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A third of small building firms say that soaring material prices are squeezing their margins and almost a quarter have had to pass these price increases onto consumers, according to the latest research by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).

Construction SMEs have reported a range of material price increases since the depreciation of sterling following the EU referendum in June 2016. Small building firms were asked which materials have increased the most and the results were as follows:

• Timber
• Insulation
• Bricks
• Blocks
• Windows
• Plasterboard / Slate (joint sixth)
• Boilers and radiators
• Porcelain products

The impact of these material price increases includes:

• 85% of builders think material price rises could drive consumers to hire rogue traders in an effort to save money on their building projects;
• One third of construction SMEs (32%) have had their margins squeezed;
• Almost one quarter (22%) have been forced to pass material price increases onto their clients, making projects more expensive for consumers;
• More than one-in-ten builders report making losses on their building projects due to material price increases.

Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, said: “Material price increases have left builders under severe pressure. This research shows that following the fall in the exchange rate, timber is the material that the majority of builders say has increased most in price but the problem doesn’t end there – everything from insulation to windows to bricks and blocks are soaring in price. A third of builders report that these price increases are eating into their already razor-thin margins – and this on top of increased wages and salaries stemming from long-term construction skills shortages. Furthermore, one-in-ten builders say that they’ve actually made losses on projects due to material price increases – this is most likely to happen when a particular product or material jumps up in price mid-project when then builder has already quoted for the work. Perhaps unwisely, some builders are absorbing these extra costs as opposed to re-quoting for the project.”

Berry concluded: “Material price spikes aren’t just a problem for builders – they’re also a problem for the home owner, with almost one quarter of builders saying that they have had to pass on price increases to their clients. This means that building projects now cost significantly more than they did this time last year. What with stagnant wages and price inflation across the economy, consumers are feeling the pinch and it might be that they decide not to commission that loft conversion or extension after all. Or worse still, 85% of builders believe that home owners will be tempted to hire rogue traders who are quoting a lower price than a professional building firm such as those that belong to the FMB. If that’s the case, material price rises could lead to a flurry of botched jobs and distressed consumers. We’re calling on home owners to hold their nerve – they’re better off commissioning a more modest project from a professional builder than a high spec project from a cowboy. Don’t take the risk.”

www.fmb.org.uk 

KAT has announced an exclusive partnership deal with global aluminium profile maker, Kawneer (an Arconic Group company), to bolster its product offering to the trade residential sector.  The agreement ensures that KAT will exclusively supply the Kawneer range of products to the trade and residential sector in the UK and Republic of Ireland.

Adding a completely new and comprehensive range of aluminium glazing products to the existing KAT collection and an additional stock colour, KAT will introduce Kawneer’s range to meet growing demand in the trade for state-of-the-art designs and styles of aspirational quality aluminium doors and windows.

Kawneer, which is an established international leader in architectural systems, has a manufacturing facility in Runcorn, Cheshire.  Providing commercial, health, arts and leisure, education and transport sector products, Kawneer has already supplied some of the country’s most significant construction projects in the commercial arena.

Now manufacturing signature Kawneer products at its Cheshire facility, KAT provides tilt turn windows with hidden sash technology, casement windows, bifold doors, in-line sliding patio and lift & slide patio doors. The products are tailor-made to larger measurements up to 2.6 metres high and an impressive 13 metres wide. KAT will also be offering its recently launched aluminium front door made in the Kawneer system. KAT continues its industry-leading seven stock colour proposition, with the Kawneer range offering an additional black anodized finish that is guaranteed for 20 years.

Already one of the few selected UK manufacturers of Schüco aluminium door and window systems for the trade residential sector, KAT will introduce its Kawneer products as principle range aspirational alternatives for projects throughout the UK and Ireland. As with all KAT’s aluminium products, the Kawneer range is available on a two-week ‘order to delivery’ basis.

Chris Powell, managing director, KAT, spoke about the exclusive partnership with Kawneer: “We are continually evolving to provide the quality and style of products sought by our informed customers and end-users alike.

“With Kawneer’s global knowledge and expertise, we bring a unique and robust offering that fits perfectly with our existing portfolio to add an aspirational collection for new home and renovation projects.

“With predicted further growth of our aluminium glazing products in 2017/18, we intend to lead the demand curve supported by our strong relationships with leading suppliers to offer trade customers the most comprehensive range for all small and large projects.”

The post KAT introduces global residential aluminium range to UK and Ireland markets appeared first on Windows Active Magazine.

