Carrying the baton

Lock Lock has announced that it is now the only security door handle with the coveted Sold Secure certification, that’s issued by the Master Locksmiths Association (MLA).

Sold Secure is the premier testing and certification house for security products, operated by the MLA and so the independent testing undergone on Lock Lock has been considerable.

The product has been tested to the highest standards, along with the 200,000 cycle and 5,000+ hours salt spray testing credentials.

Lock Lock is also a TS007:2012 2 Star security handle and can be used with the impressive 3 Star Ultion cylinder with its £1,000 security guarantee.

Nick Dutton, CEO of Brisant Secure commented: “Like Ultion, Lock Lock is being adopted by many of the most prominent brands in the composite and residential door sectors in the UK and this also includes the PVCu and aluminium segments. As the only security handle with Sold Secure certification, it’s also testament that we’ve designed something that is not only beautiful thanks to its registered seamless and edgeless design but is unrivalled from a security perspective.”

The post Carrying the baton appeared first on Glass & Glazing Products Magazine (GGP).

2018 marks the 20^th anniversary of Morley Glass & Glazing, which is reporting 30% year-on-year growth over the last 12 months.

Morley Glass & Glazing specialises in manufacturing Uni-Blind® sealed units with ScreenLine® integral blinds inside. 2017 saw not only the launch of Morley’s updated website but the opening of its new showroom as well as growth of its delivery fleet, including four new vans.

The business also recently introduced several new additions to its product range, including SmartMotion, a new home automation interface that allows installers to quickly and easily incorporate motorised integral blinds into home automation systems.

Ian Short, managing director at Morley Glass & Glazing, said: “As demand continues to increase for our Uni-Blind sealed units with ScreenLine blinds inside, we’re regularly increasing our production capacity to ensure we can continue to give the quality service we’re known for, and last year alone we invested £700,000 in a second IGU production line. Our plans for 2018 include continued growth and even more product diversity, including the launch of our exclusive SL16C blind, all while maintaining the fastest lead times in the industry.”

Morley Glass & Glazing’s Uni-Blinds® range provides the widest choice of integral blinds in double and triple glazed units, with all manual, solar and motorised versions available in the industry’s shortest lead-time of 10 days from 11am any Friday.

The business also provides unrivalled technical support for Uni-Blinds® customers too, being the only UK supplier of integral blinds to have dedicated customer support engineers on the road. It also stocks the largest range of ScreenLine® system spare parts in Europe with the enlarged factory enabling it to stock £1 million of Screenline® components with most parts supplied within 24 hours.

Find out more about Morley Glass & Glazing at www.morleyglass.co.uk

The construction industry is bracing itself as the demise of Carillion and falls in public housing repair work, despite urgent work needed post-Grenfell, are expected to hit the industry in 2018. Growth is expected to remain flat – at best – according to the Construction Products Association’s forecasts.

Infrastructure remains the main bright spot for UK construction where any growth in construction at all will be reliant on government’s delivery of infrastructure projects. If realised this would result in a 6.3% rise in infrastructure work in 2018. However, concerns for the industry escalated following Carillion’s liquidation as the firm accounted for £850 million of the sector’s projects. The length of hiatus on Carillion sites will play a critical role on growth, and it is too early to tell what impact this will have on the 25,000-30,000 firms in their supply chain.

Following the tragic Grenfell Tower fire in June last year, 160 social housing towers were deemed unsafe and in need of urgent work. However, the sector is suffering from a lack of finance available to local authorities and concerns on the capacity to deliver the work. The public housing repair, maintenance and improvement sector has fallen 20% since 2010, and despite the urgency following the Grenfell Tower fire, output is expected to fall by a further 2% in 2018.

The sharpest decline for construction in 2018 will be in the commercial sector, and particularly felt in the offices sub-sector as a lack of clarity on the UK’s post-Brexit deal led to a sharp fall in contract awards. Offices construction is expected to decline 15% in 2018 and 10% in 2019, with further concern this will accelerate if firms choose to move operations out of the UK into other EU member states.

Noble Francis, economics director at the Construction Products Association said: “Recent construction output and Markit/CIPS data have already highlighted subdued activity in the construction industry and our latest forecasts suggest that 2018 is likely to be tough for the industry. Overall, we are forecasting construction output to remain broadly flat this year but this is before the full impacts of the liquidation of Carillion in January feed through the supply chain and government will need to take a key role in mitigating the effects as it has already done on the services part of Carillion.

The post Construction output to remain flat – at best – in 2018 appeared first on Glass & Glazing Products Magazine (GGP).

Sheffield based Panel Systems, developer QED Sustainable Urban Developments and offsite manufacturer CargoTek, have worked together to alleviate the level of homelessness in Ealing, with homes built from former shipping containers that feature facades manufactured from Aluglaze panels.

The development of 60 units, known as Meath Court, Hope Gardens, provides safe, comfortable accommodation for nearly 290 people in Ealing. The joint project between QED and the local council is the latest step to address the need for emergency housing in the capital.

The units were built offsite by CargoTek, the specialist subcontractor of shipping container buildings, to meet a strict deadline. As well as the temporary homes, Meath Court also includes a communal space, onsite management office, laundry and refuse storage. All aspects of the development were constructed in 24 weeks.

