diff --git a/src/OpenMesh/Core/Geometry/Vector11T.hh b/src/OpenMesh/Core/Geometry/Vector11T.hh
index c820008d..b9113a6a 100644
--- a/src/OpenMesh/Core/Geometry/Vector11T.hh
+++ b/src/OpenMesh/Core/Geometry/Vector11T.hh
@@ -745,6 +745,19 @@ VectorT<Scalar, DIM>& normalize(VectorT<Scalar, DIM>& _v) {
     return _v.normalize();
 }
 
+/// \relates OpenMesh::VectorT
+/// non-member maximize
+template<typename Scalar, int DIM>
+VectorT<Scalar, DIM>& maximize(VectorT<Scalar, DIM>& _v1, VectorT<Scalar, DIM>& _v2) {
+    return _v1.maximize(_v2);
+}
+
+/// \relates OpenMesh::VectorT
+/// non-member minimize
+template<typename Scalar, int DIM>
+VectorT<Scalar, DIM>& minimize(VectorT<Scalar, DIM>& _v1, VectorT<Scalar, DIM>& _v2) {
+    return _v1.minimize(_v2);
+}
 
 //== TYPEDEFS =================================================================
 
diff --git a/src/OpenMesh/Core/Mesh/PolyMeshT.cc b/src/OpenMesh/Core/Mesh/PolyMeshT.cc
index bb88a68b..64fc9914 100644
--- a/src/OpenMesh/Core/Mesh/PolyMeshT.cc
+++ b/src/OpenMesh/Core/Mesh/PolyMeshT.cc
@@ -139,9 +139,9 @@ PolyMeshT<Kernel>::calc_face_normal_impl(FaceHandle _fh, PointIs3DTag) const
 
     // Due to traits, the value types of normals and points can be different.
     // Therefore we cast them here.
-    n[0] += static_cast<typename Normal::value_type>(a[1] * b[2]);
-    n[1] += static_cast<typename Normal::value_type>(a[2] * b[0]);
-    n[2] += static_cast<typename Normal::value_type>(a[0] * b[1]);
+    n[0] += static_cast<typename vector_traits<Normal>::value_type>(a[1] * b[2]);
+    n[1] += static_cast<typename vector_traits<Normal>::value_type>(a[2] * b[0]);
+    n[2] += static_cast<typename vector_traits<Normal>::value_type>(a[0] * b[1]);
   }
 
   const typename vector_traits<Normal>::value_type length = norm(n);
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ PolyMeshT<Kernel>::
 calc_face_centroid(FaceHandle _fh) const
 {
   Point _pt;
-  _pt.vectorize(0);
+  vectorize(_pt, 0);
   Scalar valence = 0.0;
   for (ConstFaceVertexIter cfv_it = this->cfv_iter(_fh); cfv_it.is_valid(); ++cfv_it, valence += 1.0)
   {
@@ -401,7 +401,7 @@ template <class Kernel>
 void PolyMeshT<Kernel>::
 calc_vertex_normal_correct(VertexHandle _vh, Normal& _n) const
 {
-  _n.vectorize(0.0);
+  vectorize(_n, 0.0);
   ConstVertexIHalfedgeIter cvih_it = this->cvih_iter(_vh);
   if (! cvih_it.is_valid() )
   {//don't crash on isolated vertices
diff --git a/src/OpenMesh/Core/Mesh/TriMeshT.hh b/src/OpenMesh/Core/Mesh/TriMeshT.hh
index 6ff32f3c..1865f30c 100644
--- a/src/OpenMesh/Core/Mesh/TriMeshT.hh
+++ b/src/OpenMesh/Core/Mesh/TriMeshT.hh
@@ -359,9 +359,9 @@ public:
     VertexHandle p2 = this->to_vertex_handle(he2);
 
