Remuera Elmstone Retrofit Project by RetroGLAZE

The Double Glazing Company demonstrated its prowess in eco-renovations with recognition from the industry at the Window Association of New Zealand Awards.

Awarded National Finalists for the ‘ECO’ Award, the company came away with a ‘Special Commendation’ for the Renovation to the Elmstone, a project involving retrofitting double glazing into a registered historic New Zealand dwelling.

Built in 1902, the Elmstone is one of the original buildings in the heart of Remuera, Auckland. In 2011, the owners of the Elmstone completed a major renovation project of their home with the goal of taking the house into the high standards of modern living without compromising the historic nature of the building. The Double Glazing Company was engaged to retrofit double glazing into the existing architecturally designed wooden window frames. The owners were looking to improve the insulation performance, both acoustic and thermal, whilst maintaining the heritage character.

Dave Morse, from The Double Glazing Company, worked with the owners’ project manager to deliver a solution to meet these requirements. The Double Glazing Company chose to use Super Spacer double glazing with a combination of laminated and low e glass. This provided for superior thermal and acoustic insulation into the existing timber frames. The use of The Double Glazing Company’s retroGLAZE system ensured that the solution was durable, without compromising the character and heritage status of the building.

Key features of the project included maintaining the colonial look of the home with many windows having multi-lite panes. Lead light windows throughout the building were restored to their former glory and “encased” within new double glazed units, thus preserving this piece of history for future generations to come.

The project was inspected by a representative from the New Zealand Historic Places Trust to confirm that all work maintained the historic nature of the building.

The Double Glazing Company is proud of this significant project undertaking, providing a successful outcome for the owners and significant kudos for the Glass Industry here in New Zealand. This project demonstrates that even historic buildings can undergo an upgrade in window insulation without compromising on existing aspects of the building.