Window News February 2023

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Cover picture: Integral blind colour-matching delivers an on-trend look. Read more on page 76

Eurocell Invests Nearly £3Million To Support Growth In Fabricator Network

Eurocell has demonstrated its commitment to its nationwide network of fabrication partners with significant investment enabling them to increase productivity, further expand their businesses and secure their longterm futures, claims the company.

A total of nearly £3million has been committed by Eurocell. The investment includes allocations provided to onboarding new fabricators to the network, along with the addition of new machinery, software, and programming for existing fabricators.

Investments have also been made into upgrades and maintenance for equipment currently being used by fabricators, so they

can maintain and enhance their productivity, says the company. In addition, logistics, engineering, and inventory support have also been given as part of the investment alongside lead generation and marketing services.

The finance package for fabricators is part of Eurocell’s ‘Grow with us’ philosophy, which sees it provide ongoing investment and support to its fabricator network to deliver growth and secure their long-term futures, says the company. This takes the form of marketing and showroom support, as well as assistance with specification and technical issues, and access to Eurocell’s supply chain.

Andy McDonnell, managing director at Eurocell plc, explained:

“Our UK-wide network of leading fabricators remains integral. Every action we take is aimed to support their expansion and competitiveness.

“Each fabricator receives technical support from an account engineer to ensure they get the most out of their equipment, while an account manager assists them with strategy and business growth. They also have access to unrivalled technical and specification support – which is extended to any contractors and installers they are working with.

“We also help them by providing new business leads – from commercial, domestic, and new build clients. The aim is always to help them expand their offering through the delivery of high added value solutions for their local customers and to develop opportunities for new business. Through this, they can grow with us by means of a mutually rewarding, long-term collaboration.”

Growth For The New Year For TuffX

Shelforce To Increase Full-Time Staff

TuffX has made a £500k investment to further grow its production by expanding into an adjoining unit at its Knowsley premises.

This expansion is in addition to an ongoing 30,000ft2 extension that is due to be completed by the end of this year.

“We need additional space to create more room for our popular Infinity rooflights production, as well as for our innovative Glow heated glass production,” said TuffX’s commercial director Paul Higgins.

Glow is TuffX’s thermostatically controlled toughened safety glass designed for bifolds. The glass is electrically heated to temperatures up to 40°C, providing a heat source for homes that will be in line with the Government’s drive to net zero, claims the company.

“The Future Homes standards which will be coming in 2025 will stipulate the requirements for purely electrical heating sources to be installed in new homes in order to reduce carbon emissions,” said Paul.

“In light of this, we’re expanding

our premises ready to accommodate this new and exciting production line for electrically heated glass. The additional space will also ensure we can maintain the steady growth in production of our Infinity rooflights and walk-on glass products.”

TuffX’s latest expansion is the company’s most recent step in what has been a consistent track record of investment in recent years, which has seen the glass specialist invest multi-millions in additional machinery, space and staff.

“The increased space will help us optimise our factory layout to best advantage, which will in turn boost our output,” said Paul.

“Our Infinity range continues to be popular among homeowners and installers not least thanks to its ‘straight from the box’ easy to fit installation. And now, with our additional focus on our heated glass Glow, we have the space we need to ensure we remain at the forefront of supplying the specialist glass products we know customers want.” www.tuffxglass.co.uk

Continued success for Shelforce has opened the door for the Birmingham window and door manufacturer to increase its number of full-time staff to cope with demand.

The Erdington-based company currently has 29 staff, with 21 full time, but this year it will increase its permanent staff to 33 – with the extra 12 including three new team leader positions.

They will include a fire door manufacturer team leader, a window manufacturing team leader and a storage and dispatch team leader, while Shelforce will also be bringing in two new staff into the office to help improve customer service.

Since launching its fully compliant Fireshel 30-minure fire, smoke and security resistant door in 2020, Shelforce has had to increase its manufacturing capacity each year and is currently producing 200 doors a week, says the company.

Shelforce’s business manager Howard Trotter said: “Demand for our fire door has gone through the roof and it’s hugely positive that we will be increasing our team by 12 off the back of it. It’s a big jump but it’s one we now need to make.” www.shelforce.com

Endurance Doors Invests Into Increased Sustainability

Endurance Doors has invested over £300,000 into 500 solar panels which have been installed on the roof of its main production facility in Brigg, North Lincolnshire.

The new panels build on an existing focus at Endurance Doors of only using electricity generated from renewable sources, rather than fossil fuels, throughout its manufacturing processes. They will also significantly reduce the company’s energy spend.

Stephen Nadin, managing director at Endurance Doors, said: “As a business, Endurance Doors is proud to be a leading advocate and adopter of more sustainable manufacturing practices for the fenestration and construction sectors.

“To date, we have made enormous strides in our drive

to minimise our environmental impact but there is no room for complacency. We continue to look for new opportunities to increase our levels of sustainability and the installation of the solar panels at our Brigg factory reflects this relentless focus.”

The use of self-generated electricity from solar energy is just the latest in a long line of steps taken by Endurance Doors as part of its commitment to the environment.

The business already plants two trees for every door it produces, sends zero waste to landfill, employs recycled material where possible, and aims to use virgin material from renewable, sustainably managed sources such as PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) and FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified

forests.

Endurance Doors has also become a corporate supporter of the World Land Trust (WLT) – an international conservation charity whose patrons include Sir David Attenborough, Chris Packham, and Steve Backshall.

By partnering with the WLT, Endurance Doors has become carbon neutral with any unavoidable emissions from its operations being offset by investment into forests, biomass plantations and other sustainable means of carbon sequestration.

Concluding, Stephen adds: “The next decade is make or break when it comes to the environmental issues facing the Earth. In the last 12 months alone, we’ve seen stark evidence of the effects of climate change –from record-breaking unseasonal heatwaves to devastating floods.

“At Endurance Doors, we recognise our responsibility and the need for action rather than words. Anyone who buys our products can be confident they’ve been designed and manufactured with the future of the planet, as well as security and style, uppermost in mind.”

www.endurancedoors.co.uk

AT Precision’s New Factory Sees Production Boom

Bi-fold hardware supplier AT Precision has moved to a new, 120,000 square foot factory, significantly increasing capacity and ramping up production.

The new facility in Peterlee now houses 40,000 square feet for manufacturing, and 80,000 square feet for storage, meaning not only is there much more room for fabrication, but a significantly increased space for keeping finished products, ready for distribution.

Sales director Michael Hewitt comments: “When we first opened our doors just over three years ago, we were working from an 18,000 square foot factory, supplying our Everglide range of bi-fold hardware to aluminium fabricators across the country.

“Over the years, we’ve not only

invested in new state-of-the-art machinery, but also in significantly expanding our product portfolio to include the Everseal range of gaskets, security hardware, plastic ancillaries, and composite door hardware. We also recently launched our new range of aluminium profile for bi-folds.

“These developments have seen the company grow significantly –and as a result, we had outgrown our manufacturing facility.

“The new year has been the perfect time to relocate to a much bigger site, and has allowed us to ramp up both production capacity and manufacturing speed, enabling us to meet a constantly growing customer demand.

“The new facility has been an extremely worthwhile investment – thanks to the new space, I’m

Second Edge Bander Investment For ODL Europe

ODL Europe has taken delivery of its second edge banding machine, which further increases the company’s composite door prepping capacity. Bryan Bultema, managing director at ODL Europe, said: “This latest investment will support the continued growth for our in-house door prepping service by further increasing our prepped door output and delivering superb product accuracy”.

The innovative Fravol Fast Series 625-23 machine offers exceptional reliability allowing ODL Europe to efficiently scale up their door prepping capacity in line with demand.

The heavy-duty machine is said to have been engineered to the highest manufacturing protocols and delivers a consistent high finish every time.

The second edge banding machine purchase is part of ODL Europe’s longterm strategic UK plan and continued investment in the company’s composite door offering. Bryan said: “The demand for our prepped composite doors has risen exponentially resulting in this latest investment to ensure we continue to offer a competitive, high-quality product to our customers throughout 2023 and beyond.

certain that 2023 will be a very successful year for AT Precision, and I look forward to continuing to provide our valuable customers with the high-quality products and service that they’re used to.”

The company also offers a 10year guarantee on all its products, and promises next day delivery for orders made before 1pm, with free delivery on orders over £250.

www.atprecision.co.uk

“Our in-house facility allows a degree of flexibility, and we can offer as much prepping as is needed. Prepping of our market-leading TriSYS glazing cassette and Capstone door slab can be carried out together for total product consistency.”

www.odleurope.com

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National Apprenticeship Week: How Glazerite’s Apprentices Are Making Their Mark

As the cost of university education spirals, young people are looking at other ways to kick start their careers. Thanks to its ‘earn while you learn’ approach, an apprenticeship is the perfect fit for those who enjoy being able to put theory into practice and get paid in the process.

For Glazerite UK Group managing director, Rob Brearley, it’s also the perfect solution for businesses looking to bring in and develop new talent. Rob explains: “We’ve got our largest ever cohort of apprentices on board, and every one of them

is making their mark on our business. Our scheme covers every business function and includes a fair wage, relevant qualifications and off-the-job training and mentoring, giving each apprentice opportunities across Glazerite.”

The trade fabricator currently has eight apprentices working across technical, purchasing, IT, marketing, and HR, including 18-year-old Matthews Joshy, who had a role created especially for him following his standout success at the interview stage. Matthews says:

“I chose to do an apprenticeship with Glazerite because they are stable and ambitious. I was initially looking to do an administrative role but I’m now working in a technical role, which is really pushing me to develop new skills and is giving me a great foundation for my career in fenestration.”

HR & marketing apprentice

Sophie Toseland says the balance of working across HR and marketing has been ideal. She says: “I knew I wanted to work in business but it’s hard to know what area to focus on until you’ve had some experience. My role is helping me gain knowledge and insight across both functions, which will help me to make a more informed decision about my future career.”

George Willdig, 22, joined Glazerite as an apprentice IT administrator last year. He says: “I chose to do an apprenticeship as I believe that the IT industry is more focused on experience than diplomas and degrees.

I’m really enjoying it and have learned a lot already.”

Lewis Montgomery, 19, is an apprentice purchasing administrator at Glazerite’s North West Division and is currently working towards his Level 3 NVQ in Business Admin. “I chose an apprenticeship as a way to earn while I learn and build my confidence,” says Lewis. “I love working for Glazerite; it’s a great place to learn all aspects of purchasing alongside other business areas.”

22-year-old Joshua Mann is just about to complete his Level 3 apprenticeship in digital marketing. He says: “Doing an apprenticeship has significantly helped to jumpstart my career. I joined Glazerite as I knew I would be able to gain lots of hands-on experience and grow my understanding of marketing through the expertise of my colleagues. I would highly recommend the apprenticeship route to others.”

Robert Suttle, 24, has just completed his apprenticeship and has been placed in his new role in purchasing. He says: “I have gained so many different skills, including my ability to think critically and to analyse data, which will really help me succeed in my career. Glazerite has been a fantastic employer and really supportive.”

Group MD Rob concludes: “The age range of our current cohort of apprentices ranges from 16 through to 32, which demonstrates the value of the programme. It’s great to watch all of our apprentices grow in both knowledge and confidence. We have some great talent to work with as we continue to grow as a business and will certainly continue with apprenticeships going forward.”

www.glazerite.co.uk

Modplan Extends Its Manufacturing Capacity

Trade fabricator Modplan has completed a new manufacturing extension at its headquarters in Newport, Gwent. The new extension further boosts Modplan’s manufacturing capacity across its multi-site operation and will accommodate the company’s doorline fabrication.

Heidi Sachs, Modplan’s managing director, said: “We firmly believe in continuous investment in our business. This new doorline extension will open up new opportunities and provide additional capacity to support our long-term growth efforts.”

The new extension will allow Modplan to maintain its competitive turnaround times even as volumes increase. The extension has been futureproofed too, as new fabrication stations can be added as volumes grow further.

The new manufacturing centre is equipped with state-of-the-

art door fabrication machinery, including a dedicated automated supercut machine for precision accuracy. Heidi commented: “Investing in machine technology helps us deliver the quality we want as well as maintain competitive turnaround times, even as we grow.”

The new door extension follows hot on the heels of investment in several new trucks for its transport fleet as well as increased capacity to support the growth in demand for its PVC-U flush sash windows. It has also opened a Training Academy, which provides a dedicated space to train personnel across its business from NVQ level through to management. As well as supporting its own staff, the Training Academy is also available to Modplan’s customers, offering both officebased skills development and hands-on fabrication training.

www.modplan.co.uk

Merchants See Nominal Growth In November, With Falling Volumes And Climbing Prices

The latest Builders Merchant Building Index (BMBI) report reveals that builders’ merchants’ value sales were up +1.4% in November 2022 compared to the same month in 2021. This was inflation-led growth as volume sales tumbled -13.6% while prices climbed +17.3%.

Nine of the twelve categories sold more in November compared to the previous year. Renewables & Water Saving (+37.9%) was the standout category, while Plumbing, Heating & Electrical (+17.5%), Workwear & Safetywear (+16.6%), Decorating (+15.3%) and Kitchens & Bathrooms (+14.8%) also did relatively well. Timber & Joinery Products (-12.0%) was the weakest category.

Compared to November 2019, a more normal pre-pandemic year, total merchant value sales were +29.8% higher. Volume sales fell -4.1% while prices were up +35.3%. With one extra trading day this year, like-for-like sales were +23.9% higher. All twelve

categories sold more with four outperforming Merchants overall: Renewables & Water Saving (+58.1%), Landscaping (+39.7%), Timber & Joinery Products (+33.2%) and Heavy Building Materials (+31.1%).

Month-on-month, total merchant sales dropped slightly (-2.6%) in November compared to October. Prices went up (+4.9) but volume sales were lower (-7.2%). Despite the additional trading day in November, like-for-like sales were -7.0% down. Workwear & Safetywear (+11.2%) was the top performing category, followed by Kitchens & Bathrooms (+10.0%). Seasonal category Landscaping (-13.1%) was weakest.

Mike Rigby, CEO of MRA Research which produces this report, said: “November marked a period of relative stability for the UK after months of economic and political turmoil, but it’s too early to see the impact of Rishi Sunak’s and Jeremy Hunt’s steadier hands on construction and UK growth.

“There’s been a slew of better news in the New Year. Interest rates are expected to peak sooner and lower than earlier forecasts; high energy and material costs are now not expected to be so extreme. We may be over peak Truss-shock and the Autumn’s doom and gloom may have been overcooked, but there are plenty of challenges to overcome. It will take longer to repair the damage caused by the sharp rise in the cost of living, and a media focus on war with the unions will do nothing to lift the country’s well being. Weak consumer confidence will continue to impact the housing and home improvement markets. High mortgage rates are cutting demand for new homes and major builders have cut their build programmes. Older homeowners who are mortgage free or mortgage light, the Haves, continue to spend, but the Have Nots, many homeowners under 50 with smaller savings, whose outgoings have risen faster than their incomes, have delayed or cancelled their home improvements.

“Nevertheless, this could be the beginning of a return to normality which would be welcome news for consumers, tradespeople and merchants.”

www.bmbi.co.uk

Listers’ New Online Tool To Drive Sales

Listers has launched an Energy Calculator – www.listerwindows. co.uk/energy-calculator – which illustrates the potential energysaving benefits to homeowners of upgrading their windows to modern, efficient alternatives from the national fabricator.

Hosted on Listers’ own website, or available to retail companies to host on their own websites as a simple plug-in, the Energy Calculator has a user-friendly interface that encourages homeowners to compare a modern window installation with their current set up. The result is a potential cost saving alongside a likely reduction in carbon emissions.

Quick payback

The Energy Calculator uses estimated U-values for older windows, the published U-values for Listers’ energy saving products, the home’s glazed area, and the price of energy to determine the likely cost savings.

In a typical example, a homeowner in an electrically heated semi-detached property, who replaces single-glazed PVC-U windows with doubleglazed Veka windows from Listers, could save £15,290 over ten years, and reduce carbon emissions by 28,760kg. The price of the windows would be in the region of £8,000.

“Right at the top of the news agenda, and driving a lot of today’s window and door buying decisions, is the cost of energy,” Listers’ managing director Roy Frost said. “Insulating homes and reducing energy usage are key for many households going into 2023, as the risk of further hikes in energy bills is very high. A typical home upgrading their windows today could see their investment paid back in just five years. This is a powerful sales message as the market contracts.”

The government introduced the Energy Price Guarantee in October 2022, which is expected to run in its current form until April 2023. This capped the cost of energy at 34p/kWh for electricity, and 10p/ kWh for gas, while the wholesale price of gas continued to rise. Once this cap is lifted, then households’ energy bills could potentially rocket.

“Some homeowners are bringing forward home improvement plans to make sure they are not paying more than they need to by the time April 1st comes around,” Roy said.

“Since the market is being driven by a smaller number of buyers, each with access to a larger pot of money, we are seeing a corresponding increase in the demand for high-end products, and that is driving up sales of our premium collection of products, such as Sheerline aluminium windows and doors, and the Residence Collection PVC-U timber alternatives.”

Part L-compliant

Listers’ Sheerline Roof Lantern and the Prestige window range can offer U-values as low as 1.3W/ m2k with a double-glazed unit, and 0.9W/m2k with a triple-glazed. The range has recently been expanded to include the Sheerline Classic Window.

On the PVC-U side, Listers’ Residence 9 range can achieve

U-values as low as 1.23W/m2k with 28mm double glazing, and 0.84W/m2k with 44mm triple glazing. This comfortably meets the latest Part L revisions, while giving plenty of headroom for further tightening of the Building Regulations.

“By offering suites of energy efficient products, we are offering further opportunities for our customers, because homeowners often look for whole elevation refurbishments, and not just, say, the bi-folding door or windows,” Roy said.

“On those occasions where a mix of PVC-U and aluminium is required, we can offer the same lead times across all products and colours, which offers further benefits for installers because they don’t have to keep returning to site to manage multiple deliveries.”

Roy argued that, even though Listers have a market-leading product range, helping the homeowner understand how upgrading a home’s windows and doors can save them money on their bills is a key part of the marketing process.

“With the price of energy as high as it is, tools like the Energy Calculator are useful assets in helping homeowners visualise the benefits of targeted home improvements, which then creates valuable opportunities for our customers,” Roy concluded.

www.listerwindows.co.uk

Haffner Announce Strong Start To 2023

Haffner Ltd, the awardwinning machinery supplier, has announced a strong start to 2023, with several sales of Graf Synergy machines already confirmed. Matt Thomas, managing director of Haffner, comments: “As the sole UK agent for Graf Synergy machines, we have seen a sharp increase in demand for their cutting-edge machine technology. The high-end aesthetics of seamless welding is helping our customers to meet the demands of a changing market with several large-scale orders already confirmed for 2023.”

The patented Graf Synergy machines take welding quality to the next level, giving a superior visual finish when compared to a standard PVC-U weld, claims the company.

Matt comments: “Demand for high-end, feature-rich products was increasing in 2022 and looks set to continue throughout 2023. Graf Synergy machines help fabricators deliver the outstanding quality these products need every time, eliminating costly remakes and helping secure premium prices with more affluent consumers.”

The technically advanced machines are also suitable for driving efficiencies in high volume casement output too, because they deliver high levels of automation throughout the entire fabrication process.

Matt says: “The worker shortage is already having an impact for many fabricators. Unfortunately, it’s a situation that’s likely to get worse before it gets better, especially as

production volumes increase. Automation via machine technology helps fabricators manage worker shortage and fluctuating volumes, all without compromising quality or lead times.”

Haffner says customers also get the best in technical and on-site support. The company has been in the market for over 30 years and brings a wealth of experience and expertise to every conversation. Matt comments: “We work hard to understand every customer’s unique requirements and develop the fabrication setup that meets their needs in the short, middle and long term.”

It’s an offer that has seen the company grow rapidly in recent years. And with fabricators increasingly choosing to invest in seamless welding technology from Graf Synergy its growth looks set to continue – as the strong start to the new year shows.

www.haffnerltd.com

Listers’ managing director, Roy Frost

2022: A Vintage Year For VBH

Hardware manufacturer, VBH, has issued a review of 2022, advising that the year was a great success for the company. The report reads as follows:

“We are pleased to advise that 2022 was an excellent year for VBH, building on the successes of 2021.

We celebrated our 40th year in business with a dinner and dance at Leeds Castle in May. Most of the team made the trip to Kent, including many from our sites in East Kilbride and Wales.

