AN ALL BRITISH ALUMINIUM EXTRUDER AND A SYSTEM HOUSE, TOO. THAT’S GARNALEX.

Glass News’ Editor, Chris Champion poses a series of questions to the Head of Marketing at Garnalex, David Wigley, learning more about the company as both an extruder and a system house. Can the two go hand in hand? And is Roger Hartshorn’s dream of making aluminium fabrication and fitting as easy as PVCu systems, coming true?

What is Garner Aluminium Extrusions, or Garnalex as it’s better known? Is it mainly an extruder of aluminium for the market or a system house for its own systems?

It’s both! Each supporting each other and helping keep our energy efficient Hybrex press busy.

To separate our own system side of the business from trade extrusion we operate as Sheerline – which covers all our window, door and roof systems. While our Garnalex trade extrusion aims to reduce the UK’s reliance on imported aluminium products. Currently 190,000 tons of extruded aluminium is consumed in the UK, but only 110,000 tons is made here.

Having vast experience in PVCu, Roger Hartshorn had said he wanted to make aluminium as accessible and easy to buy. Has that wish transformed into lead times comparable with PVCu?

Yes, in fact, during some of the busiest times for the industry, during the ‘covid boom’ many PVCu systems houses would have loved to match our leadtimes! Our 12 standard colours, alongside dual colour combinations are available in just 10 days. With the most popular products being available in 5 days in stillage quantities. How important is sourcing everything from the UK? I believe the billets come from Wales.

We are fully committed to being as vertically integrated and UK based as possible. Passionate about UK manufacturing, it makes sense for us to source what we can as locally as possible. Helping reduce our carbon footprint while also supporting the UK economy and British jobs.

Other well known system houses have started sourcing their aluminium from Garnalex as opposed to China and other countries. Is that about convenience and logistics?

Recent events, Covid, the ship stuck in the Suez Canal, and the rebalancing of supply and demand, amidst spiralling energy costs caused by the war in Ukraine, have bought into sharp focus the issues with long supply lines. Reliability of supply is key to all our trade customers.

You have branded your system as Sheerline after the LB brand that you acquired, along with the Firs Works. Is there a specific reason for adopting the Sheerline name?

Although we are a relatively new systems house, we have a well-established pedigree, with our senior team having been instrumental in moving the world of PVC-U systems forward. Roger established Eurocell and Liniar, before forming Garnalex and launching the Sheerline range, and we wanted to convey the fact that customers are buying into years of experience, as well as fresh innovation. Roger started his career at LB who originally owned the Sheerline brand, so it seemed fitting to choose a name with some heritage. Our manufacturing facilities are also based on the original LB site! Another tie in with the Sheerline name.

The Sheerline product portfolio has expanded rapidly. Can you talk us through the product range and indicate any gaps you are looking to fill in the future?

With the launch of our slim Classic door later this Summer, we’ve now got a full house solution, in both our slim Classic and versatile Prestige ranges – all designed to work seamlessly together. As well as the more obvious, casement, French, T&T, bi-folds, patios, single and French doors, we also offer more niche products such as composite door outer frames, raked and arched windows and AOV (Automated Opening Vent) solutions. Alongside our S1 lantern…now with added SheerVent® and the S2 conservatory roof our range allows our fabricators and installers to offer an easy to understand complete range that share the same platform to reduce stockholding and complexity. Are we going to continue looking at new product opportunities? You wouldn’t believe me if I said no! There’s already some exciting stuff in development, but that’s as much as I can share.

The difference between Sheerline and other systems appears to be the innovation involved.

I think that’s right, alongside a genuinely different approach and mindset that helps drive that innovation. From the top down, Sheerline thrives on challenging the norms and trying to find innovative, yet practical solutions.

The Thermlock® multi chamber thermal break appears to be an important differentiator – is that the case and does that mean that Sheerline products are thermally superior to other brands?

Alongside our patented corner cleat, the propriety Thermlock® thermal breaks we use are the other big physical product difference that sets us apart from competitors. It’s wider, offers more structural stability alongside greater thermal performance, due both to material benefits and the use of multi-chambered designs. No other system offers such good thermal performance in such a straight-forward no nonsense way. Innovation has been key in the development of the products with the patented corner technology and the beadless construction. Is that all about efficiency of manufacture or ease of fabrication and fitting?

Although the first system we launched was beadless, we now offer beadless and beaded options, following feedback from fabricators and installers. All of Sheerline’s products are designed around the same principles; Is the end product the best it can be? Is it practical to make? And is it easy to install? Only designs that tick all three boxes get released. In the industry we’ve all had experience of ‘wonder’ products that sound great on paper but are terrible in practice, or almost impossible to install correctly. Sheerline was set up to solve those issues.

Is the 59mm sightline as slim as aluminium frames can achieve?

We actually go down to a 36.5mm sightline for our slimmest picture window. But

59mm for a casement and outerframe is as slim as we could go without compromising security or thermal performance while still leaving a good amount of cover to avoid issues with glass unit edge banding showing. Our philosophy at Sheerline is to create products that look beautiful and offer great performance – but are also importantly practical to fabricate and install in the real world.

What are the differences between the Classic and Prestige ranges? Is it sightlines, increased security or lower U values?

Put at its simplest Classic offers the slimmest sightlines, Prestige slightly better thermal performance, across a wider range of options and products. However one of the stand out features for our products is that they have been designed to be used side by side across the same property, carrying through the same styling and design cues. We don’t want consumers to become bogged down or confused by being forced to choose between numerous, almost identical products, and then be let down when the only thing that matches is the colour!

You’ve expanded into doors, French doors, lanterns and even composite door frames. Is there more to come?

Yes!

With the U values you can obtain with Thermlock and triple glazing have we now reached the lowest U value possible with aluminium?

Back in 1991 the U-values aluminium windows had to achieve was 5.7! Now across our Prestige range we achieve a U-value of 1.0 using standard triple glazing. Meaning Sheerline customers can relax about the likely changes to Part L due in 2025. Can we go lower, yes. Although it will involve higher specification glazing, and some more Sheerline ‘innovation’ that’s hush hush at the moment!

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