Vertical & Heritage Sliders

SASH WINDOW SALES ARE SOARING. WHY? BECAUSE THEY TICK ALL THE BOXES

Sash window experts Victorian Sliders have experienced record-breaking sales in the first half of 2021. Marketing Manager Geoff Bishop gives his thoughts on what’s behind the ongoing boom.

Last March, I don’t think any of us could’ve predicted the situation our sector would be in nearly 18 months later. Back then, prospects looked bleak – society was on the brink of shutting down almost entirely. But Victorian Sliders, and dozens of other businesses across the glass and glazing sector, went on to enjoy the most successful year in our history. Between March and August 2020, mortgage comparison site money.co.uk estimates UK homeowners spent a staggering £55bn on home improvements – and even in 2021, that enormous demand shows no sign of slowing. According to Barclaycard, home improvement spending rose 34.4% in March this year – the biggest surge since July 2020, when the first lockdown lifted.

At Victorian Sliders, we’re seeing that translated into huge numbers of sales and orders – which means we’re confident that millions of homeowners are being specifically drawn to quality sash windows like our own much-celebrated ECOSlide.

THE SASH WINDOW RESURGENCE

Why is that? There’s not one simple answer. In part, we think it’s the continuation – and acceleration – of a trend that’s existed since the 2000s. Once, choice in glass and glazing was extremely limited. The vast majority of the windows sold and installed in Britain were PVCu casements, and most of them were white.

Then, in the years that followed, there was an explosion of choice. Manufacturers began offering a whole range of different, more stylish products, as homeowners began to treat doors and windows more like an extension of their interior décor.

Now, the experience of living under lockdown has pushed home improvements up the priority list for millions of people around the UK, and they’re eagerly seeking out products that can add to the character and curb appeal of their properties. That’s also likely to have been driven by the estimated £180bn homeowners are thought to have saved during the course of the pandemic. Much lower fuel and commuting costs for many, combined with the fact costly luxuries like foreign holidays have been off the table, has allowed them to invest in higher-end home improvements. That means sash windows, with their timeless, elegant aesthetics, are benefitting hugely. Once widespread across the country, sash windows declined throughout the twentieth century following the development of the first PVCu casements – but over the last twenty years, they’ve staged a major comeback. People with older properties are increasingly seeking to restore their historic character, by replacing the casements that have been installed in the decades since with much more authentic alternatives. But even people living in much more modern properties are embracing sash windows, too.

NOT JUST FOR HERITAGE

In recent years, there’s been a noticeable rise in the number of new-build developments designed to have a traditional look and feel – hundreds of ECOSlide windows have been installed in houses of this kind built by Hope Homes in West Kirkbride, for example. Even people living in contemporary-style homes are realising that sash windows can be used to add personality to their properties. The reason we’re seeing such huge demand for ECOSlide in particular, though, is that it offers everything homeowners want from a sash window, without their traditional downsides.

Early sash windows were exclusively made of timber – which meant they offered great aesthetics, but came with a wide range of drawbacks.

They required extensive maintenance to keep looking their best, including regular sanding and painting – and if homeowners didn’t keep on top of that heavy workload, the windows would quickly start to deteriorate.

But today, with the huge advances in window technology that have been made by forward-thinking manufacturers like Victorian Sliders, thousands of people around the country are enjoying sash windows without those issues.

ECOSLIDE – SUSTAINABLE, AUTHENTIC AND EXTREMELY VERSATILE

With products like ECOSlide, you get windows that offer authentic timber-look aesthetics, easy maintenance and excellent thermal efficiency, all while minimising the impact on the environment. ECOSlide comes with an ‘A’ Window Energy Ratings as standard (A+ ratings with an Argon-filled unit) and is extremely secure – unlike many competitor products, it uses top and bottom toughened glass as standard, and features an anti-jemmy bar. It’s also available in a vast array of foils and any RAL colour, as well as offering runthrough sash horns. For installers, it’s a win-win – stylish, much sought-after, high-performing PVCu sash windows backed with a ten-year guarantee. Don’t miss out on booming interest in sash windows – contact Victorian Sliders today, and find out why we’re trusted by thousands of installers countrywide!

