9 minute read
Sealed Units & Glass
ARE YOU MISSING OUT ON THE BALUSTRADE BOOM?
Paul Smith, Marketing Manager of F.H. Brundle, asks whether installers are missing a trick in not offering one of the fastest-growing home improvement products – balustrades.
Of the thousands of installers at work up and down the country, the majority are specialists – they do windows, doors, and maybe conservatories. But in focusing their attention on just those three core fenestration products, are they actually missing out on big opportunities a little outside that comfort zone?
A FAST-GROWING TREND
Let’s take glass balustrades as an example. They’re one of the fastest-growing glazing products in Europe, offering high-margins, stylish aesthetics and a sure-fire way of appealing to discerning and aspirational homeowners. Really, they’re just a natural evolution of the trends we’ve been seeing in architecture and interior design since the early 2000s.
Homeowners, architects and product designers have striven to introduce as much transparent space to houses and gardens as possible.
That fuelled the incredible rise of bi-folds, for instance – and more recently, has seen a surge in the popularity of wide-span sliding doors, that can make virtually a whole wall see-through.
Now, glass balustrades are taking things a step further – by turning barriers that have traditionally often been opaque, like balconies and banisters, into ones that are transparent.
LIGHTER, BRIGHTER HOMES – AND EASIER INSTALLATIONS
It’s an extremely effective way of bringing more light, a greater sense of spaciousness, and minimalistic style to a property – which goes a long way to explaining why the demand for them has risen considerably over the last decade.
But from an installer’s perspective, the best thing about them is if you can already fit something as complicated as a bifold or even a conservatory, then you can easily turn your hand to glass balustrades. There are rules and regulations you’ll need to know to follow, but once you’ve grasped those, you’re good to go.
And at F.H. Brundle, we’ve got an extensive range of quality, installer-friendly glass balustrade products to help you quickly get started in this lucrative, growing market.
BEST-IN-CLASS BALUSTRADES
Take the Slim Channel for example – a great value system that’s quick and easy to install thanks to its pre-drilled channel fixing holes, and offers a satin anodised finish. What’s more, stainless steel cladding isn’t required.
Then there’s PanelGrip, with its patented expanded grip technology which allows for significantly reduced installation times and labour costs. The only tool you’ll need to align the glass is an Allen key!
But whichever model you choose, customising one to fit you and your customers’ requirements is a breeze thanks to the F.H. Brundle Liveconfigurator™ online configuration tool.
It will save you hours of drawing time and costly mistakes – and best of all, you get a set of CAD drawings totally free.
So if you’re interested in learning more about how F.H. Brundle can help you diversify into this exciting market, get in touch today – call 01708398048, visit www.fhbrundle.co.uk or email sales@brundle.com!
PYROGUARD PROTECT TICKS ALL OF THE BOXES FOR NEW STATE-OF-THE-ART ICE RINK
Manufactured to a bespoke specification, Pyroguard’s range of toughened fire safety glass, Pyroguard Protect, was recently installed inside the new Angers ICEPARC in Angers, France.
For the ambitious architectural project, where safety and design were key, Pyroguard T-EI60/25-3 provided 60 minutes of integrity and heat insulation, as well as 1B1 impact classification, UV stability and strong acoustic performance for the curved interior glass partition. Located near the banks of the River Maine in the Saint-Serge district of Angers, France, Angers ICEPARC is the new state-of-the-art go-to destination for ice sports. Elegantly designed by CHABANNE Architecture, the new facility boasts two ice rinks. The main rink is the home stadium for local ice hockey team, Les Ducs d’Angers, and is also used for activities such as ice karting and ice skating lessons. The second recreational rink is open to the general public. Contemporary and captivating, the building is designed with a curved structure, which is also reflected through the interior elements. Due to the nature of the leisure environment, prioritising fire safety from the offset was crucial to ensure that staff and visitors have an adequate means of escape in the event of a fire. However, as an architecturally ambitious project, fire safety glass that complied with building regulations, without compromising on quality and design, was essential to uphold the attractive and futuristic vision of the building. Ouest Serrurerie was appointed to design and install the fire safety glazing system in the viewing platform areas, which overlooks the recreational ice rink from above. In line with the design objectives of the project, a series of full length glass windows that curved off into a geometric point was proposed to follow the shape of the ice rink. Indeed, Ouest Serrurerie needed custom sized glass panes, as well as framing, in order to achieve this. Working closely with the Pyroguard technical team, Pyroguard T-EI60 from the Pyroguard Protect range, was chosen for its ability to be custom manufactured to suit the individual project’s needs. The Pyroguard toughened fire safety
glass provides 60 minutes of protection against flames and smoke and enables the transmission of natural light, acoustic control and thermal and solar performance, while losing no aesthetic benefits and maintaining the highest standards of safety. The bespoke fire safety glass panes were inserted into Forster steel frames, chosen by Ouest Serrurerie, thanks to Pyroguard’s proven and extensive fire testing evidence in Forster profiles. In addition, a project assessment was executed to justify the conformity of Pyroguard T-EI60 with regards to its fire safety performance, in relation to this specific project. With the support of EFECTIS, the teams were able to ensure that the final solution warranted the most suitable and efficient level of fire protection. Speaking of the project, Julien Bretaudeau, Technician at Ouest Serrurerie, said: “Due to the complexity of the design, we required a very bespoke glazing solution that would fit into the Forster steel frames. We collaborated with the technical teams at Forster and at Pyroguard, where we held several meetings to discuss the constraints
and solutions. It was a pleasure to work with the team at Pyroguard, who understood our vision and were very helpful, efficient and professional. Using Pyroguard T, the company were able to manufacture the fire safety glass to our specification and provide a totally bespoke system for the fire resistance required.” Mr Dangnoise, Director at Ouest Serrurerie, concluded: “Pyroguard provided the product with good lead times and was able to support us throughout the entire installation. The Angers ICEPARC project has proved that making buildings safe does not have to come at the cost of an aesthetically pleasing design, while the performance of Pyroguard Protect gives the best protection for people and property.”
