Installer April 12 - profinder.eu

theinstaller 

March/April 2012 

Certass Race 

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17th April 

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Read theinstaller online – www.profinder.eu 

Forward 

Features 

May 2012 

• Vertical Sliders 

• SealedUnits 

• Roofs & Roofline 

June 2012 

• Conservatories 

• Energy & Recycling 

• Glass & IGUs 

• LeadGeneration 

July 2012 

• Aluminium Systems 

August 2012 

• New Business Opportunities 

• Doors 

September 2012 

• PVC-U Systems 

• Trade Counters 

October 2012 

• Conservatories 

• Flat Roofs & Roofline 

November 2012 

• Window & Door Furniture 

• Software 

December 2012 

• Aluminium Windows 

• Structural Glazing 

Inc.Shopfitting & 

Entrances 

Contents 

2 Comment 

5 News 

14 Certass Column & 

Cover Story 

Certass is giving something 

back which is 

both meaningful andof 

value. Whilst it is also 

able to advise on the 

Green Deal. 

17 Feature – Doors 

More andmore 

fabricators and 

installers are adding 

GRP composite doors 

to their portfolio of 

product offerings but 

what are the options? 

Chris Champion of 

Distinction Doors 

explains 

25 Feature – Conservatories 

In his first article for 

The Installer as Sales 

Director of Zoom 

Ready, Steve Halford 

engineering helps 

make conservatories 

profitable again for 

installers. 

PLUS comments from 

Pilkington & Ultraframe 

33 Feature – Glass 

Tuff X, a glass 

conservatory roof 

manufacturer, is now 

incorporating the 

German engineered 

TGI-Spacer within its 

insulating glass units 

36 Products & Projects 

44 Opinion 

shorter name, 

bigger profile. 

Just because a company changes its name, doesn't mean it changes it's values. 

With the support and backing of VEKA, Halo is now in an even stronger position 

to deliver innovative, energy efficient solutions to the fenestration industry. 

Halo - a brighter future. Call 01282 716611 today 

Use your QR code scanner app to scan this QR code 

for more information on Halo and it’s products. web. www.halo-uk.com mail. salesenquiry@veka.com 

A BRAND OF THE 

GROUP

Read theinstaller online – www.profinder.eu 

Comment 

theinstaller 

Mar/Apr 2012 

Profinder Magazines 

Editor 

Brian Shillibeer 

Assistant Editor 

Cathryn Ellis 

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PO Box 587, 

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Steve Anthony 

T.07967 585475 

E.steve.anthony@profinder. 

eu 

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T.07767 626786 

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E.chris.sims@profinder.eu 

theinstaller Vol 16 No 3 

Published March 2012 

2 

Copyright © Profinder Magazines Ltd 2012 

theinstaller is the official 

journal of: 

Self Assessment and Auditing Made Easy 

Opinions expressed in theinstaller 

are those of the contributors and do not 

represent editorial policy. The publisher 

charges for the use of editorial pictures. 

So, Ecobuild has been and gone and one must ask the question: ‘Is the 

event sustainable?’ 

The question is made more relevant by the fact that sustainability was 

a major theme for many exhibitors. We must not detract from the 

success of the exhibition. Certainly the exhibitors I spoke to seemed 

very well satisfied. There is currently no other building exhibition on 

the calendar and until 2013, no specialised event for the window 

trade. 

So where do we go from here? 

The problem for Ecobuild, in the end, must be its theme. The 

ecological ticket is, for the moment, a strong one that seems unlikely to 

go away in the near future. However, if you isolate the truly 

ecologically helpful products it leaves a lot of materials that, while they 

may do little harm, will do nothing positive either. Moreover 

‘sustainability’ is a tag that gets applied without question to such a 

variety of materials and products as to become almost meaningless in 

the context of ecological benefit. 

Consider what sustainable means – ‘something that can be kept, 

perhaps by implication, with maintenance. So something with a long 

life may qualify – concrete, brick, stone, metal, plastic and glass all 

fall into that category which covers most building materials. However 

from an ecological point of view, what did it cost to make them? How 

much energy was consumed and carbon created to obtain these 

materials? 

Something I have not heard mentioned for a while is whole life cost. It 

was very fashionable a few years ago to consider the ecological cost 

of a material from manufacture to disposal. That can make a huge 

difference. The idea is that you spread the ecological cost across the 

life of the material and add in the cost of disposal at the end. 

It seems to me that ‘sustainability’ is a tag applied very broadly. 

Metals, plastic and glass get tagged because they can be recycled, 

timber because it is a natural material and can be re-grown. 

There is a long tradition in English for taking words and changing their 

meaning. I get the impression that we are pushing the margins with 

the meaning of sustainable. It is a matter of marketing, labelling. Tell 

the punter what he wants to hear. 

Look at the claims made by Victorian medicines. Better, look at the 

American cigarette ads from the early to mid twentieth century. By 

golly smoking cigarettes was actually good for you, they even had 

‘doctors’ endorsing brands. Fifty years on and the body of knowledge 

has changed – the claims were just not sustainable. 

With thanks to John Roper, Editor of The Fabricator 

Brian J. Shillibeer, Editor 

#theinstallermagazine or installer@profinder.eu 

theinstaller 2012

When form and function matter 

Easy to operate, stylish to look at and extremely secure, Schueco ASS aluminium sliding 

door systems deliver the perfect combination of benefits. Available in both insulated 

and non-insulated versions, there’s a choice of sliding, lift and slide, tilt/slide or folding/ 

sliding systems, all of which are designed to last. Add in narrow face widths and 

superb weather-tightness and it’s clear that Schueco ASS sliding door systems have real 

customer appeal. www.schueco.co.uk 

Green Technology for the Blue Planet 

Clean Energy from Solar and Windows

news 

HSE Inspector Fee 

Plan Postponed 

A plan to levy a £124 fee 

every time a health & safety 

inspector visits your site or a 

project you are working on 

is still ultimately going to be 

enforced (unless all traeds 

people do something about 

it) but it has been delayed – 

and only delayed – warns 

the GGF 

THE GLASS AND GLAZING 

FEDERATION (GGF) has welcomed 

the announcement that the government 

has postponed the introduction of Fees 

for Intervention (FFI) scheme until later in 

2012 and not in April as originally 

planned. 

The FFI scheme was recommended to 

government by the Health and Safety 

Executive (HSE) Board in December 

2011 in response to the formal 

consultation that took place in July 

2011. Discussions are still takingplace 

about the technical details of the scheme 

with conclusions expected in the next 

few weeks. 

This decision does not change the 

form of the scheme and work will 

continue to prepare for the launch of FFI. 

A practice run of the new processes and 

procedures underpinningthe scheme is 

already underway in HSE and will 

continue until the scheme is 

implemented. 

Followingthe announcement Declan 

Moore, GGF health and safety 

manager, says: “This extra time will 

provide additional opportunity for GGF 

member companies to increase their 

awareness and understandingof the 

new system and the potential 

implications for individual businesses.” 

The HSE will continue to run the pilot 

schemes in advance of the full 

implementation in October providing 

much needed feedback and the 

opportunity to address many of the 

unanswered questions raised through 

out the consultation period. All 

businesses should take full advantage of 

this additional time period to ensure full 

compliance with Health and Safety 

legislation. i 

ggf.org.co.uk 

The Crystal Column 

Managing Director of Crystal Direct, Brian Geraghty says installers need good support 

as well as good products to succeed in today’s market 

IS YOUR BUSINESS STILL 

SUFFERING FROM THE WINTER 

BLUES? It’s springin case you haven’t 

noticed, and better news is breaking 

through. Britain has avoided a double 

dip recession, and home improvements 

are startingto move. 

Consumer confidence is still weak, 

and they’re careful where they spend 

their money. But if installers offer what 

homeowners need to add value to the 

home – good products backed up with 

quick, reliable service, and energy 

efficient products in particular to save 

on their energy bills, they will buy. And 

theinstaller 2012 

Continued 

5

news 

A Gem of an AGM 

DUE TO THE SUCCESSFUL TAKE UP 

OF PLACES FOR DATES IN 

FEBRUARY AND MARCH, Synseal is 

offering fabricators further dates to learn 

everything they need to know about 

Window Energy Ratings. 

Synseal is hosting additional free 

workshops on – April 25th and June 20th 

– and all fabricators, whether Synseal 

customers or not, are invited to attend to 

listen to the British Fenestration Ratings 

Council explain the finer details of WERs. 