For more information visit www.victoriansliders.co.uk or call 01269 846200.

TIMBERWELD® AND HALO MAKE

THE PERFECT MATCH FOR GLAZERITE INSTALLERS

The leadership might have changed at the Glazerite UK Group following the completion of the recent management buyout, but the new team of directors have the same passion for investment, innovation and installers, with a host of exciting plans afoot.

One of the five-strong MBO team is Matthew Thomas, the Managing Director of Glazerite East, which focuses on the Halo portfolio. Having been with the fabricator for three years, Matthew has already overseen a huge transformation of the site to align it with the rest of the group. Innovation in manufacturing efficiencies and products includes the adoption of Timberweld® technology across the company’s flush sash range to replicate authentic timber windows. This has allowed Glazerite greater flexibility in manufacturing across its sites, while increasing product choice for its installers. Matthew says: “We tested Timberweld on Halo Flush Sash over the course of several months, with the support and technical expertise of Masterframe, Total Machinery Solutions (TMS) and VEKA. As a result, we are now able to strengthen our portfolio to include a timber-look butt joint across all three of our flush sash window options. “Not only does it give us consistency in manufacturing, it allows for a greater throughput of products without compromising on quality.” The market demand for heritage-style windows is strong and set to continue with high growth, as consumers seek a solution that combines low maintenance and durable uPVC with an aesthetically pleasing, timber-like finish.

Matthew adds: “Glazerite has always had a strong commitment to innovation. We combine these ambitions with continuous investment into our facilities, our portfolio and our people. Everything we do is always with customers in mind and by introducing Timberweld, we’ve been able to open doors for installers who haven’t previously specified R9 for example, as it can now be ordered unglazed and is therefore easier to handle and transport.” Matthew is also delighted with the service his team has been able to offer installers keen to specify Timberweldfabricated Halo. One such installer is Northamptonshire-based A-Team Glazing who has just completed the transformation of a stone cottage using Halo Flush Sash in Pebble Grey. A-Team owner and Glazerite installer, Adam Pardon, explains: “The homeowner wanted to replace the existing rotten frames with uPVC because they wanted something that would help to reduce the road traffic noise, and which was low in maintenance, more energy efficient and secure. They were also keen to replace the wood with something that looked handcrafted and timber-like to blend in with the stonework surrounds and the period charm of the cottage. Halo using Timberweld offered the perfect solution and the homeowner is thrilled with the results.”

In addition to the introduction of Timberweld, Glazerite East has undergone a number of changes since it was acquired by Glazerite in 2016. Improvements to production has led to a significant increase in output - more than doubling the number of frames the site was able to achieve. Its current capacity is 700-750 frames per week, a figure set to grow even further by 2022 thanks to recent investment.

Matthew adds: “This year’s investment has also allowed us to add a new corner cleaner and a sash horn miller. This means we can now manage the run-through sash horn process fully in-house and has removed our dependency on third parties manufacturing it for us. This ultimately benefits our installers as it gives us much greater flexibility on lead times.” Matthew is now looking ahead to the next phase of Glazerite’s plans. He adds: “We are continually trying to find ways to broaden and improve what we offer our installers, whether that’s enhancing our production facilities, investing in new technology and machinery or adding to our service offering. The introduction of Timberweld has been a real game-changer for us and our customers, and we’re looking forward to finding more ways to meet the needs of our installers and their customers.”

Before

After Matthew Thomas

QUICKSLIDE COMMITS TO QUALITY WITH PAS 24 AND WEATHER TESTING

PVC-U window and door manufacturer, Quickslide, reports that its Legacy VS window has, once again, passed the rigorous testing regime for the PAS 24:2016 security standard, as well as the latest weather resistance performance requirements.

