Doors that make a statement

In recent years, the humble front door has been elevated from simply an entrance to a home to a focal point of the house. Richard Gambling, managing director for GRM windows and doors, talks about why aspirational and statement doors are changing the market.

When my father Gareth set up GRM in Llantrisant, south Wales, in 1979, his philosophy was based on providing high quality windows and doors at a competitive price. He started out as a specialist in aluminium windows but soon recognised the potential for PVCU windows and switched his offer to incorporate this newcomer to the market. He was always a forward-thinker, looking for the next big thing in the industry to stay ahead of the competition, and it’s an approach we still abide by today at GRM.

While most PVCU window manufacturers also make doors, they pretty much go hand-in-hand – our doors offer is not a simple add on. We are constantly looking ahead at possibilities and have grown our portfolio in line with an increase in customer demand for aspirational, statement doors, rather than run-of-the-mill standard composites.

GRM has been a Rehau fabricator since 1994 and has been a part of the company‘s Authorised Partner Scheme from its inception in 2009. Rehau has been a valued partner to us over the years and our relationship has ensured we keep up to date with the latest trends in the doors market. We are currently the only fabricator in the UK to make Rehau’s Agila Passivhaus doors, which we believe are the Aston Martin of front doors.

Although first and foremost designed to meet Passivhaus standards with possible U-values of 0.7W/m²K achievable, the doors have serious kerb appeal and come in a range of contemporary, stylish designs. Based on the Rehau Geneo window and door system, the doors are created in partnership with suppliers Rodenburg and can be customised with GRP overlay skins in a range of colours and finishes using either foils or Rehau Acryl II colour coating system.

As well as design options for the door slab, the Passivhaus doors can be personalised with different glazing options, including a modern sandblasted finish and a period ‘leaded’ and coloured glass effect. We can also offer concealed hinges for cleaner lines.

The wow factor for this premium door does not stop there though, and we can incorporate all sorts of extra features, such as quadruple glazing, state-of-the-art locking systems, LED lights in the door glass, and mirrors on the interior side (in case you want to check your appearance before opening the door). We can also build the doors to incorporate a hidden camera, which allows homeowners to see who is at the door via a viewing panel mounted on the interior, instead of using a traditional eye viewer.

We have recently created 24 Agila Passivhaus doors for a residential housing development in Much Wenlock, Shropshire, indicating that this type of door is finally working its way into the mainstream and giving specifiers and installers a premium door product that also ticks their energy efficiency boxes.

Our Agila offer also includes Rehau’s multi-fold doors, which we have been making for some time, and the sliding doors, which we are starting production of in the New Year. Agila sliding doors have slim sightlines to maximise light into a property and can be used as an entrance or patio door. They are available with a triple track option, to allow the door to be 2/3 opened, giving an unrestricted view of the outdoors.

We expect sales for the Agila sliding doors to rival that of our multifold doors, which have become a very popular alternative to traditional french or patio doors. Customers like the extra light these large span doors create in living areas, and it’s certainly a trend that consumers are driving.

We strive to offer customers desirable doors that deliver sublime aesthetics, high quality engineering, and a wow factor that others can’t.