Case Study: Douglas & Peters
Background
Douglas & Peters is a traditional timber window and door manufacturer with over 100 years of combined joinery experience. Specialising in bespoke products, the company crafts each window and door to the exact requirements of its customers, supplying small developers, independent builders’ merchants, and national merchants alike.
The business is built on a strong belief in timber—valued for its natural beauty, longevity, and heritage appeal. However, like many high-quality joineries, Douglas & Peters recognised that certain smaller components, such as glazing beads and bars, can limit overall performance when produced from solid timber.
“Easy to work with, easy to use.”
Solution
To overcome these challenges, Douglas & Peters made the decision to exclusively specify Qwood composite profiles for all glazing beads, bonded bars, and staff and parting beads.
The move was driven by a simple principle: achieving the performance of a modern material without compromising the traditional appearance of timber.
Qwood integrates seamlessly into the workshop, using standard woodworking tools and processes. It can be cut, machined, and painted just like timber—making adoption straightforward with no disruption to production.
The company has also adopted the Qwood Rain Deflector profile, further enhancing the performance of its window systems.
Results
By switching to Qwood for critical components, Douglas & Peters has significantly improved both product reliability and manufacturing efficiency.
Key benefits include:
No rot, warping, or movement after installation
Consistently straight, defect-free profiles with no knots
Reduced waste due to easier, more predictable machining
Full compatibility with standard tools and paint systems
Fewer site returns, saving time and cost
While the aesthetic remains true to traditional timber, the performance is markedly improved—delivering a higher-quality, more dependable end product.
Testimonial
“For us, it comes down to performance coupled with appearance. Qwood gives us the look of timber, but without the issues. It machines cleanly, performs consistently, and ultimately saves us time and cost. Quite simply, it’s a better solution than traditional timber for these applications.”
— Andrew Douglas, Founder
Qwood Bead Innovation
Qwood is a timber composite which reflects the natural look and feel of timber. It can be machined just like traditional bars and beads, but it has no knots, defects, or imperfections. It is resistant to temperature and environmental changes, and will far outlast its timber alternatives.
A major advantage which Qwood has over traditional timber beads is the labour time saved in the manufacturing process. Every profile can be used straight out of the box, with no prep work. There is no need for de-nibbing, sanding, or other time-consuming tasks, and only a top coat of paint is required. The bars and beads can simply be cut to size with traditional joinery methods, and they are ready to paint and fit.
Qwood also has the benefit of superior longevity. It will not warp, rot, or swell over time, meaning that remedial work is greatly reduced. It is extremely stable, and its durability ensures excellent long-term performance. Plus, all of the timber which goes into the wood fibres used to manufacture Qwood is sourced from sustainably managed forests in Germany with full Chain of Custody certification available.
The products which Qwood manufactures includes various glazing bars and beads for casement windows, staff and parting beads for sliding sash windows, and a range of profiles for doors. As all Qwood profiles come ready-made, there is no need to select suitable timber pieces, or run them through a spindle moulder. Simply remove the profiles from the box, and use every piece, every time.
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