For more information about Pyroguard Protect please visithttps://bit.ly/3jVGIsX
SAINT-GOBAIN GLASS UK & IRELAND LAUNCHES
NEXT GENERATION ONLINE TECH HUB TO DELIVER COMPREHENSIVE SUPPORT TO ALL INVOLVED IN THE BUILDING GLASS SUPPLY CHAIN
The commercial building sector is complex and involves many different stakeholders throughout the design, fabrication and installation phases of a building project.
Glass and glazing can be particularly challenging, as consideration must be given at the very early stages of a project to the various implications of glazing and facades. Glass is a beautiful, versatile and sustainable building material when specified, processed and installed correctly, based on the particular performance, safety and sustainability requirements of a building. Saint-Gobain Glass works in partnership with those involved in the development of glazing and façade solutions that feature Saint-Gobain Glass’ wide range of products. Saint-Gobain Glass designs and manufactures high-performance, coated glass that delivers exceptional solar control and thermal insulation, along with a wide range of building glass products suitable for interior and exterior applications. The business has led the building glass industry in the provision of glazing specification support, enabled by a highly skilled, technical team. The Saint-Gobain Glass Technical Specification Managers work in partnership with architects, engineers, contractors and glass processors, to deliver expert, technical guidance that is fully traceable and legally compliant, enabled by a structured specification process, and supported by digital tools and resources. “The Tech Hub is part of our ongoing plan to empower the building glass supply chain to specify glazing solutions that deliver on performance, safety and sustainability, partnered with market leading, premium aesthetics.”
The launch of the next generation SaintGobain Glass Tech Hub is part of an ongoing project, to develop responsive, digital capability to enable comprehensive support to all involved in the specification of glazing and facades. The Hub features custom content in the form of digital toolkits developed to meet the individual needs of stakeholders involved in the development of glazing and facades, including architects and specifiers of building glass, M&E engineers, main contractors, façade fabricators and glass processors. Lauren Whittaker, Market Manager at Saint-Gobain Glass commented: “The Saint-Gobain Glass Tech Hub reinforces our already strong specification activities, driven by our technical experts and wide range of digital tools. The Tech Hub is part of our ongoing plan to empower the building glass supply chain to specify glazing solutions that deliver on performance, safety and sustainability, partnered with market leading, premium aesthetics.”
Discover more by visiting the Saint-Gobain Glass Tech Hub online:
https://techhub.uk.saint-gobain-building-glass.com/
NEW OPPORTUNITIES
WOMEN IN INDUSTRY Pre-set questions, done via email and highlights the hopes and aspirations of women in the windows, doors, glass, roofs and hardware industry. The feature includes a photograph of the person participating with a brief job description, company logo and contact details. £195 + vat (or free of charge to advertisers)
ASK AN EXPERT Your choice of Expert, talking about a particular product, portfolio or service. Includes a photo of the expert with a brief intro, company logo and contact details. £195 + vat (free of charge to advertisers)
PRODUCT SEARCH This gives you the chance to feature a product press release (1/4 page space) for a 12 month period. You can change your copy four times throughout the year. One invoice of £195 + vat, to cover you for the 12 month period.
FACE TO FACE MINI INTERVIEW Fun, easy to read and are also well read. Can be used for as many staff members as you like and is a great way of keeping your face in front of people, albeit remotely! Everything is done via email, so very easy to turn around too. £195 + vat (free of charge to advertisers) VOICE OF THE INDUSTRY Our Editor, Chris Champion, features this four times a year. The way it works is that Chris poses a relevant question and asks a number of companies for comment. This is free of charge across the Industry. Register
your interest!
EDITOR INTERVIEWS Please get in touch for more information, if you haven’t already!
INDIVIDUAL EMAIL BROADCASTS Please get in touch for more information, prices start at £295 + vat and deliver great results!
PERSONALISED NEWSLETTERS & MAGAZINES Ever fancied having your very own magazine? We can help design and distribute your magazine or newsletter in digital or print format to a wide range of addresses, across the whole of the fenestration industry.
