- Written by Chris Baraniuk
- technology reporter
image source, critical windows
Architect Kevin Adams held a dedication ceremony early in the morning every winter. Cloth in hand, he heads to the stylish Crittal window of his former east London apartment. Because although these windows were stylish, they were soaking wet.
“Obviously, you want to wash the windows and open them as soon as possible to avoid puddles and rotting the window sill,” he says of the moisture that used to build up in single beds. When the weather is cold, the glass and thin steel frames of his windows.
“I put up with it because I love you. We do things for love, right?”
But not everyone who has lived with vintage steel windows feels so attached to them.
Adams, a faculty member at Edinburgh College of Art, said Crittal windows became synonymous with both modernism and condensation, which can lead to serious problems such as mold.
Many consider such windows to be iconic and an important part of Britain’s architectural heritage, but given today’s soaring energy prices and growing awareness of the dangers of mold, efficient windows have become essential. Crittal, like every other company in the glass industry, had to maintain the status quo in order to survive.
image source, critical windows
The company, currently based in Witham, Essex, has been manufacturing steel windows since the 1880s. The frames developed by Crittall can be mass-produced and then simply cut and welded for different applications. standard window size.
The style was popular in both commercial and residential buildings in the 1920s and 1930s, as well as after World War II, Adams said. “It was perfect for the post-war economy, where there wasn’t a lot of money and supplies were scarce, and there was a lot of construction going on,” he explains.
Factories and warehouses often benefited from metal-framed windows. The use of lightweight yet strong steel allows the frame to be very thin, leaving more space for glass and natural light. Workers appreciated this, but so did wealthy people who wanted bright and airy homes.
Large art deco country house built by Walter Crittol in the 1930s was on sale Last year it was £1.65 million.
Today, Crittall’s factory floor is filled with machinery dating back to the 1920s. Managing director Russell Ager said: “This is a great piece of kit.”
But he emphasizes that the company is moving forward in many other ways, and the machines nearby in the building are now state-of-the-art. “We have put a lot of effort into improving the thermal performance of our products,” Ager added.
You can now get double-glazed and even triple-glazed Crittal windows. And importantly, the steel frame is made with a built-in thermal break (a fiberglass section of insulation within the frame) that prevents heat from escaping through the structure.
Without a thermal break, older frames tended to get very cold when the outside air was cold. Cold glass and steel condense moisture in the indoor air.
The latest Crittall windows can achieve U-values, a measure of insulation performance, as low as 0.8, which is better than standard double glazing.
Although heavier than the vintage version, the Crittall maintains a classic look with a relatively slender metal frame and rectangular or square glass. Windows like this often appear on his home decor-focused TikTok and his Instagram accounts, but Crittall says there are currently many competitors making similar-looking products. Ager admits.
image source, critical windows
After the war, Adams said, there were few companies in Britain operating in the same market as Crittall. But that has changed. Many companies offer aluminum alternatives, including KJM Group and Velfac. There are also other steel window manufacturers such as Fabco.
“Most consumers buy our products because they like the way they look,” says Ager. Business is good at the moment.
In the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, Critol’s sales to residential customers looking to improve their properties surged 30%. After that, the decline continued, but now the company’s orders for 2024 are already up 20% from last year, Ager said.
As old historic buildings reach the end of their lifespan, they present new opportunities. Crittal recently replaced 100-year-old windows that the company manufactured 100 years ago. buildings in central london Use new energy efficient versions of the same products.
However, due to the relatively high cost of modern glass, this type of upgrade is not available to everyone, says Clare Bennie, director at home design and development consultancy Municipal.
“Every year we talk about this at our general meeting, but everyone is afraid to take the plunge,” she said of the residents’ meeting in the 1930s apartment complex in London where she lives. Benny said the old Crittal windows on the property give the building “elegance” but are also “freezing”.
The windows in her own apartment don’t collect condensation easily, she explains, simply because they’re drafty and well-ventilated.
Benny says materials such as steel contain carbon, so it will become increasingly difficult to justify installing new metal-framed windows in the future. She argues that sustainable wood building products should receive increasing attention to reduce emissions and tackle climate change.
image source, critical windows
Mr Agar said Crittall’s windows are made from 100 per cent recycled steel and the company is committed to making its products and operations as sustainable as possible.
Other challenges facing the company in the coming years include potential changes to UK building regulations to require extremely energy efficient windows in new build properties. Tighter standards may require frames to be thicker and better insulated, Ager said. “The frame will be almost unrecognizable. That’s going to be a big problem for people who make metal frames.”
Benny stresses that sustainability is of paramount importance, but says the ergonomic design of Crittal windows is second to none. Windows are often easy to open so you can get outside and clean it yourself. Classic balcony doors are also well-made and fold back neatly to avoid taking up valuable outside space.
“I hope modern window manufacturers learn from Crittal about how to make windows livable and fun to use,” she says.
