Could your suppliers be offering more?

Choosing your specialist suppliers should not just come down to product and price, according to Wayne Irvine, managing director of AW Louvers. They can have so much more to offer.

No matter how much control you take over a product’s design, manufacture and installation, there are always elements that will need input from a third-party specialist. And in today’s market, their appointment tends to come down to two key attributes: price and Building Regulation compliance.

But, if we judge our relationship with our suppliers on those points alone, are we missing opportunities that only a deeper relationship can bring about?

Wayne Irvine is the managing director of AW Louvers, which supplies a range of ventilation products including over-the-frame ventilators, through-the-frame ventilators and glazed-in ventilators. They are designed for a wide range of applications, balancing the ventilation requirements with superior noise mitigation – an often-overlooked requirement.

Since the revised Approved Document F of the Building Regulations came into force in June this year, interest in ventilation products naturally rocketed, and Wayne found that he was often providing a consultant’s role as well as a supplier of compliant products.

“We’ve grown as a business, not just because of the products we provide, but because of the advice we can offer,” Wayne says. “I suppose this comes down to the specialist nature of ventilation, but designers often don’t understand how different components interface with other elements of the building facade.”

Even before any contact is made with the engineers at AW Louvers, specifiers and architects can visit the company’s website to download datasheets and CAD files, as well as quickly discover which products meet which ventilation need.

This drive for design clarity doesn’t stop at an easy-to-read page on the internet either. For Wayne, pitching for work on often prestigious projects provides an opportunity to explain in detail how AW Louvers can not only provide compliant products, but to offer an element of hand-holding through the crucial stages of delivery.

“There is often a lot left unsaid on a specification,” Wayne says. “When you get invited to tender on a project, the client will be looking for products that can fit the design’s dimensions while meeting certain performance requirements. In the case of vents and louvers, these are typically the greatest flow of air through the smallest area, while not allowing background noise to disturb the occupants.

“In reality, the specifier will be wanting much more.”

Wayne explains that when AW Louvers’ engineers sit with potential clients, they will often revisit the designs to make sure they make the most efficient use of their products.

“When vents and louvers are specified on a facade’s design, it can sometimes be a box-ticking exercise,” Wayne says. “But there is so much that needs to be taken into consideration.

“Air flow is the big one. If you allow for too much air flow, you can end up paying more than what you would need to, while worsening the overall acoustic and thermal performance. We can very quickly offer advice on how to stop both of those things from happening.

“Colour performance is the other. If the glazing requirement is for matt 7016 anthracite grey, for example, the chances are you’ll pass on that requirement to your acoustic ventilator or louver supplier without a great deal of extra thought.

“But not all colours from all powder manufacturers are the same, and they are often applied differently, which can cause issues further down the line, including mismatched colours and poor coating adhesion.

“This is turn could lead to call-backs to site, and a significant additional cost to the glazing contractor for remedial works.”

Wayne recommends having products powder-coated by an established and recognised architectural powder coating company like Qualicoat-approved LBL Finishers, which powder-coats to the new BS EN 12260-1 2021 Standards, and that the brands used are consistent across all facade elements.

Finally, Wayne believes a specialist supplier’s role doesn’t end with product delivery.

“It’s all well and good supplying building components that are the best in their field,” Wayne says, “but it counts for nothing if you don’t meet the timetable laid down by the contractor and the glazing contractor, or if they are installed incorrectly.”

Engineers from AW Louvers will often visit fabricators’ facilities to offer advice on installation techniques, and even to site to make sure every glazing element interfaces correctly.

“Our technical team have a lot of glazing industry experience, and we can provide a lot of crucial advice throughout the delivery of a project,” Wayne says. “For AW Louvers, this is just as important as supplying the products.”