Increase the value of your home

In addition to increasing the perceived size of a room, increasing natural light also increases your home’s value. How, you ask? Increases in natural light make a room appear more inviting and spacious. The enhanced natural light can also highlight the home’s architectural features, creating a strong first impression and an increased perceived value by the buyer or potential renter. There are many ways to increase the amount of natural light that enters your home, including:

• Installing sliding doors
• Installing sliding or awning windows in the kitchen
• Installing glass doors
• Installing commercial framing combined with other types of window systems
• Exploring ClimateGuard thermally-broken window and door systems
• Investigating different types of glass

Installing sliding doors

Installing wide panel sliding or stacking doors into your living areas and combing them with your outdoor spaces increases natural light, room size and also creates an additional entertainment area.

Installing awning windows in the kitchen

They say the kitchen is the heart of the home, where families come together, prepare meals and entertain. Adding a servery or awning window in the kitchen, behind a sink or bench, can significantly increase the amount of natural light entering the room. A servery window is typically installed between a kitchen and outdoor living area and facilitates the easy transfer of food and drinks between both areas. Gaining popularity in residential homes with patios and entertainment areas, servery windows are easy to install and integrate indoor and outdoor living areas seamlessly.

Installing hinged door or French doors

Installing glass hinged doors or french doors instead of timber doors is a great way to increase natural light in your home. Not only do they offer uninterrupted views
of your outdoor spaces, but they are also compatible with other aluminium window systems. For example, the CityView 45mm commercial door seamlessly integrates with other CityView window systems and commercial framing systems. While a set of French doors can increase natural light and improve the aesthetics of your home and be customised via finishes & configurations to match your taste and the style of your home.

ClimateGuard thermally-broken window and door systems

When discussing energy efficiency in Australia – you can’t go past the existing NatHERs requirements. In Australia, Architects and designers must adhere to the NatHERs (National House Energy Rating Scheme) star rating to measure the energy efficiency of a residential home. Homes must meet a minimum 7-star rating for occupancy – there are several options when it comes to reducing your energy efficiency rating. Installing effective insulation in the form of batts installed in roofs and ceilings can have a significant effect on achieving the minimum rating. As will installing effective window systems with improved glazing options and increased thermal comfort. Darley’s ClimateGuard window and door systems are made with thermal-break technology that increases energy efficiency, resulting in a lowerthan- average u values of 2.5 and below. Architects and designers are under increasing pressure from not only homeowners, but stakeholders in commercial projects – who want to install the maximum number of windows and doors while still staying within the limits of government regulations for energy efficiency, WERs ratings, and u-values. The performance of a window is measured via its u-values – the lower the u-value, the greater the window’s insulating properties. U values can vary greatly – a single-glazed residential window system has an average u-value rating of 8, while the u-value for the Climateguard thermally broken Architectural Sliding Door is 2.5 Great news for architects – they can install several ClimateGuard window and door systems into the premises and stay within the limits of government regulations.

Installing commercial framing combined with other window systems

When you think of commercial framing, you tend to think of high-rise apartments and large-scale projects, but did you know installing commercial framing with aluminium window systems can have a massive impact on increasing natural light? For example, combing a commercial framing system with a double-hung window or an awning window can increase the amount of natural light and the room’s size, as shown by these project photos. Commercial framing systems provide a number of benefits to architects & designers, including design flexibility, structural integrity, and the freedom to create open floor plans. Architects have the ability to integrate a range of different design styles, including traditional or contemporary, with the use of commercial framing. Open floor plans and creating functional spaces are all a possibility with commercial framing, whether it be for residential or commercial projects, and can be easily modified for future changes in the building layout.

Explore different types of glass

Different types of glass impact the amount of natural light that enters a room. For example, Low-E (low emissivity) coated glass is designed to reflect heat and allow light to pass through it. Thereby keeping your home warm in the winter (and cool in the summer) and still allowing natural light to enter. There are two types of Low-E coatings: Hard coated low-e and Soft coated low-e. The hard coat low-e is when the coating applied to the glass in the furnace during the manufacturing process, with the coating fusing onto the glass as it cools down. This type of coating is great for energy efficiency as it is installed in the interior of the building to regulate indoor temperatures and reflect the heat or cold back into the room. One of the disadvantages of using this type of coating is the fact that it can create a haze effect
– which can be visible in certain daylight conditions.

The soft low-e coating works differently with the coating applied to the glass after it has gone through the manufacturing process and cooled down. This type of coating must be enclosed in a double glazed unit, making it last longer and perform better, and increase energy efficiency. The downside to applying the soft coat low-e to glass is that it does need to be installed by a qualified glazier or window installer in a specific way to function correctly. The good news is that Darley’s CityView, KlassicView, and ClimateGuard window and door systems are versatile and can accommodate the above glass types and a range of others with varying thickness levels.