Topics covered by the workshops 

include: a general overview of energy 

ratings; BFRC products; Detailed Energy 

Licence; Simplified Energy Licence; Door 

scheme; Authorised Retailer; Synseal 

SEL; WER calculator demonstration 

The workshop will be run by BFRC, 

which is an independent, governmentbacked 

initiative set up to enhance the 

energy performance of buildings. It also 

developed WERs to assess the energy 

performance of domestic windows, 

which is now referred to in the Building 

Regulations. i 

NETWORK VEKA WILL BE 

CELEBRATING the Diamond Jubilee 

with a theme of ‘White Tie and Tiara’ for 

its AGM 2012, to be held on the 

weekend of September 29. 

The event, at the luxurious Cranage 

Hall in Cheshire, promises to be every bit 

as royal as the theme suggests. 

Membership is at an all-time high; 

members enjoy more benefits and 

support features than ever and the 

organisation will be celebrating the two 

milestones of 200,000 customers and 

£700million sales since it was founded. 

The AGM has always been a highpoint 

on members’ calendar, with dining, 

dancing and entertainment plus the 

coveted annual awards, as well as 

business sessions, product presentations 

and of course, the facilities offered by 

each of the venues. 

Cranage Hall is only minutes away 

from the M6. Set in its own 20 acres of 

landscaped gardens, it has superb 

leisure and sports facilities and the 

location is ideally placed 

for visiting the attractions of Manchester 

and Cheshire. i 

MEMBERS OF OMBUDSMAN SCHEME 

DGCOS will have access to a new finance 

package to offer homeowners the best credit 

deals. With more than 250 installers having 

gained membership and many more 

installers going through the comprehensive 

vetting process, DGCOS is using its group 

buying power to negotiate beneficial credit 

deals with several major finance companies. 

Many installers who previously could not 

qualify for a Finance Package can now qualify under the DGCOS group 

arrangement. Installers will need: £500,000 minimum retail turnover, one year’s 

accounts, DGCOS membership and a Consumer Credit License. Members will be 

able to qualify for: industry leading buy now pay later schemes, interest bearing 

loans (up to ten years) and interest free options. i 

‘ 

Customers tell us that having the right 

products helps them sell more. But we also 

know it’s vital they have strong support, 

tailored to suit individual needs 

Continued 

Crystal is totally committed to helping 

installers get those sales. 

Customers tell us that having the right 

products helps them sell more. But we 

also know it’s vital they have strong 

support, tailored to suit individual needs. 

We know what it’s like to be an installer 

in the real world, so we’ve organised our 

systems and procedures to make working 

with us as easy as possible. 

Our dedicated sales support team has three 

full time staff working closely with Crystal’s 

’ 

sales reps, so they can respond quickly when 

you need help. They provide quick quotations 

and keep customers up to date with product 

developments and marketing initiatives. 

Ordering is straightforward. You can also 

access our pricing and ordering system online 

to get accurate quotes and place orders. Once 

you’ve logged on the system registers your 

details and will recognise you next time – a 

simple touch, but it saves you time. You don’t 

want to hang around waiting for deliveries so 

our vehicles are fitted with trackers so 

customers know exactly when their delivery will 

arrive, and can plan ahead. They also stock 

tools for installers to buy – in case they don’t 

have what they need on site. We know what 

it’s like in the real world! 

Crystal runs regular training sessions at 

our training centre, and has meeting 

rooms for customers to use for 

presentations to their customers and 

prospects. We can also personalise a 

stylish retail brochure with your own 

branding to help you sell, plus showroom 

posters and branded window stickers to 

boost your local profile. 

Whether you are a large organisation 

or a one-man band we’ll do all we can to 

help you sell. Your success drives our 

success, so we offer the best products– 

Crystal is the No. 1 trade fabricator for 

choice and colour – and strong support 

for our customers. 

For more information on how Crystal can 

help you sell call us on 01462 489900 

or visit www.crystal-direct.co.uk. i 

6 theinstaller 2012

news 

MALCOLM SCOTT, DEPUTY 

MANAGING DIRECTOR at 

Eastbourne based fabricator Whiteline, 

put his best foot forward recently to 

reveal a previously hidden talent. The 

Russian Karate Organisation invited 24 

world class fighters, carefully selected 

from across the globe, to fly to Moscow 

to compete for the Dragon Cup. 

Malcolm was invited to represent the UK 

in this open, full contact karate 

competition in the Russian capital. 

Malcolm, (pictured left) was proud to 

receive his invitation which recognises 

his growing reputation within the sport of 

karate. He set off with the full backing of 

friends and colleagues from the factory 

and offices at Whiteline where his dayto-day 

job involves him in every aspect 

of running a successful fabrication 

business. After going the distance with 

the current Russian Heavyweight 

Champion Scott ultimately lost to a 

decision in the final round. Happily he 

has already been invited back to Russia 

in May, to fight in their Open 

Championships and have another crack 

at sporting success. i 

QUICKSLIDE HAS PICKED UP 

ANOTHER ACCOLADE, this time in an 

awards scheme that recognizes business 

achievements in the company’s home 

town of Brighouse, Yorkshire. 

Quickslide won the accolade of Large 

Business of the Year in the annual 

Brighouse Echo Business Awards, which 

were announced in March at an awards 

dinner attended by a huge cross-section 

of local business people. Quickslide 

qualified for the award by 

‘demonstrating significant growth along 

with innovation’. The judges recognized 

that Quickslide had expanded its 

production range and taken on more staff 

since locating in the town and 

acknowledged the company’s ‘high 

standard of customer service, it’s 

efficiency and after sales support,’ and 

noted that ‘the company is proud of its 

health and safety record and is in the 

process of taking in apprentices who will 

CRYSTAL DIRECT CONTINUES ITS STRONG 

START TO 2012 with February sales 15.9% 

above forecast. 

This follows January sales 26% above forecast 

and an impressive 21% up on the previous year. 

Managing Director Brian Geraghty (pictured) 

comments: “We’ve made a fantastic start to 2012 

after a strong 2011. In an increasingly 

competitive market, our success is down to 

helping our customers sell more. Not only do we 

offer a wide product range to help customers take 

advantage of every sales opportunity, we also 

back this up with great service, great delivery and 

great sales support to help our customers perform 

in what most agree is a difficult market.” i 

receive on the job and academic 

training.’ 

Ben Weber, Quickslide’s Business 

Development Director, said that the 

award signaled far more than 

recognition for the company: “This 

award was made against other 

businesses of all types, from a range of 

backgrounds and some big names. 

What we are particularly proud of is that 

this is a coming of age for the 

replacement window and door industry 

and shows that our sector is at last 

shrugging off its old ‘double glazing’ 

image. Quickslide is part of an industry 

that we can be proud of, that sets 

standards against industry across the 

board now – and wins!” i 

New Team Member 

THERMOSEAL INTRODUCES ROHIT 

KALE – A MATERIALS SPECIALIST 

working with Thermoseal Group in 

conjunction with a UK university to develop 

the Group’s thermally efficient product 

range. 

Gwain Paterson, Managing Director at 

Thermoseal Group comments: “We took the 

big step from distributor to manufacturer to 

drive Thermobar warm edge spacer tube 

and other new energy efficient components 

to market. As part of our commitment to this 

process, we have invested in a new 

Innovation Centre which is now equipped 

for product development and testing. I see 

our research and development facility as an 

area to continually evolve and have already 

ploughed a great deal of business funds into 

this project. Rohit’s role as Materials 

Specialist is essential to this evolving facility. 

He is working with us as part of a 

Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with a 

UK University to help by utilizing the 

University Knowledge-base and aid us to 

develop our manufacturing offering. He has 

been a great addition to the team and is 

currently working on pioneering new 

products to enable our customers to produce 

sealed units that exceed the future demands 

of the UK and European Building Regulation 

requirements.” 

Rohit adds: “As a KTP associate, I will 

work with Thermoseal Group to help 

improve their competitiveness and 

productivity through better use of 

knowledge, technology and skills that reside 

within the UK knowledge-base. With my 

extensive understanding of the materials 

Thermoseal Group is to use in manufacture, 

I am enthusiastic about meeting business 

goals which will result in top quality 

products. It’s ideal for me to work for a 

business with such a passion for growth and 

development. I enjoy the prospect of seeing 

through the process of introducing new and 

innovative products from conception to 

manufacture.” i 


news 

Liniar at Greenbuild 

LINIAR HAS LAUNCHED ITS FIRST 

CPD (Continuing Personal or 

Professional Development) certified 

seminar aimed at the commercial market 

entitled “Sustainable building solutions 

by design”.The seminar explains how 

newer PVCu window systems have been 

designed to be an integral part of 

sustainable construction, particularly in 

relation to the Code for Sustainable 

Homes and the requirements of Zero 

Carbon Housing. 