We once again co-hosted our customer golf day in the summer with our friends at Deceuninck. The weather was typically good, and we managed to avoid the scorching temperatures that hit the country last summer. All enjoyed a great day of golf and socialising.

In terms of product development, we saw a steady stream of new products hit the market, including a brand new slim Omega letterplate for narrow mid-rails, a complete re-design of the standard Omega range, new finishes being added to our greenteQ Suite of matching door and window furniture, and new window and door restrictors, among others. Our design team has been extremely through 2022, and we will be introducing many very exciting new products in the first few months of 2023.

VBH made our first forays into the world of sports sponsorship in 2022. As well as providing a full kit for one of Clyde FC’s community teams, we also sponsored Gillingham FC’s match against Sheffield Wednesday, and had greenteQ Q-Smart branding on the Vauxhall Astras throughout the 2022 British Touring Car

Championship. Alas, our input did not open the door to a race win!

2022 was a year of internal promotions, with many members of the team progressing to new positions of greater responsibility within the company. These include Louise Eagle and Hayley Martin from our Gillinghambased customer service and marketing teams, and Pamela Paterson, who became operations manager of VBH East Kilbride. Rob Norman was promoted to business development director, and now heads up new product development at VBH. In addition to internal promotions, we expanded our team across all departments in 2022, and now employ over 70 people in the UK.

Towards the end of the year, we were proud to be judged Large Business of the Year at the Medway Business Awards, and were voted Hardware Company of the Year in the National Fenestration Awards.

Our product range and the efforts of our expanded team helped VBH to another record year for sales in 2022, despite the well-documented issues that businesses and individuals are facing in these uncertain times.

Despite these challenges, our On Time in Full delivery score remained in the 96 – 98% bracket for the full year, thanks to our purchasing and logistics strategies.

We continue to self-criticise, and evolve accordingly, to ensure that our service levels remain high through 2023 and beyond.

With the new products and initiatives due to be launched in the coming months, coupled with evolving service practices, we are certain that we will build on this success in 2023, and will continue to offer top levels of service to VBH customers, existing and new.”

www.vhbgb.com

Direct Trade Windows Adds AluSpace Internal Screening System To Offering

Trade supplier Direct Trade Windows has included AluSpace interior screening products from Smart systems in its portfolio, enabling its customers across Greater London to offer ‘the best’ to the end user.

AluSpace interior screening has been developed to create light

and airy internal environments.

The system can be used to divide both residential and commercial spaces of any shape and size, while at the same time providing an effective acoustic barrier.

And with a choice of hinged single and double doors, as well

as pivot and sliding options to accompany the fixed glazed screen, the flexible and versatile system provides almost limitless possibilities.

Director AJ Hassanali comments: “When searching for luxury home improvement options, some of the most attractive products are those that create space and light, something which AluSpace has mastered.

“The unique and slimline system gives architects, interior designers, and installers the opportunity to create space and light in any internal environment, and with a huge range of colour and design options, and

just a small number of core components, the system can be used to elegantly partition living or working spaces of any size or shape.

“At Direct Trade Windows, we’re proud to be offering the leading AluSpace range to our customers. It’s an investment that adds to our wide offering, as well as our streamlined manufacturing processes, minimal lead times, and dedicated customer support, all of which contribute to making us the supplier of choice for trade customers when it comes to premium aluminium products. “

www.directtradewindows.co.uk

Modplan Adds Leka

Carport And Canopy To Its Range

Trade fabricator Modplan has added the new Leka carport and canopy system to its range. Heidi Sachs, Modplan’s managing director, said: “The new Leka carport and canopy system provides a durable, lightweight and rapid construction alternative to more traditional canopy systems. And as you would expect from a Leka product, its intelligent design and rapid fit properties offer compelling appeal.”

The Leka carport and canopy system can be installed on existing load-bearing or concrete pads. The system also features Leka’s lightweight, structurally sound GRP framework which means no thermal bridging or moisture absorption.

Each section is modular by design and, according to Modplan, is highly engineered, giving peace of mind that every piece has been factory-tested before delivery and ensuring a smooth and straightforward installation.

The Leka carport and canopy is quick and easy to install. Typically taking one-two days,

says the company. Firstly, the GRP structurally sound posts are installed into the correct locations, using feet if necessary to secure them into place. Next the main GRP ring beam and roof structure are fitted into position to create a robust framework. The highly engineered, lightweight and load bearing sheets are installed followed by the application of the high-quality shingle or lightweight slate tile finish. Finally, a cladding colour of choice is applied to the underside of the roof and supporting posts for a seamless aesthetic. Optional lighting is also available.

Heidi said: “The new Leka carport and canopy system is a valuable addition because it provides another option for homeowners looking to make the most of their outside space. Whether it’s a carport, a covered seating area, a children’s play area or just somewhere to sit on a summer’s evening, the Leka carport and canopy provides additional space without the formality of a conservatory or orangery construction.”

www.modplan.co.uk

Lister To Host ‘Supercharged’ Open Days

National fabricator’s open days will see more than a dozen suppliers gather under one roof to offer specialist advice and product information.

Listers is hosting a series of ‘supercharged’ open days in April in a bid to give visitors valuable insights into product development, alongside business advice and market insight, which will prepare them for 2023 and beyond.

Held on April 25th and 26th at Listers’ Stoke showroom, the open days will take place across several ‘zones’, and promise a modern approach to continuous product development. There will be talks, demonstrations, workshops and factory tours. There will also be plenty of opportunities to network in Listers’

large canteen area where many of the systems companies will have exhibition-style stands and breakout areas – all while making the most of the free catering.

“Our open days last year at Tottenham Hotspurs’ new stadium and our Stoke showroom were a tremendous success, and the feedback we received was encouraging,” Listers’ MD Roy Frost said. “Existing and potential new customers took time out of their busy schedule to attend the events because they walked away with valuable information on Building Regulations, product updates, new opportunities, and advice on best business practice.

“At our open days in April, we want to use that as a starting point and supercharge the experience. In fact, these events

will more resemble an exhibition than a day out meeting your supplier!

“Giving our customers the best possible service is our number one priority, and these open days are extension of that. You will be hard-pushed to find so much product information and valuable advice all held under one roof in the UK.”

Modern exhibition

All of Listers’ customer-facing staff will be on hand to talk about the latest product developments at the national trade fabricator, including: the Sheerline Classic Window; the new Gallery 44 Gripcore Door; the latest Kubu smart technology; two new aluminium doors; the S1 Sheerline Lantern; the Eurocell Luma tiled conservatory roof; new fully adjustable hinges for Residence Collection doors; and the new high-quality handle and escutcheon from VBH.

“We will also be giving a sneak peek of the highly anticipated Sheerline Lift and Slide Patio Door, which will bring all the much-loved thermal benefits found on Sheerline’s other products – excellent thermal performance, knock in beads, full SBD accreditation – to the nation’s favourite home improvement product: the slider,” Roy said.

“This will be alongside the new Sheerline Prestige casement window that offers a flush sash

option and a U-value of 0.9W/ m2K when triple glazed.

“We know that demand is shifting towards the high-end section of the market, and having a supplier that can deliver a range of flush PVC-U and aluminium products in a wide range of colours on the same lead time is key to winning new business. And we’re excited to be demonstrating some of these products at the open days.”

Representatives from all of Listers’ suppliers will be on hand to discuss how their products and services are designed to create opportunities as the market is expected to slow in the first half of 2023.

Specifically, visitors will see a large collection of energy efficient PVC-U, timber alternative and aluminium windows and doors – all under on roof. There will be representatives from some of the country’s leading systems houses – Residence Collection, Veka Halo, Sheerline, Reynaers and Eurocell – all available to talk about specific product

development and regulation compliance.

Many of the industry’s leading brands will also be represented, presenting talks on the latest industry issues, and will be free to discuss pressing concerns over lunch or a coffee. These include: Kubu Smart; Gripcore (DoorCo); Glazpart; Ultion; Quickslide; Lasco PR and Marketing; Full Circle Marketing; and Business Pilot.

Knowledge Quarter

New for 2023 is Listers’ ‘Knowledge Quarter’, a dedicated area that will host specialist seminars and bootcamps on a range of services from the trade fabricator, including Listers’ very own pricing and ordering software Easy Connect.

Listers’ marketing partners –Lasco PR and Marketing and Full Circle Marketing – will explain how retail companies can supercharge their marketing package. Seminars will cover SEO, Google

Listers’ managing director, Roy Frost

AdWords, social media, and Listers’ Easy Marketing service.

“Understanding all the major pitfalls and opportunities retail companies face when talking to customers online can really mean the difference between success and failure,” Roy said. “We have engaged with the industry’s leading digital marketing companies to ensure that our customers have the tools at their fingertips to make online commerce a success.”

Other seminars will focus on the latest integrated CRM and ERP system from Business Pilot, and the latest updates on U-values, ventilation and UKCA Marking, with a presentation by John Vanstone from Certass.

Listers will also introduce Jag Jeer from Maven Services who will give advice to those business leaders who recruit the services of a large self-employed workforce – namely fitters.

Practical Quarter

For those visitors who want practical advice on how to improve the quality of service they offer their customers, Listers has

created a Practical Quarter for the open days. Here, hands-on ‘how-to’ sessions will guide visitors through some of the frequently asked questions that cross the technical department’s desk, such as how to build a Sheerline Lantern most efficiently before installation, and how to adjust a glass-bonded door.

There is also an opportunity to learn about the latest technologies that will help you complete projects to the highest possible standards.

“Have you ever completed an installation and found a scratch or a dent in the frame or sash, which could cause you problems when you hand over to the homeowner?” Roy asked. “Everyone in the supply chain – right down to the installer fitting the product on site – takes every precaution to avoid damaging the windows and doors, but occasionally one slips through the net.

“Rather than replace the whole product, wouldn’t it be easier if the damage could be repaired, leaving no evidence whatsoever? Well, you can, and we will be hosting wax repair sessions to show you how. Not only that but the first ten

registered attendees will walk away with a free wax repair kit worth £50!”

Freebies

Listers will be providing free breakfast and lunch to everyone who turns up, and all those who register beforehand will take away one of Listers’ famous goody bags, which will include giveaways from each of the trade fabricator’s suppliers.

Customers are also advised to book for specific seminars at the time of registering to avoid disappointment.

Everyone is invited to attend from across the UK, and staff will be on hand from both the Stoke and the Essex branches to talk through specific opportunities with existing and new customers.

“We are throwing absolutely everything at these supercharged open days, and we expect interest to be very high,” Roy said. “Register your interest soon to avoid disappointment, and to secure your place on those valuable seminars.”

www.listerwindows.co.uk

Crystal Direct Chosen To Supply Toolstation For

Crystal Direct has announced a supply agreement with Toolstation.

This will be the first time that Toolstation has offered windows to its customers via their website across a newly created ‘department’ dedicated to hosting almost 200 window options. The range of windows will also be complimented by around 80 Crystal Direct doors and roof windows. There has been a huge amount of collaboration in developing this range with Toolstation who already plan to increase the range to include Crystal Direct composite doors soon.

The First Time

Crystal Direct commercial director, Kevin Morgan has been both surprised and delighted by the speed and agility at which the range has been developed and launched by Toolstation.

Morgan said: “it’s fantastic to have been chosen by Toolstation to facilitate their desire to provide its customers with windows and doors. We have seen a growing appetite for more and more retailers and builders’ merchants to expand their range of products online using Drop Ship Vending (DSV). The growth of platforms such as Virtual Stock and Market Places generally is a fantastic indication of the sector’s

continuing confidence, and desire to play its part in the country’s economic recovery – which in our case is also linked to energy saving and heat retention”.

Kevin added: “We know more businesses are keen to join the DSV movement and so we have been developing our direct to site offer, investing in delivery tracking technology and expanding our new energy efficient delivery vehicles.”

https://crystal-direct.co.uk/

https://www.toolstation.com/

Experts in Hardware

John Mitchell Technical Manager Carl F Groupco

Amanda Hale Roundbrand

Carl F Groupco’s hardware support throughout PAS 24 testing has been invaluable…”

Avocet Deliver Their Pledge To “Make Things Easy”

In 2022 under the watchful eye of managing director, Dr Sachin Saigal and during the most volatile of times thanks to the war and the current economic crisis, Avocet Hardware Group made a bold statement that they would be the easiest company to deal with.

A statement made with intent and one that would be impossible to hide away from should Avocet fail to deliver.

“There has been so much uncertainty this year with the Ukraine invasion and then the economy surging from one crisis to another, we had to make sure that we were as easy to work with as possible to avoid any

further stress to our customers,” commented Dr Sachin.

Through major investment and some very long hours and dedication, Avocet developed a series of processes that have truly delivered on such a bold mission statement, claims the company.

“We have so many companies within the group that it was imperative our customers had easy access to the full range,” continued Dr Sachin, “it was evident that we needed to develop our own app which made stock querying and ordering a simple touch of a button process.”

QuickTrade was launched in the

first quarter of 2022 to one of Avocet’s companies and has helped revolutionise the way their customers can now order.

“We’re very proud of QuickTrade and the adoption has been magnificent,” said Dr Sachin. “When we initially launched this to our agricultural business, Eliza Tinsley, it was a game-changer with to date nearly a £1m worth of orders being placed via the app. Not only that, we’ve seen new customers join us due to having such an easy system to place orders with.”

“We will this year be introducing QuickTrade to our ABS and door and window divisions as we continue our making things easy journey across our business.”

Another development has been the VaultLink portal which allows all Avocet Customers an easy payment gateway and invoice interrogation portal.

“VaultLink has been built inhouse by our IT department and allows every single customer of Avocet to view their invoice history, raise queries and of course pay! This open communication has meant that invoice queries has dropped by nearly 67% thanks to the transparent nature that VaultLink provides,” stated Dr Sachin.

“I’m determined to build on what we achieved in 2022 and continue in 2023 to embrace new ideas that will stand Avocet apart from our competition,” Dr Sachin confidently stated. “We’re already working on automating orders across our divisions as standard and will be enhancing QuickTrade and VaultLink to include new fantastic features.”

Avocet have certainly delivered on their “Makes things easy” motto and with many exciting plans already in the offing, 2023 is looking to be very positive for all Avocet customers.

Avocet Hardware Group MD, Dr Sachin Saigal

Glazpart Joins BPF

Aston Architectural Aluminium Celebrates 10 Year Anniversary

Aston Architectural Aluminium, is marking its tenth anniversary this year, celebrating a key milestone for the company.

As part of its external affairs strategy, Glazpart has joined the British Plastics Federation (BPF).

With the trading environment adapting to legislative and policy changes made earlier this year, Glazpart felt it essential to have a voice in discussions with the BPF and its member companies in the plastics manufacturing and supply chain to the construction sector.

BPF is said to be the world’s longest established plastics trade association and has more than 450 member companies, representing over 80% of the UK plastics industry by turnover.

On joining the BPF Moulders Group, Dean Bradley, Glazpart’s sales director commented: “The Moulders Group offers the opportunity to network and understand wider industrial markets, whilst being part of the wider industry discussions impacting the plastics markets.”

In addition to being part of the Moulders Group, Glazpart also intend to have an input to the BPF

Windows Group. Dean Bradley explains: “As the regulatory landscape has changed and continues to evolve, we see a clear need to present our concerns to key influencers in the plastics sector. We look forward to taking part in future meetings to discuss the impact of the changes to the Building Regulations, ‘Approved Document F’ regarding ventilation in homes.”

Glazpart says the revised Approved Document F aims to improve the standards concerning energy efficiency and air quality of a building. And that the amendments have also been designed to ensure that ventilation is not compromised in the drive to the Government’s net zero targets, which aim to prevent energy loss from residential properties and minimise potential overheating risks. This uplift in standards is expected to be followed by the planned introduction of the Future Homes Standard in 2025. The standard is set to be the subject of a government consultation in 2023.

www.glazpart.co.uk

Set up by managing director Jaykishan Gorasia in 2013, Aston Architectural moved to its purpose-built 10,000 sq ft headquarters and factory in Watford in September that same year, and has made significant developments to its service and product offerings since.

Jaykishan commented: “It is a huge achievement for us to be celebrating our tenth anniversary surrounded by loyal customers and staff. At Aston, clients’ lead times are hugely important to us. With this in mind, over the last ten years we have focused on investing in both stock and staff training, to make our processes as efficient as possible.

“Many of our staff have been with us from the start of our journey. We support our fabricators in completing their lean manufacturing diplomas, and because of this we are able to maintain a small, close-knit workforce, which we promote from within.” www.astonaa.co.uk

Office Refurb For Strand Hardware

Gaidule, office manager

Strand Hardware has given its company headquarters a radical make over – improving its energy efficiency, work space and creating a welcoming new hi-tech reception.

It has used products from many of its suppliers and customers for the project including new windows, fire doors, electricals, plumbing, furniture, decoration, carpeting and signage, along with some of its own ironmongery products.

The refurb in the second change project to take place at Strand Hardware in recent months and follows a review and upgrade of its warehousing processes undertaken with WMG (Warwick Manufacturing Group).

It has resulted in a more modern, open plan work space for its expanding team – encouraging greater team synergy and literally breaking down walls to silo working which had been enforced by the old layout.

Strand has occupied the premises on the Premier Business Park, in Walsall, since the company was founded more than 30 years ago and according to managing director Steve Marshall, a little modernisation has been beneficial.

www.strandhardware.co.uk

Victorian Sliders Scottish Depot Celebrates Third Birthday

Three years on from the opening of their office and depot in Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire, sash window experts Victorian Sliders have become a firm fixture in the Scottish window market.

Perfectly located to supply installers throughout Scotland, it’s home to an experienced team of six staff who work tirelessly to support hundreds of Victorian Sliders customers, installing tens of thousands of windows across Scotland.

Regional sales manager –Scotland, Kevin Smith, has been based at the site since it opened. “I’ve known Victorian Sliders for about 15 years,” Kevin explains.

“My background is in raw PVC materials, and for many years I supplied Victorian Sliders with the PVCu blend it uses to make ECOSlide. In fact, I delivered the first batch when the company began extruding!

“That’s given me an excellent insight into the industry, Victorian Sliders, and the ECOSlide

product itself – and meant I was in a great position to explain the many benefits of that product to hundreds of installers around Scotland.

“We cover the whole of the Scottish region, and I am generally out on the road meeting our fantastic customers.

“Backing me up in the office are Elza, our office manager, Claire and Abi who generate all customer quotes within an hour , and two delivery drivers!”

“We have a showroom at the depot so installers can bring their homeowner clients, by appointment, and demonstrate how an ECOSlide sash window works.

Kevin concludes: “Sash windows have been a huge part of Scotland’s architecture for hundreds of years, and it’s no surprise that we’re seeing huge demand for quality, lowmaintenance, easy-fit examples like ECOSlide to this day!”

www.victoriansliders.co.uk

Kevin Smith, Scotland regional manager and Elza

We’re the home of Sheerline

Make Part L compliance a cinch with u-values as low as 1.0W/m2K!

Save time on site with clip in beads – no wedge gasket

Secured by Design options available across the complete Sheerline range

Buy glazed or unglazed

The Difference In Distribution

DoorCo has reaffirmed the company’s commitment to its composite door distribution service following their G-Award success as Component Supplier of the Year.

“Our distribution product and service offering are fully flexible and it’s this approach to supply that sets DoorCo apart,” explains Mark Towers, head of operations at DoorCo. “The distribution side of the business – the supply of composite door components for manufacturing – is fundamental, not only to our business, but to the entire supply chain: fabricators need the opportunity to own their share of the market, differentiate, add value, and deliver high

quality and aesthetically pleasing doors across all markets, from retail installers and homeowners to the commercial new build and social housing sectors. It is our position in the supply chain to support this and while some door suppliers are moving away from offering a distribution only service, it remains very much in focus at DoorCo.

“Stock is the key to keeping this fluid and investing in plentiful stock has been a priority for several years. Even against an adverse backdrop, we went all-in to maintain the bolstered stock levels we promise. The operation is supported by a dedicated team and two large well-stocked warehouses

(65,000 sq.ft) delivering a comprehensive range of composite door components to customers, when they need them. Uniquely, DoorCo is the only composite door supplier to offer both a foam core door slab (Original) and a solid timber core slab (Gripcore) as well as our own cassette system (Flip). We also provide a range of DoorCo Approved Components (Glazing & Paint). This product range means we have complete control over the major components in the supply chain and delivers customers choice and the opportunity to create a multitude of different traditional, contemporary and designer door designs that suit any home.

