Built To Last

When The Window Company (Contracts) supplied and installed 50 windows in the new Hyundai offices at Tilbury Docks for main contractors JW Steele & Sons Ltd recently, it marked the 20th anniversary of the partnership between the two businesses.

In an industry where every single project is subject to a competitive tender, it says a great deal about the synergy between the two businesses that they are still working together regularly on both public and private sector contracts.

At Tilbury Docks, where JW Steele enhanced its reputation by restoring the iconic rooftop Cupola back in June 2014. The Window Company (Contracts) supplied 50 windows in the Rehau system for a building which was being refurbished and upgraded into offices for Hyundai. The windows were all coated to mid-grey RAL7012 on the outside to exactly match the exterior cladding.

This was in stark contrast to the very first job they carried out for JW Steele back in 1997 which was to fix a broken window handle in a house owned by a friend of the then Managing Director Harold Steele. Harold was so impressed with the fact that The Window Company (Contracts) fixed the handle for free, that he asked them to fit a window in his own house and the rest, as they say, is history.

David Geer, the current Managing Director, and Harold’s great nephew, says that the companies work well together because they share the same approach to customer service, quality and reliability.

He said: “The Window Company (Contracts) have never let us down in the past two decades. We trust them implicitly – whether that means sticking to their quote or giving us the best advice on how to meet a window and door specification from a client. We also trust their fitters to be polite and courteous on site and to work around staff, residents or service users on our projects in the healthcare, education and policing sector.”

David Thornton, Chairman of The Window Company (Contracts) said that both businesses share the same values as proud family businesses and have the same exacting standards when it comes to attention to detail and responsiveness. He added: “We are never complacent about our relationship with JW Steele. It matters just as much to us now as a £5m turnover business as it did in 1997 as a £100,000 business. That means even now we’ll respond just as quickly to a request from them to fix a broken handle as we do to an opportunity to quote on a £50,000 job.”

JW Steele and The Window Company (Contracts) are both based in Chelmsford and, while The Window Company (Contracts) has been around since 1996, JW Steele’s heritage goes all the way back to 1900. The company was established by David Geer’s great grandfather John W Steele as a small building company, and has grown to become one of the region’s leading contractors specialising in the refurbishment and repair of public sector and commercial buildings.

As well as the Tilbury Docks project, The Window Company has also completed recent window and door installations for JW Steele at Canvey Island Health Centre and at Ingrave Johnstone School in Brentwood.

Further details are available at www.thewinco.co.uk and at www.jwsteele.com

One of the UK’s leading trade fabricators has switched to Mila’s low carbon GRIP handle for all of its casement windows, after deciding that the product ticked every single box for its installers.

Consort is now fitting an impressive 3500 GRIP handles every month on the Veka FS frames it manufactures at its Sutton in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire factory.

Consort’s Head of Sales & Marketing Jeff Dunn said: “Switching to the GRIP handle was such an easy choice for us. It looks exactly the same as a conventional zinc handle, but it’s proven to be stronger with an even more durable finish. Because it is manufactured in ABS, it’s also warmer to the touch so doesn’t become a magnet for condensation and obviously, it will never rust.“From an installer’s point of view, it addresses the vulnerable areas on a window handle which could lead to expensive remedial visits. It’s cost effective yet has the potential to save our installer money in the long run with its strength and durability, and that seems like an ideal combination.”

Since Consort introduced the GRIP handle on its windows in April 2016, the feedback from customers across the UK and Ireland has been very positive. Jeff Dunn continued: “At first, it seems counterintuitive that a handle which is lighter than zinc can also be stronger, but Mila provided us with the sales and marketing tools we needed to explain the science behind the product, and our installers are really embracing the benefits it brings.”

He added: “Our focus is on quality and reliability so we’re understandably very choosey about all of the components we use to manufacture our windows. Anything new we add to our range is rigorously assessed beforehand and on the GRIP handle, we just can’t see any negatives. It even fits the green agenda, being 100% recyclable and with a 60% lower carbon footprint.”

