Woodgrained Arched Frames

I was going to write about if the next government would help or hinder the double glazing industry, but I'll talk about that later.

What I am going to talk about is woodgrain and arched frames. We have recently quoted a company for windows to an old chapel which they are currently renovating into flats. They have asked us for a Cream or Black woodgrain option, which is fine. But the complications come when the arched frames come into the picture. Universal Arches which bend our manufacturer's frames say that due to the acute angles of the frames, they wouldn't be able to guarantee them. The problem, they say, is that when the profiles are heated for bending, there is no way of protecting the foil finish from distorting, creasing up etc. And I can fully understand their point of view. There are a good few dozen arched or shaped frames which make up part of this big project. The last thing they want to be doing is replacing numerous amounts of frames, which were very expensive to produce in the first place.

What I want to know is if there is any different manufacturing process around which could combat these problems. I'm doubtful of that however. They did go on to explain that their stance is very much an industry standard. I also know who we are up against, and I'm pretty certain that they will have the same scenario as we have. If not, and they do decide to guarantee the arched frames, it will be their warranty and not a manufacturers one. Meaning they will have to pay for any replacements, which will be costly bearing in mind the type of product.

Let me know if any of you have any ideas.