“While many fabricators have the in-house facilities to fully manufacture doors, many DoorCo customers dip into some of our prepping services like painting and glazing to create or support their own

capacity. We’re also making the re-glazeable Flip glazing cassette more flexible too. Flip is now available for any composite door on the market so the revolutionary Foam in Place technology that delivers a superior seal and exclusive flat profile designs in multiple textures now fits 44mm, 48mm, 68mm & 70mm thick slabs from any supplier.

“DoorCo also offers a comprehensive suite of digital and physical marketing materials, from printed/ digital collateral to physical product samples that can be easily adopted in our customers’ own marketing.

“DoorCo invests on behalf of our customers to ensure that the composite door market is durable, innovative and fresh, supported by flexibility and choice.”

www.door-co.com

CDW Systems Set To Trial Aluk Luminia F82 Bi-Fold

Aluminium fabricator CDW Systems is set to trial the AluK Luminia F82 slimline bi-fold door with the intention of adding it to its range.

The Gloucester-based CDW, part of the East Manor Group, has fabricated AluK’s BSF70 bi-fold for many years and is looking to be able to offer customers an upgrade if they want it.

The Luminia F28 has been designed so the frame and cill have slim sightlines of just 97mm and to be thermally efficient, delivering a 1.3 U-value with double glazing, claims the company. It features a popout handle that sits flush within the frame and HD rollers which allow for smooth and seamless opening.

Jeremy Phillips, CDW Systems’ group chairman, said: “We have

had enormous success with the BSF70 from AluK but are looking at introducing the F82 due to its thermal properties. It’s a much more thermally efficient and modern bifold with better sightlines for uninterrupted views, which is what customers continue to want, and we are lining up training for that in the factory.

“It won’t take over from the BSF70, which we will still be offering, but we are trying to make sure we are prepared for 2025 and whatever that brings.

“We also want to make sure we can offer our customers an upgrade if they want a more stylish, sleek, and high-end aluminium bi-fold door. There will certainly be a demand for it, and we are looking forward to seeing what our customers think.”

www.cdwsystems.co.uk

Carl F Groupco Reports Strong Start To 2023

Independent hardware distributor Carl F Groupco is reporting a strong start to 2023. John Crittenden, managing director at Carl F Groupco, said: “We’re starting 2023 the same way as we ended 2022 – strongly. Hardware is always a bellwether for the wider industry, so it’s heartening to see such strong sales.”

John says the strongest sales are coming from the aluminium door sector. He comments: “At the premium end of the market, aluminium continues its resurgence, as do large glazed doors. These are product trends that show no signs of slowing down, and we expect them to continue well into 2023.”

One range showing particularly buoyant sales is Roto hardware, and Carl F Groupco is one of the UK’s major stockists.

The PAS 24-compliant Inowa sliding door hardware is designed for both aluminium and PVC-U sliding doors, including the popular Aluplast Smart-Slide door system.

It is easy to open and close, even with the heaviest sashes, because the closing movement is perpendicular to the frame profile and roller bearings mean the sash doesn’t need to be lifted. Softclose functionality enhances safety when opening or closing, claims the company.

The Inowa range has Grade 5 corrosion resistance as standard, which makes it ideal for coastal and high-rise installations. The circumferential gasket and active locking points keep the sash tightly sealed in bad weather conditions, helping it achieve rain and air permeability testing to BS EN 13126-17 and making it one of the best sliding system solutions from an air/water tightness perspective, says the company.

John comments: “Roto hardware gives our customers the perfect mix of premium quality and features, simple assembly and installation. It’s a compelling range.”

He concludes: “Our strong start to the year, especially in areas such as aluminium hardware, is an indicator that there is still plenty of opportunity in the market. Long may it continue!”

Rehau And Glazpart’s 4000 Link Vent Supports Installers And Specifiers

and sash design. We made the decision to launch this new link vent solution, alongside Rehau, to help relieve the ongoing pressure on specifiers to choose products in compliance to increasing ventilation requirements.

While compliant with ventilation guidelines, the Glazpart 4000 EQA link vent system allows draughts to be reduced and directed away from occupants. These are also available in a range of colours which match Rehau’s Total70 foils, so that they can be sourced as a readily available ventilation solution for a range of window projects.”

Offering further support for the navigation of changing regulations, Rehau have created its ‘In The Frame’ initiative. As part of the programme, the polymer manufacturer has published a series of four fact sheets guiding professionals through the changes made to ventilation and energy efficiency requirements under the Future Homes Standards.

Rehau has worked with injection moulder Glazpart to supply the 4000 Link Vent, to assist window installers and specifiers with complying to the Part F building regulations.

June 2022 saw updates to Approved Part F of the Future Homes Standards, which covers ventilation. The change saw trickle vents become mandatory within replacement window frames in existing dwellings and specified frames in new builds.

In response, Rehau have incorporated Glazpart’s new trickle

4000 Equivalent Air Area (EQA) Link Vent into its existing range alongside the company’s bigger 5000 EQA and the smaller 2500 EQA Link Vents. Its compact size alongside the inclusion of fixing clips enables for easier and faster installation into window frames and sashes. The 4000-link vent has the advantage of easily complying with habitable, kitchen and bathroom ventilation regulations (8000 EQA).

Dean Bradley, sales director at Glazpart Ltd said: “The changes to the Building Regulations have had a huge impact on all aspects of specification, most notably frame

Mark Gajda, head of technical services and certification at Rehau comments: “While the Future Homes Standards are nothing new, the level of updates and debate around the requirements increases the risk of specifiers and installers misunderstanding or being presented with incorrect information. As such we have taken it upon ourselves to provide assistance and clarity with such regulation compliance.

“In practical terms, we have launched legislation compliant frames and accessories, such as the Glazpart 4000 Link Vent, with product transparency to offer standard solutions for installers. While our ‘In The Frame’ initiative delves into the technical aspect of the update to Part F and Part L, covering Ventilation and energy efficiency respectively, in order to support specifiers.”

To download Rehau’s free fact sheets click here

A Lot Of Reasons To Be Positive

An open letter by Mike Parczuk, Managing Director, Sternfenster.

Towards the end of last year, there was some worrying news emerging from the wider construction industry about an increase in the number of insolvencies.

According to Sky News, the Insolvency Service recorded 10,717 company insolvencies in the first half of 2022, of which the construction sector accounted for a fifth.

Closer to home, we started to see well-known companies go to the wall as those pressures we’ve all been coping with caught up with

them.

I agree that it wasn’t the best way to close off the year, but I don’t think there is any reason to be pessimistic.

We can all see what’s been going on in the news, and clearly parts of the economy have been living beyond their means for quite some time. So, what we are experiencing right now is just a bit of a reset. We’ve been through recessions before, and come out unscathed the other end, haven’t we? Why should 2023 be any different?

The reality is, everybody’s got windows, and everyone’s going to keep changing their windows.

And there are many reasons for encouraging people to upgrade. Aesthetics and security are key for many homeowners, as is energy efficiency. Despite some correction in the energy markets, the fact that household energy bills can rocket so alarmingly is bringing forward many projects to improve the efficiency of homes. And for those homes able to afford improvements, the sustainability of the materials used will also be important.

So, working with your supplier to see how you can meet these demands will be key. In fact, choosing your window supplier carefully will help you reduce the risks to your business, while creating significant opportunities for growth.

And ask yourself: do they have your best interests at heart? We’ve seen on numerous occasions where window fabricators are bought out by private equity companies, which moves the focus away from long-term stability to short term gain. I’m not saying that they aren’t good at what they do, but where we have been around for close to 50 years, have no debt, and want to work with our customers for long-term growth, a private equity company will have a five-year plan to see a significant return on their investment before moving on.

And we mean it when we say we want to work with our customers. As a large company, we have teams of people dedicated to HR, accounting, logistics, marketing, and IT – and we can pass on that expertise to our customers. It doesn’t take a genius to work out that if our customers do well, then we also do well.

Yes, demand will likely slow in 2023, but with the right partnerships, there is no reason why we shouldn’t just survive, but also thrive!

www.sternfenster.com

Mike Parczuk

The AluK 77 window and door range re-engineered for future sustainability.

With the need for more energy efficiency from homes and buildings, here at AluK, we wanted to make sure we were playing our part. Especially when our products are key to letting natural light in, whilst keeping the elements out.

The 77 Range is our most high performing window and door range yet, outperforming the current A++ WER. And just as you’d expect from AluK, there’s no compromise when it comes to aesthetic design too.

The 77 window and door range from AluK, re-engineered for future sustainability.

Take Control Of The Way Your Business Is Run, Says First Degree Systems

Greg Beachim, sales manager at First Degree Systems, explains how Window Designer has been designed to give fabricators a swift return on investment, thanks to improved efficiencies and workflow.

When we put together a software package for window fabricators, we take each customer’s individual

needs into consideration. But, in every instance, by using the Window Designer suite of products via a subscription model effectively gives every company a return on their investment.

When we talk to businesses about using Cloud Retailer, for example – the Window Designer module that allows retail companies to

submit window designs straight into the manufacturing process –the typical argument is “well, that’s going to cost me money”. But the reality is, it is actually going to save you money, because firstly, as a pay-as-you-go-system, you are only charged if you use it, and secondly, that frees up somebody within the organisation to chase business rather than be reactive to business.

So, in this case, you are receiving orders that only need checking before being adding to the system. You don’t need someone processing it; you are not risking fat-fingered mistakes; and you are not risking all those processing errors and those processing

delays.

That business has reduced their reaction time for a given order from possibly days – where they’ve had to manually process it, check a survey, correct any errors with the customer, and put it into manufacture – to a straightforward sense-check and straight to manufacture.

A key driver in this industry is the lead time. Before Covid, people were turning round orders in three days. Traditionally, it was five days, and we’ve gone back to around ten days as a kind of recent settlement following the pandemic. But it won’t be long before those lead times get shorter and shorter,

and fabricators will be back to offering a three-day turnaround on orders.

How do you keep up with your competitors who are driving down those lead times?

With Cloud Retailer, the quotation can be done by the customer without any delays, which makes winning business faster. When converted to an order, this can then be sent direct to the fabricator and straight into manufacture within hours, if not minutes, so there is no delay in reprocessing. The retailer could also have answered all their customer’s questions easily if the fabricator had set up the Fengo2 product to work with their business – they’ve done the sale and the survey on Fengo2 – so instead of being days, the process can be narrowed down to hours if necessary.

In another example where you can expect an almost immediate return on your investment, the Stock Assistant programme allows you to keep your stock levels keen. Cash is king – it always has been. We are now in a world where everything is costing much more, so having things delivered to you efficiently for manufacture is essential. And staying on top of

your cash flow is fundamental for the success of your businesses.

Another aspect of a successful business is engaging customer support. By using the Zandi CRM system, fabricators have full oversight of all business functions, allowing them to see how much they are selling the product for, see the immediate profits margins based on the selling price, and maintain their value proposition to their customer. And they can then go back to their customers and demonstrate the service levels they’ve achieved.

Anyone can go cheap. The important thing is, being able to deliver a level of service at a particular price point. Within the Zandi CRM software, fabricators have got access to customer metrics and workflows that help them deliver the best customer experience possible.

The act of processing window designs is the first step on the road to an efficiently run, cost saving, and engaging fabrication company. With Window Designer, those extra elements are not an added cost, but an investment in the success of your business, and easily accessed with a subscription model.

www.firstdegreesystems.com

Greg Beachim

‘2025 Document L – A Step Too Far?’

By Phil Slinger – CAB Chief Executive

To support members through the changes that took place to Approved Document L (AD L) of the Building Regulations in 2022, CAB produced a Guidance Note which details the changes in thermal insulation across the devolved Parliaments of the UK, this document has now been made available to nonmembers via the CAB website. Whilst our members and the wider industry have now got to grips with the 2022 changes to Approved Document L, we need to turn our focus on the next change to AD L where the Government is asking for an even greater leap in thermal efficiency which is planned to be introduced in 2025.

The Government is keen to ensure we begin to build carbon neutral homes from 2025, but new homes built now and in the future will only equate to a total of 20% of our building stock by the governments 2050 target. This means that refurbishment of existing building stock will be crucial to getting more of our buildings carbon neutral by 2050. But, when replacing just windows and doors, does it make sense to install high performance windows and doors into a structure which does not meet the same standards? Importantly, does the reveal for the installation offer good insulation as cold bridging at this junction with the structure can have a significant negative effect on a new products thermal performance?

Whilst we applaud the speed of the move to ensure new buildings are constructed to good, overall carbon neutral standard, does it make sense to ‘piecemeal’ the refurbishment of our existing building stock? LETI emphasises that poor interfaces with the structure will compromise any potential thermal improvement if the building is not treated as a whole. Would it not be better to ensure that any replacement products, such as windows and doors, have a positive building thermal improvement overall, which in turn will reduce energy consumption? Should we be tackling the thermal improvement of window and door reveals as part of the ‘home improvement’ installation as this will certainly be needed when the building fabric is further insulated to meet carbon neutrality which may mean that the ‘new windows’ fitted into the existing structure will need to be removed, or even changed again?

Several CAB members already have cited examples of building refurbishment using thermally improved window systems, not necessarily of the highest performance, but when linked with structural thermal insulation taking a whole building approach, shows that payback of the improvements can be realised in a few years in energy savings. Could this be an alternative route to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050?

Looking at the latest Government initiative for

improving our existing building stock, ECO+, the scheme does not include grants to upgrading of old windows? Whilst a twenty year old boiler should be replaced for improved efficiency, so too must double glazing which is twenty years old. Again, should we not be looking at taking a whole building approach to thermal improvements in our building stock? Legislation recently announced in Scotland is that the Scottish Government is to push through legislation to ensure that all new homes built in two years time are built to a Passivhaus standard, or a Scottish thermal efficiency equivalent. LETI states that building to a Passivhaus standard increases costs for new build by only 5% to 10% over current regulation construction, which should prove affordable as energy savings will cover the increased costs.

Looking even further into the future, should we be satisfied with just building to carbon neutrality? There is much talk on social media at the moment that we should be aiming higher for our new build, where buildings should be ‘carbon positive’, that is to say to create an environment benefit and intentionally remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which will help to reach the overall carbon neutrality for all our building stock.

Unlike some other materials, aluminium profiles are easily produced, as dies to extrude aluminium are relatively cheap and simple to design. Thermal break technology has also improved greatly in the last few years and high performance windows are already available to meet the most stringent thermal insulation requirements. A simple review of the UK’s Passivhaus Trust website shows that of the thirteen Passivhaus certified window systems available in the UK, five are aluminium systems, four are PVC systems, and four are timber based systems. As far as sustainability is concerned, aluminium can perform in use at least as twice as long as other fenestration materials, hence its preferred use in commercial projects and its growing use in residential new build and home improvement projects.

CAB Members are rising to the challenge of being ready for the thermal changes that will be implemented in 2025, but the debate continues. Why not join the debate by becoming members of CAB? the Association will act on what the membership decides, join and be heard. CAB membership is open to any business that is part of the aluminium fenestration and envelope supply chain. Based at the picturesque Bonds’ Mill development in Stonehouse, CAB staff are always on hand during normal working hours to answer any membership, training or technical aluminium fenestration related questions.

www.c-a-b.org.uk

The Business Pilot Barometer offers a monthly analysis of the key trends defining window and door retail. It draws on real industry data collated by Business Pilot, the cloud-based business management tool.To find out more see www.businesspilot.co.uk/barometer

The Business Pilot Barometer

Can the window and door industry defy expectations – again!?

By Neil Cooper-Smith, Senior Analyst, Business Pilot

To put things into context for a moment.

time of writing it is widely expected that despite this modestly sunnier outlook, interest rates will be increased to 4% from the beginning of this month [February].

At the end of January, the Bank of England said that it now believes that the downturn will be shorter and shallower than it initially feared. Inflation remains a problem, which is why at the

In the same week, the International Monetary Fund put its own number on UK economic contraction – 0.6% – something it attributed to high energy prices, increased taxes, the high cost of labour and rising mortgage prices.

At the same time housebuilders were writing to the Chancellor, calling for a return of the Help to Buy Scheme to ‘light a fire under a slowing housing market’ and to avert a dramatic plunge in the supply of new homes.

And despite this, window and door sales rebounded from the 43% seasonal fall seen in December, with a 67% jump.

Average leads more than doubled, up 108% from 55 to 114. The only negative was a 30% fall in average order values to £4,415.

What is the year-on-year change? Well, there isn’t! Average leads in January 2023 were identical to those in January 2022 at 113.5. Sales were almost identical at 40 and 41 – and even average order values mirrored each other at £4,415 and £4,417.

This is despite economic context, and far stronger economic head winds this time around.

Sales drivers this time around are more pronounced. Distress purchases remain important, but energy efficiency has assumed a greater importance, The more casual discretionary spend that was still with us at the start of 2022 is less likely to be there in the face of pressure on household finances.

The flip side is that high energy costs give homeowners who were biding their time and waiting for the Covid-driven boom in home improvement to ease, a reason to commit to spending.

We’re helping Business Pilot customers to retarget those prospects that didn’t quite get across the line last year. With Business Pilot a lead is never lost. It’s there for next time.

www.businesspilot.co.uk

It’s worth noting that although the energy crisis was looming on the horizon, in January 2022 the energy price cap hadn’t been raised, the energy price guarantee didn’t exist, Russia hadn’t invaded Ukraine, and UK inflation was still, at what in comparison with today’s figure, a respectable 5.5%.

So, can we draw down on this and predict with any confidence that 2023 is in fact not going to be so bad after all and we’re in for a repeat of 2022, a year, which on balance was well, ok?

I’m not convinced we can because the market context is so very different but what we can say is that the market remains resilient, and it has confounded expectations and economic context repeatedly since 2019.

The Best Kept Secret In Aluminium?

The scale and efficiency of the manufacturing operation at AluFold Direct means the company is now in a position to offer an outsourcing service to other fabricators who don’t want the hassle or overheads associated with making their own aluminium frames.

According to AluFold Direct, with dedicated, high-speed lines for windows, bi-folds and sliders, each with top of the range cutting and machining centres and fully automated four head crimpers, the Blackburn-based business delivers the kind of speed and highly repeatable, precision outputs in aluminium which had previously only been possible in PVC-U.

The whole operation is geared

to volume output and is a world away from the ‘cottage industry’ type set-ups which still account for a surprising proportion of aluminium production in the UK.

Several big-name fabricators have already signed up to the

AluFold Direct service and are enjoying the benefits that come from having a reliable source of high-quality aluminium frames and rooflights either to supplement or replace their own output.

AluFold Direct’s managing director Russell Yates says:

“We never reveal the names of the fabricators who use our manufacturing services, but it is mostly PVC-U specialists who have aluminium as part of their product offering. They have looked at the market in 2023, analysed their costs, and judged that they can actually improve their margins right across the board by concentrating on PVC-U and leaving all their aluminium production to us.

“Our efficiency and the volumes we are turning out mean we can usually fabricate and supply to them at comparable or even lower costs than if they were manufacturing themselves, while they are also saving on overheads and stockholding.

“We also currently have fabricators who are just outsourcing a portion of their output to us to cope with peaks in demand, and we obviously work with them to quote according to volumes. The size of our factory and the investments we’ve made in automation since I joined in 2020 mean we have plenty of scalable capacity still available to take on even fairly high-volume third-party supply, and there is obviously no compromise on quality, efficiency or lead times for any of our customers.”

The AluFold Direct service means products are packaged unbranded and delivered in unmarked vans, so that fabricators can supply to their customers without any indication that they are being outsourced.

https://www.alufolddirect.co.uk/

AluFold Direct MD Russell Yates

How To Cut Waste And Save Money

Incremental changes can lead to big savings, according to Bohle’s managing director Dave Broxton. We report.

As the market contracts, and the cost inputs rise, all business supplying the construction industry and home improvement sectors must work harder to build margin into their processes. This, argues Dave Broxton, MD at Bohle, will be a defining feature of 2023, and will require more

efficient ways of working, even as price rises are passed on to the end user.

“We’re all paying more for our energy, we’re all paying more for our fuel, our carriers are charging us more to deliver goods, the float lines are facing enormous increases in the price of gas – and that clearly has to filter through to the end consumer,” Dave says. “And I don’t see that changing during 2023.”

