National Plastics Stores Now Stock Namgrass Artificial Grass

National Plastics has announced it is supplying Namgrass artificial grass throughout its nationwide trade counter network. Geoff Foster, the company’s Managing Director, commented: “We respond to market demand and artificial grass is one of the biggest growth areas at the moment – excuse the pun. Namgrass is one of the biggest names in the industry and we’re delighted to be offering their products.”

It’s not surprising that artificial grass has taken off. It gives a perfect-looking lawn every day of the year and needs no maintenance. It looks and feel just like real grass, but children can play on it without creating bald patches or areas of mud. It’s easy-to-keep clean too, so is even suitable for homeowners with pets. And it’s the perfect solution for hayfever sufferers too.

All Namgrass products are designed and manufactured in-house by the company for complete control of the whole process. The product itself is the result of over 30 years of innovation to ensure it offers the most natural look and feel of real grass.

Alongside the artificial grass range, National Plastics will also be stocking a complete range of grass underlay, tape and glue, meaning it provides everything you need for an artificial grass installation project.

National Plastics is renowned for being a one-stop shop when it comes to building plastics. The artificial grass will be part of a portfolio that also includes bathroom panels, guttering products, fascias and soffits, cladding, drainage products, roofing products, PVC-u windows, doors and conservatories, composite doors, garden products, accessories and wall panels.

All products are sold with the promise of National Plastics’ competitive pricing and by knowledgeable and experienced staff. It’s a winning combination that works for the go-to trade counter network!

www.nationalplastics.co.uk

Selecta Systems fabricator Ace Windows (NE) Ltd has been impressed with the quality and look of the new batch of marketing brochures and materials whilst also commending the excellent customer service that they regularly receive from the team. Abe Rabin of Ace Windows (NE) has disclosed his backing and praise to the new marketing materials which he quoted as “an amazing change to the marketing support package” and that “the efforts in the marketing material are definitely what is helping to drive their business forward.”

Feedback from Selecta Systems customer base has been exceptional following the launch of a series of new marketing brochures and literature. Selecta Systems Marketing Manager, Mark Walker, sheds light on why he feels the new marketing materials have been so fondly received and how they seem to have hit the mark with customers. Mark explains, “Around 18 months ago, one of the areas which I felt were in need of refreshed approach and re-design were the marketing brochures and materials which we provide to our fabricator base as sales material to the end consumer. They did a job but didn’t really stand out and portray the products respected and valued position in the market. Brochures and marketing materials are a reflection and representation of not only ourselves but most importantly our fabricators in front of the consumer and so it was important that we set out to give the end consumer a more distinctive and informative set of brochures to depict the products in their best light. Firstly, I felt it was important that they had continuity and consistency with a colour scheme and theme that performed across the whole range, thus instantaneously recognisable as part of the brochure range. Instead of a standard white, clinical looking approach, we looked at current colour trends with dark greys and black very popular within the home, giving a modern and prestigious look and feel – a message that sits well with the products on offer. Bold, bright imagery was also a main feature to draw attention to the products with not too much text, but enough to give the reader information about the products”, says Mark.

The range of new marketing materials and the growth of the marketing and customer support team is having a real positive effect with Selecta’s customer base as fabricators look to grow their business further.  Mark concludes, “When we set about designing and creating the brochures there were certain aspects, as mentioned, that we wanted to achieve and all-in-all these have been accomplished as recognised by recent customer feedback.”

The post Selecta Fabricator Ace Windows (NE) praises new marketing materials appeared first on Windows Active Magazine.

Home improvement work is increasing in 2016, as planning applications saw an upsurge in every region and country in Great Britain, except for Scotland.

The ‘Home Improvers of Great Britain 2017’ report, compiled by construction industry analyst, Barbour ABI, in collaboration with the Federation of Master Builders, shows that London led all regions with 3.8 home improvement applications for every one-hundred private homes last year, with the East of England seeing the biggest growth in applications with a 14% increase. At the other end of the spectrum, the North East and Scotland made up the bottom of the table, with only 1.1 applications for every one hundred households (see figure 1.1).

