4 minute read
Glass News Interview: HWL
THE ULTIMATE TIMBER ALTERNATIVE
The R9 heritage casement redefined the PVC-U window industry. The application of Timberweld® technology to its manufacture is set to have an equal impact, according to Mark Haley, HWL.
R9 has reshaped the PVC-U window industry. The launch of the flush casement, more than a decade ago, creating for the first time a credible alternative to traditional timber casement windows in a low maintenance PVC-U product. The application of Timberweld® to it, is similarly significant. Pioneered by specialist trade fabricator HWL Trade Frames, the launch of a non-glass-bonded 90° jointed R9 window transforms the systems’ trade appeal, eliminating complexities in handling while recreating the detail of a traditional mechanical butt-joint in a welded window. We caught up with Mark Haley, Managing Director, HWL Trade Frames.
Why is the application of Timberweld® so significant?
Mark Haley: We’ve been on board with R9 from more or less the beginning. What it’s given the retail industry is something different to sell. 10-years on it’s a much more crowded market place with a lot of competitor systems - but still none of them recreate that traditional 19th Century timber casement as effectively as R9, and that means it’s going to continue to see growth. If there is a single obstacle to that growth, it’s the fact that it’s fabricated either with a mitre joint or as a glass bonded window which is what we used to manufacture, and still do occasionally, if there is a specific requirement continue to do so. That, however, increases the weight. It makes every installation more complicated, increasing costs and eating into margin. That has artificially restricted R9’s market reach, it pushes up costs and installers don’t necessarily want to fit it. In applying Timberweld® to that very strong core offer, we can eliminate the requirement to glass bond R9 and cut through those ties. Retaining the aesthetic of a mechanicallyjointed casement, it redefines the product and how it’s fitted.
How did you do it?
Mark Haley: You think it’s going to be easy. It’s not. We started the process in 2017 and it felt at times like we were fighting an uphill battle. No one had done it but we could see the opportunity for our customers if we could get things across the line. Machinery, process - it’s really only the start. We’ve invested a massive amount of time and money in refining what we do, understanding our process properly to deliver consistent quality. A number of other fabricators are testing the water with R9 and Timberweld® but to get to that place where you’re hitting consistent quality requires a lot of work. It’s why we see a unique commercial opportunity. We have also gone through the accreditation and testing process, our product is PAS24 and Part Q approved. It puts us ahead of the market.
What are the benefits to installers?
Mark Haley: We’re recreating that butt weld window and door sashes inside and out. This replicates the aesthetic delivered in a 90° mechanical joint in a timber window. What you’re also getting is a significant increase in the structural strength of the sash, which means we don’t need to glass bond it.
As an installer that creates a step change because installation becomes infinitely easier. You’re taking masses of weight out of the product and that simplifies handling. A two-team job becomes a one team job and that means thee cost of installation goes down by as much as £500 on an average 10 window install.
Almost more importantly right now given how busy installers are, you also free-up a second fitting team, you instantly gain masses of capacity and reduce cost, without compromising on performance. We’ve also applied the same process to the manufacture of an R9 Timberweld® open-in door. That creates new market opportunities for installers because it puts them in a unique position of being able to offer a suited range of products.
Mark Haley
Are there other benefits aside from installation efficiencies?
Mark Haley: Installers have the flexibility to source IGUs from their regular suppliers but offering non-glass bonded R9 also delivers benefits to the homeowner. Consumers are increasingly doing their research, they can appreciate the technical benefits of a product like R9 but they’re also able to understand that if the unit is ever damaged or fails, it can be a headache to put right. We have customers who have won business from installers of glass-bonded R9 purely on the strength of how easy it is to replace the units.
Where do you see the market going?
Mark Haley: R9 still offers major growth potential. We’ve removed the barriers or the inhibitors on that growth, making it easier to fit.
It’s now about taking that to the homeowner, highlighting those points of differentiation and emphasising how strong an alternative the product is to a traditional timber window.
It genuinely sells itself.
