Customade To Help Installers To Fly At FIT Show

Customade is promising excitement and nostalgia on its stand at the FIT Show (N20). Although the theme of the stand is still under wraps, the Customade team will be showing installers just how easy it is to propel their businesses forward with aluminium.

Visitors will discover more about Customade’s ‘REAL Aluminium’ innovation and how it can make the advance to aluminium as ‘easy as child’s play’.

Gareth Thomas, Customade’s sales and marketing director, hints: “Aluminium is the material of choice for millions of homeowners now and we want to create a playful buzz about it at the FIT Show. Our stand will be teaming with visitors who want to find out more about REAL Aluminium and how it takes the whole performance out of promoting, quoting, selling and ordering aluminium.

“I’m not able give away too much at this stage, but I’m very excited about the star attraction – our competition. It cleverly captures the essence of our pre-show campaign and is sure to release the ‘inner child’ in everyone!”

REAL Aluminium was launched last year to help installers to grow their businesses and enhance profits with aluminium. Since then, hundreds of installers have made the fearless leap to aluminium with the help of REAL Aluminium. It has equipped them with everything they need to promote and sell the most extensive range of aluminium windows, doors and lantern roofs from one source.

REAL Aluminium is a solution to the perennial obstacles that installers face with aluminium, particularly complex pricing structures and lengthy lead times. Designed to make sourcing aluminium as easy as buying PVC-u, REAL Aluminium has cut lead times on standard profile to just two weeks.

Customade exclusively manufactures the REAL range at its purpose built 72,000 square foot factory and holds more than 100 miles of aluminium extrusions in stock in four colours – white, grey (7016), black (9005) and dual grey on white.

To find out more about REAL Aluminium, please call 01453 826884 or visit www.real-aluminium.co.uk.

For the perfect timber alternative garden room, Composite Wood Company™ now features unique Composite Wood connecting posts as standard – further enhancing the garden rooms’ natural wood style, design flexibility and ease of installation.

Already one of the fastest-growing home improvement products, it’s now even easier to order and fit Composite Wood garden rooms with a choice of fixed-price modular designs or bespoke options.  That means window installers won’t leave their profits in the garden when working on a job.

“Homeowners love the natural timber appearance, fully insulated comfort and long-lasting, low-maintenance performance of Composite Wood garden rooms,” says Tony Pratt, Sales Director of Composite Wood Company.

“By designing our connecting posts from the same material, customers get a superior finish and colour co-ordination with the garden room walls, for a consistently eye-catching look.

“The connecting posts make installation a breeze.  We now offer a modular range with fixed-price set designs, to make Composite Wood garden rooms accessible for installers looking for added-value home improvement products.

“The posts are also really versatile, so if a customer wants a more complex design, we’ll help you to create a bespoke garden room.  The connectors can also be used for orangeries and conservatories.

“The Composite Wood garden room with matching connecting posts will be on display at FIT Show 2017, but if you’ve like to see it ahead of the show, please let us know and we’ll give you a preview of our new showroom in Oldham.”

All Composite Wood garden rooms are fully insulated and built to withstand the weather for all-year-round usage.  They are ideal as garden offices, family rooms or ‘man caves.’

www.compositewoodcompany.co.uk 

Essex based trade fabricator U70 is manufacturing Residence 7 (R7) to enable customers to sell into larger properties and more prestigious developments.

R7 is the stand-out 75mm premium flush system from Residence Collection. It’s flush on the outside so it looks like traditional timber windows, but it’s also flush on the inside, giving it a sleek modern feel perfect for most types of home.

U70 Sales & Marketing Manager Allan Wilding says: “R7 is a great addition to our customers’ ranges, and it’s proving very successful in attracting new customers. High profile installers are very interested, so we make it easy for them to add R7 to their upmarket showrooms.”

U70 already fabricates Residence 9 (R9), and has a loyal customer base. It’s added R7 to open up a larger market for flush sash windows.

“R7 opens up new avenues for us because it’s a very different product. It looks the same as R9 from the outside, but it doesn’t carry the same premium as R9,” adds Allan. “R7 is very competitive, and, like R9, transforms properties in a way that other PVC windows can’t.”

Residence Collection CEO Martin Dickie says: “R7’s flush look means it can be used as a timber alternative, or as an aluminium alternative with its internal flush look. It suits homes looking for beautiful, high quality windows. R7 and the other Residence Collection systems, R9 and R2, are opening up new markets for fabricators like U70 because they offer the look and quality that no other systems can.”

