With less than a week to go before the 10th anniversary of the FIT Show, many exhibitors will no doubt be fully focused on the final stand preparations before the exhibition opens its doors to visitors on 23 May.
It will be two years before FIT returns, so I would encourage everyone to make the most of the opportunity to head along to the NEC next week.
The show is promising plenty of new products and services but it’s also a valuable event for networking and to learn more about new regulatory requirements.
Entrance doors, including composites, were a big part of last year’s FIT Show, and will be well represented again for the 2023 event.
That alone should be a good enough reason for installers to visit as it would seem that composites represent one of the biggest bugbears for fitters and installation firms, at least according to feedback on the Certass Trade Association Facebook page.
A recent post asking members to reveal supplier issues, has attracted dozens of responses with many complaining about product quality and doors that continue to bow and warp.
But it’s not just composite doors that are letting the side down, it would also appear to be the quality of glass. Members of the Certass forum are reporting ongoing problems with scratches and distortions on the glass surface and IGUs that either fail or are poorly finished.
When asked if they would be prepared to pay more for a better quality finish, the answer was a resounding ‘no’! For some installers, it would seem to be the case that while prices continue to rise, the quality of the product they receive is getting worse.
It’s worth noting that this feedback does not represent an independent, industry wide survey – there will be plenty of installers who are more than happy with their suppliers – but it does highlight potentially big problems in key areas of the industry.
If you’d like to comment on supplier issues, including composites and glass, then feel free to email me at [email protected]
Composites and glass biggest issues for installers
With less than a week to go before the 10th anniversary of the FIT Show, many exhibitors will no doubt be fully focused on the final stand preparations before the exhibition opens its doors to visitors on 23 May.
It will be two years before FIT returns, so I would encourage everyone to make the most of the opportunity to head along to the NEC next week.
The show is promising plenty of new products and services but it’s also a valuable event for networking and to learn more about new regulatory requirements.
Entrance doors, including composites, were a big part of last year’s FIT Show, and will be well represented again for the 2023 event.
That alone should be a good enough reason for installers to visit as it would seem that composites represent one of the biggest bugbears for fitters and installation firms, at least according to feedback on the Certass Trade Association Facebook page.
A recent post asking members to reveal supplier issues, has attracted dozens of responses with many complaining about product quality and doors that continue to bow and warp.
But it’s not just composite doors that are letting the side down, it would also appear to be the quality of glass. Members of the Certass forum are reporting ongoing problems with scratches and distortions on the glass surface and IGUs that either fail or are poorly finished.
When asked if they would be prepared to pay more for a better quality finish, the answer was a resounding ‘no’! For some installers, it would seem to be the case that while prices continue to rise, the quality of the product they receive is getting worse.
It’s worth noting that this feedback does not represent an independent, industry wide survey – there will be plenty of installers who are more than happy with their suppliers – but it does highlight potentially big problems in key areas of the industry.
If you’d like to comment on supplier issues, including composites and glass, then feel free to email me at [email protected]
Glass Times
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