Building professionals will be invited 

to attend the seminar at Liniar’s 

fabricator’s premises where 

opportunities to be shown the 

manufacturing process and to discuss 

future projects will also be offered. 

Roger Hartshorn, Managing Director 

of Liniar says, “Launching our first CPD 

certified seminar is the next step for us in 

truly establishing our pedigree in the 

commercial market. 

“We are always looking at new ways 

to help our fabricators explain the 

benefits of our window system and are 

looking forward to booking in many 

CPD seminars in the coming months” i 

LINIAR WILL BE AMONG THE 

BIGGEST WINDOW SYSTEMS 

EXHIBITORS at this year’s Greenbuild 

EXPO in Manchester in May. 

With its clever multi-chambered design 

providing high thermal values as 

standard without the need to use 

supplementary inserts, the Liniar profile 

provides a very cost effective means of 

meeting the needs of the highest levels of 

the Code for Sustainable Homes and 

Zero Carbon Homes. The system also 

includes a thermal bridging profile to 

address the requirement to keep thermal 

transfer in check for the installed product 

as a part of these rigorous standards. 

Visitors to the stand (B35) will also 

have the opportunity to register for its 

new CPD seminar ‘Sustainable Building 

Solutions by Design – PVC-U window 

systems designed to play an active role in 

sustainable construction’. 

Greenbuild EXPO takes place on the 

9th and 10th May at the Manchester 

Central exhibition venue and is the UK’s 

newest sustainable building and 

refurbishment event. As one of the show’s 

main sponsors, Liniar hope to increase 

exposure throughout the Commercial 

sector and generate genuine business 

leads for their window fabricators. i 

BOURNEMOUTH-BASED INSTALLATION 

COMPANY APPLE HOME IMPROVE- 

MENTS GROUP has joined the Double Glazing 

and Conservatory Ombudsman Scheme 

(DGCOS). The, has seven branches across the 

south, from Salisbury to Exeter. 

“Customer satisfaction is a priority with Apple – 

we offer a comprehensive guarantee and a price 

match promise – so joining DGCOS was a logical 

step,” explains Bill Mackay, Managing Director 

of Apple Panels. 

“Apple is one of a number of larger regional 

installers that’s joined DGCOS in the last few months,” says Tony Pickup, founder of 

DGCOS, “and one with a strong focus on sales and reputation for customer service. 

We’re delighted to welcome 6hApple to the scheme.” i 

Rugby Super League Adverts 

SAINT-GOBAIN GLASS HAS SIGNED 

A MAJOR ADVERTISING DEAL that will 

see the PLANITHERM brand splashed across 

pitch side boards during Rugby Super 

League games on Sky Sports, Fox Sports, 

and the BBC this season. PLANITHERM was 

also advertised during the recent Scotland 

vs. England Six Nations Rugby Union game 

in February, which attracted a huge 

audience. 

Saint-Gobain Glass chose the Super 

League to reinforce its PLANITHERM 

consumer message to homeowners who 

may be looking to replace their windows 

and installers wishing to join the 

PLANITHERM Installer Network. 

Andrew Glover, managing director of 

West Yorkshire Windows and Chairman of 

Wakefield Trinity Wildcats Super League 

team, says that sports advertising, 

particularly rugby league, has boosted his 

company’s sales: “It has grown both our 

local and regional brand and we have 

enjoyed close to £300,000 of sales as a 

direct result.” 

“This has led to a significant increase in 

sales, thanks, in part, to homeowners using 

the ‘find an installer’ section of the 

PLANITHERM website – the site attracts 

around 10,000 visitors per month, with 

more than 70% entering the site after using 

‘Planitherm’ as a search term; proof that the 

advertising was creating brand recognition. 

Craig added; “We believe that advertising 

during the Rugby Super League will continue 

to reinforce this brand recognition and help 

to boost window sales right across the 

industry.” i 


news 

Soft Sell 

QUICKSLIDE RECEIVED A VERY 

SPEEDY VISIT RECENTLY – from 

Richard Buck, The anchor leg runner for 

the British 4 x 400m relay team who 

won silver medals at the World Indoor 

Athletics Championships in held in 

Istanbul during March – and who is also 

the nephew of Quickslide chairman 

Adrian Barraclough. 

Richard has run the 6th fastest 400 

metres in the world this year and 

working towards a performance, which 

he hopes, could see a medal of maybe a 

better colour come London. 

Next for the plucky youngster are the 

Olympic trials, which he enters with the 

confidence provided by the Istanbul 

silver win. Adrian has total belief in his 

nephew: “We are very proud of Richard 

however he does,” said Adrian. “He has 

already proved himself to be a fine 

athlete and also a very determined and 

focused individual. Whatever the 

outcome Richard will be seen working 

on the Quickslide stands at various 

window shows this year and has 

promised to bring along his Olympic 

medal to the FIT show in Telford next 

March. i 

CONSUMER CREDIT SOLUTIONS 

(CCS), has launched a new service to 

help installers sell finance. CCS 

pioneered the introduction of soft-sell 

finance (low/no interest credit) to the 

home improvement market several years 

ago. Its new Central Funding Unit is 

designed to help retail installers sell more 

‘big ticket’ items– such as windows, 

conservatories, kitchens, bathrooms and 

solar panels– more easily. 

Based on a well-established concept in 

most new car showrooms, CCS finance 

specialist David Grant acts on behalf of 

clients, speaking directly to their 

homeowner customers and explaining 

the benefits of different finance packages 

such as “Buy Now, Pay Later”, interest 

GM FUNDRAISING WILL BE 

GOING ‘BACK TO BLACK’ with an 

Olympic theme, for their next Gala 

Dinner on 28th April 2012, at the 

Holiday Inn, Birmingham. 

While the last few Gala Dinners for 

GMF have been themed in terms of what 

to wear, this year the glazing industry’s 

preferred charity, is going back to ‘black 

tie and posh frock', which has proved so 

successful in other years. However, the 

evening will take a distinctly Olympic 

theme, as London 2012 becomes ever 

closer and the night’s festivities will 

follow this course. i 

free credit, Bank Buster and Mortgage 

Buster (unsecured loans of 5 to 10 years). 

Designed especially for retailers and 

installers who have little or no previous 

experience offering finance schemes, the 

CCS Central Funding Unit service works 

best with orders of around £8,000 plus, 

and is completely free of charge to CCS 

installers. i 

SYNSEAL 

EXTRUSIONS 

TRAVELLED to meet its customers – and 

future customers, at the Fensterbau fair 

in Germany’s Nuremberg. Synseal has 

used Fensterbau to increase its customer 

base throughout mainland Europe for 

Global conservatory roofs and 

SkySpace portal frame glazed 

structures, products for which the 

company is establishing an international 

reputation. 

Global conservatory roofs have proved to 

be popular amongst the growing sector for 

English-style’ conservatory roofs, and also 

because these highlyengineered products 

are daptable for local design preferences. 

Synseal plans to develop existing customers 

in addition to creating new markets. 

The market for portal frame large-span 

glazed structures is a lucrative 

worldwide niche that requires 

engineering and technical expertise that 

is held by few companies and 

individuals. Since establishing the 

division just over a year ago, headed by 

portal frame roofing expert Colin Poole, 

Synseal has grown its presence through 

significant nvestment in systems, 

products and manufacturing facilities. 

“Synseal has committed fully to the 

portal frame market having realised the 

potential that exists,” says Synseal chief 

executive David Leng. 

“We have the best people in the 

world in this sector and we have 

developed products that match their 

vision and capabilities. Our SkySpace 

portal frames and Global conservatory 

roofs have an excellent reputation in 

Europe and we want to build on this. 

Fensterbau is an ideal step for us and 

we will work with our customers and 

distributors to make the most of our 

appearance there.” i 

12 theinstaller 2012

the 

column 

Certass is the UK’s leading Competent Person Scheme 

TRR –is the easiest way to comply with Part L of the Building Regulations 

Certass – Where 

Options areNot 

an Option! 

