A formula for success
Apeer has supercharged its Silka brand with a high performance, energy efficient, carbon fibre reinforced entrance door. We catch up with managing director, Asa McGillian, to find out more about the new Silka Kärben Door Collection.
As a market leader in the competitive world of composite entrance doors, Apeer has developed a winning formula to ensure that it is always one step ahead.
That formula is based around constant innovation, and is sustained by a seemingly endless supply of ideas and creative energy from its R&D department.
It’s resulted in a steady output of ground-breaking product launches over the years, most recently at the 2023 FIT Show when the company revealed a range of doors that had been created as a result of a unique collaboration with another premium industry brand, The Residence Collection.
Designed to tap into demand at the top of the residential market, The Residence Collection by Apeer wowed FIT Show visitors with its quality, but also for the fact that it could achieve U values as low as 0.51 W/m2k – a massive selling point as consumers look to energy efficient home improvement products and way ahead of the expected benchmark figure for the forthcoming Future Homes Standard.
And now, with the launch of the Silka Aluminium Kärben Door Collection, a door that incorporates carbon fibre reinforcement, with the desirable, smooth fine textured Silka finish – and U values as low as 0.87W/m2k – Apeer’s R&D department has done it again, as managing director Asa McGillian, explains:
“Fresh ideas and genuine innovation are more important now than ever before,” he says. “That’s because the composite door sector is mature, so installers need something different and exciting to stand out from the crowd, but also because market conditions are more challenging.
“We know that homeowners love the smooth, Silka finish, so by combining it with advanced, high tech materials we’ve created a door that boasts outstanding, contemporary aesthetics as well as exceptional strength and energy efficiency.”
Comprising 16 different designs, a key element of the new Silka Aluminium Kärben Door Collection is the inclusion of carbon fibre reinforcement, a material that’s more commonly associated with the advanced engineering of Formula 1 cars, but is actually well suited to entrance doors.
That’s because of its strength to weight ratio – it is stronger than steel but much lighter – and has been specified by Apeer in order to prevent deformation and warping. For installers, the use of carbon fibre is a big selling point, not just through the exotic association with Formula One, but also because they know they can fit it without running the risk of costly remedial work.
And that inherent strength is further enhanced by the use of premium hardware, with four Mila Pro Secure hinges per door, a GU automatic lock and the addition of PAS 24 and Secured by Design accreditations.
As for how Apeer has achieved such ultra-low U values with Silka Kärben, the doors are built around a Thermafill high density insulating polyurethane core, a super strong, pultruded GRP sub-frame and high strength, seven layer interwoven glass fibre skins.
Options include triple and quadruple sealed glass units with 60mm, 65mm and 68mm formats as well as triple glazing on full sidelights as standard.
“We know how important it is for our customers to have the very best entrance door solutions, which is why we invest so heavily in R&D, and why we continue to offer a comprehensive range of market leading products at all price points, with options for a 44mm, 70mm and Residence Collection Doors” says Asa.
“We also know that while energy efficiency continues to be a significant driver for sales it’s also vital for installers to have an entrance door that delivers on strength, security and premium, contemporary aesthetics.
“It’s why we never rest on our laurels when it comes to product design, and why we’ve raised the bar once again with the introduction of the Silka Aluminium Kärben Door Collection.”
