NEW CLADDING PRODUCT AND COLOUR FOR FREEFOAM FORTEX® RANGE

Freefoam has extended its Fortex® cladding range with a new product and new premium colour.

‘Shadow Gap’ features a subtle embossed finish like painted pine, with a deep groove between boards, adding a visual interest to the façade. It can be fitted horizontally or vertically, for the illusion of height, instantly transforming any new build or home improvement project.

Co-extruded with a rigid foam core and durable textured surface, Shadow Gap is available in seven shades, including Anthracite Grey – a new colour now offered across the entire Fortex® range.

“Anthracite Grey is an incredibly popular choice for fascias, soffits and gutters,” comments Colin St John, Commercial Director at Freefoam. “It’s been the standout colour choice for a number of years now. Adding this new shade means homeowners can now match their cladding to their roofline, windows, and doors for a full suite, which means installers can upsell additional products.”

A long-term exterior cladding solution, Fortex® has been

Cdw Systems Enhancing Sustainability Credentials With Technal Partnership

designed to withstand many different weather conditions.

The new product and shade are, as with the white and other colour products in the range, eligible for an impressive 10-year guarantee backed by Freefoam’s environmentally friendly lead-free formulation.

Fortex® cladding is also manufactured to make storing, handling and fitting as quick and easy as possible for stockists and installers.

“Low maintenance, easy to fit, and available in a wide range of design options and colours, our Fortex® cladding range is an ideal alternative to timber and render options,” adds Colin. “Installers use it for a wide range of projects from side façades, gable ends, bay windows, dormer elevations, and garden rooms for a quick and easy way to add colour and kerb appeal while improving insulation. Now there are even more options for installers to transform a home.”

Use Freefoam’s Cladding Visualiser to see what different cladding boards or colours look like on a range of properties or order FREE samples using the online form.

Learn more about Freefoam’s full range of products, and its service and support by visiting www.freefoam.com or calling 0800 002 9903.

Age Is Just A Number

A beautiful 300-year-old oak framed country house stands picture perfect in historical Cranbrook, Kent – but it’s the 13-year-old orangery that had sadly seen better days.

Suffering from leaks and a lack of maintenance, the 30ft orangery, constructed in 2010 on the south-facing elevation of the house, was in need of a full renovation. Award-winning conservatory refurbishment specialists Apple & Oak were tasked with replacing it with something befitting the traditional chocolate-box home but that also had all the modern benefits of comfort and performance.

Apple & Oak completed a full external preparation and treatment of the oak timber work, adding new leadwork, additional oak drip sections and, using leading glass specialists TuffX as their supplier, installing a new glass roof.

TuffX supplied 6mm bronze toughened glass with polished edges. During installation, working with the original rafters proved difficult as they were twisted and bowed from drying out over time, which meant the glass had to be tightened to the rafters carefully and with equal pressure.

The hard work paid off with a stunning orangery that is now fit for the future. “This project really shows what we can do, and cements our reputation as a leading company for bespoke conservatory restoration,” said Apple & Oak’s managing director Adam Brown.

Apple & Oak has been a TuffX customer for three years. “We chose TuffX as our suppliers because they have a wide range of products for homeowners looking to upgrade the thermal performance and usability of their conservatory. There is a good amount of choice but not so much it confuses customers. TuffX also provide a great sample pack so the customer can see the difference in appearance between the alternative types of glass as well as comparing thermal and UV performance.

“From an installers point of view, the oversize glass TuffX can provide – single conservatory roof glass units up to 4000mm – is really useful, as it looks great and reduces the potential for leaks. Plus TuffX offer great customer service and are always fast at providing quotes and pricing when needed.” www.tuffxglass.co.uk

Part of the Hydro Group, a global leader in aluminium solutions, Technal has a strong track record of innovation and environmental responsibility and is one of CDW’s main profile suppliers.

Last year CDW received an award from Technal UK having ordered 44 tonnes of Circal 75R, Hydro’s high quality 75% recycled aluminium profiles, helping to saving 378 tonnes of CO2 emissions in the process.

CDW’s Group Chairman Jeremy Phillips, said: “At CDW Systems we believe that sustainability is not just good for the environment, but also makes good business sense and we are dedicated to providing our customers with the highest quality and most sustainable products possible.

“By partnering with Technal we are further strengthening our commitment towards a greener and more sustainable future. Technal enables us to provide our customers with a viable green and sustainable option and it’s even better that in using Technal Profiles that utilize Circal 75R alloy as much as possible we can contribute towards reducing our carbon footprint.”

As companies look for ways to reduce their environmental impact and improve the sustainability of their operations, the partnership between CDW and Technal reflects a growing trend in the industry towards more sustainable and environmentally responsible practices.

“Circal 75R really reinforces the sustainability credentials of aluminium but there is much work still to do and we are firmly focussed on continuing this journey,” added Jeremy.

“Working with Technal is the perfect way to do this, thanks to our shared commitment to sustainability, and we are looking forward to this sustainable partnership continuing well into the future.”

In another move to improve sustainability, CDW systems is also now working with Alutrade, the largest independent aluminium recycling company and extrusion specialist in the UK, and Jeremy added: “Moving to Alutrade for dealing with our scrap and offcuts is perfect as it keeps it all within the industry and is a more traceable way of dealing with everything we have that can be recycled.”

Established in 1992, CDW Systems is one of the UK’s longest running aluminium specialists in the trade supply of aluminium window, door, and curtain wall products.

For more information visit www.cdwsystems.co.uk or call 01452 414853.

• 4.5m span in two panes!

• Locks on all four sides of the sliding door. PAS24-2016.

• ‘Part-open’ sliding door locking.