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| Please be aware that many of the
following comments are meant to be no more than helpful tips, or
points for possible consideration. They are not rules. Subjects about to be covered include: Conservatories, windows, decorative glass, glass in the home, mirrors in the home, picture frames and art prints. |
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| Window Considerations: | |
| Bell Glass offer numerous window designs capable of being sympathetically added to any style of property. Standard sizes are non-existent with all windows being custom made. | |
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1: In instances where a change of window proportion away from the existing is being considered such design changes are not always easy to visualise in terms of an end result, but the guessing game can be greatly assisted by taking a photograph (getting it Xeroxed onto plain paper) and then blocking out existing window mullions and drawing in the new ones. Those who are a touch computer literate (or who have an able bodied 12 year old child) can carry out such drawing work on a computer with modest software. The result of the drawing will hardly be the same as reality, however it should serve as a fair guide - as the example photographs on the left will illustrate. |
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1A: With different manufacturers offering different window frame profiles, and then the consumer making the choice between PVCU or aluminium there are clearly numerous aspects that need thinking through to decide the most suitable of options. The size of frame profile is generally not regarded as important, but it can be extremely important relative to the design of small windows. For example purposes the photograph (seen left) is a pleasant design concept of a PVCU constructed projecting bay window set in a nominal 1100mm wide structural opening. The problem though is that daylight into the internal space, and vision from the space outwards are both being detrimental degraded all because the thickness of the frame is excessive - especially in relation to the glazed areas with the glass actually being narrower than the frame. This is an example where a slim aluminium frame would likely have been much better, however the lesson to be aware of is that it pays to ascertain frame dimensions, and if you have any doubts request a full size sketch drawing so that you can better visually judge what the end product will look like. |
| Click On Thumbnail Images Above For Larger Photograph | |
| 2:
Homeowners in terraced or semi-detached properties face a bit of
a dilemma when replacing windows because any attempt to change
the design style or proportion of the existing windows can
easily end up creating a visual sore thumb to the street scene.
Indeed known examples of brick faced terraced houses where one
property is suddenly clad in york stone illustrates how
someone’s taste very likely greatly devalues adjacent
properties. With this in mind one can only approach the subject
of design in a sympathetic manner in the hopes that nearby
neighbours will do the same. The topic of selecting between aluminium or PVCU framed windows is covered within the “Conservatory” section below (see para 7). |
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| Conservatory Considerations: | |
| Bell Glass have no such thing as a series of standard conservatories, when each project is custom designed & sized to get the best out of the existing property whilst meeting the customers ideal requirements and budget. Structures are available aluminium framed (via Monarch) and PVCU framed (via Spectus). Firstly though visual design and space planning options has to be the first areas for consideration, and following are 7 basic designs Styles for guidance. Such designs are not fixed, and can comprise of numerous mixed components. Every sensible project has a starting point and this is it. | |
| Click On Thumbnail Images Below For Enlargement: | |
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3: With some amount of nominal heating a Bell Glass double glazed conservatory can be regarded as being usable all year round. Actual use of the space is important so preparing a rough scaled drawing with intended furniture on it will be a good indicator in terms of how large the conservatory ultimately needs to be. In addition such an exercise will highlight where any doors, TV points or electrical outlets would be best positioned. Of course Bell Glass will happily carry out this exercise and offer free advice should it be needed. |
| Above: Style BG/C1 and Style BG/C2 | |
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4: If a new house was about to be constructed which was to incorporate a conservatory, then the external cavity wall would be built to contain a tray type damp proof course (dpc) just above the height of where the conservatory roof abuts. Alas it is nigh impossible to incorporate a tray dpc in an existing wall, and because of this it’s impossible to 100% guarantee that moisture will not travel down the wall cavity into the conservatory area. The junction between the conservatory roof and external wall will always have a lead flashing dressed into the wall to protect against the elements but such work can be easily “bodged” and needs to be carried out to Bell Glass standards in order to be successful. |
| Above: Style BG/C3 and Style BG/C4 | |
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5: Choosing whether the conservatory walls should be glazed full height, comprise of low level infill panels or have a brick dwarf wall is all very much a question of personal choice. Low height cavity brickwork dwarf walls (say maximum 700mm high) do create an atmosphere of feeling solidly contained without any real loss of natural light, and with a nice internal sill a location for potted plants etc is automatically created. |
| Above: Style BG/C5 and Style BG/C6 | |
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6: Choosing the correct material for the roof is another point for consideration with the options being triple wall polycarbonate sheeting or conventional double glazed panels (laminated or toughened). With glass adding around 10% to the overall cost many homeowners opt for polycarbonate, however if the conservatory is for every day use it will be found that during periods of heavy rain the sound insulating properties of polycarbonate are no where as good as glass, to the point of generating/exaggerating a fair degree of noise. Glass roofs also offer the super bonus of being less prone to algae build up whilst providing wonderful views of the sky. In addition glass roofs permit better penetration of natural light back into the house, whilst also offering better thermal insulation. Pilkingtons "Activ" self cleaning glass is also certainly worthy of consideration. |
| Above: Style BG/C7 | |
| 7: Where it
comes to choosing between an aluminium or PVCU framed conservatory
structure the majority of homeowners opt for the latter when
aluminium is approximately another 40% more expensive. That said
aluminium with its superior strength and security generally means
that sections used can be more slimmer (more elegant), and with the
odd coat of non abrasive wax will stay shiny looking for probably 30
years plus. Its true that aluminium is available in numerous colour
coatings, however apart from white colour pigments such as brown or
black do fade over time and lose their crispness because of it.