Based on the Spectus vertical slider and described by Quickslide as a ‘true heritage’ window, Legacy has been enhanced with additional reinforcement and longer screws to secure location, side extrusion blocks, sash locators, and upgraded locks, keeps, latch and aluminium tilt arms, all supplied by hardware and security specialist, ERA. Quickslide’s Managing Director, Ben Weber, said: “Attention to detail is paramount at Quickslide and this latest PAS 24 and weather testing success is testament to the superior quality of our products. “For us, it’s not just about passing the tests, but ensuring that we uphold these high standards by manufacturing each and every frame with consistent performance, quality and production efficiency.” Manual PAS 24 testing includes attacking the window with various tools to try and displace the beading, with an aim of removing the glass to gain entry. A force of up to 3kN is applied in various positions in an attempt to dislodge the sashes from the frames. This year’s PAS 24 testing included a window that was just 420mm wide, reassuring customers that Legacy can still meet the security standard, even at its minimum size.

Ensuring that Legacy can also withstand the ever-changing British weather conditions in terms of water tightness, air permeability and wind resistance, weather testing was also achieved to an overall UK exposure category of 1200. Key aesthetic features of Quickslide’s Legacy include an authentic ovolo shape to the frame, bead, sash and cill with a wide range of detail customisations including Georgian bars, run through sash horns and a mechanical deep bottom rail. Further on-site production processes including woodgrain foiling and frame shaping are available to emulate traditional windows ensuring authenticity. www.quickslide.co.uk

SPECTUS VERTICAL SLIDING WINDOWS FITTED IN PRESTIGIOUS NEW BUILD DEVELOPMENT

77 Spectus Vertical Sliding windows have been manufactured and installed in the first phase of a new 900 home development in Holbeach, Lincolnshire. The prestigious Holbeach Meadow Development features a mixture of one-five-bedroomed homes and is designed and built by Ashwood Homes. The Spectus Vertical Sliding windows were specified for installation in the new executive five-bedroomed detached homes on this first-phase.

The new build project was awarded to Spectus’ fabricator Highseal Manufacturing Company based in Scunthorpe. Established in 2012, Highseal is an experienced fabricator and installer committed to delivering product excellence at every level. The business operates under stringent CE Markings and BSi Kitemark standards ensuring their products meet Approved Document Q requirements. The Spectus Vertical Sliding windows were manufactured in anthracite grey on white with run-through sash horns and chrome hardware for traditional styling. Several sets of French doors were also manufactured in the Spectus Elite 70 system to complement the exacting specification of the new executive properties. The popular Spectus Vertical Slider is a design-classic that sympathetically captures many of the key features of traditional window design combined with all the benefits of a modern-day window. This includes superb energy efficiency and smooth operating balance mechanisms that ensure ease of use for the homeowner.

Chloe King, Sales Manager at Ashwood Homes, said: “We specified sash windows on our five-bedroom executive homes to complement the high-end traditional features of the properties. At the same time, we selected anthracite grey on white to provide a contemporary look and feel that is so popular with our customers.” The experienced HighSeal team worked closely with the developers to ensure the windows and doors were installed to the exacting standards throughout the first phase. Chloe said: “The Highseal team were very professional and helpful. The attention to detail was superb, including undertaking any snagging that was needed. We have been delighted with the quality of the windows and doors and feedback from our customers on the ease of operation has been excellent.”

Ashwood Homes has over 25 years’ experience in the residential property market. Each development is carefully designed to provide a sense of space for homeowners with exacting build standards maintained throughout. Commenting on the new development, Holly Donaldson of Highseal Manufacturing Company, said: “We were pleased to have been involved in this first phase new build project. Holbeach Meadow is a superb development and we are looking forward to delivering on the remaining phases with them.” www.spectus.co.uk

GRAND GEORGIAN BUILD GETS THE QUICKSLIDE TREATMENT

Frithsden Construction, a family run business specialising in quality high-end residential homes, completed a stunning, Georgian period-style new build with heritage vertical sliders supplied by Quickslide.

