A flush future

Kevin Warner, sales and marketing director of profine UK and Kömmerling, talks about the market for flush sash windows, their new concealed mullion and the implications industry wide of the new building regulations for this new genre of window design.

When we look at the timber window market we’re faced with lipped casement and flush casements as descriptors, yet for the most part since the introduction of PVC-U as a material, the majority of windows have just been known as casements.

That’s changed in recent years through the emergence of flush sash windows and yet, there’s a notable performance differential between the systems.

This has been highlighted in consideration to the new building regulations and specifically Approved Document L where the target requirement for new build will be 1.2 W/(m²K), with replacements at 1.4 W/(m²K). This will see of many three-chambered legacy systems that are at the end of their respective product lifecycles put to rest and there will also be challenges to the four-chambered platforms too.

When we design our product platforms we do so with the future in mind and so that’s why our five-chambered C70 and O70 Kömmerling window and door systems can achieve a U-value of 1.2 W/(m²K). The same performance standard can also be achieved with our new flush sash window which utilises a unique six-chamber sash design and the clever use of steel reinforcement to create a pseudo seventh chamber.

We’ve also added material into our flush sash profile, not just for the purposes of better energy efficiency and sound reduction credentials, but for the requirements of the new TimberWeld, MechWeld and seamless welding technologies. This has come as a result of speaking to our manufacturing partners, along with several leading machinery suppliers and engineers.

Many of our manufacturing partners are now gearing up for strong growth with our flush sash development that also includes a new concealed mullion design for a French window. Invisible from the outside, this new single aluminium section is either painted white or laminated on the slim 36mm internal face with matching end caps.

This differing approach to a French window also supports the styles and influences in modern window design and we’re seeing an increasing number of installations that are adopting dummy sashes and equal sightlines as standard, removing the requirement for reverse-butt welding by manufacturers. Colour is also having a big influence on product design and so that’s why we are carrying modern and period inspired finishes from stock including Agate Grey, smooth Slate Grey and Irish Oak out of a colour programme of over 40 available on a short lead-time.

While we’ve been showcasing product samples and brochures for our flush sash window with our manufacturing partners, we will also be showcasing them on a larger scale at the FIT Show this year in May at The NEC Birmingham. After a three year hiatus, the expectation is that it could be one of the most important and influential trade shows that this industry has seen for some time.

We’ve doubled our commitment to FIT with the promise of new products, business and marketing initiatives, along with a major announcement at the show. We also expect that the show will also be one where sustainability and the environment become more prominent, and it will be part of our focus for 2022 and in the years to come.

Product performance is now under the microscope given the changes to the building regulations and some brands, ours included, are well prepared for change given our strong engineering philosophy. With a global business and the resources of the profine Group behind us not only are we looking to create a world class facility in the UK, but we’re looking to invest in technically better products including our future flush standard and in stronger marketing materials than we have ever done so before.