White is certainly the wisest choice. Whilst having a cost implication advantage PVCU has been attacked by clever technology to the point that internal colours can be specified to be different than external frame colours. Examples might be white externally with a mahogany finish internally, or perhaps white internally with a light oak finish externally. In addition frames can be light tan or dark brown in colour. Over many years white PVCU will lose its vibrancy, but of course is still a wonderful material when it comes to factors of low maintenance. |
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8: Seen here is a Bell Glass project which incorporates a glass roof together with a plastered external brick wall providing privacy from an adjoining property. It may appear alien to some that a conservatory design comprises of a solid high wall, but the end result in this example can be described as nothing else other than a great success. (Click on thumbnail image to enlarge) |
| 9: Adding
a conservatory to a semi-detached or terraced type property
generally brings about an unfortunate problem where a glazed
wall of the conservatory structure is only perhaps 300mm (1’0”)
away from a dividing boundary fence. Apart from this creating a
management problem in terms of cleaning the glass, it means that
the fence is visually dominate and un-appealing when viewed from
within the conservatory. The cheapest option of course is to fit
blinds to the offending conservatory window, however it is
thought that the best designed option is to construct the
applicable wall in cavity brickwork incorporating high level
fanlights fitted with obscure glass. A similar example of such
an end result can be seen in the photograph (above) which most
individuals will agree is most appealing. For those living in such properties it is wise to involve neighbours as to your intended proposals. Even if you greatly dislike such parties this course is far better than encountering any form of contentious debate at a later stage. Having an accommodating neighbour is always a great asset when carrying out major works to the home. |
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| Decorative Glass Considerations: | |
| Bell Glass offer a fantastic range of decorative glass panels with only a few examples being shown elsewhere on the website. All forms of decorative and textured glass can be formed as double glazed units (in custom sizes) suitable for windows (especially fanlights), entrance doors, conservatories and interior glazed screens or doors. It can be quite easy to fall in love with maybe half a dozen different examples, but therein lays the possible danger in that it can be easy to go over the top in making such choices. Like many things in life too much of a good thing is not the best answer, and it is far better that decorative glass is used in a restrained fashion where it can then form a subtle feature. | |
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1: The adjacent photograph
illustrates an example of a fanlight before and after being fitted
with decorative glass double glazed panels. This illustration has
been created on a computer to highlight the differences, so maybe
you might be able to do the same in order to ascertain a better feel
for what the end result would look like.
Click On Thumbnail Image
For A Larger Photograph |
| Entrance Door Considerations: | |
| The main entrance door to a home is an important component worthy of attention, when apart from reducing nasty drafts and representing a vital security barrier, it should also convey a degree of welcoming to both homeowners and visitors. Actual door design does not need to be ornate in order to be appealing when there is certainly nothing wrong with simplicity, however this is fundamentally different than being bland or uninspiring. Bell Glass offer an extensive range of doors to suite a multitude of tastes, with many suitable for any style of architecture (see Windows & Doors page). | |
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1: Choosing a new door
should be a fun experience, but if concern gets attached to what the
new door will look like once installed, then consider taking a photo
of your property (straight on) and thereafter cutting out your
desired door from this website and pasting it in position. This
exercise can be achieved electronically (as shown in the adjacent
photograph), or with a pair of scissors and a paper print. The door
in this illustration is the HS Door 04. |
| Click On Thumbnail Image For A Larger Photograph | |
| Glass In The Home Considerations: | |
| Glass in the home can extend to far more than a material used for windows, and this subject has been covered on the Glass General page (within the Glass In The Home Photo Gallery). What needs to be emphasised is that glass as a material not only helps reflect light around a room, but certainly makes a great protective barrier to table tops and the likes. Clear glass, white glass, acid etched glass & tinted glass are all specifications worthy of consideration, and there is a high probability that skilful use will result in an enhancement. Put your thinking cap on, and take a look around you home or office. | |
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1: Seen in this photograph
is a “before & after” of a cabinet which had plain glass infill
panels to the doors which were not considered as the best choice
when the contents often became untidy, and thus was not visually
appealing. The solution was to change the specification of the glass
to “acid etched” (giving a white translucent & silky effect) which
coupled with a 25mm wide polished bevel on the edges resulted in
creating a clear glass strip to the perimeter of the panel - thus
providing an elegant finish which also masked the cabinets contents,
without obliterating them. Click On Thumbnail Image For A Larger Photograph |