Mila launched the patented GRIP handle at last year’s FIT Show. GRIP stands for Green Reliable Intelligent Polymer and one of the product’s key selling points is that it is the only window handle in the UK that has been certified by the Carbon Trust.

It is available in the standard trade version as supplied to Consort and in GRIP Colour and GRIP CleanTouch variants. GRIP Colour offers a choice of RAL colours on the handle, painted in the UK and assembled at Mila’s production facility in Daventry to ensure short lead times for customers. The innovative GRIP CleanTouch, meanwhile, incorporates an anti-microbial treatment in the handle which protects against the spread of bacteria in hospital and healthcare environments.

Further details are available at www.mila.co.uk and at www.consortwindows.com

Picture above: Sales Director Neil Evans

The VEKA UK Group has announced the transition of its entire range of PVC-U window and door products to PAS 24:2016, making it the first BSI Kitemark System Supplier of PVC –U to do so.

Accreditation Manager, Mark Barsby explained: “We’ve been in discussions with our forward-thinking customers, BSI and Secured by Design since last July to ensure VEKA and Halo products meet the updated enhanced security standard, PAS 24:2016.

“The standard was published over a year ago and includes a number of changes, particularly related to doors. The previous version – PAS 24:2012 – has now been withdrawn from the BSI website, and while Document Q will continue to reference it for some time, the latest Secured by Design Homes Guide already allows for compliance via the new standard.

“Many VEKA and Halo fabricators and installers use data cascaded from The VEKA UK Group for Document Q compliance. They will instantly be able to demonstrate to prospective customers how far ‘ahead of the game’ they are.

“It’s important to us that consumers and the whole supply chain know that their systems designer is doing everything to ensure that its windows and doors keep people and property safe from the latest methods of attack from opportunist intruders.”

The VEKA UK Group’s Sales Director, Neil Evans commented: “Being the first systems supplier to achieve PAS 24:2016 across its entire range represents a significant investment for The Group. It contains a number of exciting product enhancements, as well as new products that we will be announcing shortly.

“Interested fabricators and installers – both current and prospective – can find out more by visiting www.vekauk.com, calling 01282 716611, or joining us at The FiT Show, stand F10, Birmingham NEC, May 23rd – 25th.”

Lorraine Balch, Certification Manager, Fenestration at BSI said: “We’re delighted that VEKA has achieved certification to the revised standard PAS 24:2016 across the full range of PVC-U window and door products. Maintaining products against the latest version of the standard takes planning, time and dedication and means that VEKA is already benefitting from adopting PAS 24:2016 formally as a foundation for security, and using it as a competitive advantage to give the end-user confidence.”

Picture above: Michael Connor, Managing Director (L) and Alex Cotos, Quality Manager (R).

Quickslide is now offering a superior finish as well as faster turnaround on curved and arched frames, with a EUR60,000 investment in a new state-of-the-art in-house bending facility.

The fabricator’s choice of the unique TIM-ING bending centre means the action is not only faster – as little as ten minutes per curve – but also a cooler working temperature makes it far more energy efficient, and its sophisticated automation and use of multiple 3D cameras gives near perfect, consistent results with practically zero waste.

Operations Director Ben Weber says the move is in keeping with Quickslide’s philosophy to take complete control of as many manufacturing processes as possible.

“We already have our own in-house foiling and painting facilities as well as PVC-U and aluminium fabrication,” he said. “This is a big step forward for us as VS’s are notoriously difficult to work with when it comes to bending profiles, so now to be able to offer consistent and reliable quality in a fraction of the manufacture time gives us another USP within our market place.

“As well as a single point of answerability for quality control and no buying-in costs, the TIM-ING is also a highly advanced system, using much less heat on the profile, so there is no surface damage to colours or woodgrains and an all-round better and more consistent product quality.”

Sales & Marketing Director Tom Swallow added: “Quick turnaround and consistent quality on arched products is what the industry has been in dire need of since I can remember. It is a fantastic opportunity for Quickslide to now be able to offer this service to our trade partners and give them the edge against their competition.”