The beautiful 5,500ft2, five bedroom brick-and-block build in Little Gaddenden, Herts, was created over three floors using Flemish handmade bricks for the outer wall – just one example of the attention to detail paid to the design and build by Frithsden Construction’s husband-and-wife team Anthony and Julie Hayes. The Hayeses readily admit they are obsessed with not only the details but also practicality, which is how they came to choose leading fabricator Quickslide for their full-height period-style windows. Quickslide supplied heritage wood graineffect vertical sliding sash PVCu windows for the project. The Hayeses originally wanted timber windows, before discovering the wood grain effect PVCu sash made a great, energy efficient, secure and low maintenance modern alternative. In particular, they praised the authentic look of the wood grain effect and run-through horn details.

Frithsden Construction have been buying from Quickslide for five years, having first discovered the leading fabricator after researching extensively for a quality supplier that was both competitively priced and offering good aftercare and warranty. Frithsden highly recommended Quickslide on completion of the project, not just for its quality products, but for the whole buying process, which they commended as being straightforward and easy – particularly praising their sales manager, Jess, for being very helpful and always available for any queries or advice. “Our customer service is as important to us as our products,” said Quickslide’s Chairman Adrian Barraclough. “Since we established and popularised the PVCu vertical slider as a real alternative to traditional timer sash windows, more and more customers are discovering our heritage windows give them exactly what they need – authentic, traditional looks coupled with low maintenance, comfortable modern living. “We offer something to suit every type of build and style. And our great team of people make the choosing and buying process easy and approachable, so every customer can be sure they’ll get the right products that they want and need.” www.quickslide.co.uk

TRADITIONAL

WINDOW

REVIVAL As specialist fabricator Mercury Glazing enters their 20th year of manufacturing Vertical Sliding windows, Steve Cross Director of Mercury Glazing discusses why the continuing popularity of sliding sash windows is now part of a wider traditional window revival.

Sash windows have been the hallmark of British homes for centuries and evoke the elegance and period aesthetics like no other window choice. What was once the default window on heritage and architectural sensitive properties, has now become part of a much wider trend with consumers and developers embracing traditional design across modern properties too. When we manufactured our first Spectus Vertical Sliding window back in 2002, the white casement window was pretty much the default option when it came to PVC-U products. On launch, the Spectus Vertical Sliding window was ahead of its time and was purposely designed to offer a viable PVC-U alternative to the traditional timber sash window. Fast forward twenty years and the Spectus PVC-U Vertical Slider is the product that most planners and conservation officers now readily accept as a true alternative to timber windows. But what’s interesting to note is the shift in demand into today’s modern homes as the window’s high-end characteristics mean it is more relevant than ever.

As one of the UK’s biggest fabricators of the Spectus Vertical Slider, manufacturing both the welded and mechanically joint versions, our experience in the industry combined with the volumes we fabricate means we have an excellent overview of the trends in the vertical slider market.

Even before lockdown one, we had witnessed a step change in demand for our vertical sliders in modern properties. But this demand has been accelerated with consumers having spent time researching their windows whilst investing in their homes. As a result, they have turned to feature-rich products with high-end

detailing to deliver their aspirations. The broader appeal of the vertical slider, especially in modern homes is encouraging. Consumers and contractors are still seeking traditional window styling with heritage detailing such as sash horns and soft heritage hues. But by removing the heritage detailing you can also produce a window that offers clean lines and adds immediate aesthetic value for modern properties too. What’s interesting is the opportunities that projects like these present. New build, modern homes might be considered standard white casement window territory. But as this example shows, using our Vertical Slider offers a way to add greater value to a sale and satisfy consumers’ appetite for these window styles. Despite the differences in the heritage and retail markets, they both have several features in common. These centre around the modern-day advantages our Vertical Sliders brings. Every Vertical Slider we fabricate has a U value of 1.3/m2K as standard. We see that self-builders, in particular, are interested in the thermal efficiency of the products they choose and the U values play an important part in their decision-making process. The ability of our Vertical Slider to deliver good looks and excellent thermal efficiency is a compelling proposition. Security is an important consideration too. Our Vertical Sliders meet the requirements of PAS 24:2016 as standard and we also offer an option to upgrade to a Secured by Design version where security is paramount. It isn’t just the products where our Vertical Sliders makes the difference. When you work with Mercury, you don’t just get high-quality products; you also get the experience of our dedicated internal team who will work with you throughout the buying process regardless of business size. Since 2020 we have doubled our turnover and remain well on track to continue to meet our ambitious growth strategy over the next four-years. We recently opened a second manufacturing plant in Gloucester, have made a considerable six-figure investment in automation machinery from Haffner and recruited several high-level appointments to our talented team. The Vertical Slider is and will always be considered a key product for the heritage sector, but the upturn in modern homes and the demand for traditional window appeal has never been stronger.

