ISO Chemie’s thermal insulating and load bearing bracket support system has been specified to provide energy efficiency improvements on a residential conversion project in South West England.

The move sees WINFRAMER units specified by Bristol architects Argyll Design Partnership for a private residential development that includes the renovation of several old stone cottages in the Bristol South West area.

The project features the use of the ISO Chemie system to attach new windows to the properties before the installation of insulation around the WINFRAMER units and the application of an exterior screed finish, in a move designed to significantly improve the building’s U values and heat retention capabilities.

Passivhaus certified and fire rated to up to 30 minutes, WINFRAMER is a prefabricated installation frame, manufactured to accommodate cavities up to 250mm that allows windows to be supported independently from the face of the wall regardless of any external cladding being in place.

The Bristol project comes as a wider Government strategy continues to push  to reduce carbon levels in housing that has single skin, cavity or non-cavity walls – these buildings have a reputation for losing considerable amounts of energy, heat and sound.

Andy Swift, country director at ISO-Chemie, said:

“As new building regulations continue to bite, property owners and window contractors require smarter ways to deliver refurb projects through sustainable technologies. By working in partnership with ourselves, customers can create high-performance windows with a highly efficient installation.”

The composite WINFRAMER brackets can bear heavy windows loads, including bi-fold doors, to provide a reliable, strong and high-performance support frame. Installation is quick with windows attached directly and secured mechanically using either standard fixing screws or fixing lugs in the usual manner.

A hinged insulation core combines with the composite wood structural bracket to become an integral part of the overall wall structure, providing compliance with window energy saving regulations (EnEV) and the RAL quality assurance association.