Britain's Finest
Timber Windows & Doors

Set within a prestigious and private development in Essex, this project involved a complete rebuild, creating a new, large family home.

Working closely with developer Chris Gennings from REN Developments we understood his desire to create a modern home with a classic look. We agreed that timber Spring Sash windows would be a perfect fit for the façade, with a feature timber bullseye window to the third floor.

With restricted head height to this top floor, it was important to captivate as much light as possible for these rooms. We designed a set of large triangular fixed casement windows, giving far reaching views across the garden and beyond.

The house was completed with a large, highly secure entrance door with Ovolo profile.

Chris comments;

"The quality of Mumford & Wood products is unrivalled. From both a homeowner and contractor perspective, we have been impressed with everything from the initial survey, design, manufacturing to install. They have been a pleasure to deal with and the new owners of this dream property are looking forward to enjoying the beauty of these products for many years to come."

This project was particularly challenging, working in arguably the busiest part of London, Piccadilly Circus.

We were asked by Landsec, Fletcher Priest Architects and Wates Construction to design and manufacture 46 box sash and 36 casement timber windows. The windows were to be installed into commercial and residential buildings on either side of the large screens surrounding Piccadilly Circus.

There were stipulations from the client regarding the tint and reflection values of the new windows. They had to match the adjacent glazing in the curtain walling exactly. Through a thorough research & development project, Mumford & Wood sourced special glass from Germany. Being in such a noisy part of London, strict acoustic requirements also needed to be met.

In Shaftesbury Avenue, there were 4 glazing bar layouts to consider, over 5 floors. Precise measurements had to be taken from the existing units to ensure we could replicate exactly what was there previously. We found that previous occupiers of the buildings had removed and reversed several of the sashes to have the putty bead on the inside. Discussions followed to find that they had issues with the putty degrading and had a period of several months with glass panes falling to the street below! The planners were initially insisting on having the reversed sashes installed in the same way on the new windows, but Mumford & Wood visited some nearby sites worked on previously and we were then able to reach to correct conclusion to have the new windows installed correctly. By undertaking our own research, we were able to help the client and planners make a more informed decision.

Denman Street had a range of opening casements and sash windows for their residential building, with glazing bars and panes sizes coordinated with the adjacent buildings.

Sherwood Street and Glasshouse Street had bespoke profiled embellishments to match those we surveyed on salvaged frames, which involved visits to the site and Hull, where some frames were salvaged and stored. We found that the frames had an Ovolo moulding internally and a variation of a Lambs Tongue moulding externally. The development of these details led to Mumford & Wood investing in new tooling to achieve the finished profiles exactly.

The client was very particular about their requirements, and we produced numerous samples of the moulded profiles, all hand-finished by our joiners, before reaching the approved details for full manufacture.

Mumford & Wood undertook their own research and development several times during this project, plus invested in new machinery - going above and beyond to ensure we could help the clients to make the right decisions for these beautiful buildings.

Being a retired architect, Terry had a clear idea of what he was looking for when he began his search for replacement timber windows and doors.

Terry and his wife have lived in their Poole home for 24 years and wanted to bring their existing timber windows up to date, improving efficiencies and quality.

Design and detailing of the windows were incredibly important for them, so visits were made with sample windows to show what the options were.

Having spoken to many manufacturers during his time as an architect, Terry was keen to see Mumford & Wood’s factory and see first-hand how the products are made, so Mumford & Wood didn’t hesitate to invite Terry and his wife to the factory for a tour. Terry explains;

“I’ve got a pretty good eye for how things are done and how manufacturers are run. I consider the atmosphere of the place, how people are working together, and I was very impressed with how the factory was organised, with a lot of investment in good people and machinery.”

Terry was also looking for a ‘seamless process,’ and wanted a manufacturer that could provide an end-to-end service that encompassed design, manufacture, and installation. Being able to provide this, Mumford & Wood were on hand throughout to ensure that the entire process was run as smoothly as possible, with a dedicated project manager and sales representative.

Following the installation of 40 casement windows, 5 single doors, 4 patio doors and an entrance door, Terry noticed the difference straight away.

He explains; “It’s all about the precision of manufacture – it is warmer, and we have used a lot less heat this winter. It’s also a lot quieter and that shows you how well the double glazing is working and how well they are sealing. These windows have changed this house beyond expectation.”