Attracting higher-end domestic sales

Consumer demand for high-end aesthetics at higher price points is opening up exciting new opportunities for fabricators and installers. Gerald Allen, head of marketing at Epwin Window Systems, explains how the multi-award-winning Stellar aluminium system is helping secure premium projects across the domestic sector.

Since the pandemic, there’s been a clear consumer shift towards higher-end aesthetics when it comes to replacement windows and doors that give a home impressive kerb appeal.

The good news for the industry is that consumers understand that premium aesthetics have a premium price tag. As such, the trend represents an exciting opportunity for installers to secure projects with higher margins. But to capitalise on these projects and deliver the high-end aesthetics the domestic sector demands, the choice of product is crucial.

The answer is Stellar, the aluminium window and door system from Epwin Window Systems. Our customers are finding that Stellar is helping them to win new work in both new build and replacement sectors because its incredible aesthetics deliver everything today’s design-led consumers want.

Flush products have long been popular in high-end architect-designed new build projects. For these projects, Stellar delivers the best the industry has to offer. In the replacement market, Stellar has the ability to completely transform a building’s envelope, making it a genuinely exciting alternative to a like-for-like replacement.

So how does Stellar deliver such as transformational difference?

Firstly, because it’s the only aluminium system on the market to offer a fully flush casement option. The fully flush system on both the inside and outside offers the next level in the sleek, sophisticated aesthetic homeowners want. It achieves this with the patented reverse butt joint that means that no dummy sashes or reverse adaptor profiles are needed.

The reverse butt joint also means the glazing area is up to 12% larger, so not only do Stellar products offer the best in flush aesthetics they also offer the biggest sightlines. It’s a powerful combination.

There’s quality in the detail too. Stellar is a pre-gasketed system that uses patented knock-in beading so it leaves the neat, clean finish on the gasket line that premium projects demand.

The powder coating uses a marine grade finish as standard and every product is inspected at a distance of 1m. This is far in excess of the 3m that’s the industry requirement and takes the finish to the next level.

Neil Keeble, owner of Window Glaze Servicing, sums up the Stellar difference when he says: “As a business built on a reputation for high-end installations, having Stellar products in our portfolio has allowed us to secure several prestigious jobs as the products never fail to impress the homeowner.”

But Stellar doesn’t just help installers by bringing in high margin products.

The pre-gasketing means that Stellar is as easy to fit as PVC-U, so it’s quicker to install and teams need to spend less time on site. It isn’t just a bit quicker to fit either! Regular feedback from installers confirms that the Stellar bi-folding door is 50% quicker to fit than similar aluminium bi-folds.

It’s also a future-proofed option. Because it doesn’t use dummy sashes or rebate adaptors it’s more thermally efficient by design. It means it’s already compliant with the changes to Part L of Building Regulations coming into effect in June 2022. Plus, its thermal breaks can be upgraded to meet the demands of thermal regulations that we know will get stricter in the coming years, so it’s already ahead of the game.

It all means Stellar is good for business in more ways than one. It’s a system that taps into the trend for high-end aesthetics better than any other system on the market. And it’s an aluminium window and system that’s been designed with the needs of fabricators and installers in mind too.