UNDERSTANDING YOUR DESIGN & MATERIAL OPTIONS

Material descriptions

A detailed description of product offerings, compositions, and types of finish are described in our website, catalog and brochures. Your PW representative will be happy to review this information with you at any time. The better you understand the key differences between our product types, the better you will be able to select the proper materials for your project.

Profile shape descriptions

PW stock catalog profiles. Photos in our catalog and in the “Assemblies” section on our website feature numerous images to help you begin choosing distinctive and graceful building details. PW stock shapes have been selected because they have consistently proven to serve as valuable components of integrated and well-proportioned designs for door and window openings, horizontal bandings, and other key architectural features. Most of our profiles feature engineered top-slope and drip-edge contours that allow a natural cleansing as they help shed rainwater away from the building face.

Because our stock shapes are already engineered, computer templated and produced in volume, we can price them less expensively and offer faster delivery than for custom designs.

Custom shapes. Should you elect to create your own profile designs, PW will gladly provide custom manufacturing services to help achieve your architectural goals. The costs of such services are dependent upon design involvement, difficulty of the custom templating or fabrication, type of finish and volume of the order. Should you desire custom products, the better the drawing details you provide, the faster and more accurately we can provide product pricing and begin manufacturing.

Note: All custom shape details must be approved by PW customers, in writing, before manufacturing can begin

Factory pre-mitered corners and return ends

PW offers high quality, factory-produced outside corners for door and window openings, premitered windowsill ends, and very large-scale return ends and mitered corners for cornice and parapet installations. Many experienced builders and tradesmen find this to be an invaluable cost-saving service because it can save countless man-hours over field-cutting and final finishing these complex assemblies. PW factory pre-assemblies can help speed up your overall job timeline significantly.

Special installation systems

PW offers several cost-saving and easy-to-install installation systems. Our patented pending PW “clip” attachments and 2-part cornice and crown mold fastening methods allow for the fast and convenient installation of most top-wall and soffit-mounted shapes. We also feature parapet cornice installation systems that can save thousands of dollars over the structural fabrications commonly required to support large-scale shapes. Ask your PW rep to review these options with you before you begin designing your building’s architectural details.

Arch systems

If there is one place even the smartest builders and estimators are prone to err, it is in the preparation of arch orders. PW has created special forms for ordering custom arch and radius shapes to help avoid the many potential pitfalls involved in this exacting process.

Classic, half-circle arches are a snap for us to create, but elliptical, gothic, and other custom arch styles may require provision of a hard surface template to ensure shaping accuracy.

Customers should also be aware that arch tops are custom, handmade fabrications and will often exhibit minor finish color and textural differences from their supporting casing legs, which are machine made. Decorative shapes can be ordered to insert between the arch top base and the top of the supporting legs to provide a dramatic break between these two surfaces.

Repair & reserve allowances

When ordering materials for your project, an adequate material reserve should always be provided to allow for installation mistakes, field-cut waste, accidental damage, and future building expansion or modification. This safety margin will assure accurately colored, sized, and textured products will be available when needed and will save the headache and expense of recreating small quantities of matching materials. Small volume, add-on orders can often involve significant up-charges, as PW job pricing is based upon our ability to efficiently process large volume orders. As a rule of thumb, a 5% -10% surplus should be ordered for each desired shape. Please help us to save you money. Order repair & reserve materials!

Special fabrications

If it is unusual, we’ve probably already made something like it. From huge, carved walrus and puffin head panels for an Alaska Fish & Game building to an elaborate Arc de Triomphe tower for a trade show booth, our custom fabricators can probably find a way to produce something that achieves your desired look, is easy to install, and meets modern engineering standards. Before you get too far along with complex fabrication designs, we suggest you send us a brief sketch of your plans. We just might be able to save you some time, effort and eventual expense.

Care & installation of products

Materials and labor are commonly calculated job estimate categories, but the required adhesives, sealants, sealers, fasteners and other associated installation materials should not be overlooked. PW offers many of these materials under our own private labeling, but can also recommend other products that meet our rigid quality standards. To protect your product warranty and to learn about the best methods and materials for handling, installing and maintaining Patterson Whittaker products, please carefully study our PW Product Installation Procedures and other company publications.

Packing, shipping and handling requirements

Your PW rep will discuss the particulars involved to create the safe and efficient transport of your finished products from our factory to your job site. We are able to ship very complex and fragile fabrications, small and large volume orders, and expedited deliveries anywhere, worldwide. Special handling, packaging or shipping costs can be rough-estimated initially, then exactly priced once your order has been finalized.

BASIC PW ORDERING PROCEDURES

Determining your material needs

Before you order, the size, configuration, and exact location of each desired PW shape should be clearly defined. If you have a blueprint, highlighting each shape location with a different colored felt pen may help you clarify your material needs and to carefully measure for each specific shape. Your architect, contractor or product installer should review this with you before placing your order.

Preliminary pricing and delivery schedules

Once your material needs are reasonably clarified, your PW rep can quickly provide rough price and delivery schedule estimates.

Finalizing your order

Before your order is processed, an exact CAD drawing of each order component will be sent to you for final verification. This will include individual shape prices, sizes and finish coating description. Additionally, your PW rep will review your entire order with you in detail. The degree of an order’s accuracy can have an enormous effect on the overall installation speed, efficiency, cost and ultimate quality of your project.

Verifying your order

To make sure you get the quality products and service you deserve, you must carefully review all PW provided detail information before your final acceptance. Production will begin ONLY after you have accepted the details and conditions of our procedures.

PW’s Client Responsibilities & Product Disclaimer form

Our goal is to ensure Patterson Whittaker products meet our high manufacturing standards and are packaged, shipped, handled and installed professionally. Please help us achieve this by carefully studying the valuable care and handling and product inspection information contained in our client responsibility form. You should note that Patterson Whittaker will not be held responsible for any unsatisfactory materials once they have been installed. Always inspect your order carefully!