Dear Gerald – BEWARE Unglazed R9 windows

Perhaps you may be interested in the following reply to the recent letter written by Kurt Gretrex of Dekko Systems.

BEWARE Unglazed R9 windows.

Thank you for an interesting letter which I support, but perhaps not as he intended.

Like Kurt I too remember the early days of uPVC (as it then was), sadly for me mine date back to the mid 1960’s when household names like Crittall Hope, first took tentative steps towards plastic. At that time, Trocal and Miplam sections had un-galvanised steel reinforcement, because it was thought no rain would ever touch the steel; however the steel reinforcement created its own moisture by sweating inside the sealed chambers….result, rusty steel.

So he is right to be cautious, the industry has fought hard to shed its poor image from the 1980’s however there are several issues here, glass bonding, steel reinforcement and construction methods.

Like Kurt, I have ensured Masterframe lead by example. A rated, SBD and fully steel reinforced sashes as standard shows that it is possible to achieve security and great thermal properties, it just means we must incur significant other costs like Krypton to balance the heat lost through steel reinforcement.

The danger with these arguments is that it suggests one cost saving measure (no steel) is better than a perceived loss of weld strength using a new concept offered by competitors.

Let’s keep this simple, I fully accept that any “on site operation” can never be controlled better than factory conditions, I also accept that glass bonding seems to be the way forward for those seeking to reduce material costs (no steel), but products would be even stronger (and expensive) were reinforcement retained and sashes, glass bonded!

Whilst windows from fabricators not using steel reinforcement and not glass bonding will look identical, it’s obvious that they’ll perform far worse, expect service issues and further reputational damage, both company and industry.

Selling to high end consumers in the heritage market, installers have found products lacking. Homeowners in this sector own expensive houses, they don’t want a repeat of the same mistakes early PVCu created. Today’s buyer is better educated, they know about foils, plant on bars and monkey tailed handles. What’s more however, they are much more willing to purchase top end products; providing they like what they see trust the company and believe new windows will be an investment

What they dislike immensely is the diagonal weld line right across the corner, or mechanical joints that are open to the elements! What they want is a wooden window, with authentic wooden joints, without the hassle of wooden windows. In other words they want a foiled PVC window, which looks THE SAME AS WOOD, with old fashioned handles, a wood grained surface, and most importantly, butt joints, inside and out.

Therefore fabricators have a few choices corner joints.

• Stay with 45° Welded, strong, easy to manufacture but a dead give-away its plastic!
• Mechanical joined profiles, glued and screwed corners, strong, but usually open ended.
• External Timber Look, (ETL) a welded solution with a butt joint on one side, no license fees.
• Timberweld^® a welded solution with the same timber look appearance, but on both sides.

Most people who’ve see Timberweld^®acknowledge it’s the prettiest jointing method on the market (that’s why we patented it back in 2005), however those unhappy with paying a license fee tend to suggest it reason is weld strength.

Obviously removing two faces of profile has to reduce the weld strength, however, as interest develops and this method is adopted by profile companies, so profiles change and additional components inserted to add back the missing strength.

The all-important advantage of a product that incorporates Timberweld^® technology is that it is beautiful and authentic, looking every bit like an original timber window and giving the impression that it has been lovingly produced by a master craftsman.

So perhaps the ideal world is one where fabricators insert steel reinforcement, bond the glass into place and weld the corners with Timberweld^® resulting in strong, durable and beautiful, timber alternative windows, anything less is cutting corners!

Kindest regards

Alan Burgess,

Managing Director

For and on behalf of Masterframe Windows Ltd

Pamela Wilson, an experienced Regional Sales Manager for Carl F Groupco who has represented the hardware distributor in Scotland since 2001, has an extended sales remit which includes Ireland.  Pamela will continue to support Carl F Groupco’s customers in Scotland.

The development of Pam’s role is set to increase the presence of Carl F Groupco in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.  The company’s full catalogue of over 7,000 product lines is available to the Irish market where FUHR door locks and Roto PN reversible window gearing are established as flagship lines. The SmartSecure range of electronic door locking and Smart access control solutions, plus the Carl F direct range of tools for the window and door industries, are also supplied to Ireland.

Carl F Groupco’s distribution facilities are based in Peterborough and Cumbernauld in Scotland.  Full technical and operational support is provided to Ireland.

Carl F Groupco Limited Tel: 01733 393330

www.carlfgroupco.co.uk

Follow Carl F Groupco on Twitter using the handles @Carl_F_Groupco and @_SmartSecure

Ask many installers about the biggest frustrations in their business and the answer you’ll get back is about callbacks to replace pitted or failing hardware. But talk to any installer who uses Trojan’s Stainless Steel hardware and they’ll tell you that callbacks are a thing of the past.

Steve Hall, General Manager of Trojan, said: “The standard industry test for hardware corrosion is 240 hours or 480 hours salt spray testing. Our Stainless Steel hardware can achieve over 1,000 hours with no problem. In fact, we’re so confident in the range’s ability to withstand corrosion that every item is covered with a 25 year anti-corrosion guarantee as standard.”