Maintaining margin

For many glass processing companies, one of the biggest overheads is typically the cost of the float glass, and during 2022, this cost was at the mercy of volatile price fluctuations. Price rises were often frequent, as were surcharges, which could vary from glass manufacturer to glass manufacturer, and could often catch companies out if they weren’t passing it on through the supply chain.

Dave believes this situation is unlikely to change in the short term, and that reducing waste and investing in the right equipment is the key to maintaining margin as a glass processor.

“The right optimisation software can help you use glass efficiently, but what we need to do more than anything is cut the wastage of such an energy-intensive material,” Dave says. “Needlessly throwing glass cullet away is unforgiveable.”

Dave Broxton

Preventing glass wastage starts as soon as the cutting wheel makes contact with the glass on the cutting table, and getting the right system in place will ease pressure on your glass supplies, Dave argues.

“Within our Silberschnitt system, we have a cutting wheel and cutting fluids for any type of glass, plus we can give free expert professional advice to people who are cutting large volumes of glass to reduce wastage,” Dave says.

“It’s difficult to put a percentage on the savings that can be made by using the right wheel, with the optimum cutting angle and the right fluid, but we believe that we can make incremental savings which will add up over the course of a year.

“You can go into any glass plant in the UK, and look at the edge quality of the glass before processing, you will find shelling and chips – little things that require additional processing time but

can be ironed out by using the appropriate wheel, cutting fluid and the applicable cutting pressure.”

Stress-free

Choosing the right cutting fluid is essential for cutting glass efficiently: cutting fluid lubricates the cutting wheel, which provides smoother cutting, and it also maintains the stresses within the cut, offering better break-out performance and more stable edges.

“Cutting fluid stores those stresses within the glass, which means that you can move the glass around your factory and break out at a later stage,” Dave says. “And when you do, you’ll have a very clean break, and the stresses will be released. So, when you go onto subsequent processing, like toughening or edge polishing, then you don’t have chips or shelling in the glass edge causing stresses to be trapped in the glass, which might result in blown glass in the furnace.”

Silberschnitt V55 is the standard product for general glass cutting, including mirrored and low-e glass, and it has a standard evaporation time. Glass processors can choose to switch to Silberschnitt V59 for a longer evaporation

time, or Silberschnitt V52 for a shorter evaporation time – usually required for cutting laminate and coated glass. For demanding shape-cutting, or for thicker glass, Silberschnitt W60 is recommended.

“The cost of our wheels and cutting fluid is very competitive,” Dave points out. “So, there are definitely opportunities to make savings, which will add up over a period of time.

“And if you’ve created edge stress in the glass – you’ve used the wrong degree of cutting angle on your cutting wheel, or used too high a pressure – then that could cause that piece of glass to blow when it goes through the tempering furnace.

“So there, you’re not talking about an incremental loss, you’re talking about a significant loss in terms of the cost of the glass, and the processing that you’ve already put into it.

“Hard science proves that if you use the right wheel, and the right cutting fluid, and the right cutting pressure, time and time again, you will significantly reduce your breakout and downstream wastage.”

www.bohle.com

GGF Bids Farewell To Anda Gregory

Anda Gregory, group chief development officer for the Glass and Glazing Federation, has announced her decision to leave the organisation after 5 years, to pursue new challenges.

Initially appointed as managing director of the GGF’s commercial businesses, including FENSA, British Fenestration Ratings Council, Installsure and RISA, Anda is credited with leading the renaissance of each.

As group chief development officer, a role she has held following the substantial review of the GGF Group towards the end of 2021, Anda was jointly responsible for the overall

leadership of the organisation.

On announcing that she will be leaving the business, Anda said, “I want to personally thank our members for the support that many of them have given me over my time with the GGF. The passion and commitment of our members is what makes the GGF and will enable the Federation to continue its good work in making a positive difference for our members, the wider industry and consumers. This has been a difficult decision, but it is one that has been taken with a broader view of the wellbeing and future opportunities for my family. I will look back at my time with the GGF with fondness and pride.”

New Contracts Manager At The Window Company (Contracts)

Chris Harrison has joined The Window Company (Contracts) as a contracts manager. He is the second new contracts manager appointed in recent months, reflecting the growth in new business across both the new build and social housing sectors.

Chris has a huge amount of industry experience, having spent more than 30 years in construction, with the vast majority of that in fenestration.

standards for efficiency and customer service.

Customers of The Window Company (Contracts) are already getting to know Chris because he has taken on cradle to grave management of several contracts – giving them the reassuring single line of contact they value so much.

He commented: “This is a company with an overriding focus on customer service so

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Yale Appoints New Marketing Executive

Yale Door and Window Solutions has appointed Brittny Brown as its new marketing executive. Brittny will be providing support to the wider marketing and sales team, taking on responsibility for the day-to-day marketing and communications activities.

Brittny graduated with a degree in Marketing, Advertising and Public Relations from Birmingham City University. Speaking of her new position, she said: “I’m thrilled to have joined such a dynamic and creative marketing team. Yale is a household name and as a market leader for home security, will offer plenty of opportunities to develop my skills.

“I love how Yale is continually innovating and adapting the home security market for its customers and I’m looking forward to getting involved with new, upcoming projects.”

www.yaledws.co.uk

Epwin Window Systems Strengthens Sales Management Team

Epwin Window Systems has strengthened its sales management team with the appointment of new key account manager and former Epwin employee Neil Dattani.

The seven-strong team headed up by sales director, Katrina Earl has over a century of combined industry experience and are committed to driving growth through existing and new business opportunities.

Commenting on the Neil’s appointment, Katrina said: “We’re delighted to welcome Neil back to the team as we further strengthen our sales support and customer development focus. Neil’s appointment reflects the high level of importance we attach to providing excellent customer support across all business areas.”

Neil, who joined Epwin Window Systems in January 2023, is

no stranger to the industry, having previously worked for several high-profile businesses including six years at Epwin Window Systems and a director at PatioMaster East Midlands. His level of industry experience, product knowledge and dedicated customer focus will be important to the systems house as it continues to deliver its business strategy.

On re-joining Epwin Window Systems, Neil said: “I know firsthand the excellence of Epwin Window Systems’ multiple systems and the benefits they bring to fabricators, installers and contractors. I am delighted to have re-joined the business having missed the buzz from working with such an impressive and customer-focussed business. I look forward to working with fabricators throughout the South East.”

www.epwinwindowsystems.co.uk

Stuga Appoints New Sales Manager

Great Yarmouth based manufacturer Stuga – who are now wholly owned by Stürtz Maschinenbau GmbH in Germany – has appointed a new sales manager and sales support coordinator to support their ambitious growth plans.

Recently appointed managing director Ed Williams has made significant strides in re-structuring the business, to meet present and future demands.

Ed said: “The first piece of the puzzle was to put together a sales team capable of working together to sell both the Stuga sawing & machining centres,

as well as the suite of Stürtz welding, cleaning, logistics and handling solutions – I am delighted to welcome to the industry Oliver Earley, our regional sales manager for the North and ROI regions, and also congratulations to Aimee Cargill who has moved into a new role to support the sales and marketing functions from the administration and technical perspective.

“Oliver has a broad range of experience in technical sales and after starting his career working with a major UK packaging consumables manufacturer in the UK, he enhanced his reputation further

by achieving early successes after moving into capital machinery sales for one of the largest packaging machinery manufacturers in the world.”

Oliver Earley commented:

“When Ed approached me, he explained the background of Stuga and their position in the industry, the growth plans –particularly the ROI & NI markets – and the machinery portfolio. It was clear that Ed wanted to develop a more sophisticated and customer-focussed sales structure and I was delighted to be given the opportunity”.

To support a growing field sales team Williams has introduced Aimee Cargill – previously heading up the parts business – to a newly created role. “It’s a brilliant chance for me to learn new skills and help Ed and the rest of the sales team deliver a result. Supporting the sales team will be a natural progression, and while marketing is not entirely new to me, I am looking forward to Ed’s support to help me develop and contribute in new ways” says Cargill, who has worked with Stuga for 10 years, after a career in hospitality.

Stuga is also looking for a new technical manager to take full responsibility for the product introduction and service capability around the Stürtz portfolio. Ed commented: “While it is important that the service capability for Stürtz must work alongside and integrate with the existing technical structure, it was clear to me that the current team are very focussed on delivering excellence on the Stuga machines – I didn’t wish to detract from this customerfocussed approach, on the contrary, I wished to enhance it and decided to have a separate lead for the Stürtz machines”.

Window Ware Creates New Key Account Manager Role

Independent hardware distributor

Window Ware has welcomed Sarah Parker to the team as its new key accounts manager.

The creation of this additional role is all part of the hardware provider’s continuing mission to get closer to their clients and ensure they consistently get the best service possible.

Window Ware commercial director, Richard Bryant, explains: “As key account manager, Sarah will provide our valued key customers with a primary point of contact here at Window Ware, someone who can act as a partner to build greater trust and understanding and ensure we’re delivering exactly what they need to achieve their long-term business goals.”

“In addition, her insights from the fabricating frontline will prove invaluable when it comes to accurately assessing the viability of new products and fresh opportunities in the market.”

Sarah has 15 years of experience within the industry, working for well-known names like Fab N Fix,

THE BEST JUST GOT BETTER

PatioMaster

Epwin Window

Mila, FUHR, Alpro, and Würth in a variety of sales and technical support roles.

Sarah reveals: “I’ve had a lot of respect for Window Ware for a long time. I already knew they had a strong management team and a great range of products, and even in the short time I’ve been on board, I’ve been hugely impressed with the resources and processes in place to help create a really great experience for our customers.”

She goes on to say: “Over these next few months, I’ll be concentrating on building those allimportant strong relationships and really getting to know not just our customers but our suppliers too. By tuning in closely to everything they’re saying, I’ll be one step ahead with identifying which upcoming products or services will satisfy my clients’ most pressing and emerging needs.”

www.windowware.co.uk

NEW sash profile increases glazing options to include triple glazing

New PCE gasket design enhances weather seals for superior performance

New interlock sightline perfectly aligns with opposing sash for improved aesthetics

33% stronger by design due to improved reinforcing capability

New PAS 24 locking system in association with Yale for a step-change in hardware security.

Ready to discover the best in sliding patio doors? Then you’re ready for PatioMaster.

from

Systems –the most popular PVC-U sliding patio door on the market - has just got even better.

Glazerite Strengthens Operations And Technical Teams

knowledge and experience in technical, production, and quality and assurance, and I’m looking forward to being able to play a role in further strengthening technical capability across the Group.”

Mitch has moved into his new role at the Wellingborough-based Specials Division, where he will lead operations and quality while maximising efficiencies at the site. The unit is dedicated to the manufacture of the fabricator’s Residence Collection and VEKA Imagine Vertical Slider portfolio.

The Glazerite UK Group has appointed Andy Hill as its new group technical manager. It follows the recent promotion of former incumbent, Mitch Gooch, to the newly created role of operations manager at Glazerite’s Specials Division.

Andy, who joined the trade

fabricator on 3rd January 2023, will oversee technical capability across the fabricator’s five divisions, reporting into managing director – North West Division, Darren Rhodes. He says: “I’ve watched Glazerite’s growth closely over recent years, so I was delighted when the opportunity to join them came up. I have a wealth of industry

Glazerite Group MD, Rob Brearley says: “These are two great appointments for our business. The products manufactured at our Specials Division are a key part of our growth strategy, and Mitch is an experienced leader who can help us grow capacity and improve processes at the site to better support our installers.”

www.glazerite.co.uk

(L-R) Mitch Gooch and Andy Hill

Award Winning Smart Security

Mighton Products has won ‘Smart Lock Product of the Year’ for the Avia Secure USA Smart Deadbolt+ lock at the IoT Breakthrough Awards, the fourth consecutive year the company has been recognised at the prestigious event. We talk to Mighton’s founder and chairman, Mike Derham, to find out more about the Avia Secure range of smart security products.

Q: Mike, congratulations on the recent win – can you tell us a bit more about the IoT Awards?

Mike: The Internet of Things (IoT) Breakthrough Awards attracts thousands of entries each

year from globally recognised technology companies such as Amazon, Apple and Vodafone.

We have now won an IoT Breakthrough Award for four years straight, starting with Best Smart Lock for the Avia Secure UK smart lock in 2020, followed by backto-back wins for Home Security Product of the Year in 2021-22 for the Avia Secure sash window and casement fastener and now once again for the Avia Secure USA Smart Deadbolt+ lock.

A win at the IoT Awards demonstrates that your product or technology is among the best in the world and it also provides

third-party validation from the Tech Breakthrough organisation, a leading market intelligence and recognition platform for technology and innovation.

That’s particularly important because research shows that while smart devices continue to grow in popularity – three in four consumers own at least one smart

Mighton chairman, Mike Derham

home product – it also reveals that a large proportion of homeowners do not fully trust smart security yet.

An IoT Award offers the reassurance that our smart technology is as good as it gets.

Q: Tell us more about what makes the Avia Secure smart lock such a standout product.

Mike: We’ve worked very hard to develop a lock that offers cutting edge functionality and technology but also one that offers the best in traditional security.

Avia Secure was one of the first smart locks to be awarded Sold Secure SS301 Silver approval. It has a 2 star external handle and 3 star cylinder, a reinforced stainless steel backing plate to protect against external attack and pull through access to the smart lock and it’s designed and tested to PAS 24:2016.

It can also be operated by a manual key in the unlikely event of an outage.

And thanks to rigorous testing –including for ETSi accreditation, the European cyber security standard – it’s also compatible with Apple’s HomeKit, which is recognised as one of the most secure smart ecosystems available.

Compatibility with Apple products such as iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch – and Apple HomeKeys for our Avia Secure USA Smart Deadbolt+ lock –provides a seamless, premium user experience and allows homeowners to operate the Avia Secure smart lock locally, via Bluetooth, or remotely with cloud technology.

Q: Have you taken the same approach with the rest of the Avia Secure range of products?

Mike: Absolutely, the Avia Secure range is compatible with Apple Home Automation, and multiple products feature BSI accreditation and/or Secured By Design (SBD) approval, including the smart casement handle, which has recently achieved SBD approval following PAS24 testing.

Another great feature of the Avia Secure casement handle, which is available in a range of finishes, is that it can be easily retrofitted. It complements the Avia Secure

window and door sensors, which are also battery operated and designed to be paired via Bluetooth LE technology to any Apple device.

That means users can check whether their windows and doors are open or shut from any location. The Avia Secure range also includes a BSI IoT approved smart socket, which features audio and visual feedback, energy monitoring and remote scheduling, as well as a high-tech PIR motion sensor that can detect potential intruders from up to 10m away.

It’s also battery operated – but can also be powered by an optional mini solar panel – and once activated it can sound an alert or trigger a powerful LED light.

Another key feature of the Avia Secure range is that homeowners can buy a complete smart home security package or they can pick and choose the products that suit them best. And unlike other competitor systems Avia Secure does not require a costly subscription fee, so it’s a fit and forget solution.

Q: What is your outlook for the smart security sector?

Mike: The numerous smart locks that have been brought to market in recent years are an indication of just how much demand there is in the sector, and that’s in line with the overall trend for smart home devices.

However, to really unlock the potential for smart security, we need to be able to demonstrate to consumers that the technology is trustworthy.

With Avia Secure, the industry has a product range that can do just that and with the Avia Secure smart lock, it has an awardwinning solution that combines the very best of traditional and modern security. https://bit.ly/3JMCjsA

Your Bi-Fold Doors Deserve A Quality Handle Set, Says Coastal Group

Bi-Fold doors are an extremely popular choice with homeowners, flooding homes with natural light, increasing the feeling of space and providing a seamless link between indoors and outdoors. Hardware manufacturer Coastal Group outline the importance quality handles play in creating an exceptional look, feel and function of Bi-Fold doors.

“We know the care, time and skill that goes into engineering and installation of our customers bifold doors, continuously innovating to offer the best in aesthetics and function”

comments marketing manager,

Neil Jones “As the physical component touched by homeowners, we believe Bi-Fold doors deserve handles with look and function that accentuates the smooth, quality feel of the system our customers have worked tirelessly to deliver”.

Coastal’s KM115 is carefully designed to capture the feeling of quality sought after by manufacturers and installers on the folding leaves of their Bi-Fold systems. It’s slimline design partners contemporary elegance, exceptional useability, and reliable performance. Key features of the KM115 include:

• Manufactured from solid 316 Marine Grade Stainless Steel for durability.

•Its ergonomic grip combines with spring function to enhance feel and performance for the user.

•Euro profile cut-out for use with lockable leaves.

For projects not requiring a euro profile, Coastal also offer the KM100 Bi-Fold flat door handle, showcasing the same impressive performance benefits as the KM115.

Coastal highlight another key benefit of their Bi-Fold handle offering – the capability to match style and finish of handles on both the traffic door and folding door leaves.

“Having a matching aesthetic across doors and windows is increasingly desired by homeowners, Bi-Fold doors are

no different” comments manging director Loren Jenner “Our suited range gives customers a choice of stunning contemporary multipoint lever handles for the Traffic Door to complement our KM115 BiFold handle”.

All handles are part of Coastal’s flagship BLU range, meaning that they are manufactured from 316 Stainless Steel. With the function of Bi-Fold doors being open on a regular basis, handles are left exposed to the various atmospheric pollutants that cause corrosion, especially prominent in coastal areas and on installations around swimming pools. Also known as Marine Grade, 316 Stainless Steel is the recommended material for hardware in these applications.

“Offering a suited range of 316 Stainless Steel handles gives customers peace of mind that wherever in the world their BiFolds are installed they won’t be let down by rusting or failing handles” continues Loren Jenner “This is why we’re pleased to offer a lifetime guarantee across our BLU range of products, offering hardware that performs as good as it looks”.

www.coastal-group.com

Total Hardware Launches New Slimline Pull Escutcheon

Total Hardware has launched its new Slimline Pull Escutcheon. Designed for use on euro profile cylinders where a handle is not required, the new Slimline Pull Escutcheon is the latest addition to its popular Superior 25 door hardware collection.

Commenting on the introduction of the new Slimline Pull Escutcheon, Chris Pell, general manager at Total Hardware, said: “Hardware is an integral part of the aesthetic of an installation especially when it comes to the premium door market. The sleek, contemporary design of the new Slimline Pull Escutcheon suites perfectly with other products in our Superior 25 range for the best in coordinated aesthetics.”

The Slimline Pull Escutcheon benefits from Total Hardware’s commitment to product quality and is manufactured from high quality, 316 grade stainless steel for superior corrosion resistance, claims the company. The coating has been tested to BS.EN: 2007 Grade 5 and they have a 25-year coating guarantee. Chris said:

“Every element of the escutcheon has been thoughtfully designed from its high-quality finish to its ergonomically slim design for ease of operation.”

Chris said: “When it comes to product durability and strong aesthetic appeal, our Superior 25 stainless steel door hardware range ticks all the boxes. Since its launch, we have seen a growing upturn in demand, especially from customers working in the premium end of the domestic market. With the continued demand for high-end door products, fitting Superior 25 door hardware makes good commercial sense and the new Slimline Pull Escutcheon will be a popular addition to the range.”

The face fixed Slimline Pull Escutcheon is available in nine finishes, White, Black, Chrome, Gold, Brushed Stainless, Satin Silver, Flint, Tungsten and Antique Black, which works across all contemporary and traditional door designs.

www.totalhardwareltd.co.uk

Carl F Groupco Celebrates The Value Of Its Relationship With Roto

Carl F Groupco is celebrating the strength of its relationship with Roto. John Crittenden, managing director of Carl F Groupco, says: “We’ve partnered with Roto for many years and we’re one of the UK’s largest stockists of their hardware. The strength of our partnership delivers many benefits for our businesses and – more importantly – our customers’ businesses.”

Carl F Groupco stocks a comprehensive range of Roto hardware which covers locks, hinges, espagnolette hinges, sliding door hardware, tilt & slide door hardware and reversible gearing. John highlights the value across the board. “We stock Roto hardware because of the level of quality and innovation on offer. Many of our customers swear by Roto products because of the

functionality they offer.”

However, it’s the strength of the relationship between the two companies where the value really starts to show.

Firstly, it gives Carl F Groupco the opportunity to collaborate on product development, helping to give UK fabricators and installers the hardware features they need. For example, Carl F Groupco worked with Roto to introduce product upgrades to the Roto Fully Reviersible Hinge, as well as consolidating packaging and undertaking marketing improvements. John says: “We’re committed to using our expertise to support our customers. These enhancements helped secure the Roto Fully Reversible Hinge’s place as the market leader for reversible systems in the UK and is available exclusively through us.”