Don’t forget about the bathroom & laundry

There is a allot of discussion around light exposure in the kitchen and other frequently used living areas but what about other areas, such as bathrooms and laundries? A great way to increase natural light in your bathroom or laundry is by installing aluminium louvre windows. Not only do they look good, but they also increase natural airflow and ventilation. Facilitating adequate ventilation in the bathroom or laundry is just as important as increasing natural light. The Darley Ventient Trickle Ventilation system ticks all the boxes when it comes to natural airflow and ventilation. It is energy efficient and, requires no power to operate, conveniently fits into window systems – passively circulating airflow according to changes in ambient temperature. Click here to find out more about Ventient.

Darley offers the complete solution

If you are a Darley customer, you have even more reason to celebrate with Darley’s CityView, KlassicView, and ClimateGuard window & door systems and commercial framing systems offering the complete solution when it comes to increasing the amount of natural light in your home – creating a brighter & welcoming environment. The Darley Aluminium website has all the product information you need, including WER’s rating, test ratings, and technical specifications – while the online customer portal gives you access to technical information such as CAD drawings, technical manuals, and fabrication videos. To find out more go to www.darleyaluminium.com.au

Acoustics

The last thing residents in an aged care facility need are the interference of outside noise. Installing window and door systems with superior soundproofing is of high importance. The sound reduction performance of an aluminium window or door system is measured in Rw. Darley has tested the acoustics performance of a number of residential, commercial, and framing systems; Click here to view an article with all the ratings. The CityView, HarbourView, and commercial framing systems all provide adequate soundproofing in aged care facilities and comply with the requirements set out in the BCA.

Flyscreens

Architects and designers need to ensure there is adequate circulation spaces in communal living environments. These spaces, where elderly residents congregate, need to maximise natural light and ventilation throughout the aged care facility. Under the BCA, all operable windows must be fitted with flyscreens to facilitate natural air flow and also protect against insects and vermin. Darley’s CityView and KlassicView ranges can all be fitted with flyscreens providing ventilation and integrating seamlessly with these residential and commercial, window & door systems.

Bushfire Ratings

Often aged care facilities are built in bushfire prone locations, therefore making it critical for developers and builders to install bushfire rated window and door systems. Several window and door systems in our CityView commercial range are BAL40 rated – Click here to find out more.

As you can see, Darley offers a range of window and door systems that cater to the specific needs of older residents. Whether it be flyscreens that provide increased airflow and ventilation or flush sills & drain sumps for flush thresholds – Darley provides the complete solution when it comes to window and door systems for aged care facilities

What’s the difference between 304 and 316 marine grade mesh?

I am sure you have heard many security brands use the term 304 marine grade stainless steel or 316 marine grade
stainless – sounds high tech but what does it actually mean?

Marine grade refers to stainless steel, that is suitable for marine environments and exposure to elements such as water, strong winds and saltwater corrosion.
304 marine grade stainless steel is generally used in outdoor environments, food processing and manufacturing
facilities – it has a chemical composition of 18% chromium and 8% nickel and provides reasonable corrosion resistance.

While 316 marine grade stainless steel also has a composition of 18% chromium and 8% nickel but with the addition of 2% – 3% of molybdenum, a metallic element that works in conjunction with the nickel alloy to provide a higher level of corrosion resistance.

Darley’s ScreenGuard stainless steel security mesh system is made with 316 marines grade stainless steel mesh, making it the perfect security system for residential homes, particularly coastal environments. Overall 316 marine grade stainless steel is considered superior over 304 marine grade stainless steel because of its higher level of corrosion resistance.

Wire Composition

As you probably already know stainless steel mesh is made of intersecting columns of stainless steel wire. This type of mesh has been around for centuries and is used in a number of applications such as fencing, barricading, grills, sisters and metal safety gloves.
As mentioned previously, the type of marine grade stainless steel is an important factor to consider because of its chemical composition and marine grade 316 is considered the superior mesh because of its higher corrosion resistance.

With the increasing popularity of 316 marine grade mesh, it has never been more important to reassure customers of the quality of the mesh used in their security products. It is for this reason, Darley send samples of our screenguardmesh to third party laboratories to verify the chemical composition of our stainlesssteel mesh and ensure customers receive quality 316 grade stainless steel.

Another aspect that needs to be taken into consideration is the diameter of the wire used in the stainless steel mesh. In Australia, the two most common wire diameter sizes are 0.8mm and 0.9mm. Our ScreenGuard system uses wire with a diameter of 0.8mm. The same wire diameter has been used in the manufacturing of ScreenGuard mesh for over 15 years, offering consistent quality and appearance but also making it slightly challenging in the weaving process with the thicker wire being harder to weave.