Tougher second-time replacement sales and the shift away from home ownership, are driving long-term change in the window and door industry. The analysis was delivered by Robert Palmer, Palmer Market Research during the recent FIT Show seminar programme. He said first-time window and door replacements had dropped from 80% in 2000 to less than 30% in 2015, with ‘replacement of replacement’ installations now accounting for 70% of all installations. He argued that this was driving increased focus on aesthetics: “Homeowners want something that is tangibly different and the appearance of windows is increasingly important in the market,” he said. “That in turn is driving innovation in the industry and the shift to premium finishes and foils in retail markets. “While there will always be a place for standard budget white PVC-U, there has been a definite shift in consumer expectation.

“The industry has responded with foils and premium finishes as well as the very substantial growth that we’re seeing in demand for aluminium.” To this end he forecast that aluminium is on course to reach a 17-year high by 2020, topping 220,000 frames by the end of the three-year period. This he said would be delivered by significant growth in the bi-fold market, which he forecast was set for growth of 30% through to 2020 in all material types to 55,000 door sets. Of these, he predicted that aluminium would take the lion’s share of the market at 35,000 units.

Palmer cited ‘exponential growth’ in the solid roof conservatory market as a second key area of opportunity. According to The Window, Door and Conservatory Markets in Housing in Great Britain, (October 2016) the market for replacement conservatory roofs was up 62% in 2015 to 11,200 installations and is forecast for continuing growth through to 2020.

He also forecast continuing if steady growth in the composite door market, which he said would increase to around 850,000 door sets per annum in the next three years. But while citing sizeable areas of growth, he tempered forecasts with predictions of continuing challenge. Alongside the shift to tougher second-time replacement sales, Palmer said that the long-term decline in homeownership was also driving a long-term change in the market. This according to figures has dropped from a peak of 14.8million in 2005 to below 14.3million last year. Conversely, the private rental sector was up from around 2million properties in 2005 to 4.5million.

“The private rental market tends to be again, that little bit tougher and price driven. There are however incentives – or perhaps more accurately, disincentives for not doing so – to improve the energy efficiency of their properties. “MEES or Minimum Energy Efficiency standards give landlords just a year to bring the energy performance certificate (EPC) rating of their properties to no lower than E for new tenants and to all existing tenancies from 01 April 2020,” said Palmer. He concluded: “Brexit is clearly also an influence. What that influence will be right now is very difficult to predict as we know so very little about its potential shape. “Regardless of this, however, message is that the market as always never stands still and that product innovation. but also end-user expectation, coupled with the impact of legislation, is reshaping how the industry does and will need to do business.”

Tel: 020 83908131

The post Redefining the window and door industry appeared first on Windows Active Magazine.

Sometimes it’s simply all about being in the right place at the right time. For Trade Frame Manufacturers Ltd this was certainly the case when they stumbled upon Kombimatec at FIT Show 2016 inspiring a working relationship that both parties were excited about.

Visiting the last FIT Show to be held at the Telford International Centre before moving to the NEC in 2017, Pembrokeshire-based Trade Frame Manufacturers went with the purpose to view the machinery on offer as they were in need of some new equipment. Impressed with the speed and ease of use that Kombimatec’s machines offer, according to Trade Frame’s Russ Evans it was an easy decision to make when committing to purchasing a pair of machines from the Bedfordshire-based machinery manufacturer.

Choosing a 4HDV Four Combination Head Welder and 6 Axis CNC Corner, Transom and Cruciform Cleaner, Russ explained what it was that sold Trade Frame on Kombimatec’s range. “The fact that they are a UK based manufacturer was a huge plus for us,” he said. “This way if we ever need any replacements parts or a service it’s easy enough to sort out.”

Trade Frame, who have specialised in the manufacturing of uPVC windows, doors and conservatories since 2001, have benefitted from the excellent customer service Kombimatec offers to all of its customers. “It’s been very good! I really can’t fault them,” Russ explained. “The delivery and installation went without a hitch and because of that we wouldn’t hesitate in recommending Kombimatec to others who might be on the market looking for new machinery.”

Providing greater fabrication flexibility than ever before, Kombimatec’s 4HDV Four Combination Head Welder comes with individual start buttons for each head that enables the machine to be operated from any head. Essentially two machines in one, it can be used as 4 heads together, 2+2, 3+1 or 1+3.

