alternative Products Used in the Production ofFurniture. Forest and Wood Products Research and Development Corporation (FWPRDC).
Nedermark R (1998) Ecodesign at Bang & Olufsen. Product Innovation and Eco-efficiency. Twenty-three Industry Efforts to reach the Factor 4. (Eds J Klostermann and A Tukker). Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Goverse T, Hekkert M, Groenewegen P, Worrell E and Smits R (2001) Wood innovation in the residential construction sector; opportunities and constraints. Resources, Conservation and Recycling 34, 53. Harris D (1999) A quantitative approach to the assessment of the environmental impact of building materials. Building and Environment 34, 751. Cole R and Kernan P (1996) Life-cycle energy use in office buildings. Building and Environment 31, 307. Chen T, Burnett J and Chau C (2001) Analysis of embodied energy use in the residential building of Hong Kong. Energy 26 (4), 323. McCoubrie A and Treloar G (1998) Life-cycle embodied energy in office furniture. In Proceedings of embodied energy – The current state of play, pp. 113–118, Deakin University, Geelong.
Taylor J, Langenberg K V, (2003) Review of the Environmental Impact of Wood Compared with Alternative Products Used in the Production of Furniture. Forest and Wood Products Research and Development Corporation (FWPRDC).
Goverse T, Hekkert M, Groenewegen P, Worrell E and Smits R (2001) Wood innovation in the residential construction sector; opportunities and constraints. Resources, Conservation and Recycling 34, 53.
McCoubrie A and Treloar G (1998) Life-cycle embodied energy in office furniture. In Proceedings of embodied energy – The current state of play, pp. 113–118, Deakin University, Geelong.
Keppler F, Hamilton J, Brab M, Ro?ckmann, T (2006) Methane emissions from terrestrial plants under aerobic conditions. Nature 439, 187.
www.greenhouse.crc.org.au/crc/research/methane-from-plants/maxplanck.pdf
http://www.ensisjv.com/Default.aspx?PageContentID=736&tabid=318

Air seals for sliding and bi-fold timber doors

Noel — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 00:42:43 +0000

Air seal gaps in exterior timber sliding and bi-fold doors can be problematic, especially older type hardware systems that may be wearing. There can be a number of issues that cause air leaks, the most common being a gap between the end that should overlap the inside edge when shut. Warping of older hardwood over time can cause these gaps to open up and allow air to penetrate easily. A renewal or reinstatement of a foam type stick on seal will help, or if the gap is at the strike end it is also possible to plane straight the door edge so that a flat seal is obtained.

With Winter upon us and energy bills set to increase it is perhaps time look at the alternatives. Timba Windows manufacture doors made from kiln dried hardwood from Australian native plantation timbers ensuring superior air seal over the life of the joinery. Modern high quality hardware used also has better wear properties including top hung sliding mechanisms and brush type air seals on bifolds.

Our hardware is manufactured by Brio® Australia. Brio® is an innovative sliding and folding door hardware manufacturer – a leader in design and quality.

Custom reproduction double hung sash windows in American Ash

Noel — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 06:34:45 +0000

We produce many reproduction windows and doors and one of our jobs in production is a 90 year old set of double hung sash windows for a single fronted terrace house in Moonee Ponds that was built around 1920. Age has wearied these windows and they are beyond repair but the owners were keen to retain the original feel of the house so re-manufacturing was the best option. The individually matched timber profile ensures a perfect match to the original period style and they operate with a traditional pulley and sash mechanism. Specifically hand crafted and built by our master-joiner Rob, these windows are made from specially imported thermally modified timber known as American Ash and unlike the originals will have a perfect seal to keep extreme weather elements outside.

Scope of works
Remove existing window
Howard up existing openings
Return to factory for reproduction work
Manufacture new with double glazing
Return windows to site
Install on site
Supply and install new architraves and trims to match existing
Clean up and removal of rubbish

Timber Windows and Doors manufactured out of Araucanio Hoop Pine Finger Jointed

Sarah — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 01:30:39 +0000

Description:

The CERES Van Raay Centre is the new green building complex located at the entrance of the site on the corner of Roberts and Stewart Street, Brunswick East. The centre showcases the best building practice in environmentally sustainable building design and construction. It was designed for the use of organisations who need facilities and for CERES to better develop their values.

Longmuir Construction the Builder of this project who requested a need for a large quantity of windows and doors using environmentally friendly timber approached a Timba window. The project consisted of the design and make of many windows for the Van Raay Building including fixed windows, sash windows, double hung windows and Truth casement windows. All produced using Araucaria Hoop Pine Finger Jointed timber. In addition to the windows were single light glazed doors produced using the same Timber. All glazing on this project is Double glazed glass unit. To achieve the energy rating required.

The supplier for the project was Britton timber’s that sourced the timber from Queensland. The timber produced is Plantation hoop pine and is titled ‘Araucaria Hoop Pine Finger Jointed’. Araucaria is native Australian softwood, newly grown in plantations. It is commonly used to build and decorate Australian homes over the generations. Araucaria has a uniform colour, a fine even grain and texture with a high strength to weight performance.

During the project Timba windows worked closely with Paul Haar Architects and also Gregory Burgees Architects who have an international reputation through projects such as Koorie Heritage Trust, Eltham Library, Melbourne, Box Hill Community Arts Centre, Twelve Apostles Visitor Centre and the Sidney Myer Music Bowl refurbishment. The outcome of the project was not only visibly eye catching and modern but environmentally friendly and practical. The project was a success as everything ran smoothly, efficiently and on time., and with in the budget required .

