Schüco aluminium double-vent window door: Twice the barrier-freedom
Contemporary building is all about ease of access: balcony and patio doors without thresholds provide a safe and convenient transition from inside to outside and are very on-trend for young and old alike. Schüco is therefore extending its barrier-free portfolio.
Both single and double-vent balcony and patio doors can now be installed without a threshold. If required, the second vent can be opened after the first, creating a generous, completely barrier-free opening across the entire width. As an integral part of the planning of new buildings and those in need of renovation, ease of access is increasingly becoming a matter of course. The requirements for flats are set out in standard DIN 18040-2. Important aspects include accessibility, recognisability, convenience and ease of operation. The balcony or patio doors from the Schüco AWS barrier-free aluminium window system were developed in order to meet every requirement in terms of comfort and design.
Previously, a range of technical challenges, for example in terms of watertightness, meant that it was only possible to install the barrier-free Schüco level threshold in single-vent balcony or patio doors. However, further technical developments of individual components have now made it possible for double-vent window doors to also be constructed with level thresholds, all while providing outstanding watertightness to class 7A (in accordance with DIN EN 12208). The threshold achieves the highest class (class 6) in accordance with the ift Rosenheim guideline on determining and classifying the rollover capacity of thresholds (BA-01/1). This means that wheelchair users, small children and people with walking frames can safely and easily pass over the threshold. An additional benefit is that the threshold can be cleaned and maintained quickly and easily thanks to the removable tread plate profile.
Easy, convenient operation
When it comes to barrier-free building, ease of operation is just as important as accessibility, recognisability and convenience. The handle height is key here – particularly for people who use wheelchairs, for example. In accordance with DIN 18040-2 (for flats that allow unrestricted use by a wheelchair), the handle height for the Schüco AWS barrier-free window systems can be individually selected between 850 mm and 1050 mm (finished floor level). At 5 newton-metres (Nm) for the handle and 30 newtons (N) for the tilt position, the requirements for the maximum operating forces (in accordance with DIN 18040-2) for opening and closing barrier-free window doors are met in full (DIN EN 13115, class 2).