The relationship also helps when it comes to the all-important subject of delivery reliability. John says: “Delivery reliability is vital for our customers so it’s vital for us too. We hold £5.5 million of stock at any one time, which helps us to process around 98% of all orders within one day. To add further value, Roto has been helping us with delivery reliability that has been outstanding for many years.”

Carl F Groupco says the relationship with Roto encapsulates its approach to business. The company provides an extensive range of premium quality window and door hardware and has long-standing relationships with Europe’s most innovative manufacturers. It also offers a value-added consultancy service, testing and working with its manufacturer partners and customers’ fabrication teams to scope new hardware solutions and ensure smooth transitions to new ranges.

www.carlfgroupco.co.uk

STAINLESS SUPA™ STEEL

LONG-LASTING, STAINLESS STEEL COMBINED WITH ERGONOMIC ACCESSIBILITY.

APPROVED DOCUMENT M & LIFETIME HOMES COMPLIANT.

New Range Of Composite Door Hinges From AT Precision

Bi-fold hardware supplier AT Precision has added a range of composite door hinges to its product portfolio, offering further choice for its customers.

Made from cast aluminium, the new range comes in a selection of colours, including white, gold, chrome, and satin chrome, and is available to fabricators across the country through next day delivery.

Sales director Michael Hewitt comments: “Since opening our doors, we’ve prided ourselves on supplying the high-quality Everglide range of aluminium components for bi-folds, and over the years, we’ve expanded

The Yale Lockmaster 21 PVCu stable door lock is in stock and available now at hardware provider, Window Ware.

This newest arrival gives door manufacturers greater scope to extend their use of the trusted Lockmaster solution across even more door styles and meet increasing demand for stable door functionality on modern homes – not just traditional cottages or farmhouses as was often the case in the past.

The lock comprises of a lever/ lever Lockmaster 21 multipoint mechanism on the top leaf and a Lockmaster keyturn mechanism on the bottom leaf. Designed to achieve PAS 24: 2016 requirements when fitted as part of a door set, with Lockmaster’s signature hook and anti-lift pin on both the top and bottom leaf, this stable door lock provides top-level security and the very best protection against burglar attacks. The Yale branded 430 stainless steel faceplate acts a

our range to include the Everseal range of gaskets, as well as security hardware, plastic ancillaries, and aluminium profile for bi-folds.

“While our core market began

with aluminium bi-fold fabricators, with the addition of composite door hinges, we’re now able to significantly expand our customer base to include composite door fabricators as well.

“And, like our bi-fold hardware, our composite door hinges are all manufactured in-house, meaning we can offer them at a much lower price compared to other suppliers, saving fabricators both time and money.”

In addition to a wide range of aluminium components, security hardware and profile, AT Precision offers a 10-year guarantee on all its products, and promises next day delivery for orders made before 1pm, with free delivery on orders over £250.

www.atprecision.co.uk

Yale Lockmaster 21 PVCu Stable Door Lock Lands At Window Ware

visible reminder of Yale’s longrunning lock heritage for extra peace of mind.

The stable door lock comes with the added reassurance of a 10-year mechanical guarantee, 240 hours (grade 4) proven corrosion resistance and Yale’s lifetime security guarantee.

“The Lockmaster range is hugely popular and highly trusted by fabricators all over the country,” comments Rob Vaughan, Window Ware product manager. “So, we’re delighted to be able to add yet another string to their Lockmaster bow!”

https://windowware.co.uk

Total Hardware confirms continued Secured By Design Commitment

Hardware supplier Total Hardware has announced its continued commitment to offering products that consistently offer high quality security performance by renewing its Secured by Design (SBD) accreditation.

Chris Pell, general manager at Total Hardware, says: “Our customers know that security is a huge factor for contractors and homeowners and we are proud to have a range of hardware products that have achieved Secured by Design accreditation, the flagship UK police initiative to help design out crime through the use of high-quality, innovative products and processes. Secured by Design is a valuable accreditation, offering additional

benefits for our customers.”

Total Hardware has Secured by Design accreditation across a range of hardware products including its Quantum MK3 Cranked and Inline window handles, Tilt and Turn handles, Duration Friction Stays, Rapid Fit Door Hinge and the Flush Sash and High Security Quad Locks.

Chris commented: “The Secured by Design accreditation gives fabricators peace of mind, knowing that the hardware has passed rigorous testing which presents an additional upsell.”

SBD technical manager, Alfie Hosker said: “I know that Chris and the team at Total Hardware are developing and looking to

add tested and certificated door and window hardware products to their Secured by Design Police Preferred Specification range. I am delighted that they promote products which have had or are involved in enhanced security testing”.

Secured by Design is the official police security initiative that works to improve the security of buildings and their immediate surroundings to provide safe places to live, work, shop and visit. Its product accreditation scheme – the Police Preferred Specification – provides a recognised standard for all security products that can deter and reduce crime.

Chris concludes, “Products that meet the highest standards and comply with the latest regulations are vital. It’s something that Total Hardware take very seriously. Our customers depend on the quality and compliance of our products and we don’t let them down.”

Total Hardware Adds Yale’s SensCheck To Its Range

Total Hardware is now offering the new Yale SensCheck that has been purpose-designed to support the growth in smart home products. Chris Pell, general manager at Total Hardware, said: “Our customerfocussed approach means we continue to offer cutting-edge products for our customers. The new Yale SensCheck is the latest integrated smart window and door lock sensor and has been capturing plaudits since it came to market in 2022. It’s sure to become a popular addition to our range.”

Due to its intelligent smart technology, Yale SensCheck allows homeowners the option of being able to check the status of their doors and windows on their smart devices and mobile phones with instant connected security status for peace of mind. Chris, said: “The practical benefits of smart technology are why we are seeing continued demand across the industry. As a longstanding Yale distributor, the introduction of the Yale SensCheck presents an exciting opportunity for our customers and will help them to tap into this growing domestic interest and create valuable upselling opportunities.”

www.totalhardwareltd.co.uk

Platinum Cylinder As Standard

Everest Fit Yale 3-Star

Yale has announced that its long-standing partner, Everest, is now fitting the Platinum 3-star cylinder on all its doors as standard.

When it comes to home security, doors continue to be the leading target for potential break-ins. Statistics from ONS revealed that 76% of household burglaries in England and Wales occurred when the culprit accessed the home through a door, says the company.

With cylinder attacks continuing to be a popular tactic used by criminals, Everest recognises the need for high-performance profile cylinders that protect UK homeowners by meeting the TS007 3-star standard.

Anthony Threlfall, head of marketing at Everest comments: “Homeowners are more security conscious than ever before. They expect high security as standard and that’s why we’ve chosen to fit Yale’s TS007 accredited 3-star kite-marked anti-snap cylinder across all of our doors.

“Before deciding on Yale’s Platinum 3-star cylinder we benchmarked the market in an evaluation and independent test program and Yale came out on top.”

The Yale Platinum 3 Star has been designed, developed, and tested to Yale’s exacting standards to deliver highperformance security. Available in chrome or brass and dual colour finishes, it has been approved to TS007:2014 and SS312 Diamond Standard and is endorsed by the Police preferred Secured by Design scheme

Paul Atkinson, managing director at Yale, comments: “Everest is a longstanding and valued Yale customer. We are thrilled that they’ve chosen to fit the Platinum 3 Star Cylinder as standard, recognising the protection it offers against even the most determined intruders.”

https://bit.ly/3HBQQ7H

www.everest.co.uk

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Underpinning strength

After winning the G-Award for Sustainability Initiative of the Year, Deceuninck’s managing director Rob McGlennon explains that the systems company is being equally diligent in all aspects of supply. We report.

Deceuninck’s focus on sustainability during 2022 – from recycling and extrusion through to product and sales – has

been difficult to ignore, with the systems company driving the conversation through many channels, including the trade press, on social media, and via customer training days.

Winning the Sustainability Initiative of the Year Award at the G22 award was a fitting recognition of this effort and welcomed by Rob McGlennon, Deceuninck’s managing director.

“While this award recognises the achievements we’ve made within our own operations, we are absolutely committed to helping our customers and suppliers lower their greenhouse gas emissions and their impact on the environment,” he says.

But this isn’t just about being seen to ‘do the right thing’. Rob

Deceuninck MD, Rob McGlennon

explains that sustainability and energy efficiency are very closely linked, and many households are bringing forward home improvement plans to make their homes more energy efficient before the government’s Energy Price Guarantee comes to an end in April.

And, Rob says, those households choosing between two similarly energy rated

products are very likely to choose the one that was made more sustainably, a view underpinned by research Deceuninck carried out at the beginning of 2022.

An independent survey commissioned by Deceuninck and conducted by YouGov found that more than two-thirds of UK homeowners (68%) would choose windows and doors with

a higher recycled content over and above products that don’t contain recycled content, or which did so at lower levels.

Also, 63% of homeowners said that they would be more likely to purchase home improvements, which they saw as being more ‘sustainable’. And 38%, would be prepared to pay more for home improvement products that had higher recycled content and reduced impact on the environment.

Capitalising on this trend for sustainability and energy efficiency, Deceuninck recently developed a unique online sales tool that supports window companies as they sell modern thermally efficient products in a contracting market.

According to the Energy Calculator, owners of a detached house on mains gas will save just over £18K in ten years if they upgrade from single-glazed wooden windows to triple-glazed Heritage 2800 from Deceuninck. They will also save almost 28 tons on emitted carbon.

Even replacing existing PVC-U double-glazed windows with Traditional 2500 double-glazed windows from Deceuninck in a similar property will save the homeowner more than £6,500 over ten years, and more than 10 tons of carbon.

This powerful front-end sales tool is supported by a formidable operation that drives the sustainability message right through the supply chain.

Deceuninck’s multi-millionpound investment in what the company believes is Europe’s most advanced recycling and compounding facilities gives the systems company the capability to reprocess up to 45,000 tonnes of post-consumer and

Continued on 62

post-manufacturing PVC-U per year, which is the equivalent of preventing three million windows from going to landfill annually. Use of recycled material also reduces CO2 emissions by 90,000 tonnes when compared to virgin feedstocks, as well as a 90% energy saving.

Deceuninck has also committed to cut CO2 emissions from its own operations 60% by 2030 from a 2021 baseline, and cut emissions from within its supply chain by 48% per tonne by 2030, as part of its wider journey to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

“This is a valuable proposition that can be carried right through the supply chain to the homeowner,” Rob says. “But, even more importantly, it isn’t a message that stands in isolation.

“We have seen how the market for replacement windows in particular has shifted from one of high volume, to one that is

dominated by fewer projects but involving higher value products. And to service this market effectively, you need to have a reliable supply of colour.”

In a separate study, research conducted by YouGov found that while 43% of homeowners said white would be their first colour choice if they were to change their windows, more than 50% expressed a preference for a colour option.

Greys, including anthracite grey, agate grey, and grey, accounted for a combined 17%; Irish oak and rosewood polled 7% and 6% respectively; greens, including chartwell and sage green, recorded 4% and 1%; and black and cream each recorded 4%. Three-quarters of all respondents said that colour of windows was ‘very important’ in influencing their purchasing decisions.

Deceuninck runs six foiling lines at its base in Calne, Wiltshire. This drives the operation that fulfils the promise of 30+ colourways from stock, with a

further 20 colours on a 15-day turnaround.

“A comprehensive foiling operation, and the warehouse space needed to hold all that colour in stock, isn’t achieved overnight,” Rob says. “We’ve always known that the demand for colour was growing, and we invested in our capacity to future-proof ourselves and our customers – underpinned by promises on energy efficiency and sustainability.”

www.deceuninck.co.uk

‘Perfect’ PVC-U Circular Economy Created With Glazerite/Veka Recycling Deal

An agreement between Veka and Halo window and door fabricator Glazerite UK Group Ltd and Veka Recycling Ltd, for all virgin offcut material and limited volumes of post-consumer frames to be collected and recycled, has created what is being described as a perfect model of the ideal window industry circular economy arrangement.

The deal sees virgin offcuts from Glazerite’s Wellingborough, Peterborough and Bolton manufacturing operations, in addition to frames removed from selected installation sites, collected and returned to Veka Recycling’s reprocessing facility in Wellingborough. With Veka PLC’s

Burnley extrusion facility now a large volume user of recycled pellet from its sister organisation, much of the material returned from Glazerite may be returned to them in the form of brand-new profiles to again be manufactured as new windows and doors.

Darren Rhodes, managing director of Glazerite’s North West Division, led the negotiations for the new contract: “Inevitably there are offcuts from the production of new frames despite Glazerite using advanced manufacturing techniques throughout our facilities, but this material remains intrinsically valuable. We also have agreements on a number of installation sites for which we

support installer customers, by removing old frames from site.

“Veka Recycling has provided a solution for Glazerite and a number of our customers, by efficiently removing the material through bins placed at our sites. This reduces disposal costs and contributes significantly to Glazerite’s commitment to reducing the company’s carbon footprint. It also enables us to support our customers by providing recycling facilities, now a commitment demanded by public sector and larger landlords for refurbishment projects,” added Darren.

Collection bins are placed at Glazerite’s factories and at sites such as the eight-storey housing project being installed for Warrington Borough Council housing by Glazerite customer K2 Aluminium Systems, from where they are returned directly to Veka Recycling’s Wellingborough site for immediate reprocessing. The reprocessed PVC-U Pellet is 100% quality inspected to specification and ready to be extruded into new products such as ducting for air conditioning and electrical cabling, and new window and door frames such as at sister company Veka PLC, Glazerite’s principle system supplier.

Veka Recycling managing director Stuart Stockley says that the Wellingborough facility reduces carbon both through its processes and its location: “We have the most advanced PVC-U recycling facility in Europe which produces the highest quality PVC-U pellet, whilst our central location also contributes towards carbon reduction by ensuring all processes are completed within the UK. The loop between extrusion, through fabrication, installation, recycling and back to extrusion again, is perfected by this arrangement, and one that we will work towards repeating.”

www.veka-recycling.co.uk

www.glazeritewindows.co.uk

Deconstruction – The Facts

By Phil Slinger – CAB CEO

Aluminium has always been valued for its lightness, strength and resistance to corrosion. The ease at which it can be infinitely recycled and it is widely used in construction, transport and packaging which means it also carries a premium scrap value. As an engineering material, aluminium can be extruded, cast and rolled to form material ready for a wide range of design applications. Easy to construct and install in buildings, its removal at the end of its life has always been done

since scrap aluminium has always carried a cash value.

So what is the difference between ‘deconstruction’ and ‘demolition’? It comes down to how an existing buildings materials are regarded. Demolition regards all material in the building as waste. Deconstruction, on the other hand, recognises the inherent value in all the materials used in the building construction. The principles of deconstruction recognises the costs required to source new raw materials and its transport and manufacture. In short, all materials

from a deconstructed building are valuable, a simple example is to ‘downcycle’ (producing a lower value product than the original) waste building concrete as new hardcore, with deconstructed building material never leaving site.

All buildings today should be ‘Designed for Deconstruction’ (DfD). The BRE have developed an outline methodology to assess building designs so that they can be reviewed to show their carbon impact on the environment by achieving higher levels of resource efficiency and, at the same time,

embedding circular economy thinking. Key here is the choice of material as some materials are composites that could be difficult to separate on deconstruction.

Obviously, any demolition or deconstruction creates vast amounts of carbon, the latter less so, which is unnecessary if the existing building can be ‘repurposed’. With today’s technology we can repurpose some, if not all buildings, possibly several times. A good example of this is the Roundhouse in London, built originally as an engine shed in 1847, then converted to a warehouse in 1871. After falling into disuse, it was refurbished and opened in 1964 as a concert venue, it then fell into disuse again and was sympathetically restored, opening again in 2006 as one of London finest small-tomedium sized venues. Today we see existing buildings having their

external skins replaced, often with aluminium facades, with these buildings taking on a dramatic change in use with reduced carbon emissions.

The majority of aluminium used in construction is either in extrusion form, sheet form or cast, making it relatively easy to remove and recycle if the products have reached the end of their useful life. Some composite materials, including aluminium, may not be recyclable, so the choice of these materials should be carefully considered. Back in 2003 when the old Wembley Stadium was being ‘demolished’, 96% of all the aluminium used in the building, some 200 tonnes, was removed and recycled. This data was confirmed at the time by ‘TU Delft’, a University in the Netherlands, that remains at the forefront of research into the circular economy.

We can apply the principles of deconstruction to any building, maximising its material value whilst reducing its carbon impact. Aluminium can be deconstructed and reused in several ways.

In its simplest form, physically removing the various aluminium items from a building and sending the aluminium for recycling. The ‘cleaner’ the scrap the more

valuable it is as scrap. The weight of gaskets, hardware and thermal breaks in the profiles reduces the aluminium content on weighing and has an impact on recycling as further deconstruction may be necessary prior to recycling.

CAB’s own closed loop recycling scheme goes further by recycling the scrap within recognised aluminium grades. By using an XRF analyser (X-ray fluorescence) which is a powerful, nondestructive technique for measuring elemental composition from magnesium (Mg) to uranium (U), these handheld XRF analyzers are portable devices that offer immediate composition of an alloy revealing its grade. Incorporating modern techniques that remove unwanted items such as screws and thermal breaks, the resultant, chipped aluminium is ready to be remelted for new product whilst maintaining its original grade.

Today we are beginning to ‘Designed for Deconstruction’ (DfD) which can enable constructed items to be reused in new buildings, this is where aluminium engineering excels and there are already some very good examples of this form of construction which we hope to discuss in the future.

c-a-b.org.uk

Chipped aluminium ready for remelt

Liniar Launches New Window System: Zero 90

Liniar has launched a brand new window and door system – Zero 90, in anticipation that Part L Building Regulations will require windows installed in new homes from 2025 to achieve U-Values of 0.8 W/m²K in order to meet the targets laid out in the Future Homes Standard. Most existing 70mm PVCu window systems will not be able to achieve this target, says Liniar.

With this in mind, Liniar has continued to invest £millions in new product development during a time when the industry has struggled to keep up with demand for existing products. Despite external pressures, Liniar’s focus

on innovation has resulted in the extrusion specialist designing a window and door system that it says will help fabricators and installers meet the proposed regulations with ease.

And Zero 90 isn’t just for new builds, says Liniar. Mindful of the challenges faced by installers, Liniar’s 90mm system can also be retro-fitted into existing cavities without disturbing the internal finishings, thanks to an innovative rebate. The Zero 90R window system is ideal for every home including social housing – making it a first of its kind in the UK.

Evolved from Liniar’s 70mm

EnergyPlus system, Zero 90 is claimed to be the pinnacle of energy efficient windows and doors, boasting U-Values as low as 0.5 W/m²K (0.7 with triple glazing). The full suite of windows and doors comprises casement, tilt & turn, mock sash, French and bay window options, alongside a residential and French door, both with a choice of thresholds including Part M compliant.

Liniar states that the Zero 90 system meets the triple objective of ultra-high energy efficiency, unparalleled sound reduction and high sustainability credentials – all in one system.

Having designed and engineered Zero 90 to a high environmental standard, Liniar has invested heavily in tooling and machinery to extrude its sashes with a recycled core, making the system even more sustainable.

Meeting the increasing demand for Passivhaus-capable fenestration products, Zero 90, it is claimed, will help specifiers tackle the challenges of cutting carbon emissions, reducing energy consumption, and advancing sustainable construction methods using renewable and recyclable materials.

Design and development director

Chris Armes explains: “By significantly enhancing a building’s energy performance and therefore reducing its carbon footprint, Liniar’s latest window and door system will help developers and homeowners transition towards Net Zero living. Our calculations show that replacing standard double-glazed windows with Zero 90 can save a UK household over £15,000 during the products’ lifespan.”

He continues, “Not only will Zero

90 lower energy consumption and the costs associated with running heating and cooling systems, it also provides superb sound reduction, ensuring occupants enjoy all the well-being benefits that come with living in a comfortable, quiet home. With more and more developments being built in urban areas, cutting noise is high on the list for many specifiers and Zero 90 can reduce sound by up to 42 decibels. This means that in real terms, Zero 90 windows actually halve noise transmission, compared to a standard double-glazed window.”

Uniquely, says Liniar, the Zero 90R casement window features a clever rebated frame that can be easily retrofitted into typical UK window reveals without the need to remove existing plaster work or internal finishings such as tiles – whilst delivering all the benefits of the standard Zero 90 window.

