New range opens new doors
Broadstairs-based Rhino Aluminium started fabricating the Decalu88 bi-fold door from Deceuninck Aluminium in early 2022 when its existing systems struggled to comply with the revisions to Part L of the Building Regulations.
Since then, the company says it has discovered new efficiencies in manufacture, made life easier for its customers with hassle-free installation, and opened new markets with Deceuninck Aluminium’s other product ranges.
“We’ve been manufacturing aluminium windows and doors for the trade since 2013, and our guiding principle is to aim for the highest levels of quality,” said product processing manager, Jordan King. “So, when Part L of the Building Regulations was revised in June this year, we had to find a new system that would meet the new requirements, because many of the aluminium systems on the market aren’t able to achieve some of the best U-values.”
Replacement doors with a >60% glazed area now need to achieve an overall U-value of 1.4W/m2K, while newbuild equivalents need to achieve an overall U-value of 1.2W/m2K. When the Future Homes and Buildings Standard comes into force in 2025, these figures are expected to drop even further.
The Decalu88 bi-folding door from Deceuninck Aluminium achieves U-values of 1.2W/m2K with double glazed units, comfortably meeting new requirements for newbuild as well as home improvement under Part L from June this year – without using triple glazed units.
Jordan explained that while the Decalu88’s thermal performance won the company over, the system has offered efficiencies in both manufacture and installation that are saving the company and its customers time and money.
“In terms of fabrication, the main benefit of Deceuninck Aluminium is speed,” Jordan said. “It comes with pre-extruded gaskets, which saves us up to 20% on the manufacturing time because the guys on the shop floor don’t have to slide the gaskets into the profile.
“And when it comes to installation, our customers love the clip-in beads, which speeds up installation time. In fact, feedback from installers has been very positive. A lot of our customers tell us that they will possibly just buy the Deceuninck bi-folding door from us.”
The door also features a 7mm fully adjustable jamb on each side, simplifying squaring and setting. With the knock-in glazing bead with pre-inserted and co-extruded flush gasket, installers can reportedly glaze each sash in less than four minutes and fit a door in as little as an hour.
Following the success of the Decalu88 bi-folding door, Rhino Aluminium decided to start fabricating the Decalu88 entrance door.
“The aluminium entrance doors are very popular. They are very robust, and very solid,” Jordan said, “especially with the modern newbuilds that are going up – a lot of homeowners are asking for them.”
The Decalu88 residential door delivers a number of USPs. With a wide choice of flush and glazed in door slabs, consumer appeal is one – contemporary sightlines and sophisticated styling give it reach in a wide variety of applications.
The Decalu88 residential door is also designed to resist warping and bowing under heat stress. Special ABS inserts adapt to temperature change, allowing the internal and external faces to expand and contract independently of one another, limiting bowing to a maximum of 2.5mm – even in extreme heat.
“A lot of people are very bothered about the way their house looks, and the glazing in general does make a massive difference,” Jordan said, “especially when you have a nice, presentable front door.”
