Departure from traditional drainage

Into every life a little rain will fall. By designing the EDGE commercial aluminium window and door systems with this fact of life in mind, we incorporated a more practical and reliable solution to deal with water, be it from rain, humidity or condensation.

Watershed

Another EDGE innovation is our frames rainwater evacuation system, Watershed. Watershed is designed to manage and direct the flow of rainwater through the frame system to the external perimeter of the building. The concealed transom drainage system directs water over and around the edge of glass.

• The Watershed component is designed to be factory fitted during transom assembly, increasing quality control and decreasing costs.
• Once properly assembled, Watershed ensures water cannot run from the end of the transom on top of the glass or the glazing wedge.
• Watershed eliminates ugly external drain holes in the face of sills and transoms. Treating windows as “fish tanks” with silicone glazing doesn’t stop water entry and external drain holes actually become an entry point for water.
• Good systems design allows water entry and effectively deals with drainage.
• Watershed allows the safe passage of water in front of the glass, using vertical members (jamb and mullion) to direct water through the system for collection by the subsill.
• Watershed can be fitted after frame assembly, a huge benefit if it is inadvertently forgotten during assembly. It can be snap fitted into the pocket above the transom and slid into place. This is not the preferred and recommended process, though and requires more careful caulking.

Where air goes, water will follow

The Watershed methodology ensures dry interiors and prevents the build up of still water, recurring condensation and even mould that can occur in standard framing systems.

More effective, more attractive window and door system drainage: no drain holes

Admit it. You think those drain holes in window frames are ugly. We agree.

Beyond being ugly, drain holes in the face of a sill leaves the system vulnerable to other things. Air pressure, water, spiders and insects, all sorts of things can get in there. Where air goes, water will follow.

That’s why when we designed the legacy-free EDGE Architectural framing systems, we did the research and testing to find a more effective, more attractive water drainage system.

Framing systems in general were meant to be gutters and downpipes, but many of today’s systems designers have forgotten this. We’ve taken a best practice approach with it.

Our solution delivers a better drainage result and allows us to eliminate the drain holes. The EDGE suites are premium systems with premium drainage.

Thermally broken windows: the EDGE thermal break methodology

Thermally broken window and door frames offer several advantages including energy efficiency, decreased condensation and reduced radiated cold, resulting in money saved and comfort increased.

After extensive research and testing, the EDGE team determined the best results could be attained for our clients by combining both Polyurethane and Polyamide strip technology in the U-MAX™ thermal break window and door frames.

Types of thermal break

Thermal break benefits

Long considered the “thermal wound” of a building, windows and doors notoriously allow outside temperatures inside, costing money, wasting fuels and reducing the usable space in a building. Thermal break offers a better way.

In colder climates, the thermal break reduces heating cost, as well as “cold spots” within rooms.

In warmer climates, the thermal break reduces cooling costs generated by the heat that transfers through a standard frame and radiates into a room.

In humid climates, thermally broken frames reduce condensation. Condensation on window frames results in water pooling on sills and often tracking onto walls and floors. Water damage and mould are the inevitable consequence of condensation on frames.

In contrast, condensation created by warmer, humid air inside a home contacting the glass made cooler by the cold air outside the home can be addressed by opening a window or running exhaust fans in the kitchen, bathroom or laundry area to allow the humid air to vent.

Increased energy efficiency in a building leads to lower energy costs and increased liability of a space. An environment with a more effectively controlled climate is more pleasant from wall-to-wall. The end user doesn’t find cold spots or hot spots they want to avoid.

Trump transom torque with the unique frame assembly of our external screw

The form and function of U-MAX™ and MAX™ get a boost from a seemingly insignificant little screw. An external screw.

Frame fixing external to the glazing rebate provides structural support of the frame and glass without interfering with drainage. Not very flash, and yet, very awesome.

Our decision for this unique screw placement means less stress on the joint, improved structural performance and ensured water tightness. The glazing pocket is set at the perfect distance to get the best strength, minimize tilt, support the load and drain water. No other Front Glazed system supports transoms as well as this.

The increased strength and decreased risk of transom torque prevents the joint from opening up and allowing water in.

Break from tradition

Traditionally, systems either didn’t have a front screw at all or the screw came through the glazing pocket. Often meant the split mullion needed to be wider than horizontals, losing visual unity. A countersink operation was required to allow the mullion to mate.

The screw was placed central in the pocket and didn’t deal as well torsionally under wind load or take the dead weight of glass.

Without blocking off the glazing pocket, this scenario invited water to land on the screw and track underneath the pocket on top of the glass, making weathering suspect.

By breaking from tradition, we addressed all the above issues and delivered huge benefits with a little screw.

A fresh look at glazing

Details. They’re your key. From little details, amazing projects evolve. The EDGE team understands this. We give attention to details often overlooked. By doing so, we can offer our clients options, options, options when it comes to glazing.

Aluminium window and door frames

EDGE Architectural Glazing Systems heralds a fundamental change in Aluminium Industries’ complete product range with an ongoing development of three separate product groups:

U-MAX™, the double glazed, thermally broken suite
MAX™, the double glazed suite
GEN™, a single glazed “generational change” encorporating a solid metric range and the EDGE design features.

Frame

Standard 60mm outer frame with optional 44mm frame.

Mix and match framing

Mix, match and marry for happily ever after. Different framing systems of the same depth can be used together to alter the glazing plane.

Multiple frame options

100mm or 150mm frame depths available.

Full metric footprint

The Australian architectural window market, largely has not redesigned its base commercial products since the first systems were introduced in the early 1960s. Those products followed imperial dimensions and many follow the same form today. EDGE departs from the old imperial standard. Incorporating frame and track systems, all EDGE products offer consistency in metrication.