The company states that not only does this reduce installation time and cost, it also makes Zero 90R ideal for Local Authorities responsible for ensuring their existing social housing stock

meets the requirements of the Government’s Future Homes Standard initiative.

According to Liniar, every product in the Zero 90 range contains recycled material and is 100% recyclable at the end of its useful lifespan.

Martin Thurley, Liniar’s group managing director comments: “As a business we have a commitment to innovate products that will both help create energy efficient buildings and work towards our nation’s Net Zero target. We also have our own target of becoming a Net Zero manufacturer and are well on our journey towards this.

“Our aim is to provide Liniar customers with the means to stay ahead of current legislation, and the Zero 90 system will help them do just that. Even if the proposed Part L amendments are reduced, Liniar fabricators and installers will have the assurance that they can offer something better ahead of their competitors – and that’s what we always strive to achieve.”

www.liniar.co.uk/zero90

Sheerline

Adds Clip-In Bead Option To Its Popular Ultra-Slim Classic Range

Sheerline’s latest addition to the popular Classic range is the newly launched clip-in bead option. This fabricator and installerfriendly addition gives Sheerline customers greater choice as part of its aluminium window and door offering, joining the existing highsecurity beadless Classic window.

Sheerline says customers choosing the new clip-in bead version can still expect the same secure, ultra slim, highperformance aluminium frames they are familiar with, but now with the added flexibility of being able to supply frames and glass separately.

Using a simple clip-in bead based on the proven Prestige bead design, Classic eliminates the need for time-consuming wedge gasketing. There’s also no requirement to mill the beads during manufacture, keeping this latest development as fabricator friendly as possible.

Available in the same two sash styles as the rest of Sheerline’s thermally efficient range, Stepped and Contemporary, windows are available in two outer frame sizes, both available in flush fitting or standard options to meet homeowners’ specific requirements.

In a statement from the company, Sheerline says: “Easily meeting the requirements of Part L with an A WER for 28mm double glazing, Thermlock multi-chambered technology allows you to meet the newly introduced Part L building regulations without having to upgrade to expensive triple glazing or use foam inserts. However, those looking for the ultimate thermal performance will be delighted to know that U-values of 1.1 are achievable with standard triple glazed units if required. A clear advantage over systems based on older, polyamide thermal breaks. This is a huge competitive advantage for Sheerline users, as many legacy systems are unable to meet the newest standards easily.”

With ultra-slim sightlines as low as 36mm for fixed frames and 59mm for openers, as well as a full range of dedicated authentic clip-on Georgian bars, Sheerline

claims Classic is the ideal aluminium window system for discerning customers looking for the best heritage style window possible. The Classic range is also available with Secured by Design accreditation.

Sheerline CEO, Roger Hartshorn said: “Our new clip-in bead system is a game-changer for fabricators and installers who are tired of working with traditional aluminium frames that simply don’t offer the modern benefits that our systems offer.”

“One of our key aims for the Sheerline brand has been to overcome the weaknesses associated with traditional aluminium systems. We’re a solutions-focused business and the fabricators and installers we work with drive what we focus on. That’s why we’re striving to make aluminium as good as it can be.” he added.

www.sheerline.com

Edgetech Customer IMC

Achieves Ireland’s First Super Spacer Heritage Part 3 Pass

An Edgetech customer has started to manufacture the only Super Spacer Heritage double-glazed units in Ireland which have passed BS EN 1279 Part 3.

Based in Banbridge, County Down, IMC Glass is a leading specialist in heritage glazing, supplying customers throughout Ireland and the UK, and its Slim-Glaze units are said to be particularly renowned throughout the market.

The company’s high-performance Krypton-filled double-glazing units start at just 11mm thick (about the diameter of a biro) and can fit into frames that were only designed for single glazing. They also meet the glazing requirements of properties which have listed status.

Passing the Part 3 standard, notoriously difficult for slimline units, is the latest example of the company’s commitment to excellence, as director Aaron McCreanor explains: “Of the two parts of BS EN 1279, Part 2, which governs moisture penetration, is relatively straightforward to pass. Most manufacturers don’t have a problem with it.

“Part 3, which governs gas leakage, is much harder. It’s extremely difficult to produce a unit that’s slim enough for heritage use, yet manages the required standard.

“At IMC, we’ve got an extremely talented technical team, and after

a lot of hard work, they managed to produce units that consistently pass the test.

“We’re really proud to be the only company in Ireland to achieve this feat.”

Edgetech head of sales Tony Palmer comments: “We’re delighted with IMC’s Part 3 success using Super Spacer Heritage.

“Their technical expertise and commitment to excellence mean they’re constantly pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, and seeking to improve the products they provide.

“We look forward to working with them for many years to come.”

www.imcglass.com www.edgetechig.co.uk

Vintage Appeal From ODL Europe

The doors are taken to the next level with the unique ODL Europe Craftsman framing system, which is available in nine shapes. The broad, flat profile frame has architectural styling and blends perfectly with the Craftsman door slab to create a superior look. For the ultimate in 1930s styling, a dentil shelf is also available. Suzanne said: “The dentil shelf is installed below the top panel or glass of the door and gives exceptional traditional character.”

Like all ODL Europe’s composite door slabs, the Craftsman Collection are manufactured from the Capstone door slab, one of the world’s leading suppliers of composite doors. Over 750,000 Capstone composite doors are installed worldwide every year, so they are tried and tested in the most demanding conditions.

The Capstone 44mm door slab is manufactured using 2mm thick GRP SMC skins for impressive impact resistance. Stiles and rails are manufactured from a waterresistant pure PVC polymer and reinforced using LVL (Laminated Veneered Lumber) timbers with a minimum density of 570 kg/m3. The SMC skins and sub-frame door assembly are fully bonded using a urethane adhesive resin. And for peace of mind, all ODL Europe door slabs are covered by a 10-year structural warranty.

ODL Europe has reported strong demand for their 1930s-inspired Craftsman composite door designs, with the shift from consumers to distinctive traditional styling still proving popular.

The company’s Trafalgar Square range was based on the Arts and Crafts-style door that combines decorative glazing options with traditional styling. Suzanne Nicholl, head of

sales and customer services at ODL Europe, explains: “Craftsman-style composite doors have always been popular in period properties, but we are now seeing an uptake in contemporary new builds and modern refurbishments too. Our Craftsman range evokes the spirit of the Arts and Crafts movement and features the traditional ratio of a top third glazing and two thirds panel, emphasising the woodgrain effect on our doors.”

Suzanne concludes: “Our composite door slabs have been purposely designed to reflect all door trends to give our customers a competitive advantage . And every door collection, whether Contemporary, Classic, Traditional or Modern have been meticulously designed in a range of styles and finishes allowing our customers a clear point of differentiation to offer a wide and varied portfolio. It’s a powerful proposition to help our customers make the most of the market opportunities.” www.odleurope.com

Flip For All

Composite door manufacturer

DoorCo says its Flip door glazing cassette system is now available to all composite door suppliers in the market, making versatile door design accessible to everyone.

Mark Towers, senior production and technical manager at DoorCo explains: “Since its launch in 2021, Flip has been revolutionising the composite door market. There is no other cassette system on the market that has the same attributes as the Flip range – and it is now available to fit composite doors of 44mm, 48mm, 68mm and 70mm, which is basically any composite door on the UK market – so you can access everything Flip has to offer from unrivalled aesthetics to outstanding performance.

“One of the key benefits of the Flip system is the Foam in Place technology, which delivers a

superior seal, enhancing the weather proofing and durability of the unit. This is achieved because the foam seal on the outer frame is machine applied pre-delivery, rather than using labour-intensive tape application methods inhouse. Flip meets BS63752015 and in accordance with EN1027 standards, achieving over 1000pa through the glazing aperture during weather testing, and is also backed by a 10-year warranty from DoorCo.

“Flip cassettes are simple to install and requires minimal use of tools, only a screwdriver. Inside, the simple click-together mechanism is made up of structural connectors that have now been redesigned to offer a range that works with different door thicknesses. These connectors also have a unique tilting head that adjusts to fit the thickness of the glass units,

and there is an innovative angled corner protector to reduce corner flare and support heavy units, with an optional component to insert when needing additional security in larger apertures. Unlike some other systems, the Flip components are consistent no matter what profile the outer frame is, which means installers only need to be trained once and manufacturing processes can be significantly improved.

“Overall, FLiP has three designs. There are two variations of a flat profile – Stipple and Grained –and a traditional Ovolo (Standard) profile with a woodgrain finish. The Flip Flat Stipple range has some other pioneering style choices too, like Metallic and Twintone.

“Flip really has set the benchmark in driving customer demand for choice and individualisation and now that it is compatible with any 44mm, 48mm, 68mm or 70mm composite door, we’re excited to be able to offer it to the entire market.”

www.door-co.com/flip

Alunet Lanches

New Slimline Sliding Door

Last year, Alunet Systems rebranded to allow more scope to source the best products from the world’s top suppliers, as well as to speed up the product development process. In just a matter of months since then, the company has announced the launch of its new slimline sliding

patio door system, with a super slim interlock of just 25mm.

Sliding doors are currently experiencing a resurgence in popularity for their ability to accommodate large expanses of glass as a way of integrating areas of the home without

occupying inner space. The ESS47 Hybrid Sliding Door System is described as an ultramodern, super-slim sliding patio door solution with single, double and triple track options and the option of lift & slide. It has been designed for large opening sizes of up to 2.5m x 2.7m per sash and sash weight of up to 250kg. And with a super slim interlock of just 25mm, the company says some stunning large-scale installations can be achieved with slim sightlines and large glass expanses for maximum vision.

The system is also claimed to boast many fitter and fabricator friendly features such as adjustable rollers, quick cleat fabrication with spring clip locator and an easy-to-fabricate interlock. Other details focus on high performance and security and reduce the likelihood of issues and call backs; like the anti-lift and bumper device all-in-one, interlock cap that houses an anti-rattle device and spring-loaded draught excluder, a bottom track that houses a drainage channel for water runoff and rubber gaskets for better

weathering.

The ESS47 Hybrid Sliding Door System has been produced for Alunet by Europa, one of the leading aluminium extrusion companies in Greece, founded in 1974. Alunet says this partnership is a perfect example of Alunet’s new direction since its rebrand, giving access to UK fabrication businesses to the best suppliers for each product type, all available from one UK distributor. This is the first of several planned new products launches for Alunet in 2023,

which will also see a super slim flush sash casement window system set to launch in the second quarter.

It was recently revealed that Alunet will be returning to FIT Show this year for the third time. There will be an opportunity to see the new slimline sliding patio door system as well as the new ‘super’ slim flush sash casement window system and new ‘super’ slim sash for the BF73 bifold system on Alunet’s stand, G35.

www.alunetsystems.co.uk

Reynaers CP 130 Patio System Proving Popular For Fentrade

Specialist fabricator Fentrade is reporting strong sales of the Reynaers CP 130 slide and liftslide patio system. Chris Reeks, Fentrade’s director, said: “We added the CP 130 to our range last year and it’s proven to be a big seller. So many products in this space are ‘me too’ but the CP 130’s high end aesthetics and quality construction set it apart.”

The CP 130 system is a versatile system that offers a multitude of ways to deliver the large expanses of glass today’s homeowners and commercial contractors are looking for.

It is available in two variations: a standard sliding system and a lift-

slide system. The sliding system has monorail, duo rail and 3-rail options while the lift-slide system has monorail, duo rail, 3-rail and multi-rail options. There is also a pocket solution for the lift-slide system in duo rail, 3-rail, or up to 8-rail (multi-rail) options, which creates an open space without visible elements when the door is open. The corner solution for the CP 130-LS duo rail variant answers the current architectural need for large glass surfaces with minimal visible elements.

Every element of the door reflects attention to detail and a commitment to a high quality finish. Opening panes move on durable wheels and stainless

steel rails for effortless daily use. The system is impressively weatherproofed, hermetically sealed and meets all requirements for thermal efficiency as well as security. Panes can be up to 2700mm wide and 300kg in weight.

The CP 130 system is part of a portfolio that includes a full range of aluminium windows, doors, bifolds, inline sliders, GFT commercial screens, shopfronts and curtain walling from industry brands such as AluK, Reynaers and VBH Greenteq. It also now includes Residence Collection window systems following the company’s recent expansion into PVC-U.

Chris concluded: “We want to help our customers secure market advantage with the products that have the aesthetics and quality today’s discerning consumers and commercial contractors want. The CP 130 is a valuable addition to our portfolio – and to our customers’.”

fentradealuminium.co.uk

Direct Trade Windows Adds Cortizo Sliding Door To Its Offering

Following a growing demand for aluminium home improvement products, trade supplier Direct Trade Windows has added the COR Vision sliding door from Cortizo to its growing range.

“This premium product from Cortizo is a welcome addition to our aluminium range, helping trade installers to tap into a lucrative and growing market for high-end home improvements,” comments Director AJ Hassanali.

With a U-value of 1.3, the COR Vision sliding door has an interlock profile of 20mm and a maximum surface glazing area, with the possibility of an embed

at the bottom, top, and lateral frames within the wall, says Direct Trade Windows.

There is also the possibility of a pocket system, further expanding the opportunity for installers to offer premium options to their customers.

The door has a possibility of sash encounters at a 90 degree corner without a mullion, a maximum glazing thickness of 30mm, and opening possibilities of up to six sashes and up to three rails.

It can also withstand a maximum sash weight of 320kg, allowing

for large panes of glass to be installed.

AJ continues: “Aluminium has grown significantly in popularity over the years and especially in the time following the pandemic – and with its strength, durability, and slimline aesthetics, it’s easy to see why.

“Cortizo’s COR Vision delivers on all the important aspects you’ve come to expect from an aluminium sliding door, such as stunning looks and state-of-theart design features, something which we’re very proud to offer.”

Integral Blind Colour-Matching Delivers An On-Trend Look

The launch of a new black Venetian option for Uni-Blinds integral blinds gives installers the greatest ever scope to provide homeowners with a colour coordinated window and door package that is in line with the latest décor trends, according to Morley Glass MD, Ian Short.

The industry’s leading UK manufacturer of integral blinds using ScreenLine systems recently added black to its colours

for Venetian integral blinds in response to the growth in its popularity throughout home décor.

Ian Short says, “Anyone involved in the home improvement market will know that consumer tastes are constantly changing. Innovative brands offering everything from paint and landscaping products to kitchens and bathrooms work hard to ensure they can satisfy a relentless consumer appetite for

that next ‘must have’ or different look.”

Ian believes that in recent years the door and window industry has evolved to better meet the demands of consumers from a styling perspective, with a shift away from a fairly limited range of styles for windows and doors to a plethora of choices.

He continues, “When you look at recent industry data, there is no doubt that routine white PVCu frames continue to dominate sales, but the increased range of frame colours we now have available, along with different frame designs such as flush-fit and the growth in the domestic aluminium market, means the market is much more responsive to changing consumer tastes.

“As an industry, we are in a more positive position than ever given that we have moved from responding to change to actually driving it. Nowhere is this more apparent than with integral blinds, which have gone from being a relatively niche product at the beginning of the century to one that is inspiring consumers with new creative potential for their windows and doors.”

Black décor features have been growing in popularity in the last couple of years and are very much on-trend today. Responding to this, Morley Glass has been working closely with ScreenLine integral blind systems manufacturer Pellini to be the first company to bring this high quality Venetian blind to the UK market in this colour.

Ian adds: “We’ve seen the demand for black frames growing, while the appetite for anthracite grey and agate grey remains strong. All three of these colours are ideal for black Venetian Uni-Blinds as many of our early customers are discovering.

“But it is not simply a case of applying a new colour to the slats. The black blind units optimise visual appeal because all the components are consistent. The finish of the slats ensures the colour will not fade over time, retaining its bold appearance, with perfectly matched colours for the cords, header and footer rails and sideguides used across the different Uni-Blinds control systems.

“Adding black Uni-Blinds integral blinds to a range which already includes the exclusive anthracite grey, silver, beige, yellow and green means giving homeowners even wider scope to express their personality. We think it will rapidly grow to become one of our topselling blind colours in the coming years as homeowners go back to black.”

https://bit.ly/3jtOv6Z

Black As Standard For The Wendland Lantern

Wendland has announced that its popular PVCu and aluminium lanterns are now available in black as standard – meaning that the striking colour which is growing rapidly in popularity can be ordered on 7-day lead times with black now the same price as white.

Commenting about the latest update to the Wendland Lantern, business unit head for Lanterns and Skylights, Craig Keighley, said: “It’s easy to see why the Wendland Lantern is hugely popular. It combines PVCu and aluminium finishes with square and rectangular shapes in a wide range of sizes. Black is growing in popularity, so we have added this to the standard colour range at the same price as white. Customers can order black both sides or black on white and with the price drop and a 7-day lead time, I am confident this will be a huge bonus for our customers and reinforce our commitment to supporting more projects at

affordable prices.”

The Wendland Lanterns is packed with a number of thermal features which prevent condensation build-up. This includes the thermally sleeved lantern eaves and thermal break technology in the hips, rafters and ridge. The benefits of the clever design deliver excellent performance, making them ideal for moist rooms such as kitchens and bathrooms where heat and moisture levels can change quickly, says the company.

Available now in black, grey, and white as standard, or any RAL on request, the Wendland Lantern includes many fitterfriendly features such as:

• Unique pre-assembled

• RidgeLOCK system

• Clip-on ridge end covers

• Pre-fitted thermal clips

• Easy-fit clip-on capping www.wendland.uk.com

Continued Growth For Leka Xi

Leka Systems has reported continued growth for its Leka Xi modular conservatory walls and base system with little sign of market demand slowing in 2023. Rhys Hoddinott, managing director of Leka Systems, said: “Homeowners can see the big benefits of the Leka Xi over a traditional conservatory build. As a result, the benefits are translating into sales as more and more homeowners value what the Leka Xi has to offer and installers appreciate the added value benefits of the product.”

The Leka Xi provides a warm, sustainable alternative to a traditional block or brick-built conservatory base or wall, says the company. Rhys highlights

two areas where the Leka Xi has benefits over a traditional conservatory build. The first is the larger internal footprint. The second is the faster installation time.

The wall thickness on a traditional conservatory build required to comply with energy efficiency regulations can reduce the size of the internal footprint, which translates to a smaller living space. In contrast, the Leka Xi uses highly thermally efficient boards, which are slimmer by design. This means homeowners can maximise the amount of living space they have. Rhys comments: “Every homeowner wants to make the most of the space they have available. The Leka Xi is the best

way to do this.”

The innovative, lightweight and modular construction of the Leka Xi means it can be installed much more quickly than a traditional brick-built extension, claims the company. A conservatory built using the Leka Xi base and wall system and a Leka roof can be installed in days not weeks because it’s typically installed on concrete pads. Rhys says: “There is less disruption and less mess with a Leka Xi. It’s particularly good for homeowners with limited or no rear access to their property because no heavy excavation work is needed. And for busy installation teams, it’s a huge advantage.”

Rhys comments: “Our products are perfect in an era of rising energy costs. Their lightweight GRP construction means they offer exceptional thermal efficiency, helping homeowners to take control of their energy bills.” www.lekasystems.co.uk

Modplan Extends Its Leka Portfolio

Trade fabricator Modplan has extended its Leka portfolio with the new Skylite roof glass unit. Heidi Sachs, Modplan’s managing director, said: “The Skylite is the latest example of Leka’s clear understanding of the market’s needs. It adds even more value to an already compelling offer.”

The Skylite is a thermally efficient slimline glazed unit that brings additional light into a room and offers a flexible alternative to opening roof vents. Heidi commented: “The Skylite gives homeowners the best of both worlds. A thermally

efficient roof and a light-filled space.”

The new Skylite is sunk into a Leka solid roof, creating a modern finish. The units can be engineered in bespoke heights and have a maximum width of 800mm.

The new unit gives homeowners a second option when it comes to skylights in their Leka roof, adding to the existing option of a stepped unit with perimeter glass coating that overhangs the roof tiles.

Together, they give installers

plenty of opportunity to design dramatic and stylish, modern spaces, says Modplan.

Heidi said: “Our Leka products are very popular with installers because they tap into what the market wants. The Leka Warm Roof, Leka Orangery Roof and Leka Xi help homeowners create thermally efficient year-round spaces. The Skylite brings the additional advantages of maximised daylight and a clear sense of style, helping homeowners create the look and feel they want.”

www.modplan.co.uk

‘Instant Returns’ On Software Investment

Moving to a subscription model for your window design processing needs will open-up more opportunities for efficiency and profitability, according to Greg Beachim, sales manager at First Degree Systems. We report.

