A CR Smith Conservatory Earth Hour

The WWF’s Earth Hour event was a great success, with millions of people across the world turning off the lights for an hour in a mass demonstration to show their support in the fight against climate change.

I was at a party in a friend’s conservatory when we plunged ourselves into darkness for the hour between 8.30pm and 9.30pm on Saturday March 28. We had such fun with the lights off we never realised the hour passed and carried on in darkness for the rest of the evening.

At the party we were discussing what we do in our lives to be green, when someone commented that it was contradictory to hold a ‘green’ protest in a conservatory. There are many people that hold a misplaced view that conservatories eat up energy and are difficult to heat – modern, CR Smith conservatories are simply not like that.

Conservatories are built on the ground so a lot of heat can escape quite easily if there isn’t a strong insulation system. All CR Smith conservatories have fully insulated floors and walls and Argon gas filled double-glazed units in the windows. We use 60mm thick insulation which is strapped to the inner skin of the brick with a 50mm cavity. Beneath the floor, 80mm for concrete floors and 100mm for a suspended timber floor, Damp Proof Membrane (DPM) is laid to eliminate rising damp. A minimum gap of 150mm is then left to allow air circulation throughout. All of this ensures that heat cannot escape easily in a CR Smith conservatory.

Satisfied CR Smith Customers - Step Back in Time

Steven and Nicola Russell loved their Victorian style sash windows which were an original feature of the property. Unfortunately for the Russell’s, they had also inherited another feature of the era – a freezing cold living room.

“We might as well have had the windows wide open for all the good they did,” recalls Mr Russell, “it was so cold and as a result and we hardly ever used the room which was a pity because it’s one of the nicest rooms in the house.”

After getting a number of quotes Mr Russell, from Dunfermline, found CR Smith couldn’t be beaten on price or quality and more importantly their authentic looking Lorimer sash and case window range matched the property perfectly.

“Our main concern was getting the style of the windows right,” said Steven, “but the CR Smith Lorimer sash and case style is beautiful.” The Russell’s were particularly pleased with the joinery work carried out in their home. “The wood that CR Smith used matched really well with the original woodwork else where in the house,” said Mr Russell, “I was so pleased with the attention they paid to small details.”

The Russell household has also become quieter due to the improved soundproofing offered by their new installation but the biggest difference has been the warmth in their front room. “The difference is just unbelievable,” said Steven, “it’s so much warmer and no doubt we’ll notice the difference when the bills come through.”

Mr Russell was impressed by the service from CR Smith and even more so by their investigative skills. “I wasn’t entirely sure how old the original windows were,” said Steven, “I was discussing it with the joiners and not long after they came through with a piece of newspaper they had found behind the panel – it was advertising a shell shock cure for World War One soldiers!”

With their old windows firmly resigned to the history books, the Russell’s can now get on with enjoying their spacious living room frostbite free.

Satisfied CR Smith Customers - Testimonial

At CR Smith we receive many letters from happy customers writing in to express their satisfaction in our windows, doors and conservatories and the installation services we provide. Mr. Kean from Falkirk wrote in recently expressing his experience with us:

"I would like you to know that we are highly delighted with a very professional job on our house.

"Our house is 133 years old and the workmanship by CR Smith has been excellent. Your Sales Executive Brian Collins was most helpful in the initial stages and we found your teams of joiners' to be first rate.

"The whole house has now got sash windows and looks very impressive indeed.

"Please pass on my thanks to your staff."

Mr. Kean, Falkirk

Satisfied CR Smith Customers - Leisurely Living

When Elaine Short gave the green light for a new front door, her husband David breathed a sigh of relief. For the last 27 years he had tirelessly maintained their house’s original wooden door and as nice as it was, a paint-free summer was too good an opportunity to miss!

“It was a beautiful front door but so impractical,” recalled David, “now that its gone we have a door that looks just as good and doesn’t need hours spent on it.”

It was important to the Shorts that their new front door was in-keeping with the theme of their 1920’s home and they chose a timber finish both inside and out in order to replicate the old door. “We wanted to maintain the look of the property,” said Elaine, “and our windows are also from C.R Smith so it was important they match.”

And match they do. The oak finish looks stunning in the property and with no door to strip, at least David can put one tick against his to do list this year!

Satisfied CR Smith Customers - Star Gazing

When Donald and Elizabeth Maguire contacted CR Smith about a conservatory they had no idea just how much it would enhance their property. “It was a nice view over the farm before,” said Elizabeth, “but now that we have the conservatory it feels like we are actually outside. As it stretches out into the garden at the same level as the house it really maximises the view.”

In fact the Maguire’s were so taken with the view from their cottage, finance expert Donald invested in some equipment to help them appreciate their surroundings. “We’ve got a telescope in the conservatory now,” laughs Elizabeth, “everyone asks if it’s for astronomy but really we just look at the fields and out over Loch Leven.”

After installing their conservatory, the next step for the Maguire’s was to replace the adjacent patio doors. “They had been here since we moved in,” explained Mrs Maguire, “so the runners were beginning to go and they looked a bit off next to the new white conservatory.”