‘ 

Rarely does the opportunity arise when you have the chance to give something back – 

something which is both meaningful and of value, writes BarrieSmith-Wright, Joint MD of 

Certass and TRR 

CERTASS’S PRIME FUNCTION IS THAT OF 

VETTING CONTRACTORS TO ENSURE 

THEY ARE COMPETENT TO SELF-CERTIFY 

THEIR GLAZING INSTALLATIONS. Once a 

contractor is vetted, Certass will process his self-assessment 

notifications and thereafter randomly 

audit a sample of works notified. 

We take great pride in delivering our service 

and the standards we have set within our industry, 

hence our participation in the Green Deal pilot 

scheme, run by UKAS. 

This is what makes Certass…well…Certass, is 

it not? 

It is not just the makeup of our name, Certification 

and Assessment; it is what we stand for and 

more importantly, what we’re valued for in the 

market – and by you the installer community. As 

we say with Certass, ‘Technical Excellence comes 

as Standard’. 

We take great pride in delivering our service 

and the standards we have set within our 

industry, hence our participation in the Green 

Deal pilot scheme, run by UKAS 

Team up with Leads2Trade 

The Certass standard has now been recognised in the consumer 

lead generation market by the much respected Leads2Trade. 

Leads2Trade has asked to team up with Certass to provide quality 

leads to you, our quality contractors. We hope our members 

appreciate this recognition and warmly receive the delivery of 

such a programme, especially in these turbulent times. 

What it means 

If you are an existingCertass member, you will shortly receive an 

email invitingyou to participate in this new scheme. If, however, 

this programme is not for you, this is important to us too, and you 

can simply elect to unsubscribe at the bottom of the email. 

Once you have agreed to take part in the programme, you’ll 

start to receive emails with fully 

qualified leads attached. The 

choice is then yours – you can 

review the lead and decide 

whether or not you wish to 

purchase it. 

Safeguards 

It is very important to Certass 

to ensure that any programme 

it is associated with is of a high 

standard and is of a benefit to 

both you – our customer – and 

homeowners – your customers. 

Thus, Certass has ensured two 

very important safeguards. 

Firstly, the lead generation 

service is provided by an independent 

third party, recognised 

in providingindependent data solutions. 

This creates a wall to hide your 

data behind. Only if you elect to participate 

in the programme and purchase 

leads from the ‘Hub’ will your data be 

sent to a third party. 

Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, 

you can drop out of the scheme 

at any point by unsubscribing. 

’ Cost savings 

The cost of buyingleads as opposed to advertisinglocally 

has bigcost savingbenefits to your budget. Thus, we hope 

this new service will provide both added benefit to you, the 

contractor, whilst preserving your data integrity – something 

we know you expect from us. 

Membership benefits 

As well as supplyingleads, Certass provides a manned call 

centre, technical helpline, TrustMark membership, payment 

instalments and now lead generation as standard. 

If you want to be part of our success and to feel part of our 

team, please contact us on the details below. i 

Tel: 08450 948025 www.certass.co.uk 

14 


Certass is the UK’s leading Competent Person Scheme 

TRR – is the easiest wayto complywith Part L of the Building Regulations 

cover story 

The Green Deal – 

What is It? and 

What’s Happening? 

Certass will be one of the first organisations able to confirm which energy efficiency 

measures will be covered by the Green Deal as it is one of the first organisations to be 

named in the pilot scheme 

CERTASS SPEAKS TO ITS EXISTING CONTRACTORS – 

AND PLENTY OF PROSPECTIVE ONES – OVER MANY 

ISSUES, BUT A COUPLE OF NEW QUESTIONS THAT 

ARE NOW BEING ASKED ARE: 

‘What is the Green Deal that is being talked about?’ 

And from those already aware of the scheme: ‘What is happening 

with the Green Deal?’ 

‘ 

Energy providers will fund the upfront cost 

and then the money will be paid back through 

household bills with the savings made 

So what is the Green Deal? 

This is the new government scheme being launched this 

October in the hope of helping to reduce CO 2 emissions. 

Everyone knows of global warming (something that is forgotten 

about when the car is being de-iced on a winter’s morning) and 

the consequences faced should the country not reduce its CO 2 

emissions. 

In order for the government to reach strict targets set by the 

EU, householders are being encouraged to reduce consumption 

of gas and electricity 

by improving the efficiency 

of their 

homes. There are 

many ways this can 

be done already, 

but the government 

Certass Race 

Kempton 

17th April 

wants to encourage 

the public to do even 

more by making 

funds available to 

help to reduce 

Back the right horse 

with Certass! 

Join Now 

0845 094 8025 

www.certass.co.uk 

Certass is authorised by the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) 

Authorised by the Communities and Local Government (CLG) 

draughts, insulate 

lofts better, use more 

efficient boilers and 

the list goes on, although 

this list has 

yet to be finalised. 

Once it is known exactly what will be on there, Certass will 

be one of the first organisations able to confirm which energy 

efficiency measures will be covered by the Green Deal as it is 

one of the first organisations to be named in the pilot scheme 

that is being launched in the very near future. 

So what is happening with the Green Deal? 

At the moment, the Government are still in consultation with organisations 

over what should be 

in the scheme and exactly how it 

will work. When ministers are interviewed 

for television and 

’ 

radio, the same words are mentioned, 

‘insulation, insulation, insulation’ 

so industry is assuming 

that the main items will be loft insulation and cavity wall insulation. 

However until the scheme is officially launched, no one knows 

for sure. They also have to work out the payback time, as the 

funds won’t be given to the public in the form of a cheque. 

Instead, energy providers will fund the upfront cost and then the 

money will be paid back through household bills with the savings 

made. 

One thing is for sure, the Green Deal will definitely be 

launched in October, and everyone will be encouraged to use 

the scheme. 

Pressure on households 

Energy providers will fund the upfront cost and then the money 

will be paid back through household bills with the savings 

madeent may increase council taxes or look at other ways of 

forcing the public to act. 

So now you know, hopefully you are in a better position to 

understand and explain the current situation. i 

For more information 

Tel: 08450 948025 www.certass.co.uk 

cover story 

Certass has built an enviable reputation for publicising its 

credentials to members and non-members and also to 

influential Government and non-government institutions. The 

organisation is also very active in promoting itself to the end user 

– Certass recently sponsored a televised race at Kempton Park 


15

stable 

doors 

With over 270,000 

sold every year, the 

Nan Ya GRP composite 

door blank is the 

UK’s most popular 

composite door. 

Tried, tested and trusted, the 

door blanks and matching 

glazing cassettes offer the 

widest range of styles and 

colours in the market. 

We provide technical support 

to help get you started, stock 

Sizing, edge-banding and 

to keep you going, a sizing, routing service through our 

routing and edgebanding network of manufacturing 

service through our networkfabricators of or our own facility 

manufacturing fabricators or 

our own facility, to make life 

easy, and marketing support 

to ensure you succeed. 

Specialists in the supply 

of delivered container and 

ex-warehouse stock for 

fabricators of door-sets 

Supply of decorative triple 

glazed units, locks and 

hardware providing the 

complete door solution 

COMPOSITE DOORS GLAZING CASSETTES DECORATIVE GLASS 

HARDWARE GLAZING CONSUMABLES 

I 

I 

I I I

doors & hardware 

Composite Doors – 

The Buying Game 

More and more fabricators and installers are adding GRP composite doors to their portfolio 

of product offerings but what are the options? Chris Champion of Distinction Doors explains 

The product can be bought in a variety 

of guises to suit the requirements 

of the fabricator - and there are plently 

of fabricators to supply the installer. 

Fabricators can invest to size and rout 

door blanks; or buy ready machined 

door blanks to build doorsets; or buy-in 

finished sets to sell on. 

So what to do? 

Buy in door blanks and machine them 

yourself or buy a prepped door blank to 

build your own doorset? Or should you 

buy a complete doorset ready to install? 

Three straightforward options but what 

are the advantages and disadvantages? 

Certainly the first option requires investment 

but maybe it’s the right time to do it. 

Sales of GRP composite doors continue to 

increase and it will be interesting to see 

this year’s Composite Door Report, published 

by D&G Consulting, to see what it 

believes is happening in the market. Distinction 

Doors, has made no secret of the 

fact that, in 2011, it saw an increase in 

door blank sales of 37% – a very significant 

increase over 2010. The Nan Ya 

door blank, distributed by Distinction, is 

now seeing sales top 270,000 per 

annum. If that increase is mirrored by 

other companies in the market then the 

composite door has to be a product that 

all fabricators and installers should be 

offering to their customers. 