Installing new design processing software is often seen as unwieldy and off-putting, potentially stalling production and interrupting supply.

But this simply isn’t the case, argues Greg Beachim, sales manager at First Degree Systems, who says fabricators can be up and running very quickly on a basic subscription model. This can then be expanded as the company’s requirements grow.

“We’ve got over 30 years’ industry experience, and we work with some of the largest entities

within the UK,” Greg says. “As companies expand and move forward, they often want to start with a quick fix, and then look at other options as they grow that business.

“An installation of a basic Window Designer package can be as quick as a couple of weeks, and that can give you a baseline installation for manual cutting. As companies grow, we will discuss their needs in greater detail, and we will produce a scope of works that can then vary from that simplistic, two-week delivery point to two, four, six, eight, 12 months, depending on the needs of the business.”

Flexible

Greg explains that once the fabricator is up and running with Window Designer, the two

companies can work together to manage their developing needs, all aided by a flexible subscription model, which allows fabricators to add on packages as and when they need them.

“As fabricators grow, they will often want to bring on board new software functions, which they weren’t prepared to pay for from day one because it was too big a leap forward for them,” Greg says.

“Some of these customers are coming into a world that they’ve never dealt with before. These are fabricators, they’re not software experts. And we have to build those businesses so they can see the functionality that that suite of software can bring, and the efficiencies it can deliver.”

The Window Designer subscription package has been designed so that a fabricator can choose different tiers of functionality, without worrying about paying for unused functions. So, they may start out on a basic package that

Greg Beachim

allows them to process window and door designs, included complex shapes and requirements.

Once that is in place, that fabricator may choose to upgrade their subscription package to include other cost and time-saving modules, such as Profile Optimiser and Stock Assistant, which help to reduce waste, optimise pricing, and manage stock levels that keeps more cash in the business.

“As fabricators face mounting cost pressures, managing waste and stock levels is vital for the longterm health of that business,” Greg says. “The Window Designer suite of software is designed exactly for that purpose.”

Up and running

While subscribing to the more comprehensive packages with deliver greater savings, Greg argues that even a basic set up will improve the bottom line.

“Even for an entry level business, a return on investment is almost immediate,” Greg says. “If you compare it to the standard software product fabricators receive from a profile house, for example, that usually takes a lot of training and a lot of expertise because it is often CAD-orientated.

“The Window Designer product training, on the other hand, can be completed in as little as half an hour, and fabricators be up and running in no time. And, as long as that’s been pre-configured for the user, it’s very easy to train on.

“And then it a question of using the pre-configured settings to create windows, doors, bi-folds, and then pushing that to manufacture with a simple point and click.

“As a result, the actual return on investment can be almost instantaneous on the initial delivery.”

www.firstdegreesystems.com

Liveconfigurator With More Products And Functionality

F.H. Brundle’s online Liveconfigurator has been helping balustrade designers for years.

Using Pro-Railing components, this user-friendly application has gained a whole range of added functionality.

It already allowed installers to configure balustrades in minutes. However, it can now do the same for stairways, glass panels, and decking. With new layout options and the opportunity to use standard glass panels from stock, a complete system can be delivered in days for anyone in a hurry.

Once a customer has designed a project with Liveconfigurator, they will receive a comprehensive quote pack within minutes, including a 3D CAD model, fully detailed technical drawings, and a parts list – what’s more, it’s all free.

For balustrades, Liveconfigurator allows customers to choose from a wide range of systems including pre-assembled posts, frameless

glass balustrades, spigots and stand-off systems, for indoor and outdoor use.

For stairways, it draws glass to the correct angles with handrails, bespoke bolt-down posts, and all the fittings to the required dimensions.

Bespoke glass panels can be rectangular or angled and have holes where they are needed, with instant prices available.

For decking, the simple-to-use calculator helps select the number of deck boards and clips needed to complete a project.

Paul Smith, F.H. Brundle head of marketing, comments:

“Liveconfigurator was already an incredibly useful tool for helping customers design balustrades, by saving time for users, eliminating risks, and avoiding costly mistakes. Creating a wider range of our quality glass systems was a natural next step.”

www.liveconfigurator.co.uk

New Home Improvement Opportunities From Bohle At FIT Show

Bohle will have the home improvement industry firmly in its sights when it exhibits at the FIT Show in May, managing director Dave Broxton has revealed.

“The market for windows, doors and conservatories started to shrink at the start of this year, with inflation putting extra pressure on disposable incomes,” Dave said. “If you don’t diversify your offering, then you may find it difficult to

compete for a shrinking pool of work.”

Dave said that homeowners improving one part of their homes will also be looking to upgrade another, which installers could target with the right product offering.

“If the aim is to bring more light into a property by installing bifolds, then that same homeowner

may be looking to create an open space inside the home with glass partitioning,” Dave said. “And if you can broaden your offering to take in a wider range of home improvement opportunities, then you can take on work that would have otherwise gone to another contractor.”

On Bohle’s 35m2 stand, the company’s technical experts will be demonstrating how to install FrameTec 2.0, a new glass partitioning system.

Designed for ease of installation, the dry-glazing system was designed and built by Bohle to support fast and cost-efficient installation using a modular design and easy-fix system.

“The popularity of internal glass partitioning systems shows no sign of slowing, and the FrameTec 2.0 system gives installers that route in to the property’s interior, offering excellent margins in the process,” Dave said.

Also bringing light into a property, while partitioning space, is Bohle’s very own MasterTrack FT, a highend sliding door system, which was designed to provide an exceptionally high-quality smooth opening and closing function, while being easy to install. There is also an option for double doors to open simultaneously, and it can handle door weights up to 150kg.

“For installers looking for innovative ways to add margin

on improvement projects, MasterTrack FT is the perfect companion project,” Dave said. “Installation only requires a few steps, and it all takes place from the front of the product.”

Other glazing products that can be used throughout the home include Bohle’s popular VetroMount balustrade system, which was designed to make installation easy with just three simple steps: insert, adjust, fix.

“VetroMount’s ultra-modern and safe design will not only appeal to homeowners looking to give their homes a bright uplift, but it allows installers to upsell on projects they are already involved in,” Dave said.

And exhibited for the first time in the UK is Bohle’s Juliet Balcony System, which comes in an almost limitless range of colours, and can be installed quickly and without specialist tools.

Lyon can extend up to 4,000mm, and with just four fixing points on each side, it can be fixed directly onto the window frame.

“Juliet Balconies are a fantastic upsell for window installers, offering a great opportunity to add extra margin with minimal additional overheads,” Bohle’s MD Dave Broxton said.

“Since Lyon is powder-coated in the UK, colour choice is virtually limitless, giving window installers access to high-end jobs where colour plays a major role in the decision-making process.”

Also on stand at the FIT Show will be a range of high-end shower hardware, point fixings, patch fixings, point fixing and clamps, all of which have been designed to help installers bring the light into property interiors by offering them profitable diversification opportunities.

www.bohle.com

Competition Closes

entries. With lots of compelling submissions from entrants, it’s going to be a difficult choice to find a winner. The winning company will be announced by Window News and FIT Show at the end of February, giving time for the winning company to prepare for the industry’s premier exhibition.

The lucky winning company will be getting a Crystal Stand package with 12 square metres of stand space, which includes walling, lights, electric, carpet and furniture, ready to add the winner’s branding and product. And with a potential 10,000+ visitors to the show, they are going to be busy. Also included will be press coverage and marketing support in the run up to the show. Finally, the company will be featured in a FIT Show TV interview during the event.

We would like to thank all the entrants for taking part, and we wish you all the best of luck!

Comp Door Celebrates A Successful Year

One With A Second Time At FIT

Comp Door burst onto the scene when it made its debut at FIT Show last year. It is now celebrating a successful year one and first birthday with the announcement that it will be returning to FIT Show for a second time in May this year.

According to Comp Door, its solid timber core composite door became the first door of its kind to meet Part L regulations and was recognised by G22 awards as a finalist in the New

Product of the Year category.

The company began manufacturing in March last year from its 46,000 sqft factory in Staffordshire. To accommodate rapid growth, Comp Door recently appointed Lee Marriott as business development manager to work alongside sales director Richard Diliberto, and Lee Williams in the sales team.

Comp Door’s first year also

saw the launch of several new products, including French doors and arched frames, with stable doors also currently in development. The Company says all these products and more exciting new concepts will be on Comp Door’s stand K31 at FIT Show’s 10th anniversary in May 2023.

Richard commented, “We’ve had a spectacular first year thanks to the support we’ve had from installers, many of whom we had initial conversations with at our first FIT Show in 2022. We’re looking forward to returning to the NEC in May to present our new products and concepts, and to catch up with our existing customers and hopefully meet some more new ones.”

The Comp Door at FIT Show 2022

Comp Door says thermal movement can be part of any composite door product, but its team at Comp Door have succeeded in creating a reliable product for trade customers that has put an end to them having to do multiple call backs to fitted doors that should perform well over time, something that is all too common in the current market, adds the company.

Comp Door’s cross-laminated Albasia Falcata solid timber core is combined with a slam shut, auto-fire lock as standard.

This automatic multi-point locking system features four self-locking, deadbolt latches that activate when the door is closed and keeps the door latched at all times over the full height of the door. It requires no homeowner intervention, as with a single latch and lift lever, thus eliminating the chance of the door not being secured properly, and minimising the thermal movement that causes warping or bowing.

The solid timber core is then bonded with high-performance

UAP To Unveil Latest Innovations At FIT Show 2023

Following a series of acquisitions and new product launches, UAP will be showcasing its vast portfolio of door and window hardware at FIT Show 2023.

Fit Show will provide installers and fabricators with the opportunity to see and sample UAP’s latest innovations. These include the IONIC, an ultra-secure electronic lock enabling access via a smartphone App. Manufactured for timber, aluminium and composite doors, the IONIC is the first in a series of ‘smart’ products set to be launched under UAP’s Fullex Ai brand.

Also on display will be the Kinetica K4 Horizontal Keyway by Fullex and Locking Systems. Offering the highest levels of security, the cylinder has been designed with a unique cam system making it even harder to attack or pick.

A new, premium door handle range by Intelligent Hardware adds to the stand along with information on UAP’s latest company developments, including the acquisition of Security Hardware from Eurocell PLC. This

CoolSkin technology, engineered to withstand extreme temperature changes and maintain optimum impact performance, with a colour protective layer so that it won’t get worn away or chipped.

Comp Door’s InvisiEdge system gives a seamless colour edge to the door faces. This it says, also helps to stop any unwanted water penetration and protects the timber core, while staying discreetly concealed behind the door exterior.

compdoor.co.uk/contact-us/

deal significantly bolsters UAP’s portfolio with a complete range of window and specialist hardware as well as new distribution capabilities in the West Midlands, says the company.

Kamila Kasperowicz, marketing director for UAP, said: “We will be exhibiting at FIT Show at an exciting time in our company’s history. Our business is growing rapidly, offering our customers a vast and evolving range of products that provide a one-stop-shop for all their needs.

“As the UK’s largest doors and windows trade event, FIT Shows provides the ideal platform for us to highlight the impact of UAP’s expansion on installers and fabricators. We are looking forward to meeting visitors and demonstrating how product excellence and innovation can help them to cost-effectively meet their security and design requirements.”

The UAP team can be found at stand number Q51 at FIT Show which takes place from 23 – 25 May 2023 at the NEC in Birmingham.

uapcorporate.com

Door And Windows Systems Buys Second Kombimatec AMC308 Machine

Knowsley based DAWS (Door and Windows Systems) continues to increase production, with the purchase of a second AMC308 Automatic CNC Machining Centre – the sixth Kombimatec machine to join its operations in three years. Smarts Systems fabricator DAWS specialises in highperformance aluminium doors, windows, bi-folds and sliding doors purely to trade customers.

DAWS director Robbie Rogers said: “We’re delighted to have installed another Kombimatec machine that will help us continue to grow our business and further

increase efficiencies without compromising on the exceptional standards we pride ourselves on and which our customers demand.

“Kombimatec provide us with what we need, with a supportive service to get it installed and up and running along with any staff training that is needed, so we can quickly and easily increase our output and streamline our production process without disrupting our existing operations.”

The AMC308 3+1 Axis Machining

Centre features an easy to use and intuitive touchscreen interface and full automatic cycle programmed with built-in macros. A 5HP electro spindle, inverter driven to 18,000rpm, makes it ideal for routing aluminium and light steel profiles. It also has an ISO30 Quick Change Tool Holder and automatic tool change cabinet, workbench rotation of 0-90-180 degrees, and both front- and end-loading options for longer profiles.

“Our AMC308 provides exceptional levels of precision and reliability, which is why valued customers like DAWS come back to us when they need to ensure they are supplying high quality, premium doors and window products in the most costeffective way,” said Kombimatec’s director David Parsons.

“Our machining centres are userfriendly, easy to programme and automate those traditionally timeconsuming tasks so operations are faster and more accurate, freeing up manpower and reducing wastage too.”

Senior Creates A Classic At The YMCA

Senior Architectural Systems has delivered the glazing package for the new YMCA Community and Activity Village in Newark, Nottinghamshire.

The project saw Senior work alongside Rayner Davies Architects and main contractor R G Carter Construction to design and provide suitable aluminium doors, windows and curtain wall

solutions which were fabricated and installed by Acorn Aluminium.

Close collaboration and early engagement within the supply chain was key to the successful delivery of this multi-purpose building, which is the first of its kind to be constructed in the UK, claims the company. The innovative community and activity centre provides a mix of facilities

from sports and hospitality to training and childcare.

The striking main entrance of the building has been created using Senior’s SF52 aluminium curtain wall system which incorporates SPW501 thermally broken doors complete with automatic swing operators. A key feature of the north elevation entrance is the extra-large PURe commercial door measuring 2920mm x 3045mm. Across the remaining elevations, Senior’s curtain wall system has been further complemented by the incorporation of SPW600e aluminium windows, specified as both insert vents and fixed light windows. Senior’s versatile SPW501 commercial doors have also been used throughout and on the west elevation, Senior’s patented PURe SLIDE aluminium

doors provide additional access.

The landmark building spans ranges in height from two to three storeys and comprises some 59,000 square feet of usable space. The core services available have been separated into three distinct zones – hospitality, education, and activity. The first area includes a café and function room, with the educational facilities available including classrooms and teaching areas for both adults and children. The activity zone features a gym and multi-purpose activity space as well as the Climbing Hall. This includes a 15m Olympic standard climbing wall that rises to the full height of the three-storey building and is the largest of its kind in the UK, says the company.

www.seniorarchitectural.co.uk

Epwin Window SystemsProducts Deliver A Transformational Solution

Epwin Window Systems windows and doors have been used to transform a Welsh property into a sophisticated modern home as part of an impressive remodelling project. The project was carried out by Pearce Home Improvements who fitted Optima casement windows, entrance doors and PatioMaster sliding doors in a dramatic modernisation of the detached bungalow in Deganwy, North Wales.

Luke Pearce, owner of L Pearce

Home Improvements, said: “The owner wanted to modernise his home and make the most of the outstanding views over the North Wales coastline. Optima and PatioMaster products from Epwin Window Systems delivered the difference that was needed on such a substantial remodelling project. The aesthetics of the products combined with the superb thermal efficiency delivered at every level.”

The eight-week project

involved a total refurbishment of the property. L Pearce Home Improvements installed 12 Optima windows and three Optima entrance doors in the property. The team also installed a total of four twopane PatioMaster sliding doors. One PatioMaster door in the open plan kitchen area was manufactured to just 1.7 metres high and 3 metres wide, delivering stunning views of the sea. Two corner patio doors, each 2.5 metres high and 3 metres wide were also fitted, giving extraordinary panoramic vistas and creating a beautiful, light-filled space in the living area. Luke said: “By fitting a shorter PatioMaster door onto a newly constructed dwarf wall in the new kitchen area, we were able to open up the property’s front elevation and deliver a wider glass area to maximise the

view and light potential into the home.”

All products were manufactured in Anthracite Grey on White to create a modern exterior while maintaining a neutral interior. Fabrication was undertaken by longstanding Epwin Window Systems’ fabricator, Heritage Trade Frames.

As well as delivering the outstanding aesthetics the project demanded, Optima and PatioMaster products also delivered the thermal and weather performance needed in such an exposed location. The products allow the homeowner to enjoy the views from the property without compromising on comfort levels or the requirement for ongoing maintenance.

www.epwinwindowsystems.co.uk

A Winning Installation

The installation of flush casement windows from Epwin Window Systems in a three-bedroom semi-detached bungalow in Maidenhead, Berkshire has won a customer competition run by trade fabricator Universal Trade Frames for the best installation of summer 2022.

The domestic project featured seven flush casement windows, including two bay windows, all using the Flush Casement Window System. All frames were manufactured in white on the internal frames and the external face was sprayed Purbeck Stone for a sympathetic aesthetic. The windows were manufactured by long-standing Epwin Window Systems’ fabricator, Universal Trade Frames and completed by installer Lynch Cooper Ltd, a family-run business in Maidenhead.

Terry Saunders, area sales and marketing/technical sales at Universal Trade Frames said: “We ran our summer competition over two months and the Maidenhead installation was the obvious

winner for us. It’s a high-quality installation and is one of the only properties in the UK to use the bespoke Purbeck Stone colour.”

The Lynch Cooper team and the homeowner each received a hamper for winning the competition and both were delighted with their prize.

Universal Trade Frames is a family-owned business renowned for staying ahead of the trends in the industry and Terry says one of the biggest recent trends is the rise in popularity of the flush casement window.

He said: “On this installation, for example, we priced for both flush casement windows and standard casement windows. The homeowner chose the flush casement option, despite the higher price tag due to the window’s next-level heritage aesthetics. It’s a trend we only see increasing over the next couple of years with more bespoke properties being built and converted.”

www.epwinwindowsystems.co.uk

Endurance Doors Takes Part In TV Property Transformation

Having bought the property for £415,000, Harry and Yimika had a remaining budget of £40,000 to carry out some much-needed repair and modernisation work.

Given their finite budget and a project timeline of six weeks, it was essential that the couple carefully considered what renovations they would and wouldn’t make. Any changes had to have a positive impact on the overall value of the property, and prioritising was essential to keep the project on track and on budget.

From the outset, Yimika wanted to add a porch to the front of the house and the show’s hosts were completely supportive of this idea. They advised it could improve the house’s security, energy efficiency and space utilisation. They also explained that improving the façade of a house to give it greater kerb appeal and a more welcoming feel can increase the price of a property by as much as 2%.

To ensure their new porch had the fresh and contemporary look they wanted, Harry and Yimika opted for a composite door from the Endurance Doors Urban Collection. This range of doors includes ten modern designs which are perfectly suited to contemporary homes and traditional properties alike.

Endurance Doors has contributed to a property renovation programme on primetime, mainstream TV. Products from the manufacturer were recently used for a home makeover on Channel 4’s ‘Worst House on the Street’.

A new six-part series, ‘Worst House on the Street’ takes its name from the popular property development adage of ‘always buying the worst house on the best street’. This approach, which has long been favoured by savvy investors, is an effective way of maximising the returns on any investment.

Fronted by sibling property developers, Stuart and Scarlette Douglas, the show sees the duo using their expertise to offer families advice on how to transform rundown properties into their dream homes without breaking the bank.

Endurance Doors featured in an episode that focused on twenty-something newlyweds, Harry and Yimika. The professional couple had recently bought their first home in Croydon, South London. Located in the highly sought after area of Purley, the three bedroom, 1930s, mid-terrace house was outdated and had been neglected for a number of years.

The specific option chosen was a Pen style door with an 1200mm pull handle and double sidelights. The couple decided on a door and frame in anthracite grey to create a chic pop of colour against the house’s brilliant white exterior and to match their recently resprayed uPVC window frames. The door and wider porch were installed by Endurance Door themselves.

Upon completion of their transformation, Harry and Yimika were praised by the show’s hosts, as well as their new neighbours, for creating a stylish, ontrend family home. The real measure of their success however came in the subsequent valuations with the updated property now valued at between £485,000 and £500,000. This was a 7 to 10% increase on their original purchase price.

