An Enquiry out of the Green In 2007, David was sitting quietly in the Gowercroft offices when the phone rang. On the other end of the phone was a vision and a dilemma. The caller had a dream of building an energy efficient home in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the London read more
Ultra-Thin Glazing for Historic Properties
December 21, 2011 – 2:09 pm
Conservation Joinery for Listed Buildings The renovation of listed buildings comes under the direction of the local planning authority. Their decisions regarding updating original features centre on the need to maintain the original character and appearance of these historic buildings. This often leads to a requirement for like-for-like replacement of the windows and doors. While read more
Green Oak Verandas; Year-Round Outdoor Space
November 18, 2011 – 3:38 pm
Year-Round Outdoor Space Verandas are ideally suited to the U.K. We live in a country which is equally famous for two things: 1. our finely kept and tended gardens, and… 2. our unyielding drizzle. How many times have you planned a BBQ or a little get together in the garden, and just before you’re ready read more
Timber Sliding, Folding Doors; Moved by Centor
November 18, 2011 – 8:56 am
What are they? Sliding, folding doors (otherwise known as bi-fold doors) open up entire walls, seamlessly bringing the outside in, creating vistas and allowing light and fresh air inside. Bi-fold doors stack to the side/s, and have no posts or fixed door panels to block views or breezes. The door operates in two ways; One read more
Windows Turned Upside Down
November 2, 2011 – 8:02 am
We believe we are honest in all our dealings and we don’t like to say we can do something if we cannot, but sometimes you really have to be careful with your wording. I had to deliver a quotation and some colour samples on a Saturday to a customer’s home as she had been having read more
Redevelopment of Riber Castle – Phase 1
September 30, 2011 – 10:59 am
A Troubled Past Riber Castle is a 19th century Grade II listed country house overlooking Matlock, Derbyshire. It was built by local mill-owner John Smedley in 1862 as his private home. After the death of Smedley’s wife, the castle became a boys’ school until the 1930s. With the coming of WWII the Ministry of Defence read more
Accoya Timber for High Specification Roof Lantern
September 14, 2011 – 8:51 am
The Dilemma John Thornley O.B.E. wanted a replacement roof lantern for his house. The current lantern was letting water into the roof space, the double glazed units had broken down, the wood was rotten and the overall look of the lantern did not match the beauty of the rest of the property. “It was very read more
Amdega – What’s in a name?
August 24, 2011 – 4:15 pm
The Context In April of 2011, administrators KPMG were called to the world’s oldest conservatory manufacturer, Amdega. There were no buyers and the company is expected to be liquidated with a reported 300 orders on its books, worth over £3 million. As already reported online: – Current customers who recently paid deposits have lost up read more
Sliding Sash Window Mechanism. Spiral Balances vs. Lead-Weights
August 19, 2011 – 11:34 am
Weights and Pulleys Traditionally, all sliding sash windows were operated by cast iron weights. A box is built into each side of the window, which houses the weights. This is then attached to a piece of sash cord, which travels over a pulley in the top corner of the window and attaches to the sash read more
Customer Feedback Drives Website Redevelopment
August 1, 2011 – 9:00 am
Gowercroft Joinery has completed an extensive overhaul of their website so that it better serves our customers; past, present and prospective. Our Old Site The feedback we received from customers was that although the old site contained some useful information, it was a little awkward to navigate and did not demonstrate our past work clearly read more