Tatra Frontier Sliding Sash Windows
Sash windows have been used in Britain since the 17th Century. Their pleasing proportions and traditional appearance add character and elegance to any building.
The Tatra Frontier Sliding Sash Window was designed around a triple glazed vacuum unit. This unit is considerably thinner than most triple or quadruple glazing units, which allows us to replicate the style and sections of a traditional British casement window, while also achieving Passiv-Haus standard energy efficiency. In a marketplace where Passiv-Haus standard windows has always meant ultra-thick frames and non-traditional products, the Frontier Range stands alone in offering traditional appearance and functionality. We have also incorporated a highly traditional beading detail to give the windows and doors a timeless and beautiful appearance.
Ultra-Sustainable Sliding Sash Windows
As with all our products, the Tatra Sliding Sash Window is designed to be highly sustainable. We have carried out detailed LINA Life Cycle Assessment of the products in collaboration with the University of Derby, which demonstrate the whole life sustainability. This explores the environmental costs of the sourcing of materials, the manufacture process, the installation process, the in-service effects, ongoing maintenance throughout the lifespan, as well as the end of life disposal of the products. The Frontier Range performs exceptionally well in this due to its natural, non-synthetic construction, the exceptionally long estimated life span and the energy efficiency, air tightness and weatherproofing of the windows and doors.
Materials Health and Indoor Air Quality
Tatra Sliding Sash have also been designed to deliver industry-redefining materials health credentials. It is now well documented that natural materials promote the health and well-being of occupants by balancing the indoor air quality and forming moisture and heat sinks within a building. At the same time, the average number of chemicals used in the average new build home has risen from 50 in 1900 to over 55,000 in a modern home. A classic example of this change can be seen in highly energy-efficient window and door products, where almost all contain a myriad of unnatural, synthesised materials in the form of insulating foams and synthesised coatings. There are reported to be 40,000 deaths each year in the UK due to poor air quality and 2.7% of global diseases are a result of indoor air pollution. With these startling figures in mind, we set about designing the Frontier Range to be manufactured from natural Accoya timber with no integrated insulation – this required an exceptionally efficient glazing unit to balance the higher conductivity of the frames and we worked with Pilkington UK to deliver just that. We also worked closely with our Italian coatings supplier to find a water-based coating which delivers ultra-low VOC levels during occupancy, while also providing exceptional, maintenance-free warranties.