Commenting on the use of the company’s products in the show, Stephen Nadin, managing director at Endurance Doors, said: “We are delighted that one of our Pen doors featured on the ‘Worst House on the Street’. Given the episode aired at 8pm on a Tuesday evening and on Channel 4, the UK’s second most popular TV channel, it was great exposure for the Endurance Door brand. The episode also highlighted the tangible difference an attractive exterior –including the front door, which is usually the focal point – can have on the overall value of a property.”

www.endurancedoors.co.uk

Broadening Horizons With TuffX

If you’re lucky enough to own a property that offers you stunning sunsets over the sea, you’re going to want to make the most of the views. And, for the developers of a low-rise block of premium apartments in Devon with just this outlook, TuffX provided the perfect solution for how to achieve it.

TuffX supplied 69 units comprising 21.5mm and 17.5mm toughened and laminated glass panels, each 1200mm in height. As well as clear glass units, TuffX also supplied panels with a satin privacy finish so that each apartment could enjoy unimpeded balcony views of the ocean to the front of them while also retaining privacy from their neighbours to the side, who would no doubt be doing the same.

In total, TuffX delivered 155m2 of specialist glass to the site in Exeter. The near-invisible frameless glass balustrades completed the outside space for each apartment, which have fullwidth floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors for access. Which means, whether the occupants are outside on the balcony or inside with the doors closed, the same unbroken stunning sea views can be enjoyed across the bay.

Paul Higgins, TuffX’s commercial director said of the finished result: “Only toughed glass balustrades can give homeowners lucky enough to have views like this the ability to really make the most of them, plus a solution for privacy where it’s needed too when you have close neighbours.

“We’re delighted to put our name to this impressive project, which shows how versatile glass really is when it comes to marrying practicalities and aesthetics, and provides a stunning finish to this high-end build.”

www.tuffxglass.co.uk

NCSA Contractors:

Products

Freefoam Building Products has launched a new video featuring Freefoam registered installer NCSA Contractors Ltd. The video features an interview with owner Leigh ‘Kelly’ Bennett and explains how Kelly’s business sees the popularity of PVC products as a key driver for growth in the coming years.

Based in the Blackwood area of South Wales, Kelly set the business up a couple of years ago. Having fitted Freefoam products for many years they were the obvious choice for his new business. NCSA Contractors are a general building company, but are now specializing in PVC products including fascia, cladding systems, windows and doors.

Kelly explained “We stated off in a small way in Blackwood and quickly grew, now working in the Barry, Newport and Cardiff areas. We like the Freefoam products – it’s the little details that count, such as the fascia corners being bigger than other brands and the gutters and downpipes all come with protective film so they don’t get damaged in transit.”

With a growing work-load, reliable supply and delivery is essential, so NCSA has a long standing close working relationship with local Freefoam supplier Building Plastics Wales. Kelly explained “Building Plastics Wales supply us the full Freefoam range. If we need extra boards or have any problems,

Building Plastics Wales are quick to respond. They deliver out to us on site, and [are] always there for us.”

The new video features a large detached property with dormer windows, which have been refitted with smart contemporary grey Freefoam PVC cladding. NCSA has seen enquires for cladding increase and now regularly install the Fortex Double Shiplap and Weatherboard range. Clients are said to like the low maintenance and easy to clean benefits and are using cladding to add a colour accent to their homes.

Colin St John, commercial director commented: “This video is an excellent way for us to illustrate how our supply chain is working out there in the market place. To see local independent installers and stockists working together, both utilizing Freefoam products to grow their businesses, is satisfying for us –their growth is our growth!”

www.freefoam.com

“We Like The Freefoam

– It’s The Little Details That Count.”

With its win for the Best use of Research & Insight MRA Research has taken sixth place in the Construction Marketing Awards (CMA) Agency League of the top 20 agencies.

Points are awarded for shortlisted, highly commended and winning award entries and league spots are determined on a rolling four-year window of CMA results. The league, therefore, highlights the top 20 agencies that consistently deliver highquality projects and growth for their customers.

Since 2002, MRA has won 22 CMA awards in a range of categories, including being named Agency of the Year twice and topping the league for five consecutive years.

Together with customer Toolbank,

MRA Research Sixth In CMA Agency League Of The Top 20

MRA Research won the Best use of Research & Insight award in December. With three phases of research and using unique proprietary diagnostic analysis tools, MRA Research challenged perceptions, identified key issues for Toolbank’s customers and recommended clear actions for

Get Interactive With hup!

A new interactive consumer brochure is the latest addition to the already extensive support package for the hup! building system from Ultraframe. The brochure allows readers to explore key aspects of the hup! system directly from the brochure via embedded videos, links to related information, and access to the hup! configurator. Available now, the interactive brochure is free of charge for hup! users.

the company to build and grow the brand.

The win also makes construction specialist MRA Research a fivetime winner of the Research & Insight award – the only category that focuses on research and insight. www.mra-research.co.uk

Explaining more, Ultraframe marketing director, Alex Hewitt, said: “The interactive brochure is the latest addition to our extensive hup! support package and we think this will be a great tool for helping hup! users to sell hup!. It’s ideal to send to homeowners via email as part of a follow up or with a quote to let homeowners fully explore the system and understand the many advantages of choosing hup! vs bricks and mortar for their project.”

hup! users can also embed the interactive brochure onto their website, and it has been designed to be fully optimised for use on any device, so homeowners can read it from a PC, tablet, or smart phone.

The hup! configurator which can be accessed via the interactive brochure allows homeowners to create their dream hup! by choosing extension style, roof type/style, glazing, external finish, and more.

Complementing the configurator which allows homeowners to dream, is a link to the hup! technical video which explains how the technology within hup! makes it five times faster to build and five times more energy efficient than the average UK home – meaning the brochure provides the perfect mix of the aspirational and the educational.

To see a demo of the hup! interactive brochure and request the link to use it, click here: bit.ly/hup-interactive-brochure

Distinction Doors Launches New Website

Distinction Doors has announced its new website at distinctiondoors.co.uk. The company describes it as one of the final building blocks in establishing Distinction Doors as a premium brand, the new site responds to customer feedback and changes in consumer online habits, postpandemic.

distinctiondoors.co.uk has a streamlined and simplified message, with a consistent tone of voice. The homepage is dynamic and communicates key attributes. The door journey has also been outlined in three easy steps – find your door style, choose your door colour, and pick your glass design.

Each door range – nxt-gen, Signature, Contemporary and Fire Doors has its own page section with a brief introduction, a product and a lifestyle image, and a View Range button. Once the visitor hits the button, a new page opens revealing the features and benefits associated with the range.

Below this is a gallery of the door styles, each one is named and numbered with the Distinction Doors reference code, for ease. Within the product pages there is also a filter option.

Each door style is then linked to the company’s door-designer tool. With the click of a button, consumers can ‘design this door’ and be directed to the online configurator which opens in a new tab. This will prove useful for Distinction customers and their customers too. The doordesigner is also accessed via the header.

Distinction has boosted the volume and quality of its web content, most notably with an inspiration landing page. Including hints and tips from the Distinction Doors design experts, this page encourages consumers to explore the offering. Website visitors can click between ‘Ask the Experts’, ‘Door Styles’, ‘Colour

Range’, ‘Glass Styles’ and ‘Tips & Tricks’. These sections include long-form content which provides valuable information to the reader. The home page also includes a gallery feed to social media.

Always one of its highest-ranking web pages, the showroom locator has been upgraded. Signposted in the header, the showroom page enables consumers to find a showroom local to them using an address search bar. Contact details and website link are available for each specialist Distinction Doors retailer. Plus, each one has a view on map function with access to directions, all without leaving the site.

The printed brochure also remains a vital sales and decision-making tool and so, web visitors can ‘Request our brochure’ in the footer of any web page by simply submitting their email address.

While the new site is designed for and targets the consumer, Distinction Doors is still actively connecting with its trade customers. Accessed through the header bar and menu, the Trade page provides important information for new and potential trade customers. Existing customers can also click for the online ordering platform.

Speaking of the new website, Bethaney Larkman, marketing and communications manager for Distinction Doors said: “As the UK’s largest supplier of composite doors, it is important that we respond to changes in consumer habits so we can best support our customers and our customer’s customers. This is one of the reasons why we have chosen to invest in a new website. It has been designed and developed to appeal to consumers and will therefore create consumer pull for our customers. We are excited to see the opportunities it will bring in 2023 and beyond.”

www.distinctiondoors.co.uk

Epwin Window Systems’

Connect Platform Reaches User Milestone

Less than two years after it was first launched, Epwin Window Systems’ ground-breaking integrated digital platform, Connect, has reached the 1,000 user milestone. Gerald Allen, head of marketing at Epwin Window Systems, said: “We’re delighted to have reached this milestone! Connect was designed to make it easy for fabricators and installers to access the vast range of business support available to them by making it all available from a single access point. We’re delighted to see so many customers getting value from Connect and using it to drive sales and grow profit.”

The bespoke digital platform has sections across various business areas. These include technical documentation and downloads on all Epwin Window Systems products as well as the U-Comply N Customer Portal, which allows users to calculate the thermal efficiency ratings of their products. In addition, there is a comprehensive section to support commercial fabricators, including information on becoming an Approved Commercial Partner to unlock further opportunities. Registered users also have

access to a wide range of marketing assets including image and video libraries, bespoke creative services, brochure downloads and professional presentations. To further support customers’ businesses, promotional websites, quotation and visualisation software are accessible. And, affiliate programs with exclusive discounts are also featured from Epwin Windows Systems’ approved industry partners.

Gerald said: “We know our customers really value having everything together in one place. We also know many people simply didn’t appreciate the depth and breadth of support on offer until Connect launched.”

Connect works across desktop, mobile and tablet so Epwin Window Systems customers can access all the information they need 24/7.

Connect has developed since its launch, with new information and functionality being regularly added. Further new features are due to be launched in the next few weeks, continuing to add to the platform’s value.

Gerald Allen, head of marketing at Epwin Window Systems

Smart Innovations In Focus At Futurebuild

Smart Architectural Aluminium will be displaying a wide range of new products and systems at this year’s Futurebuild exhibition at ExCeL London from 7 – 9 March. With innovative solutions across its three core product areas, visitors will have chance to see both completely new products and product evolutions in each of the company’s Internal, External and Outdoor Living collections.

The impressive 170 square metre stand will also feature displays of many of the company’s established systems, including the proven Alitherm Heritage windows and doors, Visofold Heritage slide/fold doors, Designer Doors and Smart Wall

framing systems.

Innovative new additions to Smart’s External collection will feature prominently on the stand, including the all new Signature Door range, a double Designer Door option, two new Visoglide patio doors, an opening vent for the Aliver roof light and additions to the Alitherm 400 window and door system. The Signature Door range brings a completely new collection of entrance and back doors to sit alongside the company’s Designer Door range, opening up an even broader audience for these high quality, high security doors. The Visoglide slide/fold door additions include a new bonded

system, which will provide enhanced security and extremely slim profiles, as well as a highly energy efficient option which benefits from low u-values.

Smart’s AluSpace system will be the focus of the Internal collection display, which will showcase the system’s ability to elegantly divide or delineate interior spaces, while retaining a light and airy environment.

Finally, the display of the company’s expanding Outdoor Living range will feature previews of the new aluminium SolDeck decking and SolUmbra pergola systems. Developed to provide a slip-resistant and durable solution for gardens, balconies, terraces and patios, SolDeck is said to be easy to install and requires virtually no maintenance. Complementing this is the SolUmbra aluminium pergola system. Free-standing or

attached to a façade, the system is fully customisable, with a wide range of profile, roof, colour and glazing options.

Commenting on the company’s presence at the show, managing director Eddie Robinson, said: “We are delighted to return to ExCeL for Futurebuild 2023, and particularly to be involved in the Innovation Trail, which provides a great opportunity to showcase such the broad range of innovative new prodiucts that we have developed across our entire product range.

“We are looking forward to having the opportunity of discussing all these new products in more depth with visitors to the show and to once again welcome customers, colleagues and industry partners to our stand.”

www.smartsystems.co.uk

GGF Flying The Flag For Fenestration

The Glass & Glazing Federation (GGF) will be flying the flag for the fenestration industry in front of thousands of students at the National Apprenticeship & Education Event, which will take place at Millennium Point, Birmingham in March 2023.

The GGF will be partnering with Building Our Skills – the industry organisation that’s committed to attracting new entrants to the sector and upskilling the existing workforce – for the event, which is designed to showcase a broad spectrum of career opportunities to young people.

The National Apprenticeship & Education Event attracts students from over 2,000 secondary schools, including independent and grammar schools up to sixth form level, giving them a unique opportunity to discover and learn more about a wide range of future career paths, which will now include all that the fenestration industry has to offer.

The GGF’s group chief development officer, Anda Gregory, commented: “Attracting and retaining new talent remains one of the biggest challenges for all businesses operating in fenestration and key to addressing that is getting face to face with students so that we can open their eyes to all the incredible opportunities within our industry.

“The National Apprenticeship & Education Event is one of the largest careers events in the UK, and our presence there will demonstrate the scale of the commitment by the GGF to increase the profile of the industry in front of thousands of schools

and colleges.”

Exhibiting at The National Apprenticeship & Education Event in March is just one of the proactive measures the GGF is taking to attract and nurture new talent into the industry.

In 2022, the Federation welcomed the first candidates to its Skilled Pathways Scheme.

Working in partnership with Total Support Training and GQA Qualifications, the new programme funds training up to £4,000 per GGF Member Company and offers a clear and focussed career trajectory for candidates.

“The skills shortage is not exclusive to our industry,” concluded Anda. “There are countless other sectors all competing for the next generation of talent, so it’s absolutely vital that we tackle the issue head on in order to engage and excite as many young people as we can.

“The National Apprenticeship & Education Event and initiatives such as the Skilled Pathways Scheme are designed to enable us to do just that.”

For more information on The National Apprenticeship & Education Event, visit: https://bit.ly/3HHG93x

Avia Crowned ‘Smart Lock Product Of The Year’ At Prestigious IoT Breakthrough Awards

Mighton’s Avia USA Smart Deadbolt+ lock has won ‘Smart Lock Product of the Year’ at the annual Internet of Things (IoT) Breakthrough Awards Program.

Now in its seventh year, the 2023 IoT Breakthrough Awards Program welcomed over 4,000 submissions from leading global technology companies, with Avia recognised alongside other prestigious household brands such as Apple, fitbit, Vodafone, Bosch and more besides.

It is the second time Mighton has claimed the award, following its first win in 2020 for the Avia Secure UK smart lock – and means that

the company has now won in four consecutive years at the IoT Awards.

The other two wins were for the Avia Secure sash window fastener and Avia Secure casement fastener which claimed top prize for ‘Home Security Product of the Year’ in 2021 and 2022 respectively.

Combining market leading mechanical and smart technology to deliver ultimate peace of mind for consumers, the Avia USA Smart Deadbolt+ lock works with Bluetooth 5 for strong connection stability and maximum Bluetooth range. This means it can be operated ‘locally’, via Bluetooth, or

remotely with compatible Apple devices.

A manual key means the lock can still be operated if there is a power outage, and it also provides a complete audit trail of lock activity status alerts.

Fully compatible with Apple’s Homekit, users can share access to the smart lock with family and friends via an app and it can be controlled from all Apple devices including iPhone, iPad, Apple smartwatch and Apple Homekeys.

James Johnson, managing director at IoT Breakthrough, commented: “The number of smart locks continues to grow, and smart homeowners are looking for flexible functionality.

“A lock that can be controlled easily from Apple devices, in particular, is a unique feature that sets Avia apart from the rest of the marketplace, which is why we want to recognise Mighton Products, once again, with our ‘Smart Lock Product of the Year’ award.”

Mike Derham, founder and chairman of Mighton Products, said: “We are deeply honoured to be singled out once again by IoT Breakthrough. Avia is all about security and total peace of mind for our customers.

“Avia has been sent to the world’s best security testing houses for both physical and cyber security scrutiny. We believe that every smart lock should be subject to this testing.

“We simply want to give our customers the best smart lock ever,” he concluded. “As such, our design team has analysed every detail and put our lock through the most rigorous of test environments, to give you a product that is genuinely exceptional.”

www.aviasmart.com

Schüco Excellence Awards Open For Tenth Year

Quickslide Celebrates Its G Awards Win With Gifts For All

Aluminium systems company Schüco is this year celebrating the 10th anniversary of its Excellence Awards and is delighted to announce that entries are now open.

The Schüco Excellence Awards celebrate the creativity, innovation, technical skill and collaboration behind the most successful building projects using Schüco aluminium and steel systems.

This year a new award category has been added, the Major Project Award, for buildings with at least 1,000 square metres of Schüco façade. This is in addition to the existing ten categories covering project types including education, cultural, health and leisure buildings; commercial and mixed use; residential developments; individual houses; sustainability, steel, and refurbishment and adaptive reuse projects.

Every year an Overall Winner is selected by the judges and, in 2020, a People’s Choice

category was introduced with the winner selected by fellow nominees on the day of the award ceremony.

This year’s judging panel welcomes new additions Holly Galbraith (Níall McLaughlin Architects), Barbara Weiss (Barbara Weiss Architects) and Anna Wendt (Buro Happold –Integrated consulting engineers and advisers).

Winners will be announced from the shortlisted nominees at a celebration lunch to be held at the Cutty Sark, London on 29th June 2023.

Nominees will first enjoy a drinks reception on board London’s largest luxury paddle steamer. Tower Bridge will open for the boat before it proceeds up the River Thames to take guests to the Cutty Sark where television presenter and architectural designer, Charlie Luxton, will host the awards lunch.

The deadline for entries is 26th April. https://bit.ly/3I5vtgo

After winning the Fabricator of the Year Award for the second time at last November’s G Awards ceremony, Yorkshire-based Quickslide might be after a further title of ‘Britain’s nicest window and door fabricator’ after showering its trade partners, suppliers and staff with gifts to celebrate and share its win.

No less than 80 customers, 20 business partners and all members of staff were given gifts including bubbles and vouchers, to join in with the celebrations: “We’re only as good as the people and businesses we associate ourselves with so in essence we wanted to say ‘thank you’ to everyone for being a part of an award-winning team,” explained Quickslide chairman Adrian Barraclough.

The latest trophy adds to the previous ‘Fabricator of the Year’ accolade, in addition to two others for specialist G Awards that Quickslide has won going back to 2011, and others the firm proudly displays in its ever-growing trophy cabinet: “We do love a good awards evening but as we couldn’t invite everyone along, we thought this would allow people to share in our celebrations. Not only do we make the best windows and doors, we know how to celebrate with our friends,” added Adrian.

www.quickslide.co.uk

Window Ware Doubled Fundraising Effort In 2022

For the last 5 years, hardware provider Window Ware has typically raised around £1.5K on average each year for its muchloved nominated local charity, Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice in Moggerhanger, Bedfordshire, which provides expert and compassionate palliative care for people living with life-limiting conditions, as well as support for their families.

Last year, however, they smashed that figure by raising an impressive £3,022 – double the usual sum – and equivalent to around 143 hours of expert care for patients supported by Sue Ryder nurses, healthcare assistants, doctors, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, complementary therapists, social workers, and bereavement support workers.

There’s no doubt their hugely successful Valentine’s Day and National Hospice Care Week

fundraisers, held on the 14th of February and 14th of October respectively, played a major role in helping them reach this record-breaking total. The events saw Window Ware donate £5 for every order placed that day, with customers rallying round to place their orders and boost donations. These two campaigns alone raised a mighty £2,295.

The rest was made up by a charity TV auction following a summer upgrade of boardroom equipment at Window Ware’s Bedford HQ and a team entry in the October Bedford 10K Starlight Hike.

Sam Nuckey, Window Ware’s MD explains: “Spiralling costs, rising demand, and a drop in public fundraising are putting huge pressure on hard-working charities like Sue Ryder which rely on charitable donations to continue their vital services. That’s why this amazing result

couldn’t have come at a better time.

“We’re immensely proud to be able to support the first-class care that Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice provides, so thanks to all those who got involved or gave a donation and made our 2022 fundraising effort so successful!”

Charlotte Griggs, community fundraiser for Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice said: “We’re so grateful to Window Ware for continuing to support us over the last 12 months. They held some fantastic fundraisers in 2022 and raised an incredible amount of money, which will help us to be there when it matters for families going through the most difficult times of their lives. A sincere thank you Window Ware for all you do!”

Corporate partners play a key role in working to ensure that Sue Ryder can continue their vital work. If you would like to find out more, you can get in touch by contacting the Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice fundraising team on 01767 642 410. www.windowware.co.uk