Prepped doors 

The second option of buying a prepped 

door blank is attractive to many. The 

advantage being that really no investment 

is required save the learning curve 

to manufacture the doorset. Most system 

companies now manufacture a bespoke 

outerframe for the composite door and 

those who don’t tend to have viable alternatives. 

A substantial number of Distinction's 

fabricator customers offer a prepping 

service for composite doors and we 

support our customers by helping their 

customers understand how a doorset 

should be put together: how to glaze a 

door blank; which locks, handles and 

hinges work with which profile; even 

which seals and woolpiles will make a 

specific profile work efficiently. 

Fire doors 

We also find ourselves prepping fire 

doors for customers now entering this 

market. 

Marketing 

We provide significant technical or with 

marketing assistance. In the case of marketing, 

a large proportion of customers 

use our photographic library and take 

our Door Designer either for their own 

use or to give to their customers. We 

aren’t precious about this and are happy 

for our customers, or indeed their customers, 

to brand the Designer as their 

own and we leave the files open so it can 

be adapted – even as far as being an 

ecommerce solution with a cart. 

Third option 

The third option of buying a doorset is 

attractive to many. It may, and probably 

isn’t in the same profile you use, but this 

may not be important. i 

distinctiondoors.co.uk 

Pictured: A Distinction door being put 

theough a Door Energy Rating test 

buy-folds.co.uk – all the doors in one place 

Whether your requirement for bifold 

doors is in PVC-U, timber 

or aluminium you can find the 

best suppliers at the most competitive 

rates on www.buy-folds.co.uk 

The site is entirely independent and 

offers manufacturers of every material 

and every system the opportunity to 

advertise their products. 

You can view products by material 

and by county to make your search 

easier. 

Many of the advertisers are offering 

fantastic spring-time prices. 

“As the market for bi-fold doors continues 

to grow at a rapid rate you need 

to ensure you are getting the best products 

at the best prices. Where better to 

go than to a website which offers you a 

complete range of products from an 

extensive selection of suppliers?” asks 

Chris Globe of In the Box Marketing 

who is looking after buy-folds.co.uk 

“With new suppliers joining every 

month you should keep checking back to 

see what new products are coming into 

the market and ensure that you give 

yourself that sales advantage against 

your competition!” i 

buy-folds.co.uk 


17


ELDERLY RESIDENTS AT A HOUSING SCHEME in Morpeth 

will be protected from any future floods by DuoGuard, the 

specialist flood protection door developed by Bowater Doors. 

Challoners Gardens in Morpeth, a development of 45 

bungalows owned and operated by Isos Housing, was so 

badly affected by floods when the nearby River Wansbeck 

burst its banks in 2008 that residents had to be evacuated. To 

prevent this happening again, Isos and its consultants, Faithful 

& Gould, specified that DuoGuard the specialist flood 

protection door developed by Bowater Doors should be fitted 

front and back on 

all the dwellings. 

DuoGuard’s 

double rebate and 

12 locking points 

combine to 

provide protection 

against flooding – 

being up to 200 

times more flood 

resistant than a 

standard single 

rebate composite 

door. 

Manufactured 

using CFC-free polyurethane foam for the inner core, the 

door’s construction is timber throughout and, thanks to its 

double rebate and 68mm thickness, improves both heat and 

sound insulation. i 

whshalo.com 

new aluminium option 

WINDOW, DOOR AND CONSERVATORY fabricator frameXpress 

has expanded its product portfolio by introducing an aluminium option for 

installers. The company now offers a range of doors suitable for architectural 

and domestic projects including commercial, new build and retail. 

The new aluminium doors are offered in a variety of styles including 

commercial hinged, commercial swing, tilt and slide, and bi-folding, 

options. The range includes open out or open in doors with single or 

double door design options. These come either internally or externally 

beaded and have sidelight options for either domestic or commercial 

applications. 

Sales Manager, Ian Davis says aluminium doors provide safety, value 

for money and aesthetics. Some key features include resistance to water 

penetration as well as structural rigidity. He comments: "Aluminium is now 

proving popular with customers as it offers an alternative to brings style to 

any building." i 

t. 01952 581100 

SYNSEAL HAS 

RESPONDED TO CUS- 

TOMERS who suggested 

a minor but important 

cosmetic improvement to 

its foiled patio door kits. 

Previously when the 

white profile of the patio 

doors had been finished 

with a woodgrain or Artisan 

foil, the door 

threshold and outer 

frame remained visible 

as white. 

Synseal are now 

foiling the entire 

profile to ensure the 

door is fully colour 

matched throughout. 

“The difference is 

very plain to see,” 

said Synseal’s 

David Leng. “This was a relatively minor change to our patio 

door kit, but makes quite a difference to the overall 

appearance. What it highlights is the partnership that we 

have with our customers - they are at the sharp end of the market 

and we listen to what they have to say.” i synseal.com 

THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF TALK 

in the press recently about door lock 

security. Cylinder snapping has made 

the news, with the BBC’s Inside Out Programme 

featuring a demonstration of 

how easy it can be to break in through 

a traditional lock. 

Door-Stop has always offered a 

Kitemark cylinder as standard on every 

door. But now every composite door 

ordered is delivered with the anti-snap 

high performance Magnum cylinder as 

standard, at no extra charge. 

“The Magnum has been subjected to 

extensive tests and is one of the most 

secure cylinders on the market, offering 

resistance against all types of physical 

attack,” explains MD Nick Dutton. “It’s 

anti-bump, anti-snap, drill, pick, 

tamper, torque and force resistant. It 

will withstand attempts to saw, wrench, 

corrode or even burn it out. In fact it 

can resist anything even the most 

determined burglar can throw 

at it, which is why it comes with a 

lifetime warranty.” i door-stop.co.uk 


Any door panel from our brochure 

121 designs to choose from 

Orders must be faxed before 10am 

for next day delivery 

£10 on your standard trade price 

Any door panel 

Delivered in 24 hours 

£10 

01487 740475 

www.phoenixdoorpanels.co.uk 

email: info@phoenixdoorpanels.co.uk 

Phoenix Door Panels Ltd, West Newlands Industrial Estate, Somersham, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, PE28 3EB tel: 01487 740469 fax: 01487 740475


SOLIDOR HAVE FURTHER EXPANDED 

their colour options for composite doors to 

14, with the quacky addition of Duck Egg 

blue. 

Says Gareth Mobley, MD: "Many GRP 

composite door manufacturers are limited in 

colours and 

not able to 

offer 

matching 

laminated 

finishes to 

their 

respective 

door frames. 

The Solidor 

composite 

door is foiled 

with a wide 

range of both 

internal and 

external 

woodgrains 

and colours including Irish Oak, Chartwell 

Green and the new Duck Egg blue. 

“Duck Egg was introduced after a 

suggestion on Twitter and we thought why 

not? It shows how quickly we can react to 

customer demand.” i 

solidor.co.uk 

RESPONDING TO GROWING customer 

demand for a double-quick turnaround, 

Phoenix Door Panels can deliver a 

PVC door panel in just 24 hours for a £10 

carriage charge. “We’ve identified that 

one of the sales tactics our customers are 

using to close deals is speed,” says 

Phoenix' Haydon Statham. 

“Homeowners don’t want to wait several 

weeks for their new replacement doors 

and windows; they want them 

straightaway, so speed of supply is 

paramount. That’s why we have 

introduced this special 24-hour panel 

service to help our customers win more 

business. 

“Choose any one of the 121 designs in 

our standard 

brochure, 

order before 

10am and 

your panel will 

be despatched 

the same day 

anywhere in 

the UK." i 

phoenix 

doorpanels 

.co.uk 

LINIAR HAS UPGRADED the master 

door lock for its Bi-Fold Plus to include a 

combination of hook bolts, shoot bolts 

and a centre dead bolt. The new locking 

mechanism locates securely into a 

new, one-piece keep, offering homeowners 

additional peace of mind. 

The new lock and keep are adjustable 

at every location point, making those 

final installation tweaks, according to 

the company, that much easier and 

quicker. 