The EV475 6 Axis CNC Corner, Transom and Cruciform Cleaner is the fastest and most reliable of its kind. With two separate sets of cleaning tools, each with their own independent programmable movements, it can work on both sides of the joint at the same time. This speeds up the overall cycle time because transoms and cruciforms can be cleaned in one complete clamping sequence.

Since 1984 Kombimatec has delivered over 10,000 machines for working PVC and aluminium profiles worldwide. Designed and manufactured to the highest standards, the machines are easy to use, simple to maintain and with CAD experts on hand to assist with factory planning the company’s technical expertise has built over 30 years of serving the industry.

For more information visit: www.kombimatec.com.

National Plastics has just announced that Pro-Can canopies will be available through its UK trade counter network. Geoff Foster, National Plastics’ Managing Director, said: “Pro-Can canopies don’t compromise on quality and use the best materials and the latest production processes. We’re proud they are available through us.”

Pro-Can canopies are constructed in the UK using high quality GRP, polycarbonate and steel and have been designed with the tradesman in mind. All products are robust and supplied fully protected and shrink wrapped to ensure they reach site in perfect condition. They are easy to fit and come with the minimum number of separate parts because as much assembly as possible is done in the factory. A complete fixing kit is included in each pack, including a full installation guide, Rawlplug fixings and with fixing templates where required.

All nine Pro-Can canopies are available via the National Plastics network which include the Clear Top Flat and Clear Top Curved, the Flat Top Thin and the Flat Top Deep, the Classic Flat, the Peaky Top Boxed, the Double Top Open, Double Top Sunrise and the Big Top.

National Plastics is renowned for being a one-stop shop when it comes to building plastics. The Pro-Can canopies will be part of an offering 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 making it such a successful trade counter network.

www.nationalplastics.co.uk

The Epwin Group has just announced that it has appointed Katie Leese as Programme Manager for Excellence as Standard, its groundbreaking new member programme. Sharn Samra, Epwin’s Marketing Director, said: “We are delighted Katie will be managing the Excellence as Standard programme and I’m personally looking forward to working closely with her on our ambitious new initiative.” Katie added: “I’m excited to be joining Epwin and leading the mission to make Excellence as Standard the benchmark for quality in the industry.”

Katie has over 16 years’ experience in the industry and is no stranger to the Epwin Window Systems – she spent over 8 years as the Brand Manager for Profile 22. It means she has a deep understanding of the industry in general and the Epwin Window Systems’ brands and culture in particular that will stand her in good stead as she takes up her new role.

Excellence as Standard was launched at FIT 2017 and is a powerful new initiative to drive quality in the industry. When an installer signs the Excellence as Standard charter, they are making a pledge to commit to striving for excellence in fenestration. From day-to-day business operations through to product manufacturing processes and physical installations in the home, Excellence as Standard is a culture that permeates every level of a member’s business.

In return, installer members have access to a wealth of support and tangible benefits designed to drive quality and sales. These can be divided into six areas: quality products, the EAS Academy, effective lead generation, marketing support, partner benefits and the support team.

Epwin’s status and reputation means it can attract the best and brightest talent. The appointment of Katie Leese, with her wealth of industry experience, is a perfect demonstration of this ability in practice.

www.epwin.co.uk

First Job: Insurance Claims Clerk (chief photocopier!). You were always told to join a bank or insurance company (at least you were in my house) for security.

When did you join current company: Joined Veka 31st October 2016, previously Sales Director at Velux.

Most useful/favourite gadget: Anything ‘Apple’. Even my iPod Classic still does a job 12 years later and continues to have far more capacity than I have music.

Favourite/most useful website: www.tripadvisor.co.uk. Generally a bit too obsessed with it but, to be fair, it has never let me down.

Business person you admire: Anyone brave enough to succeed when others said it could not be done.

Recommended hotel for business: Depends on the budget! But, of the budget chains, Premier Inn seems to have the most consistent offer.

Favourite UK restaurant: Pretty much any Indian restaurant in any UK City! Best business decision: To find ways to “say yes” to an opportunity with a multi-million pound customer when historically people had just said “no”; that “yes” was worth millions more.

Other interests: Family, supporting Newcastle United, reading true crime stories and autobiographies.