Now with a beautiful new conservatory and set of Lorimer doors, both of which open out onto a raised slate patio, the Maguires can enjoy a secluded suntrap surrounded by stunning views.

Satisfied CR Smith Customers - All in a Days Work

Badly as they needed it, Mr and Mrs Begg of Dollar had been putting off having the patio doors and windows in their sunroom-type extension replaced for some time. This is because they believed it would be a major job that would entail a lot of chaos and upheaval which they simply could not be bothered with.

Mrs Begg explains: “We just thought it would be such a major job so we kept putting it off and putting it off. Then one day out of the blue, one of the CR Smith salesmen called. He left a brochure and that was it, we decided to go for it!”

The Beggs’ old windows were past their best, with the seals broken causing condensation to form in between the two panes of glass.

Mrs Begg goes on to say: “I must admit, when I found out that the team were going to do the work in just one day I was a little apprehensive. However, I needn’t have worried. The team arrived at 8.15 and they were away by 5.30; and everything was perfect. We can’t believe we put it off for so long when CR Smith took care of everything so quickly and efficiently!”

And it is not only the speed of the job that Mrs Begg was impressed with. “The Lorimer windows look fantastic. They are so much more modern and clean-looking. Everything in the room just looks so much brighter with the white frames, and the room even looks bigger. Plus now I get more use of the patio doors, as I can actually open them! Before, getting them open was such a nuisance that I just didn’t bother!”

CR Smith Double Glazed Windows are Good for the Environment

The WWF is promoting a big switch-off to energy users. It hopes that a billion people in a thousand cities across the globe will switch off their lights from 8.30pm to 9.30pm on March 28 for its Earth Hour.

Edinburgh is one of the 375 cities that has pledged to take part in the mass event which hopes to make world leaders do something about climate change.

The support behind this campaign shows how keen people are to go green. There are things you can do in your own home that will make a massive difference. Up to 18% of your household energy could be escaping every year if you are living in a poorly insulated home with single-glazed windows.

CR Smith Lorimer windows are manufactured using low emissivity glass and filled with argon gas, which prevents energy being wasted, saving yourself and the planet a little. So not only do CR Smith windows look good, but they’re also good for the environment!

CR Smith Versatile Conservatories. A new dimension to your home.

Gareth McCluskey, Marketing Manager at CR Smith, explains that conservatories can be used for a lot more than simply relaxing and watching the world go by.

He said: “Customers are often surprised by just how versatile a conservatory can be.

“It effectively adds another room to your house and the possibilities are endless.

“We have had several customers over the years who have transformed part of their conservatory into a working office or a dining space. For example, we had a music teacher who used hers as a classroom, a childminder in Inverness who opened up a nursery in hers and a hotel which added a new conservatory to house a restaurant.

“Our sales team will spend time getting to know their customers so as to achieve the perfect design Partitions, stairs or shaded windows can be added in order to create separate areas within the conservatory for different uses.

“A conservatory adds a whole new dimension to your home. I would advise anyone planning to get a conservatory to fully consider what they want from the room.”

Free Heating for Pensioners in Scotland

A warm home is important for everyone in Scotland but it is an absolute must for the older people living in our communities.

The Government is encouraging people to see if they qualify for a scheme to have a central heating system installed into their home for free. Over 60s with no central heating, or a system that is beyond repair, qualify if they own or privately rent their homes.

The scheme is also applicable to over 80s and those on a state pension if they have an inefficient or only partial system.Another important way to keep warm is by having secure double-glazed windows. Even if a top-class central heating system is installed old, single-glazed windows can still allow the chill to creep into a home and set heating bills soaring.

This is a great Government scheme but people need to get in touch before March 31. For more information call 0800 316 1653.

Apprenticeships by CR Smith's Gerard Eadie

We have to invest in a strong, skilled workforce in Scotland if we are going to come out of this recession with any sort of advantage. And if young people are going to learn a proper trade, they should start life as an apprentice.

The decision to fund another 7,800 apprenticeships as part of the budget agreement should be applauded. But let's get this right.

In reality, employers create apprenticeships. And in current times can we expect companies to take on another 7,800 employees? During a recession, new apprenticeships are, in fact, often the first to suffer.

Currently, funding goes towards external exams and college fees, and I even question whether all the current college places for apprenticeships are taken up. So, if government is serious about thousands of additional apprenticeships it must make grants and incentives available to companies, big and small, to recruit, or this simply won't happen.

We then have to ask what type of apprenticeships we need. Gordon Brown recently announced that McDonald's would be one of the biggest providers of apprenticeships as part of his plan. But, do we really want to create a nation of burger bar managers?

Apprenticeships should be all about creating a new army of craftsmen and women who will become the engineers, mechanics, electricians, plumbers and joiners of tomorrow. We must train young people who will be capable of quality work to contribute towards building an infrastructure for an ambitious nation.

Gerard Eadie, Chairman. CR Smith, Gardeners Street, Dunfermline, Fife, KY12 0RN. Scotland.