The new keep doesn’t need any 

routing of outer frame and sits neatly in 

the centre recess. It doesn’t even need to 

be removed on installation, as there are 

removable pockets to fix behind, making 

fabrication and installation that much 

simpler. i 

bi-foldplus.co.uk 

specialist frame adds woodgrain & foiled 

SPECIALIST FRAME PVC-U, the 

Merseyside based bi-fold door manufacturer, 

has added REHAU’s woodgrain 

and foiled finishes to its range. 

Trade customers can now order 

bi-fold doors in all of the popular 

Rehau woodgrains as well as in 

contemporary foils such as grey, 

black, cream and various shades 

of green, blue and red. 

The company says it is 

responding to demand from the 

retail sector where bi-fold doors 

continue to outperform the market 

and where there is growing 

excitement about the design 

opportunities which foiled PVC-U 

presents. 

Customers can order either 

inward or outward opening doors 

in Rehau S706 profile with colour 

on both sides or with colour on the 

outside only. i 

specialistframe.co.uk 

DORPRO HARDWARE IS A NEW DIVISION OF SOLIDOR 

which has been specifically set up to supply the entrance door market 

with high quality hinges and a range of decorative knockers. 

One of the frontline products being introduced is a new slimline face 

fixed flag hinge for single rebate doors offering 4mm of adjustment both 

laterally and horizontally. These hinges are available from stock in 

brushed chrome, chrome, gold, white and black in boxes of 10. This 

new flag hinge, significantly reduces hanging time and often only 

requires only one man and no trestles to hang a door on site, states 

DorPro. 

The firm has also launched a range of door knockers with a high 

quality finish in chrome, gold, white and black. The styles include 6" 

urn, 4" lion, pony tail, doctor and matching spy holes, all designed 

specifically for door panels and composite doors. i solidor.co.uk 


Encloser 

Window 

Locks 

Shootbolt 

Window 

Locks 

After years of securing your doors 

we’re now securing your windows. 

With two all new high performance window locks and a 10 year security 

guarantee, Yale are now truly in the frame for casement window security. 

Whether you prefer bi-directional twin-cam systems or traditional shootbolt 

window locks, Yale has a system to suit both your security and 

manufacturing needs. Suitable for all PVC systems and fully compliant with 

BS7950 and Secured-by-Design, can you afford to be fitting anything else? 

For more information call Yale on 0845 2232128 or 

visit www.yale.co.uk 

An ASSA ABLOY Group brand


SYNSEAL HAS LAUNCHED its new heavy duty eaves 

beam, designed to accommodate bi-fold door openings up to 

5m in width, and has added new sizes to its range of door 

tracks. 

“Many homeowners are excited by the prospect of opening 

up the whole side of a conservatory with a bi-fold door to 

improve garden access and provide more light and fresh air 

into their homes,” says Synseal’s David Leng. 

“The beam will support an opening of up to 5m (depending 

on the conservatory style and door opening location). It is the 

most cost effective support solution available as it eliminates 

the need for expensive steel structures. It has also been 

designed for flexibility of use, ease of installation and comes 

in a range of sizes.” 

Synseal’s bi-fold door tracks are now available in new 

optimised sizes and come in lengths of 3m, 4.05m, 5m and 

6.35m. i synseal.com 

SFS INTEC HAS DEVELOPED the new W-Tec 3D hinge to 

give door manufacturers and installers a concealed hinge which 

is quick and easy to install. 

The new adjustable hinge has been designed to pivot on 

seven fixed axes to ensure absolute stability of the door once 

installed. Two additional pivot points replace the frictional 

elements seen in other hinges available in the market, claims the 

company, to ensure a smoother and more flowing movement. 

This also eliminates the risk of premature wear. 

The W-Tec hinge comes in three different sizes which are 

designed to support doors from 30-140kg in weight without 

showing any signs of wear, as proved in tests of 200,000 

cycles - tested and certified by IFT Rosenheim, Germany. 

Aluminium caps in various finishes are used to cover screws 

and serve as a tamper deterrent. In addition, this ensures that 

all visible screw heads are covered up to improve the aesthetics 

of the open door set. i 

t. 0113 2085 535 

5-day bi-fold doors from total glass 

PVC-U AND ALUMINIUM fabricator 

Total Glass has launched a five-day turnaround 

on its Total Aluminium bi-fold 

doors for trade customers in response to 

rising demand for this popular home 

improvement product. 

Fully-glazed bi-fold doors are available 

in three selected standard colours, black, 

white and anthracite grey and can be 

specified in three to seven-pane 

combinations. 

A wider range of RAL and dual colour 

options, including woodgrain and 

textured finishes, are also available on 

slightly longer lead times. 

Explains Total's Marcus Wilson: 

“We introduced this convenient 

express option for bi-fold doors to 

match the lead times for our PVC-U 

windows after a number of requests 

from our customers. This means 

installers can fit the bi-fold doors at the 

same time as replacement windows, 

with reduced time on site and minimal 

disruption for homeowners.” i 

totalglass.com 

DOUBLE DOORS AND STABLE DOORS are 

set to get the thumbs up from architects and 

developers this year as the latest way to add a 

touch of class to new build homes, according to 

New World Developments. The company says it 

has orders coming in from developers in both the 

south-east of England and Dublin for use in bigger 

houses with sufficiently wide main entrances. 

“Last year, gothic arches were the big new 

thing. This year double doors and stable doors 

seem to be the favoured way of giving larger 

new builds a mansion house feel,” says New 

World's Linda Tomb. “We have seen orders of 

both increase over the past few weeks and now 

plan to promote them further with a special 

spring deal for customers. 

Said Linda: “The double doors are going out 

in a wide variety of colours although blues and 

blacks are the most popular. For the stable 

doors, a cream or light oak finish are by far 

the most requested. 

“Watching market trends is an important 

part of our ongoing development and offering 

customers a special promotional package on 

the double and stable doors over the next 

three months is our way of helping them to 

maximise the current popularity of these 

entrance systems.” i bi-foldplus.co.uk 


Thinking about 

switching suppliers? 

A word of advice: 

always read the small print! 

At Crystal we recognise that the more successful our customers 

are the more successful our own business will be. So what do we 

offer that others don’t? 

FANTASTIC PRODUCT CHOICE… 

Internal and externally glazed frames • a choice of profile • PVC-U and Aluminium composite doors • astragal 

Georgian bar windows • VS windows • bi-fold doors • full range of colour profile • complete conservatories • a 

choice of Zoom, Synseal and Ultraframe roof systems 

…REAL SUPPORT… 

Bespoke, personalised retail brochures, fliers, mailers and posters • online quotations and ordering facilities 

• showroom display products • a recognition that support isn’t support if you have to pay for it… that’s why 

Crystal’s customer get all this for FREE 

…AND EVERYTHING ELSE INSTALLERS NEED! 

Including energy rated windows A – C • BSI and BBA accredited profiles • BS EN 1279 compliant sealed units 

• BS EN production control approved • Secured by Design products • a sensible approach to credit terms • 

fast nationwide delivery 

Crystal’s customers sell more because they have more to sell and 

get more support. And it’s their sustained success that has made 

Crystal so successful – last year we grew by 21%! 

Be part of better. Call Crystal 

01462 489900 or visit 

www.crystal-direct.co.uk

The only limit is your 

customers imagination 

Your customers may be dreaming of a grand design, 

but you need innovative products to make it a reality. 

BUNDLE OFFER 

a further 15% off Liv in room & 

cornice when purchased together 

& Cornice 

Classic roofs | Low pitch roofs | Coloured foil roofs | Bespoke coloured roofs 

Orangery roofs | Liv in room | Veranda & canopy roofs | Aluminium roofs 

Bi-span | Structural couplers & pilasters | Portal frames for both domestic 

& commercial applications | Replacement conservatory specific product 

Cornice | Cast effect gutter | Structural glass | Tie wire | Solar control & 

Self cleaning glass | Shades | Rosewood & light Oak foil ridge & end caps 

Prefix Systems UK 

(Head Office) 

Roof Fabrication 

Lancashire 

Tel: 01254 871800 

Fax: 01254 399995 

Prefix Systems 

(South) 


Northamptonshire 

Tel:01604 750212 

Fax: 01604 750214 

Prefix Systems 

(Southwest) 


Swansea 

Tel: 01792 588254 

Fax: 01792 580599 

Innovative Conservatory 

Roof Fabricators 

www.prefixsystems.co.uk www.twitter.com/prefixsystems 

bi-fold door support system 

for conservatories

conservatories 

Zoom – the Industry’s 

Best-kept Secret 

In his first article for The Installer as Sales Director of Zoom Ready, Steve Halford explains 

why Zoom’s clever engineering helps make conservatories profitable again for installers 

I’ve heard Zoom described as the industry’s 

best-kept secret. I barely recognised 

the name when I met Martin Randall 

last year even though I’ve been in the 

business for years. I was amazed. It’s a 

fantastic roof expertly designed to make 

conservatories profitable again for 

installers. 