For more about U70 call 01376 511360 or visit www.u70.co.uk.

To expand your markets and find out more about Residence Collection visit www.residencecollection.co.uk, call 01452 300 912 or follow @Residence9 on Twitter.

Pitched as ‘no ordinary mud run’, Tough Mudder South West takes place on the weekend of 19th-20th August at Badminton Estate in South Gloucestershire. Tough Mudder Half consists of 13 obstacles across a 5-mile course and Brouha Marketing’s Lucy Baker has signed up for the challenge in aid of a touching cause close to home.

The course covers acres of undulating historic parkland, muddy fields and dense woodland and is certainly set to keep Lucy and her teammates on their toes. Lucy is taking part in the challenge for a very good cause as she explains: “I signed up for this particular challenge to raise money for Cancer Research UK after hearing the news about a friend of the family, Mitch, a three-year old boy who, in a matter of days, had his and his family’s life literally turned upside down.”

Tara, Mitch’s mum, tells the story: “Mitch was a healthy, active, normal three-year old. That was at 5.44pm on the 3rd of January. Then, in an instant, he wasn’t. One second you don’t have it, then the next second, you do. When they draw the curtains around you at the hospital and say “I’m really sorry, it’s not an ear infection. Your son has a brain tumour” and in the blink of an eye, your whole life changes.

“39 hours later, Mitch began his journey. A 9 hour operation to remove the main tumour at the base of his brain. We are now well into the 6 weeks of intensive radiotherapy treatments to be followed by 4 months of the equally destructive chemotherapy. These treatments will hopefully eradicate the remaining cancers in Mitch’s brain and spine. Tough on anyone, permanently damaging for a 3 year old. Our previously independent little boy now struggles with the basics like walking and eating. But he is a fighter and he will beat this.

“Other families will go through what we are experiencing. Cancer is happening right now, but research will eventually find a cure. The research has meant that there are more survivors of cancer than ever before, but still, not enough.”

Lucy concludes: “I’m not sure how much of a Tough Mudder I really am – I guess on the 20th of August I will find out! – but I am delighted to be part of a team of people who are currently fundraising in Mitchie’s name and would really appreciate any sponsorship you can spare.” To sponsor Lucy access her fundraising page here: fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/page/lucys-page-1

For more information on Team Mitchie log on to fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/team/for-mitchie

How do you transform a dark and uninspiring interior without losing the rustic and traditional appeal of a home? That was the challenge facing architect Lydia Robinson, as she began a renovation project on two traditional miners cottages in Bristol, Somerset.

The brief wasnt straight forward: make the most of the aesthetic beauty of the interior while adding a brighter contemporary finish. However, the result was a juxtaposition of new and old that resulted in the project being awarded Best Renovation Project in the Daily Telegraph Homebuilding and Renovating awards.

According to Lydia, the part natural light plays in turning a dark and seemingly small interior into a bright and open space cannot be underestimated, so she chose fixed flat roof lights from supplier, Roof Maker.

Period features offset against modern fixtures and fittings ensured a cool, contemporary finish while a real sense of the past is said to be ever-present.

Fixed flat roof lights and bi-fold doors have an immediate benefit, as the period features are enhanced while light from above enhances the original character of the kitchen. The fixed flat roof lights are offset against the wooden beams below on the kitchen ceiling to project the natural light.

Lydia said: Roof Maker roof lights were installed in both kitchen extensions of our miners cottages. We placed them close to the original cottage wall and new extension in order to get light into the deep part of the plan and through to the centre of the cottages.

The roof lights have both achieved and exceeded our ambitions by capturing an edited section of sky which provides delight and light. Looking up though the roof light from the contemporary industrially inspired extension back to the existing cottage provides an interesting juxtaposition between new and old.

You can find out more about this award winning renovation here.

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https://roof-maker.co.uk

The Master Fitter Challenge has been a key feature at every FIT Show so far and once again the competition will challenge the skills of some of Britain’s finest window, door and roof installers. Felt by many to define the FIT Show by highlighting the crucial aspects of installation, this year the event will be held in the biggest ever finals Pavilion with finalists skills being tested on the installation of bi folding doors (provided by ALUK), roof lanterns (from Atlas), residential composite doors (from Apeer) and casement windows (Epwin Window Systems). And to add a further twist Edgetech’s Trufit pre-compressed foam sealing tape is part of this year’s challenge. Appropriately, industry competent persons scheme FENSA is the overall sponsor of the Master Fitter Challenge.