Zinc or aluminium-based plated or painted products will corrode sooner or later as a result of salt or acid erosion attack especially if the surface coating is damaged. It’s a problem that has big cost implications for installers, not to mention reputational issues. Every callback takes time away from new installations that generate revenue for a business. Plus if hardware starts to fail, it doesn’t matter how happy a customer was when the installation was first completed or how well the complaint about the failure is handled, the customer’s opinion of the installer is likely to be negatively affected.

Trojan’s  25 year surface finish guarantee protects installers against both these issues. The Stainless Steel door furniture range provides a complete problem free hardware solution and consists of TS007 accredited 2 star security handles, TS008 compliant letterplates, an enhanced range of stainless steel door accessories including door knockers, door numerals, a contemporary furniture range including long door pull handles, centre door knobs and oval or circular door escutcheons. All are available in a full range of finishes including Polished, Brushed, Gold (PVD), Satin, White and Black.

www.trojangroup.com

Alutrade is one of the UK’s largest aluminium recyclers of aluminium.  The company currently works with many of the UK’s top systems companies and fabricators, offering good market prices for their waste profile.  So, nothing new there you must be thinking, just another ‘scrap dealer’, but you would be wrong, Alutrade take a much more high-tech approach to the recycling of this valuable material.

Lots of materials are claiming to be ‘fully recyclable’ today, but few, if any, come close to the 100% recyclability mark than metals. Other materials such as plastics find themselves either burnt or sent to landfill, with some more specialist materials being recycled back into products, often of a lower grade.

Next to steel, aluminium is the most abundant recycled metal, and, the most valuable. It has been recycled for many years, in fact 75% of all aluminium ever produced since its first commercial production in 1880 is still ‘in-use’ today.  A very modern metal, in terms of age, and one that has helped us achieve advances in a wide range of technologies over the last century..

In construction, the vast majority of our commercial buildings contain aluminium framed glazing and structures made from aluminium.  Always used as an alloy, which means it is mixed with other elements to change is characteristics to suit the application, the material can simply be melted and sold for production into a wide range of products, but by mixing the alloys, it is difficult to use the material again in its specific alloy grade.

Alutrade take a more high-tech approach by first identifying the exact alloy that is being recycled using sophisticated X-ray equipment and then employing state-of-the-art equipment which effectively strips all thermal breaks and other materials from the profile.  What is left is the prime material, the alloy in its original state which can go back into the same product it came from without any loss of characteristics and vitally at a 100% recyclability rate.  This is known as ‘closed-loop’ recycling and as a result the recycled material has a higher value, consequently, Alutrade can generally offer higher prices for any aluminium requiring recycling.

Alutrade are based in the midlands and cover the whole of the UK supplying skips for the recycling of aluminium profile waste, both new profile and profile from building decommissioning or refurbishment. For more information, visit their website at www.alutrade.co.uk or contact their offices on 0121 552 0330.

www.alutrade.co.uk

Picture above: Deceuninck fabricator, Mr Window, has seen a 28% jump in sales

Increased colour capability drove a 28% jump in sales in 2017, according to long-time Deceuninck fabricator Mr Window.

The Essex fabricator, whose customer base is split 38% commercial, 31% retail and 31% trade, reported that the range and availability of colour in stock from Deceuninck drove sales which rocketed past general market growth.

Deceuninck offers 26 colourways with colour matched ancillaries and trims from stock at its warehouse in Calne. From stock means availability is certain on next delivery.

Glen Cain, Managing Director of Mr Window, says: “Colour is the future. People don’t want white PVC-U anymore. Colours, particularly soft greens, are growing in popularity at an unbelievable pace simply because end-customers want more from their windows than the bog standard.

“We listen to them and give them what they want; if our customers want a pink window we’ll give it to them. That attitude plus Deceuninck’s quick turnaround guaranteed availability – a service no one else seems to be able to match, is what’s setting us apart from the competition. Our competitors offer colour but they can’t get it to customers as fast or as reliably as us.”

Mr Window has been working with Deceuninck for over 20 years and fabricates the 2800 series, Heritage Flush Sash, Tilt & Turn and Slider24 for installers, builders and homeowners based in and around Essex.

For Mr Window call 01702 555 550. For more information about Deceuninck products and colour capabilities, visit www.deceuninck.com.

In what is a major coup for the home improvement industry, Pavani Konduru has left her role at Zoopla to join Leads2trade.

Pavani has joined the home improvement world to head up Leads2trade’s search marketing and was tempted by the move due to the continued success of the business.

Pavani, who has a B.Tech Bioinformatics, takes up the role of Head of Search Marketing and has already had a positive impression.

Previously at Zoopla Pavani built her reputation by overseeing the search engine marketing strategy around the well renowned Zoopla house prices, New Homes, Commercial and Overseas Channel.

Andy Royle, Managing Director at Leads2trade, comments: “Pavani played a leading role in Zoopla’s search engine reputation. We have noticed a real shift towards homeowners wanting more information online before committing to getting quotes. With the experience of Pavani we are well positioned to develop a number of home improvement pricing tools to help homeowners make even more informed decisions before purchasing their desired home improvement”

Pavani will be responsible for Leads2trade’s search engine marketing strategy, ensuring that its network of Trusted Local Supplier websites (which is where consumer’s register their interest before the team double qualify the leads) rank organically, as well as ensuring the current Leads2trade website is best in class.