     // Calculate midpoint coordinates
-    const Point new0 = (this->point(p0) + this->point(p2)) * static_cast< typename Point::value_type >(0.5);
-    const Point new1 = (this->point(p0) + this->point(p1)) * static_cast< typename Point::value_type >(0.5);
-    const Point new2 = (this->point(p1) + this->point(p2)) * static_cast< typename Point::value_type >(0.5);
+    const Point new0 = (this->point(p0) + this->point(p2)) * static_cast<typename vector_traits<Point>::value_type >(0.5);
+    const Point new1 = (this->point(p0) + this->point(p1)) * static_cast<typename vector_traits<Point>::value_type >(0.5);
+    const Point new2 = (this->point(p1) + this->point(p2)) * static_cast<typename vector_traits<Point>::value_type >(0.5);
 
     // Add vertices at midpoint coordinates
     VertexHandle v0 = this->add_vertex(new0);
diff --git a/src/OpenMesh/Core/Utils/vector_cast.hh b/src/OpenMesh/Core/Utils/vector_cast.hh
index 94f991a5..39fca197 100644
--- a/src/OpenMesh/Core/Utils/vector_cast.hh
+++ b/src/OpenMesh/Core/Utils/vector_cast.hh
@@ -95,7 +95,6 @@ inline void vector_cast( const src_t & /*_src*/, dst_t & /*_dst*/, GenProg::Int2
 {
 }
 
-
 template <typename src_t, typename dst_t, int n>
 inline void vector_copy( const src_t &_src, dst_t &_dst, GenProg::Int2Type<n> )
 {
diff --git a/src/OpenMesh/Tools/Smoother/JacobiLaplaceSmootherT.cc b/src/OpenMesh/Tools/Smoother/JacobiLaplaceSmootherT.cc
index 62fa98c1..f038006f 100644
--- a/src/OpenMesh/Tools/Smoother/JacobiLaplaceSmootherT.cc
+++ b/src/OpenMesh/Tools/Smoother/JacobiLaplaceSmootherT.cc
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ compute_new_positions_C1()
       if (diag) uu *= static_cast<typename Mesh::Scalar>(1.0) / diag;
 
       // damping
-      uu *= static_cast<typename Mesh::Normal::value_type>(0.25);
+      uu *= static_cast<typename vector_traits<typename Mesh::Normal>::value_type>(0.25);
     
       // store new position
       p  = vector_cast<typename Mesh::Normal>(Base::mesh_.point(*v_it));
diff --git a/src/OpenMesh/Tools/Smoother/SmootherT.cc b/src/OpenMesh/Tools/Smoother/SmootherT.cc
index 2bb44bd0..c727aeba 100644
--- a/src/OpenMesh/Tools/Smoother/SmootherT.cc
+++ b/src/OpenMesh/Tools/Smoother/SmootherT.cc
@@ -263,13 +263,13 @@ set_relative_local_error(Scalar _err)
     bb_min = bb_max = mesh_.point(*v_it);
     for (++v_it; v_it!=v_end; ++v_it)
     {
-      bb_min.minimize(mesh_.point(*v_it));
-      bb_max.maximize(mesh_.point(*v_it));
+        minimize(bb_min, mesh_.point(*v_it));
+        maximize(bb_max, mesh_.point(*v_it));
     }
 
 
     // abs. error = rel. error * bounding-diagonal
-    set_absolute_local_error(_err * (bb_max-bb_min).norm());
+    set_absolute_local_error(norm(_err * (bb_max-bb_min)));
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/OpenMesh/Tools/Subdivider/Uniform/CatmullClarkT.cc b/src/OpenMesh/Tools/Subdivider/Uniform/CatmullClarkT.cc
index 712ddb51..1813c2fe 100644
--- a/src/OpenMesh/Tools/Subdivider/Uniform/CatmullClarkT.cc
+++ b/src/OpenMesh/Tools/Subdivider/Uniform/CatmullClarkT.cc
@@ -346,7 +346,7 @@ CatmullClarkT<MeshType,RealType>::update_vertex( MeshType& _m, const VertexHandl
     for ( ve_itr = _m.ve_iter( _vh); ve_itr.is_valid(); ++ve_itr)
       if ( _m.is_boundary( *ve_itr))
         pos += _m.property( ep_pos_, *ve_itr);
-    pos /= static_cast<typename MeshType::Point::value_type>(3.0);
+    pos /= static_cast<typename vector_traits<typename MeshType::Point>::value_type>(3.0);
   }
   else // inner vertex
   {