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MAY 2014 PRO INSTALLER
PRO NEWS
www.proinstaller.co.uk
Q-Lon – What makes the world’s
best-performing window gasket?
What makes one particular PVC-U system stand out from the rest? By looking further than the profile you
will find it lies in the type of weatherseal that ultimately delivers the essential long-term performance for
the lifetime of the product, explains Ray McGrady, Marketing Director at MASCO UK Window Group.
Weatherseal performance
matters in windows. It is
the job of this vital component to provide that
all-important weathering,
thermal and acoustic performance capability that
genuinely differentiates
one PVC-U system from
another.
So what makes Q-Lon
so special and why
should installers
seriously consider its
features and benefits?
Q-Lon is the innovative weatherseal incorporated across the
complete mainframe sections of
our Duraflex window system.
It has been used in the Duraflex Diamond Suite for the last
10 years and due to its proven
performance it is also backed by
a lifetime guarantee.
Proven, Q-Lon is the best-performing gasket on the market; in
tests, outperforming the competition by wide margins. It is also
the only gasket that comes with
a full guarantee on the lifetime
of the window. A bold statement, but many of our satisfied
customers are testament to the
product’s ability to deliver the
top performance required amid
continuing emphasis on weather
performance, energy-efficiency and savings on consumers’
energy bills.
In February 2014, Comparative
Performance Tests were conducted under UKAS-accredited
conditions confirmed Q-Lon’s
consis tently high performance
throughout the life of the window
against that of flipper and bubble
seals. Each seal was tested for
air and water permeability in
accordance with BS 6375-pt 1 &
2 and cycle tested to 10,000 full
cycles of operation in accordance
with BS 6375-2 – equivalent to a
15-year life cycle.
The results showed Q-Lon performs significantly better for air
permeability during both the initial test and the second sequence,
following the cycle test. It continues to provide an effective seal,
even after 10,000 full operations
of the window. The performance
variance is just 2.33%.
Both the bubble and flipper
seals performed significantly less
effectively, even during the initial
test, with the flipper seal 55% less
effective and bubble seal 28% less
effective after 10,000 operations.
On water tightness, the flipper
seal performed poorly on both
tests, while the effectiveness of the
bubble seal is ‘degraded significantly following the cycle test,
indicating that performance will
reduce throughout the life of the
window’.
The report concluded that Q-lon,
‘provides an effective barrier to
water ingress throughout the life
of the window, and is suitable for
windows requiring exceptionally
reducing unwanted external noise
in their homes, Q-lon delivers a
valuable USP.
Beyond its world-leading weatherseal, the Duraflex Diamond
Suite’s advanced design has been
developed to meet the needs of
fabricators, installers and end-users alike. The range is complemented with an extensive range of
foiled finishes, multi-chambered
profiles and thermal reinforcements.
‘provides an effective barrier to water
ingress throughout the life of the window,
and is suitable for windows requiring
exceptionally high weather-resistance’
high weather-resistance. Additionally, Q-Lon has been demonstrated
to provide the same level of performance throughout the window
service life.’
In acoustic tests, carried out
in accordance with BS EN ISO
10140-2, the Q-Lon gasket once
again outperformed the alternative flipper seal by 1% and bubble
seal by 60%. With an increasing
number of consumers looking at
The Duraflex Diamond suite is
the only system to have ALL its
colour finishes BBA tested and
accredited, not just the standard
mahogany, golden oak and rosewood - Demonstrating further our
commitment to delivering fully
tested and accredited products,
and providing customers with the
best colour range available.
The Q-Lon weatherseal is
supplied on all windows from
the MASCO UK Window Group
divisions, including UKFabrication
(incorporating Griffin, Premier and
Techniglass), Seven Day’s nationwide network of trade depots,
Phoenix Doors and Duraflex.
MASCO UK Window Group customers benefit from a comprehensive range of marketing materials
that demonstrate the superior
performance benefits of Q-Lon, including interactive demonstration
boards for retail showrooms.
Over the last ten years, a total
of 246,006,302 metres or 152,861
miles of Q-Lon weatherseal has
gone into our windows – enough
to wrap round the earth more
than six times!
In conclusion, you could say
that ‘Making the Difference’ is
a very apt strapline for MASCO UK Window Group whose
ground-breaking Q-Lon weatherseal will continue to make that
crucial difference for fabricators,
installers and end-users for many
years to come.
Contact MASCO UKWG
on 01684 852673,
email [email protected]
or visit the website at
www.ukwg.co.uk.
FRAMEXPRESS RAISES
THE BAR AGAIN
Georgian-style windows
have become increasingly popular in recent
years with both planners and homeowners
looking to improve
rather than move.
Consequently, frameXpress has seen a steady
increase in demand as
customers have grasped
the added facet this
gives their business.
The astragal bars can be
fitted to any product to
give them the traditional
Georgian appearance of
individual panes.
An Oxfordshire renovation project recently
benefited from astragal bar
installation, where planners had stipulated that
all replacement windows
must be sympathetic to the
original appearance of the
period home. The homeowners wanted windows
with black exteriors and
white interiors.
The astragal bars were
securely fitted using clips
wrapped around the
sealed units while centre
clips incorporated a special adhesive that sticks to
the glass in all weathers.
frameXpress astragal
bar options are available
in white or woodgrain
foils and are suitable for
domestic and commercial
applications.
frameXpress offers premium quality standards
and products, manufacturing a broad range of windows, doors and conservatories in Profile 22 FS70
system. ‘A’ rated products
with SBD accreditations
are offered as standard
with a wide choice of
coloured foils.
frameXpress:
01952 581100