There was no change at the top from last year for the best performing district, as Kensington & Chelsea continued its dominance with 6.8 applications for every one-hundred private households in 2016, albeit a decrease of 8% on its figure from 2015. However, nowhere exemplified more in 2016 the ‘improve not move’ stance than Cambridge. After a rapid surge in prices, sales in the city have fallen back sharply while home improvement has rocketed. Outside of Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea, Cambridge has the highest ratio of home improvement planning applications to home sales of any borough, whilst only squeezing into the top 70 for home improvement figures just two years ago.

Overall, districts with the most home improvement applications was dominated by Southern England, with 18 of the top 25. Whereas 21 of the bottom 25 districts for home improvement were located north of the Midlands. A lack of home improvement outside of Southern England can be characterised by the first northern district, Harrogate, only placing 84th in the Barbour ABI league table.

Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), commented: “Demand for home improvement work is particularly vulnerable to dips in consumer confidence but at present, there’s no sign of a negative ‘Brexit effect’. Indeed, the results of this year’s Home Improvers Report show that there was a 6% rise in home improvement work that requires planning permission in 2016 compared to 2015 in Great Britain and these results chime with the FMB’s own research. Despite gloomy predictions from many economists in the run up to the EU referendum last summer, construction SME workloads have not only held up, they are in rude health. Even as we approached Article 50 being served at the end of last month, the results of the FMB’s State of Trade Survey for Q1 2017 show that construction workloads continued to grow and 50% of firms expect this trend to continue into the second quarter of this year.”

Michael Dall, lead economist at Barbour ABI, said: “2016 saw continued growth of home improvement in areas expected, such as around the capital and other southern English regions. However it is encouraging to see considerable growth in the East of England with many of its boroughs making their way up the table.”

“Looking forward, much will depend on the growth in the economy, as the link between it and home improvement is very evident. In addition, the shortage of housing across Great Britain generally is set to continue, which will undoubtedly help fuel home improvement activity as home owners look to ‘improve not move’.”

www.fmb.org.uk

The post ‘Improve not move’ as home improvement figures continue to grow appeared first on Glass & Glazing Products Magazine (GGP).

Image Above : The FUHR 881 multitronic lock, a central element of Carl F Groupco’s SmartSecure solutions, has gained Secured by Design accreditation.

The FUHR 881 multitronic lock, which is at the heart of Carl F Groupco’s SmartSecure electronic door locking and smart access control solutions, has achieved Secured by Design accreditation.

As the latest in a series of hardware products offered by Carl F Groupco to achieve Secured by Design, the company was confident of gaining the certification as the lock design, consistent with the established process for all FUHR locking systems, had already passed rigorous security testing.

Commenting on the importance of being able to display the Secured by Design logo for the FUHR 881, John Mitchell, Carl F Groupco’s Technical Manager said: “As an officially recognised accreditation body, Secured by Design reassures home owners that products are tested to the most stringent and current security standards. It also aids fabricators and installers in demonstrating the quality of their offer.   “This achievement affirms our commitment to the evolution of our range and underscores our objective of providing the very latest in technology without compromising security.”

The FUHR multitronic 881’s intelligent technology, combined with a modular construction, has made the versatile locking system ideally suited for SmartSecure’s range of solutions including the smart phone / tablet based SmartConnect easy; the transponder / sensor variant SmartTouch comfort and the brand’s radio-based access control systems.

For more information, contact sales@carlfgroupco.co.uk

www.carlfgroupco.co.uk

www.smartsecure.co.uk

FIT 2017 promises to be bigger than ever, so time will be tight when you visit the show. That’s why RegaLead wants to give visitors a heads-up that if it’s coatings for glass, GRP or PVC you’re interested in, head straight to Stand E33.

Joint MD Guy Hubble says: “We are one of the world’s largest specialist glass and fenestration coatings provider and this section of our business will be showcased at FIT. We will be sharing new paint formulations to our already 7000+ recipes thanks to the fact we’re adding 50 new formulations every week. For those interested in painting their own products in house, we will be showing new dispensing and mixing solutions suitable for smaller producers to the largest who want automated dispensing of base materials as well as colourants.