Working Day: Usually start just after 7am, most likely catching up on any emails carried forward from the night before; check diary (which is usually planned at least six weeks ahead). If I’m working in the field it will be accompanying members of the sales team visiting our customers and looking for opportunities to work better together, with some post-visit coaching to help focus. In the office (home or Burnley) I’m likely to be providing direction, analysing performance, planning activities, supporting requests from the team and challenging us to find better ways of working so that we achieve better outcomes. That could involve defining and training in new working standards. Leave the office around 6.30pm and, if staying away from home, might still be distracted by work for some of the rest of the evening. Elements of this routine will no doubt change the longer I am here.

Working Location: Located within the 400,000 ft2 Burnley operation, sharing the space with my Sales, Marketing and Network Veka colleagues. Functional office located alongside all other aspects of what makes up the company offer on-site, which is great for access and for demonstrating the whole Veka offer to customers. It never fails to impress customers. Otherwise, it is a home-office, the car, or somewhere roadside to get a wifi signal.

Veka is a family-owned Global player which is both World and UK number 1, specialising in the design and production of market-leading PVC-U window systems. 2016 represented the 30th anniversary for Veka in the UK and a solid year of business performance despite uncertainty fuelled by Brexit and rising costs, partly driven by the weakening of the pound. Coloured foiling of profile continues to grow, increasingly with different colours on internal/external finish to the point that colours now represent around 33% of sales value. All of this delivered via a 99% OTIF. Most importantly, Veka remains true to its commitment not to compete with its customers.

I am a great believer in concentrating on what you can influence and not what you can’t. In reality, even the finest economists have a range of likely outcomes from the UK leaving the EU, which translates as “we don’t really know”. I have worked in construction long enough to know that with a good, well-executed plan you can deliver results ahead of what the market does. But it takes clear thinking and really hard work… and that’s the intention at Veka. Even if market tonnage output is flat in 2017 and beyond, revenue and reputation need not be.

We have many opportunities to invest in our brand. From my time working for the roof window giant Velux, I know the difference it makes to consumers and trade partners when people in the chain care enough to ask for, or recommend, your brand and specific products by name. I also know how disappointed they can be when they have not been as well informed as they could when making such big decisions. At Veka, we have a great opportunity to significantly address that opportunity through a combination of our manufacturing credentials, our product range, our people, our delivery capability and our determination to reach trade and consumers alike. We want window systems from The Veka UK Group to mean something to more people in the market. You can see the difference it makes when consumers take an active interest. It helps them move from what might seem like a forced decision of “I need eight new windows” to an involved “I want eight new FlushSash Windows finished in Anthracite Grey”. That matters.

In my short time in this sector I have been struck by a number of things. Firstly, the whole supply chain from systems company all the way through to the end user is fairly complex. Windows from well-known window brands may or may not be fabricated by those companies and rarely will the consumer have a sense of whose window system is used. If the consumer knew more about this, how might that influence who they buy from and would that push them more towards the local independent specialists operating under, for example, the Network Veka umbrella?

Secondly, a disproportionate amount of focus seems to be on product differentiation in areas where there are features with no discernible benefits for fabricator, installer or consumer. I’ve seen this before where players in a market have had “better” features that, frankly, have never made any material difference in purchasing decisions. So, for me, I’d rather find a “benefit” that genuinely makes a difference to customers than a technical “feature” that too few people care about. In the current climate, it doesn’t seem that any of us can afford to pursue vanity projects which deliver no direct or clearly traceable commercial value. They may distract us all. My first FIT Show will no doubt be interesting in that context.

Thirdly, we are probably an under-valued industry relative to the technology, the difference our products make to customers, and the capital investment underpinning every product. Only those in the industry can change that situation with clearer communication and positive experiences that customers want to talk about. The ultimate consumer is far more curious, knowledgeable and engaged than ever in decisions that they would have previously made in an instant (or even left for someone else to decide). They are looking for an authoritative voice and examples of people just like them, living in places just like them, who have made the decisions they also plan to make. Some might see that as added complexity for all in the chain and they would be right; but without that engagement and complexity we become commoditised and unable to sustain the necessary investments to build the health of this category.

As for goals in the period ahead, I want the Veka team to retain a passion for our customers and for us to collectively get fit for the future. I want our customers to be open and constructive about their experiences and expectations of us and I want “partnership” to be authentic, not just an overused word and an underused way of working. After all, whichever part of the supply chain any of us are in, we all have a role to play to generate trust and deliver high quality solutions for the ultimate customer. Whether a Veka customer or not, always check what value you get from your supplier, what that’s really worth, and how you could secure more value while giving your supplier something they would also want. The Veka UK Group has significant ambition beyond the next 12 months. Our focus on being a specialist window systems company delivering the right solutions to our customers will be at the core of that ambition and, realistically, nothing is ruled out at this stage on how we use that specialism and ruthless focus to succeed.