The Master Fitter Challenge is a real test of installer skills but, says Mick Clayton of competition managers GQA, the skills being tested should be well within the capacity of every installer working in the industry today: “What finalists are being asked to do are tasks they will encounter on a daily basis,” explained Mick. “What we look for is just how skilfully, thoughtfully, thoroughly and safely they carry out those tasks because there is a chasm between a good and bad installation as we all know. But there is nothing here that should deter any professional installer from entering.”

Mick’s comments are the final rallying cry as entry for the 2017 Master Fitter Challenge closes at the end of March, with the next FIT Show not taking place for another two years.

The FIT Show’s Paul Godwin emphasised the rewards for what will amount to a just couple of days spent competing at the FIT Show and in the most exciting environment: “We have cash prizes totalling £10,000, £5,000 of which goes to the overall winner. We provide overnight accommodation for all finalists and they are our guests at the FIT Show Gala Dinner at which the winners are announced and presented with their cheques.

“But every winner so far has told us it was the pride that counted, that they had competed at what they do on a daily basis and shown they were the best amongst other great professionals that also made the effort to compete.”

The closing date for entries is March 31st. The process is very simple explained Mick Clayton: “Fill in the entry form on the FIT Show website to start the ball rolling. One of our assessors will call and ask some pre-qualifying questions. The next stage is we come and see you work on site during a normal installation; and after our assessors report their findings the lucky six then get to compete over two days at the FIT Show. Competing is simple; it’s how well you compete that is the difference.”

The Master Fitter Challenge is open to all professional window, door and roof installers subject to minimum professional requirements and competencies. Closing date is 31st March. Enter now at: www.fitshow.co.uk/master-fitter-challenge/application-form.

The Master Fitter Challenge has been a key feature at every FIT Show so far and once again the competition will challenge the skills of some of Britain’s finest window, door and roof installers. Felt by many to define the FIT Show by highlighting the crucial aspects of installation, this year the event will be held in the biggest ever finals Pavilion with finalists skills being tested on the installation of bi folding doors (provided by ALUK), roof lanterns (from Atlas), residential composite doors (from Apeer) and casement windows (Epwin Window Systems). And to add a further twist Edgetech’s Trufit pre-compressed foam sealing tape is part of this year’s challenge. Appropriately, industry competent persons scheme FENSA is the overall sponsor of the Master Fitter Challenge.

The Master Fitter Challenge is a real test of installer skills but, says Mick Clayton of competition managers GQA, the skills being tested should be well within the capacity of every installer working in the industry today: “What finalists are being asked to do are tasks they will encounter on a daily basis,” explained Mick. “What we look for is just how skilfully, thoughtfully, thoroughly and safely they carry out those tasks because there is a chasm between a good and bad installation as we all know. But there is nothing here that should deter any professional installer from entering.”

Mick’s comments are the final rallying cry as entry for the 2017 Master Fitter Challenge closes at the end of March, with the next FIT Show not taking place for another two years.

The FIT Show’s Paul Godwin emphasised the rewards for what will amount to a just couple of days spent competing at the FIT Show and in the most exciting environment: “We have cash prizes totalling £10,000, £5,000 of which goes to the overall winner. We provide overnight accommodation for all finalists and they are our guests at the FIT Show Gala Dinner at which the winners are announced and presented with their cheques.

“But every winner so far has told us it was the pride that counted, that they had competed at what they do on a daily basis and shown they were the best amongst other great professionals that also made the effort to compete.”

The closing date for entries is March 31st. The process is very simple explained Mick Clayton: “Fill in the entry form on the FIT Show website to start the ball rolling. One of our assessors will call and ask some pre-qualifying questions. The next stage is we come and see you work on site during a normal installation; and after our assessors report their findings the lucky six then get to compete over two days at the FIT Show. Competing is simple; it’s how well you compete that is the difference.”

The Master Fitter Challenge is open to all professional window, door and roof installers subject to minimum professional requirements and competencies. Closing date is 31st March. Enter now at: www.fitshow.co.uk/master-fitter-challenge/application-form.

The PatioMaster brand continues to go from strength to strength with one of their key fabricators opening the doors to an impressive new factory. PatioMaster South East, based in New Romney, Kent, recently moved to the purpose built premises after construction was completed at the end of December. After a smooth transition the new offices and factory floor were already up and running in January.

“The move was all about giving us room to increase the scale of our manufacturing process. As the company has continued to flourish, we simply outgrew our last premises and made the move as part of our greater plans for growth and expansion,” Director Simon Spiers explained.

