P C Henderson’s flagship product - Securefold folding door hardware – has been used in an unusual way on a recent episode of Channel 4’s Grand Designs.

The episode followed Saffron and Fred, a couple who embarked on constructing an ambitious eco-friendly house on a 30 degree slope in the Peak District. A main objective of the build was to construct a property that required no heating and therefore no heating bills. To achieve this goal the couple used concrete as a main building material and constructed a concrete frame into the limestone wall.  P C Henderson’s Securefold was then used with insulated panels to create a thermal curtain to help retain the heat stored in the concrete frame.

Although concrete is not known as an environmentally friendly material; its ability to store heat is well documented. By utilising the heat from the sun during the day, the concrete is warmed to provide a source of warmth during the evening. By doing this the couple were able to offset their carbon footprint in approximately 10 years as they no longer required a conventional heating system reliant on the use of fossil fuels.

The building was designed with many large windows to allow an unobstructed view across the hills, however this came at a cost as it is estimated that 25% of a buildings heat is lost through the windows.

Andrew Royle, Sales and Marketing Director for P C Henderson was impressed with the unusual use of the product. He comments:

“Using Securefold with insulated panels to create a thermal curtain is an interesting and forward thinking method of heating the home. We have experience of this on a commercial level in the hospitality sector with buildings that have been designed to meet the stringent LEED certification but this is the first time I have seen it used in a residential setting.”

When closed, in addition to minimising heat loss, there are also benefits to using a system like this such as providing a cooling effect during warmer weather and a buffer for noise. The insulated doors can also be stacked neatly to one or both sides of an opening - freeing up additional space in the home.

Watch the video below and go to 40:21 to see our Securefold system in action. More details on the episode can also be found here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jPxCXR5awk

 

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