A commitment to constant improvement

Steve Winslet, group managing director of Victorian Sliders, describes the philosophy that’s helped the company become one of glass and glazing’s most exciting, fastest-growing businesses.

From the start, Victorian Sliders has been a business dedicated to constant improvement.

We’ve not always got it right – no business has. But the commitment to constant improvement has seen us go from humble beginnings as a tiny south Wales start-up to one of Europe’s biggest and fastest-growing window manufacturers.

Way back in 2005, Victorian Sliders began with the belief that windows could be improved. At the time, the market was dominated by PVC-U casements. They were inexpensive, easy to keep clean and maintain, and offered good energy efficiency.

Sash windows, by contrast, were made of timber, very attractive to look at, but difficult to keep looking their best – they needed regular sanding and repainting and were liable to rot and warp over years subjected to the elements.

There was nothing wrong with casements – they will always have a place. But Victorian Sliders’ founders believed that sash windows could be made more accessible.

That trademark commitment to improvement came into play – and the company set about designing a product that could deliver all the positives of a sash window, without the drawbacks.

The result was the ground-breaking EcoSlide sash window.

Going against the grain

In the course of developing and manufacturing EcoSlide, however, the company encountered another issue.

When you fabricate windows the traditional way, a lot of the problems that arise are out of your control – they’re the result of suppliers not delivering on time, or the products they do deliver not being up to standard.

To avoid these pitfalls, the Victorian Sliders team quickly decided that they needed to control as much of the window manufacturing process as possible.

As a result, the company went against the grain and invested hugely in staff, equipment, infrastructure and expertise, becoming one of the most vertically integrated businesses in UK fenestration.

It began extruding its own profile, making its own glass units, foiling and painting frames in-house, and even acquired a factory to make its own hardware.

That’s the Victorian Sliders way – encounter a problem, design a solution, and invest whatever is necessary to make that solution a reality.

A market-leading product

By the 2020s, that approach had seen EcoSlide become one of the world’s leading products in its category.

Combining timeless aesthetics with outstanding 21st century performance, it had been expertly designed to replicate the classic style of a Victorian sash window using robust PVC-U profile.

Each window was bespoke, with the option to incorporate features such as run-through horns, Georgian bars, a choice of hardware finishes and a vast array of woodgrain foils and colours.

It was extremely secure – using top and bottom toughened glass as standard as well as an anti-jemmy bar for extra security and peace of mind.

The result was a versatile, low-maintenance and user-friendly alternative to casement windows.

But now, in 2022, Victorian Sliders is yet again demonstrating the same commitment to constant improvement that’s characterised it from the beginning.

Part L and Part F

This year, as a step towards its new Future Homes Standard, the government is changing Part L and Part F of Building Regulations. The new Part L requires new homes to produce 31% less carbon emissions than the old regulations. The new Part F changes requirements relating to ventilation.

Because we speak to hundreds of installers up and down the country on a weekly basis, we know that many are concerned about what these changes will mean for them.

That’s why we’ve decided to invest yet again, and upgrade EcoSlide to deliver U-values of 1.4 and a BFRC Rating of A+ to meet Part L – and by fitting each window with the maximum number of trickle vents as standard up to 10,000mm² (EQA), we’re ensuring it will meet Part F too.

In the years to come, we’ll undoubtedly face a whole host of other challenges on our journey to bring installers and consumers the very best PVC-U sash windows possible.

But we’ll face those challenges head-on and continue to find innovative solutions to them that help our customers thrive.