An easy upsell to aluminium doors
Glass Times editor, Luke Wood, talks to Kevin Cornwall, lead business development at Chigwell Trade, about the launch of the new Attlas aluminium door range.
Composite doors remain a popular option for homeowners, especially for those looking to upgrade the energy efficiency or security of their home, or to improve kerb appeal with a stylish – and colourful – new entrance door.
And they should, in theory, represent an ‘easy win’ for installers, as a high value product that’s relatively quick and easy to fit.
In practice though, composites can cause installers a big headache, with warping and bowing a recipe for time consuming and costly call-backs and unnecessary reputational damage.
This has, in many cases, prompted a shift towards more robust aluminium solutions that offer a premium, contemporary aesthetic, strong thermal performance and above all, the guarantee that they will only need to be fitted once.
Typically, an aluminium door will cost more than a composite, so the challenge for installers has been to convince their customers that the higher price tag is worth the investment, but with the introduction of the new Attlas door from Chigwell Trade, the opportunity to upsell to aluminium has never been greater.
“Our vision with Attlas, was to bring a high-quality, entry-level aluminium door to market, one that was competitively priced and could compete against high end composite doors,” explains Kevin Cornwall, lead business development at Chigwell Trade.
“The question we think installers should be asking their homeowner customers is, why would you spend such a considerable amount of money on a composite, a product that has a history of door slabs that split, that warp and discolour, when for just a fraction more you could have a superior aluminium entrance door and all the strength and durability that comes with it.
“We know that aluminium, and aluminium style doors, have increased in popularity, we’ve even seen some composite manufacturers try to emulate aluminium with smooth skins, but for some consumers they have remained out of reach, the cost has been prohibitive,
“An Attlas door has the weight, the premium look, feel and performance of aluminium, but consumers don’t have to break the bank to afford it and installers can sell them with confidence because they don’t bow or twist.”
Unique to Chigwell Trade, the Attlas entrance door has been developed through the company’s experience with aluminium fabrication, specifically with the Smart Aluminium system.
Featuring an insulated door panel, polyamide thermal barrier and constructed using 1.5mm powder coated aluminium sheets bonded to a Bre A+ rated expanded panel polycore, Attlas doors deliver U values between 1.0 and 1.4 W/m2k.
Supplied with premium, multipoint locking systems as standard, the Attlas range has been tested to exceed the requirements of PAS24 and Secured By Design, and offers a 10 year guarantee on hardware.
Available in a range of styles, there’s also a 25-year guarantee on colour finish, with three standard colours – grey, black and white – and all RAL colours available to order. Customers can also opt for a Marine grade finish if required.
“We launched Attlas in May this year and the response has been fantastic,” continues Kevin. “That’s down to the quality and price point of the product, but also the fact that we can offer very competitive lead times and a bespoke, online configurator.
“Users can design and order their door in just a matter of minutes and that’s gone down very well with customers.
“The configurator provides a very slick and simple way of ordering, but the nature of these doors, as a premium offering, means they also lend themselves very well to a showroom, where homeowners can see them and ‘feel’ the difference compared to a composite.
“We have a number of partners, located nationwide, with very attractive showrooms and Attlas is proving to be a big success.
“We know that this is due to the growth in popularity overall of aluminium and that the demand for higher end products continues to be relatively strong,” he continues.
“Ultimately, the cost of installing a composite or an Attlas door is the same, but for just a few hundred pounds more you can have an entrance door that looks and feels superior, with great performance and it will never split or bow. It’s a win-win for installers and homeowners.”
