High performance Infinity rooflights from TuffX have been installed at a premium new build development near Chester, combining outstanding energy efficiency, contemporary aesthetics, maximum light transmission and ease of installation.
Oak Ridge is a high-specification development of four, energy-efficient family homes located in the heart of Tattenhall village, Cheshire. The substantial, modern 5 and 6-bed detached properties feature large open plan living areas, double bedrooms and home office options, combined with a high-quality specification and distinctive, contemporary design.
Situated in a peaceful, private enclave just a stone’s throw from the bustling village centre of Tattenhall, the luxurious homes offer from 2,211ft2 to 3,487ft2 of internal floorspace, with living and dining areas designed to maximise space and light.
Built by independent property developer, Bligh Developments, all the properties at Oak Ridge have all also been designed to provide A-rated energy performance, to minimise heating and energy costs and provide sustainable, low carbon living, thanks to air source heat pumps, underfloor heating and integrated, modern solar panels.
Premium glazing solutions were also a priority at Oak Ridge, and that included the specification of high-performance, energy efficient Infinity rooflights from TuffX, that were installed on the ground floor kitchen extension.
Maximum light, minimum heat transfer
Infinity rooflights from TuffX are manufactured with a clear, toughened safety glass with a high quality, polished edge finish and a distinctive, decorative black border as standard.
The argon gas filled glass units in Infinity rooflights, which also feature Super Spacer warm edge spacer technology, are highly energy efficient, and can be specified with a choice of either double glazing, delivering a U value of 1.2w/m2 or triple glazing with a U value of 0.7w/m2, the latter of which is compatible with the forthcoming Future Homes Standard.
Available in a wide range of standard sizes – up to a maximum size of 3,200mm x 1,500mm – Infinity can be optioned with clear or blue tinted glass, as well as unique, high performance solar control coating, which was specified for the Oak Ridge development.
Paul Higgins, TuffX Commercial Director, commented: “Rooflights and lanterns are an increasingly popular way to introduce natural light into a property, but in certain cases there can often be a trade off between light and heat transmission.
“We developed a solution for this with the launch of our Infinity Solar rooflight, which has a unique solar control coating that reflects twice as much heat as standard glass without compromising on the amount of light flooding through.
“It means that building occupants can enjoy all the benefits of a light filled space, with minimal solar gain, to help ensure comfortable indoor temperatures all year round, especially when combined with a glass unit that’s designed to offer exceptionally low U values.
“This is ideal for South facing installations but also helps conform to the new Document O legislation, introduced in June 2022, that’s designed to reduce excessive thermal heat build-up in dwellings,” he continued.
“Our range includes framed and frameless versions, double and triple glazed options, walk on glass with anti-slip coatings and more developments currently in the prototype stages to be launched later this year.”
Fitter friendly
While Infinity rooflights offer a host of benefits to homeowners, they have also been designed to present a number of important advantages to trade customers as well.
All Infinity rooflights come with a 10-year guarantee and are manufactured at TuffX’s state of the art, 70,000ft2 factory, with a lead time of four to five days on standard sizes and seven to 10 days on bespoke orders.
TuffX offers an efficient, nationwide delivery with a fleet of 52 vehicles, but one of the main attractions for customers – apart from the inherent quality and performance of the product – is the speed at which an Infinity rooflight can be installed.
Paul explained: “Our rooflights can weigh anywhere between 50kgs and 300kgs depending on the size and specification, and that’s not uncommon for any rooflight product, but a key difference with an Infinity rooflight, is that it can easily be installed in less than 10-minutes. That’s because when they arrive on site, they are already fully encapsulated within the frame, ready to be housed on builder’s pre-built, timber upstand.”
Bligh Developments has been a customer of TuffX for around 10 years and has specified the company’s rooflights and walk on glass products for numerous prestigious developments in that time.
Kevin Bligh, Managing Director of Bligh Developments, commented: “We love the quality and especially the ease of install of Infinity rooflights, but we also love the unique energy efficiency properties the product has. In the current climate, energy efficiency and living more sustainably, is of real importance to our customers.”
Paul Higgins said: “Three years ago we realised there was a gap in the market to manufacture a rooflight which was extremely easy to install to help builders maximise their time in a current climate of labour shortages and extremely busy workloads.
“Typically, our rooflights have been manufactured to be installed in around 10mins when some competitors rooflights arrive in separate components which can take two to three hours to erect and can also have issues with leaks if this process isn’t done correctly. As Tuffx has always been at the forefront of R&D initiatives, we also wanted to produce a range of rooflights containing different, unique properties within the glass,” he continued.
“Consumers purchase rooflights to have a frameless appearance with only the glass being on show when viewed internally. We felt that again there wasn’t any differential from a glass perspective on the market and therefore introduced a range of Infinity rooflights to give consumers a variety of unique properties depending on their individual requirements.
“In the case of the exclusive Oak Ridge development in Cheshire, the homeowners will be able to enjoy these stunning, contemporary properties, that will be filled with natural light from our stylish, energy efficient products.”
For further information on TuffX visit Rooflights | Flat Roof Windows & Fixed Skylights (tuffxglass.co.uk).