“Drying is traditionally the bottle neck in the painting process, so we will be working in partnership with Schuberts Technical Services on the stand and giving visitors a preview of the Schuhbox infra-red catalytic drying solution. Already being installed in manufacturers across the UK, the system cuts curing time on water based paints by over 90%. And if that’s not enough, we’ll be sharing our stunning new marketing support items that bring colour to life, including sample packs, colour swatches, folders, personalised brochures and new product sample displays.

“Just as our markets have evolved, the RegaLead brand of 25 years ago is a totally different animal with a host of new products and services to create and satisfy emerging home improvement trends. One thing that hasn’t and will never change though is our philosophy of adding value through decoration, the latest demonstration of which we look forward to sharing with visitors our Stand E33 during FIT 2017.”

For more information, call RegaLead on 0161 946 1164 or visit www.regalead.co.uk

Picture above: Michael Giscombe, MD at Conservatory Outlet Limited

Conservatory Outlet Limited is defying the stagnation felt widely across the home improvement market, by kick-starting the first quarter of 2017 with record order levels from its retail network.

The period January to April of this year has seen the Wakefield-based fabricator achieve an average 15% increase in orders from its network members against the same period last year, with this positive trend set to continue throughout the remainder of the year.

Michael Giscombe, MD at Conservatory Outlet Limited, explains: “We’re really pleased at the strong performance we’ve achieved in the early part of this year, and despite market trends this doesn’t show any sign of slowing down.

“Our success is down to a combination of attributes exclusive to our network: our ability to share best practice amongst our close-nit family of retailers, combined with top quality products, and of course the hard work and dedication of each network member. With three new showrooms set to have opened by Summer 2017, featuring some of the most innovative products on the market, our unique business model is definitely bucking the trend.”

Recent reports from AMA Research estimate that the conservatory and glazed extensions market increased by just 3% in 2016. Although value growth has been relatively strong, volume growth is less buoyant with only a 1-2% increase in the past two years, and only modest volume increases currently forecast to 2020.

The market is said to be defined by modern product features, including superior thermal efficiency, high specification self-cleaning glass, coloured frames and bi-folding doors. Companies that have kept pace to offer innovative, higher specification products and conservatory ranges are typically faring better than the rest of the market.

This is a concept that Conservatory Outlet stands by, constantly striving to offer its network of retail partners and ever-expanding and market-leading product portfolio.

Michael concludes: “We’re now gearing up for the next phase of our sustained growth strategy – including the introduction of more innovative products, cutting edge technology, and of course new network partners in untapped areas. Watch this space!”

www.amaresearch.co.uk/products/conservatories-2016

The latest research from Plentific.com, which describes itself as ‘an online home service marketplace’, has found that financial help from the ‘Bank of Mum and Dad’ isn’t just limited to purchasing a property; it also extends to improving the home. A fifth of homeowners (18%) say they rely on the Bank of Mum and Dad to help finance home improvements, while 19% admit that their parents physically help them to carry out DIY.

In the past, owning your own home as a young adult wasn’t the struggle it appears to be nowadays. Many older parents will remember a time when they could buy a family home for a realistic sum that was relative to local salaries, at least in comparison to today’s standards. Plentific’s findings show that 26% of homebuyers across the UK now receive financial aid from the Bank of Mum and Dad when purchasing a property. This number increases dramatically amongst younger homeowners, with 58% of respondents under 34 admitting to receiving financial help from their parents.

Unsurprisingly, London ranked top of the table (59%) when it comes to receiving financial help from the Bank of Mum and Dad when buying a property. With prices increasing in the capital, it may seem sensible to buy a more affordable property that needs fixing up. However, 48% of London homeowners admit they have also received financial aid from their parents to pay for a renovation project or home improvements.

