Clearview National March 2015 - Issue 160 | Page 34

DOORS&WINDOWS Commercial Thermally Broken Doors... Are they the future? »»“Thermally Broken Doors; are they the future of commercial automatic doors or are they just a sales fad?” asks Del Thomas, Director of Global Automatics... “It has been well noted that the main reason for specifying thermally broken aluminium is for heat or cooling retention inside buildings to reduce the amount of energy used. Architects and designers are increasingly concerned with future shortages in energy-resources, enlarging world population, and environmental changes. It’s only natural that we are now looking for efficient buildings and that includes our commercial doors with automatic operators.” So what is thermally broken and why will it help? “Economically and environmentally, thermal control within any establishment is an important factor when choosing entranceways. Aluminium is an ideal material for constructing doors as it is extremely robust, light and durable. However, aluminium is also a great conductor of heat which means that, on its own, it delivers poor insulation against the winter weather and provides little protection from the heat. Nevertheless, a thermally broken aluminium door instantaneously solves this insulation problem by using a thermal break, also known as a thermal barrier. According to the English Building Regulations (Approved Document L-1B, 2010 edition) all doors require a U-Value (heat loss value) of 1.8 W/m2 .K. Thermally broken aluminium doors remain as strong as other aluminium doors and can still be powder coated. They are used to separate two heat-conducting resources, as they do not conduct any heat. Thermal breaks act as a barrier to prevent heat transferring between them. In the case of our thermally broken unit, the temperature from inside the building remains in the property and vice versa with the outdoor temperature. Therefore, thermally broken aluminium doors play an important role in the protection of insulation and energy efficiency, thus saving the use of thermal energy and heating costs. As a result of this, Global Automatics will be focusing on Energy Efficient Systems over the next 3 years. We have tried our upmost to verify any data used in this article but cannot confirm its accuracy in entirety. Environmental Energy efficiency is a fascinating subject and we implore you to fully research this yourself for a fuller understanding.” *Diagram from: http:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peak_oil Specialist Manufacture & Supply of the Highest Quality Fixings to the Glass, Sign & Fit-out Industries Dedicated to providing our customers with the best possible practical solution for their application. • Drilled & Tapped Screws • Conical, Dome & Mushroom Coverheads • Flat & Securit Style Coverheads • Mirror & Glass Fixings & Fittings Tel: [phone] | E: [email protected] | www.fkmoore.co.uk F K Moore Limited, 5 Wilton Road, Haine Industrial Park, Ramsgate, Kent CT12 5HD 34 » M AR 2015 » CL EARVI E W- UK . C O M