Cutting customer call backs 

Zoom is the first conservatory roof company 

to seriously tackle common problems 

like leaks and glazing slip that lead 

to customer call backs. It’s been designed 

for the real world where human error, 

uneven bases and out of square walls 

govern installation. If a roof can’t be 

adjusted onsite to compensate, it won’t fit 

as well and it’ll be vulnerable to leaks and 

other problems. 

As temperature changes, glass and 

polycarbonate panels expand and contract 

and will move if not securely fixed. 

They may slip and leave a gap at the top 

of the conservatory. Water will find its 

way through the gap and the roof will 

leak. Fixing glazing slip is difficult and 

expensive. Other conservatory roofs 

have complicated fixes with clips and 

double sided tape, and they’re not foolproof. 

Zoom’s patented Glazing Stop 

eliminates glazing slip on glass and polycarbonate. 

The Glazing Stop hooks into 


the eaves beam and the glass or polycarbonate 

rests against the upstanding leg of 

the stop. It’s simple and 100% effective. 

The Valley Glazing Stop also stops glazing 

slip in the valley. 

Leaks are another big problem. Water 

will find a way through any gap or hole, 

and it’s often hard to pinpoint where a 

leak’s coming from. Zoom’s solution is to 

design a roof without holes or gaps. For 

example, the Ridge Cap attaches with a 

positive fix to the single box section 

Ridge, with no screw holes for water 

ingress. The radius end is a weak point in 

the conservatory and the most exposed to 

the elements. But Zoom’s patented, 

shaped closed-cell permanent memory 

foam with a pre-applied primary seal and 

two line final seal that fits at the radius 

end does the job and keeps water out. 

No wonder Zoom passed the BBA 

Weather Test at 300 Pascal, the equivalent 

of 113 inches of rain in 24 hours (the 

UK average is 34 inches a year). 

Making installation quicker 

and easier 

The faster you fit, the quicker you can 

move on to the next job and boost your 

profit margins. Starting with the basics, 

Zoom only uses one size and type of nut 

and bolt, so there’s no mistaking which 

tools to bring. It has a ‘one-size-fits-all’ 

ridge thanks to Ridge Wings which slide 

into the ridge, allowing the installer to 

adjust the pitch. 

Zoom’s incorporated a number of 

clever features to make installation quicker 

and easier. The Eaves Beam Pivot Rail 

saves installers valuable time when fitting 

glazing bars to the eaves beam. The rail 

has factory-set plastic spacers at the correct 

intervals to hold bolts in place, and at 

the correct 90°angle. The pivot rail fits 

into the eaves beam channel and the 

glazing bar drops on top – no need to 

adjust each individual bolt to get it to fit. 

It’s easy to adjust, and puts less strain on 

the individual components. 

A roof that fits together perfectly in the 

factory may not work onsite with an 

uneven base and house walls not square. 

Zoom is built for onsite adjustment and is 

designed for a one-man fit. The patented 

‘Zoom Lock’ fixes glazing bars to the D- 

ring at the radius end by just clipping on, 

and can be fitted and adjusted by one 

man. The Zoom Locks are pre-marked to 

15°, 25°, 35° and 45° for fast and easy 

installation. Jack rafter assembly is simple 

too, giving an easy, positive fix. 

A strong roof 

Zoom is built to shrug off the elements 

too. Our Deep Flow Box Gutter gives a 

positive fix to the eaves beam to enhance 

the roof’s integral strength. And the 

rafters attach to the eaves beam, not the 

box gutter. It’s a very strong roof that withstands 

the wind, rain and extra weight of 

snow. 

Limitless design options 

Consumer tastes vary so Zoom offers limitless 

design options to help installers take 

every sales opportunity. Bi-fold doors are 

popular and with reinforced eaves 

beams, Zoom can support up to 4.7 

metre wide bi-folds depending on specification. 

For lean-tos, pitches can be set 

between 2.5° and 40° and between 15° 

and 40° for Edwardian and Victorian 

roofs. There’s also a choice of colour 

options to match the look of the home and 

existing windows, and both classic and 

contemporary PVC-U finials and crestings 

for a neat finish and more choice. Top 

caps are available in aluminium and 

PVC-U. We’ve thought about the internal 

aesthetics too with concealed Tie Bar Fixing 

to give a smarter finish. Tie Bars are 

cut to length to save installers time and 

money. 

Year-round living 

Conservatories are a cost-effective way of 

adding extra living space, but they’re not 

good value if they’re too cold in winter 

Continued 

25


Continued – Zoom – the industry’s best-kept secret 

Conservatory 

Installers – 

Opportunity 

Knocks 

By Andy McDowell, 

Commercial Director, Pilkington 

Avast majority of conservatories 

installed in the UK are fitted with 

plastic roofs. Most of these were 

built during the home improvement frenzy 

of the past few decades, often during times 

when energy efficiency was not as important 

as it is now. This means that they can 

be outdated in terms of energy efficiency. 

and too hot in summer. Homeowners 

who are sold ‘year round living’ often 

feel short-changed if they can only use it 

a third of the year. Zoom Conservatory 

Roof Glass – Relax 365 is an ‘intelligent’ 

range of conservatory glass manufactured 

exclusively for Zoom Ready and 

designed to keep conservatories cool in 

summer and warm in winter. It comes in 

a choice of four sealed units, six coloured 

tints and a self-cleaning option. Zoom 

also offers Zoom PolySmart – Relax 365. 

This new generation of ‘intelligent’ polycarbonate 

prevents up to 80% of the 

sun’s solar energy from heating up the 

conservatory in summer and stops most 

of the heat escaping in winter. Supplied 

exclusively by Zoom Ready, Zoom 

PolySmart is available in two sizes and 

two colour choices. 

Getting it right from the start 

Homeowners never fell out of love with 

conservatories but they may have been 

disappointed when their conservatory 

leaked or a glazing panel slipped. To 

help make conservatories profitable for 

installers, they need to be designed for 

the real world and not marred by 

call-backs. i 

t.0845 305 4138 

zoomroom.co.uk 

Pictured: The Zoom conservatory roof 

which is about to shake up the market 

Continued 

ignoring the obvious that most buildings them. We believe passionately in conservatories 

and want market 

to help zoom acquisition shakes up conservatory and bases are not absolutely square and 

installers 

Martin Randall, Chairman of Zoom Ready talks about the conservatory market and why 

his acquisition of Zoom is shaking things up 

Despite overcrowding, a housing 

shortage and the fact that conservatories 

are one of the most cost 

effective ways of adding space and 

value to homes, over the last five years 

fewer people have been buying conservatories. 

It’s been disheartening to watch and 

what frustrated me was the industry’s 

lack of innovation. Common problems 

for installers, like leaks and glazing slip, 

hadn’t been sorted. Roofs were 

designed for perfectly aligned buildings, 

roofs that cannot be adjusted to fit onsite 

create problems for installers. They cost 

time and money to fix, if they can be 

fixed. So why haven’t roof companies 

invested the time and money to iron out 

these problems? Take glazing slip for 

example. Most roof systems are still fiddling 

around with double sided tape 

and clips. Zoom’s the only company 

with a proper, patented solution – the 

Zoom Glazing Stop – to eliminate this 

problem. 

It took a newcomer – Zoom – to fix, 

sell more and 

make more from 

selling them. I 

think our ‘brilliant 

ideas’ will 

shake up the 

market – and 

not before time. The 20 brilliant ideas 

we’ve listed in Zoom Ready’s new 

brochure (available end of April) will 

save installers time, money and heartache! 

When that happens I’ll be a 

happy man. i 

26 


Ever had to fit a 

conservatory 

billiant 

2 

idea No2 

roof and your 

mate goes sick? 

 

One roof company has made it possible 

 

 

Have you seen the light? 

billiant 

3 

idea No3 

billiant 

4 

idea No4 

billiant 

5 

idea No5 

billiant 

6 

idea No6 

 

 

 

Reduced silicone 

 

 

Get ZOOM Ready for a better roof 

Call 0845 305 4138 

Email 

Visit 

INNOVATION AND FRESH THINKING IN CONSERVATORY ROOFING!