The post Neil Evans, Sales Director, The Veka UK Group appeared first on Windows Active Magazine.

A testing programme between two market leading companies, working with some of the industry’s most prestigious component providers, has led to the development of a fire resisting solution for Liniar’s range of composite doors.

Pyroplex Ltd approached Liniar at the 2016 FIT Show to propose working together on a project to develop a fire door assembly capable of achieving a fire resistance period of 30 minutes.

When prospective customers Fascia Place then approached Liniar to enquire if its range included fire doors, the project began to take shape.

Based in Droitwich, Pyroplex has a worldwide reputation as a leading manufacturer and supplier of high performance fire containment systems with a long established range of products which have been extensively tested and assessed for use within the composite door market.

Pyroplex manufactures high performance intumescent strips for use in doors and glazing systems. Its systems are supported by international testing and certification and they hold third party approval under internationally recognised schemes.

During the programme, Liniar and Pyroplex worked closely with leading component providers, such as Distinction Doors, NSG Group, Mila and Yale, in the initial concept design and participated in small scale fire testing.

The collective technical expertise from all the various parties involved in the project proved to be invaluable to see the interaction between products when tested for fire resistance, whilst maintaining other essential characteristics including security, thermal performance and weather ability, to comply with Building Regulations.

After completing a small scale fire test, Pyroplex commissioned Exova Warringtonfire to undertake a full scale fire test incorporating two doors, both of which included overhead glazing panels and glazed side lights with large aspect ratios, which can often fail under constant fire load.

Both of the door set assemblies achieved a significant overrun in terms of fire resistance. The test was continued to failure, exceeding the 30 minute requirement by more than 15 minutes – meaning the doors are well on the way to reaching the 60 minute mark.

Liniar’s Technical Support Manager, Paul Garforth, commented: “The level of technical expertise and knowledge of Pyroplex and support from Distinction has been the key to the success of this testing programme.

“We’re delighted that both door sets not only achieved FD30 status, but surpassed the standard required.

“The test proves the compatibility and function of Liniar sections are a perfect combination with Pryoplex’s intumescent seals and Distinction slabs.

“The newly written fabrication manual, along with the Exova assessment report, will be available to customers who are thinking about supplying FD30 products themselves.”

For more information on Liniar fire doors email Liniar Technical Support – paul.garforth@liniar.co.uk.

www.liniar.co.uk

Clayton Glass have just produced a time lapsed video to showcase the revolutionary, self-tinting SMARTGLASS^® Dynamic in action, showing in just a matter of a few minutes the transformation of each individual glass pane throughout a hot summer’s day, in one of their first conservatory roof installations.

This new video is posted on the SMARTGLASS^® website at www.smart-glass.co.uk/products/smartglass-dynamic and at 2:39 minutes long, visually show the change in state of the conservatory roof glass from clear at either ends of the day to a dynamically darkened tint during the middle of the day, where outside temperatures touched 30 degrees in June. It can also be seen on YouTube at www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEHjNSIPd6M&t=65s.

SMARTGLASS Ultra 86 already provides the greatest performance of any conservatory roof glass with fixed performance levels, yet the new Dynamic glass offers a better G-value at 10% and tint of 6% when needed during the hottest days of this summer. Yet during the early and latter parts of the day this revolutionary glass technology offers a 60% light transmission, approaching that of a standard IGU, along with an impressive G-value of 34%.

There are also other videos on the website that perfectly showcase this glass technology for conservatory and lantern roofs, along with other residential and commercial glazing applications. This includes a production that shows how the new interactive SMARTGLASS^® Dynamic sample kits work with just a cup of hot fluid.

Jason McCabe, commercial and site director Clayton Glass commented: ‘The feedback has been phenomenal from the homeowners of the first few installations and this new video really does help convey how this dynamic glass technology works. With a 10-14 day delivery UK wide, availability in any shape and no requirement for wires and controls, we believe this is certainly the future technology that the industry will adopt in the coming years.

For a free SMARTGLASS^® Dynamic sample kit, e-mail enquiries@smart-glass.co.uk or call the sales office on 01207 288200. You can also add to their growing Twitter following @ClaytonGlass and find further product information and the latest videos at www.smart-glass.co.uk.