Warm to the core
Having aluminium systems does not necessarily mean you need to have deep, bulky sections says Andrew Charlesworth, director of global category management at WarmCore. Hybrid platforms can provide better solutions, as he explains.
There are distinct markets for aluminium and PVC-U and their applications are crossing over more than ever before. Go back 10 years and aluminium adoption by consumers was relatively modest, it was a material that was ultimately aimed at the commercial market, while PVC-U was adopted across all industry markets.
Specifiers have always preferred the look and feel of aluminium, and it’s become the go to finish for style savvy consumers too. But beyond the good looks, aluminium has been hampered to a degree by its lack of energy efficiency and poor sound reduction properties. Conversely, PVC-U is a very good insulator of both heat and noise.
WarmCore was developed and launched with considerable razzamatazz back in 2015, promising a product platform that offered the best material characteristics of aluminium and PVC-U. Now with the considerable resources of Profine Group, WarmCore is once again coming to the fore, with my sole remit to make it into a world-class and globally adopted product platform.
Initially launched as a bi-folding door system with several impressive technological features, WarmCore is in fact a complete product platform with a feature rich patio door, and windows that come in casement, flush and tilt and turn variants. There are also various thresholds and cills within the range and so from an ancillary perspective we’re well supported too.
It’s also a product platform that’s been designed to accommodate double and triple glazing right from the outset with a modest product depth of just 70mm for the window systems, 156mm for patio doors and 70mm for the bi-folding door.
So, from a replacement market perspective, WarmCore makes complete sense with little need for any cutting back of plaster for windows and French doors can be easily replaced with a WarmCore bi-folding door, for example.
From an energy efficiency perspective, WarmCore windows boast a U-value of 1.3 W/(m2K) with a standard double-glazed unit and down to Passivhaus levels of performance of 0.8 W/(m2K) on a single opener with a dedicated triple glazing bead. The French, bi-folding and patio doors all achieve 1.4 W/(m2K) double glazed and 1.0 W/(m2K), again with a dedicated triple glazing bead, with an overall unit capability up to 44mm.
There are a range of powder coated finishes inside and out including several greys and blues, along with foiled options, so there’s further opportunity to match PVC-U windows with a WarmCore door for example.
Security is well covered too with 3 Star locking hardware, premium handle options and manufacturing to PAS 24 as standard. Additionally for the commercial sector, WarmCore windows and doors can be upgraded to Secured by Design specifications with the appropriate glazing.
There’s also further support from Kömmerling for commercial projects and through the likes of Unique Window Systems, who have a proven record in the sector with a number of high-profile case studies in WarmCore.
From a marketing perspective, there are new brochures and point of sale materials which are imminent and a global website due for launch at the end of Q1. There will be dedicated social media feeds opened to coincide with the website launch, alongside a new advertising campaign in the UK for 2024.
WarmCore is a brand under Kömmerling and part of the wider Profine Group. With an esteemed history in the development of aluminium and PVC-U hybrid systems, the future for WarmCore looks very good indeed.
With a big and focused push in the UK, we’re expecting 2024 to be one of the most important years since the launch of WarmCore back in 2015 with a robust marketing campaign and a big commitment from the group.