“At 4,500 square ft the custom-built factory is more than twice the size of the previous site. With a much larger and more modern space we have been able to create an improved working environment for all of our staff, helping them to better help our customers. We’re still situated to reach all of our existing customers but are now more equipped to meet their ever-growing requirements.”

To further increase production the company has also made additional investments in new machinery which now enables the factory to manufacture a new 70mm outerframe and increase their offering. In fact, as a result of the total investment the factory team has already been able to boost output and hopes to meet an overall target of 40% increase in productivity. In doing this PatioMaster South East have positioned themselves as a reliable fabricator with the means to keep on fully providing for their customers as they continue to expand their own businesses.

Carmen Velilla, Brand Manager for PatioMaster adds: “PatioMaster South East has been an authorised PatioMaster fabricator for nearly 15 years and the business is a great success solely due to their combination of in-depth knowledge of the industry, careful planning and the determination of a great team working towards producing and promoting a product they believe in.”

Patiomaster South East offers a range of sliding patio doors to the trade in the South East of England.

To find out more about call 01797 366955 or visit www.patiomaster.co.uk

A Carlisle-based Swish customer has completed a large scale renovation project where 15 casement windows and three stable doors were specified in the Swish 24/7 system.

The complete project was supplied and installed by Swish installer, World Group, and took around 12 months to complete and wasn’t without its challenges, as Director Matthew Spooner explains.

“Cumbria may be an area of picturesque villages and attractive lakes, but it offers many challenges in terms of wind exposure due to our geographical location, so getting the right product to meet the environmental needs was crucial. The property wasn’t that old, however certain parts of the building were exposed and it meant a complete refurb was required and all windows and doors required replacing. The homeowners had chosen quite an unusual stone for the property’s exterior, and they were keen to find replacement windows and doors that stood out against this and made a striking impact. Many hours were spent going over samples and colour swatches until we got the balance right, and the results are fantastic! Irish Oak on the exterior and white inside were the colours of choice and along with bright chrome hardware, the property wouldn’t look out of place on Grand Designs!”

The homeowners commented: “We are thrilled with the work that World Group have completed on our home’s renovation. The colour of the windows and doors is lovely and we were also impressed with the way all the staff were considerate, knowledgeable and took pride in their work. We would not hesitate to recommend them for a wide range of property improvements – they offered a great product at a great price!”

Completed in early 2016 the project also included a Juliet balcony to the master bedroom and some external PVC cladding. The products chosen completely fitted the homeowner’s brief to not only look stunning, but also to protect their home from the elements, and would-be intruders. The World Group range of Swish 24/7 products offer unrivalled thermal properties, with energy efficient 70mm five-chambered profiles to significantly reduce energy consumption, and advanced security features, including the sought-after SBD Accreditation.

The Swish 24/7 range is so versatile, it can be used to manufacture virtually any frame for virtually any property. Slim sculptured sightlines are designed for easy manufacture and easy-clean maintenance, and five chamber 70mm front to back construction means it can be used to manufacture internally and externally beaded casements, tilt/turns and French windows as well as inward and outward opening residential doors, French doors and tilt/slide patio doors. Available in a large number of colour choices, it appeals to all styles of property.

Having worked with Epwin Group before on a number of projects, World Group has been offering quality home improvements in in Cumbria, South West Scotland and the North East of England for more than 30 years and also offers dedicated support and services for trade customers.

www.epwin.co.uk

Recent press coverage has cast severe doubts on the security that entry level door locks, usually fitted as standard, can provide. Unsophisticated locking cylinders are seen as easy to snap, risking break-ins and all that they entail. But innovator Whiteline has taken the sensible step to make basic locks history and to ‘up’ the specification for every door it sells. Now every composite and PVCu door they produce, including Stable Doors, Patio Doors and Bi-Folding Doors, are fitted with a BSI Kitemarked cylinders. Each features an Anti-drill, Anti-bump, Anti-pick and Anti-screw door barrel that comes with a 10 year mechanical guarantee, fitted as standard. Problem solved.

A further enhancement to security across their broad range of doors is the introduction of the new ‘Ingenious’ door lock, on PVCu Residential and French Doors as standard. This new lock features 5 duplex hooks, 2 roller cams and a one piece keep for improved security, together with a latch snib to prevent the householder from accidentally locking themselves out.

Best of all, for Whiteline customers the new locks come at no extra charge and are the foundation for an overall initiative that will secure comprehensive PAS024, Secured By Design and Document Q accreditation. Now that’s a better story to tell.

Tel: 01323 723724

www.whiteline.co.uk         www.PlatinumNRG.co.uk