Profile 22’s Optima system took the market by storm on its launch last year thanks to its commitment to the best of everything. And as the company’s Marketing Manager Gerald Allen explains, this even includes heritage.
For a long time in the industry, heritage windows meant just one thing: vertical sliders. All that has changed in recent years with the advent of the flush casement window. Designed to evoke 19th century casement windows, it’s the perfect product for owners of period properties where neither vertical sliders nor modern PVC-U casement designs would be appropriate.
Such has been the rapid rise of the flush casement window that when we started to develop our Optima system, we knew we needed to include the option in the range because we wanted it to offer the best of everything.
This same ethos of ‘the best of everything’ also informed the way we put together the flush casement element of Optima.
The window is based on a 70mm system to maximise its versatility but what really sets it apart is its attention to detail. This means it replicates the key details that are important to owners of period properties more accurately than ever before.
For example, it features a deep bottom rail that isn’t available on any other flush casement system on the market. There are also mechanically jointed sashes, dummy sashes, glazing bars and period cills to enhance the traditional look even more. The external finish is chamfered but internally the consumer can choose from a chamfered or a sculptured finish for maximum design flexibility. The window accepts authentic-looking period hardware such as monkey tail handles and dummy peg stays so the heritage aesthetics continue into even the smallest of details.
There are also options to personalise the window to reflect a consumer’s design preferences and a building’s appearance. The window can incorporate any one of a huge range of Optima components and accessories and is available in 28 colours and foiled finishes, including all the heritage colours that are to be expected.
While the heritage looks are clearly impressive, the technological innovations are equally so. The window has a six-chambered outerframe and a five-chambered sash and can be used with RCM thermal inserts to increase the number of insulating chambers, delivering optimal thermal performance and structural rigidity. It all means that with standard 24mm IGUs an A+ Rating and a U-value of 1.2 W/m2K are easily achievable, so it more than meets current building regulations. And U-values as low as 0.8 W/m2K can be achieved when using a triple-glazed unit filled with Argon gas.
Security is second to none too and the system has a host of features that maximise security and strength. These include a central Eurogroove that gives the sashes greater rigidity and a strategic local wall thickening that gives 35% better screw and hardware retention. And the secure bead system passes security tests without glazing clips and is ready for proposed enhancements to PAS24 too.
Like all windows in the Optima system range, the flush casement profiles are extruded in our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility which guarantees exceptional product quality. It is just one of the reasons Profile 22 products are so widely used in building projects across the UK and are renowned for strengthening the reputation of a business.
We launched Optima at the FIT Show in 2016 and it was a resounding success, reflected in record numbers of new fabricators coming on board since and winning the prestigious New Product of the Year at the 2016 G Awards. But what was particularly striking was that the window that received the most attention on the stand was the flush casement option, which indicates the strength of its design and innovation.
Of course, continuous development is part of the mindset at Profile 22 so while the Optima flush casement was incredibly well-received, we continued to look at ways we could bring even more value to the window. At the FIT Show this year we launched two new developments designed to broaden the appeal of the window even further. Full mechanical jointing enhances the authenticity to an even greater extent while a French casement option that does away with the mullion divide opens up even more opportunities for our customers.
In essence, the Optima flush casement delivers everything architects, specifiers, installers and consumers want from a heritage window: authentic period looks that successfully evoke the past successfully combined with technological innovation that equips it for the future. In other words, it’s the best of everything.
For more information on our products and services please feel free to call 01952 290910 or contact us HERE.