Quickslide is best-known for its acclaimed Vertical Sliders, and the company has been instrumental in bringing this former niche product into the mainstream of the retrofit and new-build markets, but it also manufactures a wide range of other styles of windows and doors in PVC-U and aluminium for trade and commercial customers.

www.quickslide.co.uk

‘The window revolution has arrived’, according to the company responsible for bringing Boavista, Europe’s first full range of fibreglass window frames that set new industry standards in sustainability, durability and performance, to the UK.

The new range includes a tilt and turn, sash, casement and sliding window and door product, all of which are 100 per cent recyclable and deliver longer lifecycles than uPVC and aluminium frames as a result of fibreglass’s inherent qualities.

Boavista’s rigidity also enables its sliding windows and doors to withstand single panes that weigh in excess of 250kg, which is approximately 150 per cent more than its aluminium and uPVC counterparts. This means that those wishing to incorporate glass as a major design feature no longer need to commission and fit specialist, structural glass.

Boavista is exclusively available to the UK through Boavista Windows UK Ltd, a company formed by the team behind Meronden Designs, a 20-year-old firm that has provided bespoke glazing solutions for the Lloyds Building, Tiffany & Co. Selfridges in Manchester and Ernst & Young’s iconic More London Place building.

Using the latest in pultrusion technology Boavista’s fibreglass frames are created by pulling resin-soaked glass fibres through heated dies – a process that only consumes 0.07 kilowatt to produce a linear metre of window frame weighing approximately 1kg.

The result is a frame with high thermal and acoustic properties that enables the window to retain heat whilst providing an effective barrier to sound.

The company expects Boavista’s UK arrival to be welcomed by architects and housebuilders as a result of the window’s minimalist design and stylish finish. Fibreglass also expands in line with window glass, removing the need for unsightly gaskets generally required to hold the pane in place and adding aesthetic value to a development.

On launching Boavista in the UK Neil Puttock, Managing Director of Boavista Windows UK Ltd, comments: “Boavista provides an alternative window product that offers those who use it the opportunity to contribute towards reducing the UK’s carbon footprint without compromising on design, function or form. From the perspective of an architect or homeowner fibreglass frames open up a world of possibilities by supporting adventurous designs that, up until now, have been prohibitive due to the cost associated with incorporating bespoke glazing solutions.”

The product’s hardwearing properties and rot and corrosion resistance is also expected to appeal to local authorities and facilities managers by reducing the cost associated with window maintenance, repair and repainting.

Neil concludes: “There really is no comparison between Boavista and other window products currently on the market. We now need to make the case for fibreglass and inform those who naturally turn to uPVC and aluminium just what fibreglass is capable of.”

For more information on Boavista visit www.boavistawindows.co.uk.

Document Q requires secure doorsets to be fitted with handles and cylinders that meet the requirements of TS007 by offering 3 star security as part of a PAS24:2012 accredited doorset. Three star cylinders attract a price premium, which makes them unattractive for many projects. However, the combination of Trojan’s stainless steel TS007 2 Star Handle plus a 1 star cylinder enables fabricators and installers to meet the requirements in a very competitive package. It’s a combination that is proving attractive, with very strong take up from Trojan’s customers.

Tony Chadwick, Trojan Group’s Managing Director, commented: “The take up of the TS007 2 Star handle has been superb, with fabricators indicating that the product’s 2 star cylinder guard gives a clear visual deterrent compared to the more expensive 3 star cylinder variants as would-be criminals cannot always see what is fitted to the door.”

One example of a fabricator that is using the combination of Trojan’s TS007 2 Star Handle and a 1 star cylinder is Consort Ltd. The company has recently switched to offering stainless steel hardware on its residential doors and it is using Trojan’s TS007 2 Star Handle and a 1 star cylinder on some products as part of this switch. Jeff Dunn, Head of Sales and Marketing at Consort, said: “Trojan’s stainless steel TS007 2 Star Handle helps us deliver a product that is reliable and secure. Our installers have a valuable USP which should significantly reduce costly remedial visits. The homeowners can have confidence they are investing in a high-quality product that meets all of the regulations and can keep their home and family safe.”