As you probably already know stainless steel mesh is made of intersecting columns of stainless steel wire. This type of mesh has been around for centuries and is used in a number of applications such as fencing, barricading, grills, sifters
and metal safety gloves. As mentioned previously, the type of marine grade stainless steel is an important factor to consider because of its chemical composition; marine grade 316 is considered the superior mesh because of its higher corrosion resistance.

Another aspect that needs to be taken into consideration is the diameter of the wire used in the stainless steel mesh. In
Australia, the two most common wire diameter sizes are 0.8mm for 316 marine grade mesh and 0.9mm for 304 marine grade mesh.

Our ScreenGuard system uses wire with a diameter of 0.8mm. The same wire diameter has been used in the manufacturing of ScreenGuard mesh for over 15 years, offering consistent quality and appearance but also making it slightly challenging in the weaving process with thicker wire being harder to weave. The tensile strength of the individual steel wire is an important contributor to the strength of the stainless steel mesh.

Tensile strength is the measurement of force the wire can withstand before it breaks. The stainless steel mesh used in the ScreenGuard system has a tensile strength of 850 – 900 pascals. Meaning it can bear a heavy load before breaking
– making it an ideal barrier in extreme weather conditions. It’s interesting to note – it is possible to increase the tensile strength of a single strand of stainlesssteel wire. This process is referred to as quenching and involves applying a heat treatment to the wire, followed by rapid cooling – which alters its chemical properties and increases or decreases its tensile strength.

Weaving Process

Having a high quality wire is one of the most important parts of the process but this doesn’t mean anything if it’s not combined with an effective weaving process.
There are generally 2 ways of combing metal wire to create a sheet of mesh:
– a welded wire mesh process
– a woven wire mesh process

The welded wire process for creating mesh is made using an automatic type welding machine that welds intersecting wires together to create a permanent
bond. While the woven wire mesh process uses a specialised machine and a spinning technique that shoots out the wire in a fast-action motion to create the mesh.

Our ScreenGuard stainless steel mesh uses the woven method, which relies on the precision of specialist machines.
These machines are precision-engineered, German and Japanese made machines that shoots out the wire in a fast moving action to create the weave pattern and also sets the size and shape of the hole aperture.

Consistency and appearance of the mesh

Quality is one thing, but we also want our
mesh to have a flat, smooth and consistent appearance. Not only is this aesthetically pleasing to the home owner but it also assists in providing protection from debris, pests and corrosion. The precision of the specialist weaving machines play a vital role in keeping the mesh smooth, flat and free of imperfections.

Powdercoating

We all know powdercoating is a type of finishing that is applied to a surface using a free-flowing dry powder. It is applied using an electrostatic process and then cured under heat. Our ScreenGuard mesh is supplied powder coated black and is covered by our 10 year warranty.
To ensure a consistent and smooth  powdercoat finish, the mesh should undergo a pre-treatment to clean and decontaminate the surface. Not all mesh suppliers apply a pre-treatment prior to powdercoating, which affects the longevity of the finish. ScreenGuard’s mesh suppliers always pre-treat the mesh, which rids it of contaminants such as oil, grease, surface corrosion and free floating particles.

Test Reports

Most security fabricators are familiar with the tests applied to security products under the Australian Standard AS 5039- 2008. One of the tests used in the standard is the Knife-shear test, which is designed to imitate a knife attack from an intruder, where they attempt to cut through the mesh of the security window or door.

Our ScreenGuard security products have been tested for and meet Australian Standard AS5039-2008, passing the knife
shear test, as well as, other compulsory tests including dynamic impact, antijimmy, child fall prevention, bushfire and fire attenuation.

In fact, the supplier of our ScreenGuard mesh goes one step further and applies their own knife shear and salt spray tests.
Every time we receive a new batch of mesh from our supplier, they provide an independent knife shear test report and salt spray test report – which confirms over 1000 hours of testing with no signs of corrosion. Darley also conducts spotcheck testing with a NATA accredited laboratory to provide a secondary level of QA screening.

Another important factor that needs to be taken into consideration is the actual installation of the security doors and windows. AS5039 is the standard that governs manufacturing of security windows and doors, while AS5040 is the Australian Standard that for installing Security screen doors and window
grilles. This standard provides installers of security screen doors and grilles with specifications for installing security screen doors and window grilles used primarily= in residential applications. If the security product is not installed correctly and according to these standards, then it is not considered secure.

Regular maintenance and cleaning

We have highlighted many factors, that influence the quality and performance of mesh – most of which are related to the manufacturing process. One very
important contributing factor, influenced by the homeowner is regular cleaning and maintenance of security doors and screens.
It’s all good to discuss advanced manufacturing techniques but it means nothing if the homeowner doesn’t regularly clean their security screens to protect against corrosion. The frequency of cleaning is dictated by the type of environment the home is located in.