Systems Articles
- No categories
Meg Thomas from Rehau looks at how shades of grey are still a force to be reckoned with, and why an upsurge in more traditional window profiles could signal the start of new things to come. For years, wood finish laminates were our bestsellers at Rehau; rosewood was consistently our number one foil, while golden oak, mahogany and black/brown were...
Having the right windows can transform a house into a home – but for one busy career woman it was the addition of Liniar windows that put the finishing touches to her ambitious conversion project, transforming a double decker bus into a luxury mobile residence. Liniar discusses a project that Channel Four covered on ‘Amazing Spaces’. Ellie Banner-Ball dreamed of...
CAB chief executive Justin Ratcliffe looks at the association’s latest Q3 State of Market Survey and notes that the steady growth forecasts are linked to increasing interest in training initiatives and the CAB Pavilion at FIT Show 2019. The Q3, 2018 CAB State of the Market Survey demonstrated that members saw a positive marketplace during the quarter. One of the...
Somerset based trade window and door supplier, Trade Frames, have started fabricating the Advance 70 Window and Door System and become part of the Selecta ‘family’. Managing director Keith Matthews, and general manager Paul French, explain the reasons behind the move. With 30 years of trading under our belt, Trade Frames has grown to become one of the south west’s...
John Park-Davies, managing director of Ikon Aluminium Systems explains why customer service is more important than ever, and what steps the manufacturer is taking to support its customers. There’s no doubt that 2019 will be unpredictable but we will be starting the year in a strong position, with a very healthy order book; 2018 has been a tremendous year for...
By Russell Yates, managing director of Aluk. The most recent Palmer Report predicted a 20% rise in the number of aluminium windows being installed in the UK between 2017 and 2021. Alongside that, it forecast a 20% rise in the installed value of those windows, and we are already seeing clear evidence of aluminium’s ability to resist the downward price...
Despite the pressures on margins, one thing that shouldn’t be scrimped on is using quality steel for reinforcements, according to Rehau’s certification and quality manager Mark Gajda, and product manager Malcolm Taylor, and why fabricators and installers can easily find themselves fitting windows and doors that aren’t up to standard – and facing hefty financial penalties for doing so. Over...
Gerald Allen, marketing manager at Epwin Window Systems, explains the company’s manufacturing capabilities. Fabricators need to a choice of products from their systems supplier that will enable them to compete at all levels. At the same time, they need to have confidence they are working with a business that understands the importance of investment in order to deliver continuous improvement....
By Aluprof. In the 1970s, architectural aluminium was available in anodised finishes, limited to silver, bronze and black; replacement window companies often offered a silver framed aluminium casement window set in a hardwood frame. The finish was exceptionally robust and if you look round today, some of these home improvement windows are still performing well. So why did we stop...
Independent Network (by Veka) has been supporting installers with training, guarantees, sales support and much more for more than 20 years. Veka’s head of partner programmes Karen Lund explains how the organisation has combined national strength with local knowledge in its latest marketing campaign. IN was established (as Network Veka) in 1996 to give installers a way to prove their...
Sean Parnaby, managing director of West Port, says timber is the only true ‘conservation’ material on the market. Too many people labour under the illusion that ‘conservation’ means timber alternative. It’s strange when you think about it. For hundreds of years, windows were made of timber. In the overwhelming majority of conservation areas, windows were made of timber. But now,...
With growing consumer awareness of the impact that plastic can have on our natural environment, there’s no doubt that the industry is starting to step up and address this, with recycled PVCU systems and products being developed and launched. Martin Thurley, managing director at Liniar, explains how HL Plastics has been recycling all of its scrap PVCU and using it...
By Aluprof. The basic principles of Passivhaus is its ability to reduce the permitted space heating demand and primary energy consumption. This is achieved in several ways, but primarily by designing a building envelope with high insulation with minimal thermal bridging. By adding the crucial element of fresh outdoor air being circulated with extensive heat recovery means that energy consumption...
Not only does your front door welcome visitors to your door step, it frames your entire house and complements the style and colours of your home, as well as your surrounding neighbourhood. Richard Gambling, managing director of GRM Windows, gives as insight into the evolving trends in the doors industry. Today, there is a great array of interior styles to...
With 99.8% of Selecta’s deliveries on time and in full, warehouse and logistics manager Peter Lawrence explains how the figures stack up. Making sure that customers receive their orders in full and on time is the key objective of the department, and our otif statistics stand at 99.8%, something we are proud of. One recent improvement is the newer vehicle...
Chris Coxon, head of marketing at Eurocell, discusses what route PVCU can take when it reaches the end of the road. Energy efficiency and sustainability are having an increasing impact on consumers’ general purchasing choices, and so it’s important to see how competing fenestration materials fare in the environmental stakes. In terms of environmental performance, there’s not much to make...
Ireland is gearing up for economic growth, with leading fabricators embracing new system technologies as they access higher margin opportunities. Glass Times reports. The UK market is defined by uncertainty. It’s fortunes heading towards Brexit about as clear as the waters of the Irish Sea on a grey winter’s day but across it, the mood is altogether different. “We’ve had...
What difference does a fabricator really make? They take components supplied by third parties and put them together; they don’t design, they don’t manufacture, they assemble, don’t they? By Stedek’s sales director Richard Hammond. The difference between a mediocre and market-leading window is the quality of the fabricator, and it’s an attitude we particularly apply to our Residence Collection offering....
How important is it for a systems house to audit and approve its fabricators? Liniar asks Garrard Windows why it values being a Liniar Approved fabricator. With a turnover approaching £25 million, with more than 200 staff operating out of an 86,000ft² factory in Buckinghamshire, Garrard’s window and conservatory trade customer base spans the south of England. This firm has...
Based in Westcott, near Aylesbury, Clear Edge was set up to supply its sister company, the garden room company Green Retreats. Sales manager Chris Dyke explains why the company decided to branch out into window and door fabrication, and why Rehau has been the perfect partner during this transition. Green Retreats began life back in 2005, and grew from a...