Pavani comments: “Leads2trade is a very impressive business that now owns the home improvement lead generation space. My role is to ensure the impressive growth continues and we also continue to give our customers the very best service and their user experience is first-rate. I will also be working to boost lead volumes and ensure we stay at the forefront of any advances in online technology.”

By the end of 2017, Leads2Trade had achieved a sales revenue growth of 11% and, since 2006, its members have written £200m worth of business.

At present, Leads2Trade’s network of trusted suppliers enjoys a lead to a conversion rate of 78%.

For more information on Leads2Trade or to become a member of its network, visit www.leads2trade.co.uk or call 0800 021 3211

Image above: Morley’s 49,000sq ft factory and office space in Leeds, where it relocated in 2016.

Morley Glass & Glazing, the UK’s market leader in the manufacture of Uni-Blinds® integral blind units, has been shortlisted in the Medium Sized Business category at the 2018 Yorkshire Business Masters Awards.

Organised by business news website TheBusinessDesk.com, the annual awards are one of the key events in the region’s business calendar, honouring everyone from major innovators, to excellent SMEs, overperforming exporters and upstanding professional services businesses.

Now in its twentieth year, Morley Glass & Glazing’s shortlisting in the Medium Sized Business category confirms its position as a valuable part of Yorkshire’s business community.

Ian Short, Morley’s managing director, said: “We’re very proud of our Yorkshire roots and being involved in a lot of local initiatives, so it’s a great feeling to be shortlisted in the Yorkshire Business Masters Awards. We’ve had such a fantastic twelve months leading up to our twentieth anniversary this year.

“Last year we were named IGU Manufacturer of the Year at the National Fenestration Awards, and I was also awarded a Fellowship from The Rotary Foundation. Now that we’re in our twentieth year we have no plans for slowing down and I think our award entry reflected our ambitions for the future and what we plan to achieve. Best of luck to everyone who has been shortlisted!”

The business awards offer a great opportunity to recognise and showcase the achievements and success of businesses in the region. Award categories include Newcomer, Business Turnaround and Ambassador of the year, with five businesses shortlisted in each.
The winners of all 12 categories will be announced and presented with a trophy at an awards evening on Thursday 26 April at the Queens hotel in Leeds.

Trade fabricator Garrard Windows has become the latest company to start manufacturing the new ‘heritage styled’ mechanically jointed version of the best-selling Spectus Vertical Slider. Lucy Griffith of Garrard Windows commented: “Manufacturing the mechanically jointed Spectus Vertical Slider will open up new opportunities for us and our customers because feature-rich mechanically jointed products are very much on trend.”

Lucy has been impressed with what the mechanically jointed Vertical Slider has to offer. She said: “It raises the bar in authenticity, especially when it comes to the foil options because the foils really showcase the mechanical joint. The window really is a match for the timber alternatives in terms of cost, superior performance, overall aesthetics and all the signs are that it’s going to be a popular addition to our range.”

Garrard Windows is a long-standing Spectus fabricator and has been manufacturing the standard Spectus Vertical Slider for 14 years. Lucy says: “We originally bought in the Vertical Slider, but because demand was growing it made good sense to start to manufacture it ourselves. We’ve never looked back because the product was – and is – an incredibly popular part of our portfolio. That’s especially true at the moment as our installers tap into homeowner interest in heritage-style products.”

Garrard Windows supplies trade customers nationwide with high quality windows, doors and conservatories. The company prides itself on being reliable, efficient and easy to deal with and is an ideal choice for fabricators looking to buy in specialist products as well as installers looking for a proactive fabrication partner. Vertical Sliders from Garrard are available on an extremely competitive two to three week lead time and are available in a full choice of colours and foils.

The Spectus Vertical Slider is renowned in the industry for its authentic aesthetics and its impressive credentials mean that interest in the mechanically jointed version has been extremely high. Garrard Windows is one of the first fabricators to be up and running with the manufacture of the mechanically jointed version, which will give its customers a big advantage in a competitive and growing market.

www.spectus.co.uk

Lisec is said to have delivered the first laminated glass line, developed and built in-house.

Since September 2017, the Lisec group’s competence centre for laminating has been located as a business unit in Austria.

An internal acceptance procedure was carried out prior to shipping. This comprised multiple steps and covered all basic functions of each individual machine in the line function.

Marco Bügler, head of Business Unit Laminated Glass, at Lisec, said: “This glass laminating line, which was completely constructed in Austria, provides the starting signal for the next chapter in the business segment laminating. I am delighted and proud that the team here on the site have integrated this complex technology into the overall range in such a short time.”

The laminated glass line, sold to the customer Al Hadi in Kuwait, is a U-shape solution for a maximum glass size of 2600mm x 5000mm incl. pre-lamination and full convection. The customer is said to have chosen Lisec due to the new technology which is tailored to their needs, and particularly due to the pre-lamination system with high-precision pressing force and full convection system.

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