Lock, stock & closer: All the latest in residential windows & doors

WORDS MATT MCDONALD

As this selection of new products reveals, when it comes to windows and doors, innovation comes in many shapes and sizes. Sometimes it involves a step forward in terms of design or installation procedure, while at other times, it is more about the use of environmentally friendly materials.

In considering new residential door and window technologies – the various fire-rated doors and windows, low-e glass products, closers, frames, window trims, access control systems, handles, locks, hinges, and so forth, share a couple of things in common.

They were all conceived as improvements on what came before them. They were designed to expand the possibilities open to architects; to help buildings achieve improved thermal performance and reduced carbon footprints; or to provide a longer service life than previously available materials and products.

In line with their designers’ understanding of the ever-shortening project time frames that builders and trades must deal with, they were designed to simplify the installation process and reduce costs.

With these common themes – of efficiency, sustainability, and innovation – in mind, here is a selection of the best recently-released residential window and door products in Australia.

GROUND-BREAKING ALUMINIUM TRIM

In the case of Me Trim, an aluminium trim product that replaces the traditional timber joinery around bathroom window and doors, innovation has two positive consequences.

The product opens up the interiors of residential bathrooms (which continue to become smaller over time); while, at the same time, simplifying the installation process and reducing the number trades required, from five to one.

“While assisting the project teams with reducing completion times and labour costs is an important aspect of the solution, my main goal was to give architects and designers a multifaceted and reliable tool to carve out more precious space in petite interiors and create highly-resolved bathrooms irrespective of the square meterage,” says Vio Marchidan, the product’s designer.

“Removing unsightly timber lines around areas we might not want to intentionally highlight creates a perception of a more generously sized and less cluttered interior.”

By doing away with unwanted architraves, it allows tiles to be installed right up to its edge. In this way, it is able to create a pin-like line around windows and doors and ensure a clean, polished look.

On top of that, all three profiles are manufactured using only responsibly sourced aluminium and independently certified commercial-grade powder coatings. In short, they can be relied upon to last.