The TS007 2 Star Handle from Trojan is manufactured in 304 stainless steel, so as well as offering a competitively priced security solution it also offers the ultimate in corrosion resistance. It comes with a 25 year anti-corrosion guarantee and a ten year mechanical guarantee. It is available in a full choice of finishes including polished gold (PVD), brushed gold (PVD), polished stainless, brushed stainless, white and black powder coated over stainless

www.trojangroup.com

Brian Berry

The government has made the right decision to row back on its plan to hike up National Insurance Contributions for the self-employed, the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has said.

Brian Berry, FMB chief executive, said: “At a time when we need to do everything we can to ensure economic stability, this would have been a destabilising tax increase which would have hit large numbers of trades people on quite modest incomes. That would have felt very unfair and would have been in danger of undermining the entrepreneurial spirit Britain will need to rely on as we approach the economic uncertainty of Brexit. There is an important debate to be had about how we ensure an even playing field in the taxation of the self-employed and the directly employed. But we need to do that in a way that allows people to plan ahead and ensures the total package of tax and benefits is fair to the self-employed.”

www.fmb.org.uk

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TruFit like a Master Fitter thanks to GQA CPD programme

GQA assessors are invited to learn about the benefits of TruFit, expanding foam edge tape from Edgetech UK, at a special GQA CPD event on 19 April 2017.

Window installation tapes like TruFit are being used more and more for window and door installations and this year it will feature in the finals of the Master Fitter Challenge at FIT Show 2017.

“TruFit is leading the professionalisation of the industry by helping installers to maintain the Window Energy Ratings (WERs) of the windows they are fitting,” said Charlotte Davies, head of marketing at Edgetech UK.

“Our CPD session for GQA assessors will give them a thorough understanding of TruFit and how it can be used to achieve a more modern finish with a consistent perimeter seal. This will give them the knowledge to ask the right questions of candidates using window fitting tapes.

“TruFit offers benefits that outperform traditional ‘wet’ sealant methods, with up to 23 percent less heat loss in independent tests. It’s important that both installers and assessors understand these benefits.”

Charlotte continued: “Master Fitter competitors will be installing using TruFit during the finals. As part of our involvement with the competition, we’re inviting all Master Fitter Competition entrants to join us for the CPD event also. That way they can practice fitting windows with TruFit before the live final at FIT Show.”

Entry is open for the Master Fitter Challenge until the end of March. Installers looking to show off their skills, win a share of the £10,000 prize money and be crowned Master Fitter of the Year can enter at www.fitshow.co.uk/master-fitter-challenge.

The CPD event will be held at Edgetech UK’s headquarters in Coventry. You can book your place on the TruFit GQA CPD session by calling 0114 2720033 or emailing: info@gqaqualifications.com.

www.trufit-it.com

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Michael Connor, managing director (left) and Alex Cotos, quality manager

Quickslide is now offering a superior finish as well as faster turnaround on curved and arched frames, with a EUR 60,000 investment in a new state-of-the-art in-house bending facility.

The fabricator’s choice of the TIM-ING bending centre means the action is not only faster – as little as 10 minutes per curve – but also a cooler working temperature makes it far more energy efficient, and its ‘sophisticated’ automation and use of multiple 3D cameras is said to give ‘near perfect’, consistent results with ‘practically zero’ waste.

Operations director, Ben Weber, says the move is in keeping with Quickslide’s philosophy to take complete control of as many manufacturing processes as possible.

“We already have our own in-house foiling and painting facilities as well as PVC-U and aluminium fabrication,” he said. “This is a big step forward for us as VS’ are notoriously difficult to work with when it comes to bending profiles, so now to be able to offer consistent and reliable quality in a fraction of the manufacture time gives us another USP within our market place.

“As well as a single point of answerability for quality control and no buying-in costs, the TIM-ING is also a highly advanced system, using much less heat on the profile, so there is no surface damage to colours or woodgrains and an all-round better and more consistent product quality.”

Sales & marketing director, Tom Swallow, added: “Quick turnaround and consistent quality on arched products is what the industry has been in dire need of since I can remember. It is a fantastic opportunity for Quickslide to now be able to offer this service to our trade partners and give them the edge against their competition.”

 www.quickslide.co.uk

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