For more information visit www.mercuryglazing.co.uk.

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING ERNEST

The buyers of Heritage Windows focus on attention to detail more than any other style, says Quickslide’s Adrian Barraclough. Attention to detail is everything, he insists.

“I truly believe that the focus on developing Heritage window styles, including VS replacements and the popularisation of flush sash, has given our industry a new lease of life in the past 15 years,” says Adrian Barraclough. And as the Chairman of Quickslide, the company that is widely credited with popularising the replacement VS window, you might expect him to say that. But as one of the UK’s leading Heritage window specialists, you would also expect Adrian to know what he is talking about. Heritage – or traditionally styled - windows are growing in demand, in particular flush sash, and it is fair to say that they have invigorated the replacement window market: where just a few years ago the choice for most homeowners replacing their windows was standard casements, the flush sash style is now offered by almost all systems producers and these days, at prices that are often comparable with standard casements. And of course, the very simplicity of the style allows styling authenticity to be achieved quite easily, so the potential for styling faux pas can be limited to dubious choices in the colour of the frames.

Not so for traditional vertical sliding box sash frames however, for which the devil is very much in the detail. As the market for the style has grown then so too has demand for greater authenticity by homeowners. Where once the relative handful of VS buyers were happy to have an affordable, efficient replacement window that might have been short on detail, now such buyers are highly conscious of every element. And that is fine, believes Adrian: “The VS window is one of the defining style elements of the property they are installed in and so they have to look just right. If the detail is wrong, especially when there are others in the street, it stands out like a sore thumb,” he says. “In a street of period homes set close to each other, neighbours will check every detail for authenticity.” Which is why Quickslide continues to commit so much resource and energy into continuously refining the details of the company’s VS frames: “Despite the improvements in aesthetics and period features we have continued our quest to design and manufacture VS windows that are as close to the originals as possible. There are always improvements to be made; if we have the look right, then we will look at ways of manufacturing the detail more efficiently and cost effectively, and also to make them more robust. We don’t want detailed mouldings to damage easily compared to the rest of the frame,” explained Adrian. “Profile shapes and classic mouldings, traditional horns or lamb’s tails, colours and finishes and authentic but updated hardware including counterbalances, timber looking joint options , handles and other fittings have all been sourced or developed to emulate original box sash windows as closely as possible. And to perform at least as well as any other, ‘standard’ replacement window,” he added.

Working so hard to ensure something looks authentically period does not come cheap. As well as automated equipment to achieve accurate-looking joints for example, as more than half of all Heritage windows produced are ordered in colour, Quickslide installed a paint shop that allows the application of traditional colours and with frequent colour changes for the specials requested by customers: “We promote special colours to allow our installer and builder customers to offer more attractive products,” reflected Adrian, “And then we have to invest to facilitate that. We make the investment to allow our customers to give their customers more choice.

“We made one of our largest ever investments with the addition of a new Schirmer cutting and machining centre, costing more than £800,000. That came online in February last year…and just as we were getting our people trained up on the machines we had to close the gates for the first lockdown,” remembers Adrian. “At the time we could not believe the timing and had we any idea, we would have cancelled or postponed the order. Now of course, as we are the busiest we have ever been, we are delighted that we have such equipment, which helps us to produce more than 1,000 frames, mostly Heritage, each month. “Every home owner is determined to continue improving their homes. But none more so than owners of traditionally-styled properties, even modern interpretations. And they have had the time to do their homework during the past 18 months! They know their stuff. And I am delighted to say, so do we.”

Adrian Barraclough