Hinges and Stays
Hinges are vital to the operation of all opening sashes and doors. If they are not well engineered, they may not hold the opening panel accurately in the frame and other fittings, such as locks and catches, may not locate or connect accurately.
Friction stays are often used in place of hinges on awning and casement windows, as they conveniently combine the function of hingeing and holding the panel in the desired position, without the need for additional casement stays.
The number of hinges required on a particular door is usually related to the size and weight of the door, with three hinges being the usual minimum, and four or more hinges common. Hinges can be colour-matched to your joinery and are available in a variety of materials, offering corrosion resistance and different service life characteristics.
It is recommended that you obtain the manufacturer's specific instructions regarding regular maintenance of their hinges and stays.
It is best to buy high quality hinges and stays at the time of purchasing the joinery. The advantages are that you will be offered hinges that are designed for the framing they are to be fitted to, and they will be factory aligned to operate without undue wear, thus ensuring trouble free service.
Hinges and friction stays have to be durable and be able to withstand attack from burglars. Style and good looks can be achieved, with the best quality products offering a wide variety of styles and finishes. Unfortunately, some inferior products also look great but perform miserably in service. The best quality products can be identified by choosing those that carry the WANZ Compliance label.
A product carrying the WANZ Compliance label means that it has been tested to strict criteria that include:
- Long life cycle testing simulating real life use
- Durability of the parts
- Resistance to physical attack
- Resistance to corrosion
- Wear resistance of the surface finish
Specifications
The Industry is currently developing new standards for hinges and stays. We will post the specification reference on this site when work is complete.