Specified by QED, Panel Systems supplied 144 Aluglaze panels with externally projecting trays. The manufacturer fabricated the panels with a high-performance insulation core to achieve a 0.35 W/m2K U Value.

The Aluglaze panels were supplied in five main colours, each of which was specified in various shades including three tones of green, blue and red and two tones of orange and yellow. Each block features one colour in the varying shades, achieving a dark to light rainbow effect.

Ross Gilbert, managing director of QED Sustainable Urban Developments said: “We originally looked at using opaque coloured glass to achieve the rainbow effect, however these would not provide the U Values required to ensure the homes were energy efficient. The extensive range of Aluglaze colours and finishes, along with Panel System’s fabricating capabilities, meant we were not only given a better choice of shades and a more premium finish, but the panels also provide better insulation and energy efficiency.”

The post Building up the bricks of life appeared first on Glass & Glazing Products Magazine (GGP).

Installers can now get their hands on the Technic-AL flat aluminium rooflight. With next day delivery, top performance and architectural looks, it’s the perfect kit for installers looking for products that help them cash-in on more home improvement opportunities.

Craig Miller, Managing Director at AluFoldDirect, the company behind the Technic-AL range, explains: “As with our Technic-AL roof lantern, the new aluminium flat rooflight is available in stock sizes and colours, delivered next day. This means that installers can build the opening and then order the rooflight to be delivered direct to site, ready to be installed.

“Introducing this new Technic-AL product means that installers now have two options to offer customers, a roof lantern or a new flat rooflight, which is ideal for flat roof extensions and retrofitting old skylights in commercial buildings.”

The Technic-AL flat rooflight has a simple specification and has been designed to be easy to install. With minimal frame visibility, it offers the look and feel of an open roof, for a stunning, architectural finish.

Manufactured with a fully aluminium frame, with no plastic fascias or cappings, the flat rooflight design brings more light into rooms without adding extra height to buildings. It has fantastic thermal performance, with a frame U-Value of just 1.0 W/m2K and is available with double or triple glazing, with bonded units for a contemporary, flush finish.

The flat rooflight is available in four stock sizes: 0.6M x 0.8M, 0.6M x 1M, 1M square or 1M x 1.5M. Stock colours are: Anthracite Grey, Hipca White and Black.

info@alufolddirect.co.uk       

Picture above: Chris Beedel, Director of Membership FENSA

FENSA has revealed some of its aims for 2018 as the company plans to build on its market position as the scheme of choice for installation companies in the domestic glazing sector.

Since the start of 2018, FENSA has set out on its new strategies to continue to deliver high quality services for its members.

Founded in 2002, FENSA is the original and longest serving certification body in the glazing sector, offering its competent person scheme for companies that survey and install doors and windows, to ensure they legally comply with building regulations in England and Wales. Turning 16 years old on 1^st April this year, FENSA members have completed over 12 million installations and this is expected to reach 13 million in June this year – a phenomenal success story for the industry.

In 2017, following a year of innovation, restructure and management changes, 2018 will see FENSA invest in a range of initiatives and programmes to deliver greater customer service and offer more benefits to installers. From internal customer management systems to new technical guidance documents and exclusive member seminars through to better online services, FENSA is shaping up for challenging but progressive times ahead.

Chris Beedel, Director of Membership commented, “Last year we launched the FENSA card, the Knowledge Hub and the Installation of the Year competition. We also increased brand profile at major industry events such as The FIT Show and the G17 Awards. 2017 was certainly a year of change and productivity but now we are aiming to build on the momentum by delivering more and better services for our members in 2018.”

The company will also be part of a new GGF Group market research programme that will include in depth analysis of the market. The research project aims to help FENSA gain a better understanding of the needs and wants of its strong customer base of over 6000 installers.

James Lee, Director of Marketing and Communications commented, “The new extensive research programme will help FENSA build closer relationships with members, gain market insights and ultimately create more benefits. Being the original competent person scheme for the industry, government backed and UKAS accredited, FENSA is in a very strong brand position. By continuing to deliver high levels of service, standards and guidance FENSA will further enhance its profile in the industry and to consumers.”

Being one of the most recognised brands in the glazing installation market is underlined by the number of consumers who visited the FENSA website in 2017. Over 420,000 unique visitors used FENSA’s consumer site resulting in 3.3 million page views. Meanwhile, the fensaonline.com exclusive members site, saw over 42,000 unique visits and over 2 million page views as installers took advantage of features such as the FENSA Knowledge Hub which provides all FENSA companies with accurate data on their local area to help them shape their sales and marketing campaigns.

Chris Beedel added, “Over the years, many different and often confusing schemes have come and gone, but FENSA’s longevity is clearly down to the simplicity of the scheme, the loyalty of our members and the high quality services we deliver. We aim to reward that loyalty by giving our members improved services and more benefits. In 2017, over 2 million window and over 450 thousand door installations were registered through the FENSA competent person scheme, more than any other certification body in the glazing sector. With our new plans underway we are looking forward to giving our members the best possible service in the industry to ensure they are legally compliant and installing windows to a high standard.”

www.ggf.org.uk