Belfast came in second highest for homeowners receiving financial help from parents when buying a property at 30%, with Brighton and Glasgow occupying the bottom spot with just 12%. Homebuyers in Birmingham (16%), Southampton (18%) and Nottingham (19%) were the next lowest in the rankings, while those in Manchester (22%), Leeds (23%) and Bristol (25%) sat at the higher end of the table.

When looking at parents that provide financial support for home improvements, London (48%), Liverpool (31%) and Brighton (17%) topped the table. The top locations for homeowners who received physical help with DIY from their parents were London (29%), Bristol (26%) and Sheffield (22%).

Stephen Jury, Spokesperson for Plentific, said “Our statistics really highlight the struggles young people face when buying or renovating a property. Whilst buying a cheaper property that needs work may seem like a good option, the number of young people receiving financial and physical help from their parents with renovations projects is quite alarming.”

The post One fifth of homeowners rely on ‘Bank of Mum and Dad’ for home improvements appeared first on Glass & Glazing Products Magazine (GGP).

When outstanding Oxfordshire double-glazing specialists Andy Glass wanted to expand into aluminium, they were afraid it could be a headache. Over twenty-five years of hard work and commitment to quality, they’d established themselves as the region’s leading provider of uPVC windows, doors and conservatories – but aluminium was a new challenge, and one they feared would prove stressful, expensive and time-consuming to master. Fortunately for them, they contacted the Window Outlet – the dynamic aluminium fabricator that’s grown from Bristol start-up to one of the industry’s biggest and most respected suppliers off the back of its signature short lead times, quick quote turnarounds.

The firm has extensive experience helping installers expand into aluminium – and an in-depth understanding of the common issues uPVC companies face as they make the change, as Managing Director Ben Warren explains: “For the first ten years of my career, I worked in uPVC fabrication and would spend hours talking to uPVC installers every week. I know how daunting switching materials or expanding your range to include another one can be – and that’s why we offer comprehensive support to customers in that position, including a training day that covers both the products we provide, and how to properly order them. A pen and paper sketch might feel like the quickest and easiest way of submitting an order, but in the long run that’s often not the case. They can be vague and unclear, and, in the worst cases, require a lot of back and forth between us and the customer to get it right – and the longer that process takes, the longer it is before the customer gets the product. By taking the time to sit down with our clients and show them the most efficient way to order at the very start, we make everyone’s lives easier.”

The firm also familiarises customers with its online bifold builder – an intuitive application that allows users to quickly and easily enter their size and hardware requirements, then send them through to the Window Outlet for a quote. “We’re absolutely delighted to be working with Andy Glass,” Ben continued. “They’re an incredibly experienced, respected installer, and it’s been a pleasure helping them establish themselves in the aluminium market. We’d encourage any other uPVC installers looking to enhance their offering with stylish, high-quality aluminium products to get in touch, and we’ll do our utmost to help them make the transition.”   

The post Oxfordshire double-glazing specialists Andy Glass expands into aluminium with a little help from The Window Outlet appeared first on Windows Active Magazine.

aïr has added the Ultion cylinder lock as standard to its range of bi-fold and lift & slide doors.

aïr Brand Ambassador, Jay Patel says: “aïr has been engineered for extreme performance, so Ultion is the perfect match. It’s one of the best cylinders on the market, in keeping with our values of offering superior engineering with captivating design.”

The Ultion cylinder has 11 pins and a special lock-down mode that it triggers if it detects threats such as lock drilling, picking or bumping. Paired with aïr’s Secured by Design upgrade, it creates the ultimate security system for any home.

“Today’s consumers are research-savvy and brand-driven,” continues Jay, “and they know exactly what they want. When it comes to doors, that means a product that’s secure and energy efficient with timeless beauty that can help them to create modern, dynamic living spaces.

“Adding Ultion as our standard cylinder adds an extra boost to security levels and gives homeowners total confidence in aïr’s performance.”

Ultion has Sold Secure Diamond testing and is SBD accredited. Ultion is backed by an impressive £1,000 guarantee for homeowners.

aïr is exclusively manufactured in the UK by Everglade Windows.

www.discoverair.co.uk