Press release
5 December 2019
Green is on trend in more ways than one, says Westbury Garden Rooms
It’s not just hazy green wall colours that are garnering the interest of homeowners in 2020:Westbury Garden Roomshas identified another green trend. There is a noticeable increase in the number of people who are taking a significant interest in the carbon footprint of their renovation and glazed extension projects - both during the manufacturing process and after the build is complete.
Founder of Westbury Garden Rooms, Jonathan Hey commented: “The mounting environmental crisis has come to a head this year on a scale not previously seen, and people are now questioning the choices they are making in their everyday lives - be that rejecting the throwaway culture of cheaply-made clothes, to reducing the number of unnecessary flights they are taking. Therefore, it stands to reason that this also extends to their homes too, with people wanting to understand how their new orangery or garden room might impact the environment.”
This increased desire to invest in a ‘green’ glazed extension has manifested itself in several ways:
an increase in the number of homeowners questioning the sustainability of timber, the levels of transport emissions, and manufacture locations etc. of an extension project
a desire by many homeowners to go above and beyond the minimum environmental building regulations
the desire to specify controllable heating and ventilation technologies, including the use of ground source heat pumps and biomass boilers
And specifically, Westbury has seen:
an increase in visits to its Essex-based factory with a view to understanding the impact of the in-house manufacturing process
an increase in visits to the company’s environmental policy website page
Hey continued: “A homeowner chooses a glazed extension because they want to invite the great outdoors into their home – a garden room or orangery is a transitional space that can be used in all seasons. Therefore it makes sense that due care and attention is paid to the environment when their new extension is being planned.
“Historically, uPVC conservatories have always been bad for the environment, with an unsustainable manufacturing process. They also required huge amounts of energy throughout their lifetime, as it has always been notoriously difficult to control the internal temperatures.
“Modern manufacturing processes mean that today’s timber orangeries, garden rooms and even conservatories have sound environmental credentials that minimise the homeowner’s carbon footprint throughout their whole lifecycle, as they can easily be recycled.”
About Accoya®
Westbury uses Accoya® (a modified wood) to the furthest extent possible. Not only does the latter outperform traditional solid hardwood but it is created from fast-growing, abundantly available, FSC® or PEFC™ certified tree species such as Radiata pine, which eliminates the need to use hardwoods sourced from the rainforests of South America or Africa.
Before it is used in the construction of Westbury’s orangeries and garden rooms, it undergoes a non-toxic, environmentally-friendly chemical process which makes it a super-strength version of its original form, which coincidentally also improves its paint retention. The wood is guaranteed to last for 50 years and is extremely stable, even when used in coastal properties or at altitude, where there is more moisture. This paired with its thermal insulation properties means it is a win-win for any homeowner with noble green intentions.
Westbury applies three coats of Teknos paint to all of its Accoya® windows and doors. Teknos paint results in long-lasting, low-maintenance joinery that will not require repainting for at least 12 years. Additionally, unlike other products on the market, Teknos paints have extremely low levels of Volatile Organic Compounds (toxins that are released into the atmosphere), making them kinder on the environment.
Understanding ‘green’
Hey concluded: “Every glazed extension manufacturer will have an environmental story to tell but homeowners who are really serious about environmental issues need to fully understand the manufacturing process from start to finish. It’s one thing for a manufacturer to say they want to use sustainable wood but if the factory doesn’t recycle or reuse offcuts, or if it’s halfway around the world, then the benefits in one area will be outweighed by pitfalls in another.
“In more ways than one, going green is very much on trend for 2020.”
For more information please visit www.westburygardenrooms.com or call 01245 326500.
Ends -
For more information, please contact:
Will Greenwood or Ali Cort at Browser Media
will.greenwood@browsermedia.co.uk / ali.cort@browsermedia.co.uk
0207 099 0945
Notes to editors
Westbury was founded 30 years ago by Jonathan Hey. During this time, Westbury has developed an impressive reputation across the UK for design, quality and durability in bespoke garden rooms, orangeries, pool houses and roof lanterns.
Based in Essex, Westbury is a privately owned company, employing over 80 staff. This includes a team of carpenters and electricians to ensure that every aspect of a client’s project meets Westbury’s exacting standards. In fact, Westbury ensures that all elements of the project, from start to finish, are taken care of in-house, including architectural design, planning permission as well as the build itself.
Westbury is committed to a policy of acting in an environmentally responsible manner. In practise this means that the company only uses wood from sustainable sources and hardwood is used only where absolutely essential in order to minimise wastage. In addition, where possible, Westbury tries to source materials from European suppliers to reduce its carbon footprint. Furthermore, Westbury also ensures that its extensions are insulated to a higher level than current legislative standards recommend, helping both the environment and the consumer or property owner.
The company has been designing, developing and manufacturing doors and windows as part of its overall service to clients which lead to the development of a standalone joinery business Westbury Windows & Joinery Ltd. Now, homeowners as well as architects, builders and specifiers can select Westbury products for their own developments and projects, with the knowledge that they are manufactured to the same quality and standards as its garden rooms.
In fact, Westbury’s commitment to creating superior products has seen the company invest in the latest joinery machining technologies, greatly increasing the company’s efficiency and capacity.
Westbury completes many projects every year ranging from smaller suburban installations to large orangeries or pool houses where luxury is imperative and more substantial budgets are necessary.