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2: Seen in this photograph is another “before & after” illustration, but this time of a built in wardrobe with solid infill panelled doors, with the infill panels being replaced with acid etched glass including a polished bevel to the perimeter, which has the effect of making the glass clear. Low cost ideas like this are worthy of consideration and can uplift that 1970 look into something far more inspiring. |
| Click On Thumbnail Image For A Larger Photograph | |
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3: It is not that bevelled
acid etched glass is the only glass suitable for infill panels on
doors, but it offers so much and is so fresh in appearance that its
impossible to resist illustrating another very pleasant example. |
| Mirrors In The Home Considerations: | |
| Without appearing
repetitive it is important to stress that mirrors in the home are
not purely for the vain to admire themselves. They should certainly
not be reviewed on the basis of need, meaning if I have no specific
need for a mirror then I shall go without. Mirrors can in some ways
be regarded as an extravagant form of wall decoration/finish, but
one which has the magic to bounce light around, and make spaces look
larger than what they are. If visiting shops like “Harrods” or
“Laura Ashley” it will be seen that designer furniture clad on all
faces with mirror is highly fashionable (and expensive). In fact a
competent DIY enthusiast could with help from Bell Glass
reproduce such styles for a fraction of the cost. For more info please refer to the Picture & Mirror Frames page, together with the Mirrors General page. |
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If one is looking towards a
decorative mirror to enhance a wall then as this photograph
(opposite) indicates the options can range from a large traditional
stunning carved frame to a slick contemporary designer mirror, which
Bell Glass will happily make to the customers precise dimensions
(see PJ Millennium Range elsewhere). The choices offered by Bell’s
is staggering, and the value for money aspect great - which will
hardly break the bank. |
| Picture Frame & Art Print Considerations: | |
| For those whose lives
extend beyond the boundaries of a television screen, having numerous
framed art prints in the home or executive office should be regarded
as important as having something to sit on. A quality print in a
quality frame is like a piece of carefully selected furniture in
that it will enhance the space where it is located, provide
something for the eye to constantly appreciate, whilst often
becoming a topic of conversation with guests. The subject content of an art print will always be down to personal choice, but with the unique Bell Glass acquisition service there is no reason that with a bit of patience a print of a specific subject can be acquired - so you have no excuse that you cannot find/see anything that you like. |
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1: Illustrated in this photograph is the same art print but mounted in different styled frames. Hopefully this will confirm that if a print is not dominant in its content it is equally at home in either a traditional style frame or a modern one. As a consequence it could be strongly argued that here is just one of countless examples where a beautiful print can be incorporated into the interior of any home or office, and harmonise with its surrounding décor. |
| Click On Thumbnail Image For A Larger Photograph | |
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2: Illustrated in this photograph is the same
art print mounted in the same design of picture frame, with the
frame and picture mount in different colour finishes. This should
serve as a good example how a minor change in specification can
bring about a very different end result. With this in mind it should
not be forgotten that many Bell Glass prefabricated decorative
picture frames are available in different finishes. |
| Click On Thumbnail Image For A Larger Photograph | |
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3: In this illustration
the comparison example is to highlight that an art print can create
a strong visual attraction purely by specifying a bold colour mount,
whereas a light coloured mount does not catch the eye so easy in
spite of being in a bolder frame. Indeed subject to what level of
impact is required from an art print the colour of the mount becomes
an important factor, especially when applied to slim design frames
which have little impact in themselves. |
| Click On Thumbnail Image For A Larger Photograph | |
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4: The common tendency
with framed prints is to think of them as being single objects, yet
in countless instances a row of say 3 prints can look very nice.
Rules as defined by artists many years ago placed great emphasis on
the “third” as a proportion - set also against a background that the best
arrangement for most objects was either 3 or any odd number. The
adjacent photograph (left) illustrates the use of 3 delicate prints
which have little visual impact but add interest and break up a
boring plain white wall. The great mistake was in not using "picture
glass" which greatly reduces reflections.
In the photograph (left) it could be fairly argued that a “pair” of
prints is a bad choice (against the rules), but as can be seen these
prints are not really viewed in isolation when they are literally
part of a composition of many items. |
| Click On Thumbnail Image For A Larger Photograph | |
| 5: Let your hair down and enjoy this website by looking through the photo galleries of picture frames, coupled with the photo galleries of traditional & modern art prints, and you decide what print you would like to match with what frame. It could even become a family game (LOL). | |