Photography by Glenda Roberts

Timber custom designed sliding windows and bifold door unit.

Sarah — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 03:46:41 +0000

Description:

The project began with the client’s request of a custom design sliding hardwood timber window to compliment the families’ new kitchen renovation. The design brief was to enhance the full view of the new and improved kitchen from the pergola to the outside entertainment area. One request the client asked was that the timber hardwood frame didn’t impend the view from the inside. The first step was the removal of all existing aluminium windows, which had quite visibly outdated. Followed by the insertion of the custom designed sliding window measured at 1800H x 2900W. The timber window was a Brio 120 single run system.

This stylish and modern kitchen setting was also complimented by our custom designed timber bifold door unit. Bi fold doors are created to open up the area selected by creating uninterrupted views, provide simple and easy access to the entertainment area and capture an architectural appeal to the setting.

The bifold door unit supplied by hardware suppliers Brio which measured at 2400H x 3700W was a Weatherfold Coastal Elite System. This system is designed for exterior folding doors suitable for both residential and commercial inward or outward opening applications. Since its debut weatherfold has been the absolute standard for durability and performance.

The timber chosen for the Cheeseman Street home in Brighton East was Kiln dried, select grade Victorian Ash. The clients outlook was to achieve an outdoor inside area and with this request we delivered. Finally we placed a two door bifold unit into the opposing courtyard which upon entry to the property are two balanced bifold units to a clear view window with an ultra modern window.

The client’s response when approached about the project was

I was absolutely delighted with overall service and quality, workmanship was outstanding and follow up was fantastic.

Thermally modified timber for doors and windows

Noel — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 04:29:53 +0000

By Karen Debats
BPD-Building Products Digest

Thermally modified wood is the latest entry in the U.S. decking marketplace. Unlike recently introduced alternatives, the product is real wood that is treated with heat or steam-but no chemicals or other additives.

Thermally treated timber for dcking and ballustrades

“This industry has heard a lot of promises through the years: promises of a wood product that would truly be a viable alternative to composites and treated materials,” said Ron Long, president and c.e.o. of Bay Tree Technologies, Memphis, Tn. “We’re proud to introduce a safe, natural alternative with proven technology behind it.”
The thermal modification process was developed in Finland and has been used extensively in Europe since the mid-1990s. Using specially designed kilns, the wood is heated at high temperatures that reportedly improve dimensional stability, chemically transform sugars in the wood so they can’t be digested by insects or decay organisms, and produce uniform coloration. The result, say proponents, is natural wood that lasts longer and performs better.
Bay Tree is one of three companies that were formed to offer the product in the U.S. The other two are Cambia by Greenleaf, which operates in Kingston, N.H., and Westwood Timber Group, King of Prussia, Pa.
Bay Tree’s entry is called PureWood and includes two profiles: traditional-style Sahara and Euro-style Linea. Both are produced from southern yellow pine in a new, 84,800-sq. ft. building owned and operated by Burke Garden Products in Terre Haute, In. A second plant in the Pacific Northwest will treat Douglas fir.
PureWood recently won a place in the GreenSpec Directory, one of the most respected resources in the green industry. “We developed this company and product to be environmentally responsible,” said Long. “This is a clear endorsement that PureWood meets those requirements.”

Thermally treated timber for external joinery

BuilderReady Products, Atlanta, Ga., will distribute the new decking in the Southeast. “There’s little doubt that PureWood decking will be well received by our customers,” said president Nick Hobbs. “It offers the performance and simplicity that our dealers want and their clients are asking for. A real wood product with the performance of composite or chemically treated decking has been a long time coming.”
Cambia by Greenleaf is a joint venture formed by Northland Forest Products, Kingston, N.H., a leading supplier of FSC-certified hardwoods, and PCI Industries, Quebec, which brought thermal modification technology to Canada in 2003. Cambia’s first kiln is located at Northland’s facility in Kingston. As demand increases, more kilns will be added in Kingston and at Northland’s second facility in Troy, Va.
“Based on the number of homeowners who choose pressure treated and imported hardwood decking, it’s fair to say that homeowners prefer wood,” said Gary Weinstein, who handles marketing for Cambia. “Thermally modified decking overcomes issues and concerns related to both.”
On the green side, Cambia is made from domestic poplar that is sustainably grown on family-owned lands. However, the dark color resulting from thermal modification causes the product to be mistaken for exotic, imported hardwoods.
“Most homeowners would like to use green building products, but are generally unwilling to pay more,” said Weinstein. “Cambia may be the first green building product that performs better and costs less than products developed to replace wood.”
Keim Lumber, Charm, Oh., is the first in the U.S. to purchase and use Westwood Timber’s Thermo-Treatment equipment. “The green aspect appealed to us because we can have treated wood that is chemical and metal free,” said Noah Yoder, Keim’s general manager.

Cambia thermally treated Weatherboard

He said that Keim’s Thermo-Wood exhibit at the International Builders Show elicited lots of interest from attendees. So far, Keim has shipped the treated wood to a flooring manufacturer in California and a door manufacturer in Arizona. They’ve also shipped closer to home, in Pennsylvania.
As for the future, Keim hopes to install a second kiln when demand warrants. Westwood Timber hopes to sign on more manufacturers. “We’re also planning to expand to the West next year,” said Igor Danchenko, Westwood’s president.