Continued – Conservatory Installers – Opportunity Knocks 

This presents an opportunity for 

installers to retrofit more efficient and 

more suitable systems to existing conservatories. 

Fitting glass to replace plastic 

roofs in existing conservatories has the 

potential to provide a massive new revenue 

stream, with many installers able to 

use their databases of former customers 

to determine those with conservatories 

ripe for a refit. 

Helping the homeowner 

The key to unlocking this opportunity lies 

in helping homeowners to understand the 

benefits of installing glass roofs, andhow 

easy it is, even when their conservatory 

may not look like it needs renovating. 

With the right approach, installers can 

encourage homeowners to upgrade their 

conservatory roofs enabling them to create 

a more attractive andcomfortable 

environment and indeed save money on 

fuel bills. Being armedwith facts proving 

these points is the simplest tactic for 

increasing sales. 

These facts are simple – conservatories 

with plastic roofs allow a lot of heat to 

escape from the interior of the building. 

This means owners are paying higher 

energy bills to heat the room in the winter, 

while it often remains too coldto use. 

This has a knock-on effect on the energy 

consumption of the entire house, especially 

if adjoining doors are left open. 

A typical plastic conservatory roof has 

a U-value of 1.6, meaning that it allows 

approximately 45 per cent more heat 

to escape than a glass roof unit like 

Pilkington Cervoglass Activ, with a 

U-value of 1.1. 

As well as preventing heat escaping, 

glass roofs can provide solar control to 

help keep conservatories cooler during 

the height of summer. While plastic conservatories 

often become stiflingly hot 

during warm weather, solar control glass 

can help to reduce internal peak temperatures 

by up to 10 per cent, maintaining 

a comfortable environment on days when 

a plastic conservatory wouldbe virtually 

unusable. 

Other improvements 

Glass conservatory roofs can make a 

huge difference in other ways too. Glass 

offers improvedsoundinsulation, can be 

toughenedor laminatedfor safety and 

security and can even include both selfcleaning 

andsolar control properties. 

Glass conservatory roofs can also significantly 

lower the external noise levels 

homeowners experience. The soundof 

rain hitting the conservatory roof is dramatically 

reduced, and if you live near a 

busy road, railway line or under a flight 

path, glass is more effective than plastic 

at reducing noise to an acceptable level. 

There are various ways this can be 

achieved depending on the reduction 

required, including the use of speciallydeveloped 

laminated acoustic glass, 

which you can test on our website – 

pilkington.com/replacementroofs 

Coloured conservatories are being 

taken into a new dimension by 

Aztec Conservatory Roof Systems. 

The can now apply the same colour and 

finish through all planes, to every single 

roof component. According to the company, 

other conservatory roof systems 

companies use a combination of foiling 

and spraying, depending on the complexity 

of the component. As a result, 

intricate caps, crests and finials are often 

sprayed, whereas bars are foiled, sometimes 

creating different tone and quality 

of finish to the end result – particularly 

noticeable in woodgrain. 

Aztec is offering Renolit foils in 

Cream, Black, Anthracite Grey, 

Chartwell Green and Irish Oak ex-stock, 

enabling integration with premium window 

system profiles. All shades are 

available in single unit quantities, with 

no minimum order to ease customer 

cashflow and stockholding. i 

t. 0151 678 0691 aztecsystems.net 

Self-cleaning glass 

Self-cleaning glass is usually one of the 

most tangible benefits for upgrading to a 

glass conservatory roof. Pilkington Activ 

is a special permanent, microscopic coating 

that uses daylight and rainwater to 

break down and wash away dirt from the 

exterior surface andcan be easily incorporatedinto 

the outer pane of most conservatory 

roof glass IGUS. 

Toughenedandlaminatedglass 

ranges like Pilkington Cervoglass can be 

up to five times stronger than ordinary 

glass of the same thickness. They can be 

designedto withstandaccidental human 

impact at the highest level of severity and 

offer strong resistance to stray footballs, 

frisbees andother toys that often accompany 

gardens. If broken, the toughened 

Pilkington Cervoglass shatters into small, 

relatively harmless fragments, which 

reduce the risk of personal injury. These 

safety andsecurity benefits often appeal 

to homeowners with children. 

‘MOT Your Home’ video 

It’s important to finda way to communicate 

clearly the benefits of upgrading a 

conservatory roof to customers. This communication 

can take the form of simple 

sales materials setting out the benefits 

transparently or using credible third parties 

to tell the story, as we have done 

recently in the ‘MOT Your Home’ video 

series with TV personality George Clarke. 

You can also show your customers our 

time lapse video, so they can see firsthandjust 

how easy it is to replace a conservatory 

roof. 

However you decide to speak to your 

customers, one thing is clear. Cuttingedge 

glass technology is providing a significant 

opportunity for conservatory 

installers. i 

pilkington.co.uk/activ 

Pictured: (previous page) Cervoglass 

Sun; (below) cervoglassactiv 

every component supplied in same colour 

28 


Livinroom is the latest addition to the ever expanding configurability of the Classic system. 

As more and more consumers want ‘crossover’ extensions, Livin room 

offers the best of all worlds and as you would expect, Ultraframe’s 

technology is exemplary. 

A steelwork ladder system is suspended from the eaves and glazing bars to offer a superb 

platform for the plastered finish - all postcode specific to take account of the wind and snow 

loadings at the consumer’s address. 

Furthermore, combine our 10 year guarantee for roof and framework with Cornice externally 

and you have a compelling proposition for your buyer. 

Upgrade a typical Georgian roof for 

around £420 (excluding VAT and 

plasterboard). 

Call 0843 208 6941 if you buy 

your roofs direct from Ultraframe or 

contact one of our Trade Partners 

listed opposite. 

www.ultraframe.co.uk 

Livinroom Trade Partners* 

Roof Fabricators 

Connaught Conservatory Roofs 01709 710100 

Maitlands 01386 556055 

Pavilion Systems 01903 739440 

Prefix Systems 01254 871800 

Prefix Systems (SW) 01792 588254 

Prefix Systems South 01604 750212 

Premier Frames 0116 2537297 

Specialised Cons Systems 01772 822232 

Superframe 01326 378732 

Sure Roof Systems 01603 486642 

Window and Conservatory fabricators 

Affordable Windows 01253 888221 

Camden Group 02894 462419 

Customade 01453 826884 

Emplas 01933 674880 

Griffin Windows 01443 777333 

Interframe 01803 666633 

Lister Trade Frames 01782 391954 

Sash (UK) Ltd 01226 719932 

Tradeframe 01733 574747 

Trade counter outlets 

Window Fitters Mate 

www.wfm.co.uk 

SIG Specialist Glazing Products 01202 580550 

* Other recognised trade outlets are available too.


Ultraframe’s Technical 

Director, Andrew 

Thomson, has heard 

rumours that at least one 

company is claiming that 

conservatory roofs are 

covered by Part L of the 

Building Regulations – he 

says they're not 

Say No to 

Part L Panic 

Consultations to Part L of the Building 

Regulations, launched by DCLG 

back in January this year, is a critical 

process that will tighten up the standards 

relating to the reduction of carbon 

dioxide emissions from homes and 

ensure that the renovation and new build 

market is equipped to deal with the journey 

to ‘zero carbon’ by 2016. 

For some corners of our industry this 

consultation has been positioned as an 

opportunity to sell the ‘Part L solution’ to 

the conservatory and orangery market 

resulting in unnecessary confusion 

amongst installers about exactly how Part 

L may or may not, impact our market. 

Andrew Thomson, technical director at 

Ultraframe explains why this irresponsible 

sales tactic is at best misleading but 

ultimately demonstrates the lack of depth 

and knowledge among some roof system 

providers. 

carbon-free by 2016 

Andrew explains: “Part L is a complex 

beast, but underpins the critical requirement 

for the built environment to be carbon-free 

by 2016. That’s a given. Part L 

ultimately defines the way we build new 

homes in the UK, by far the biggest market 

causing concern for Government in 

dealing with the zero carbon journey. But 

that said, the renovation and refurbishment 

market is also a massive consideration 

and twice as many extensions are 

built each year compared to the building 

roof glass – global’s massive price reduction 

Global Glass, Synseal’s own insulated 

glass unit manufacturing 

business is reducing prices on a 

wide range of roof glass by an average 

of 20%. The new prices will vary according 

to specification with, for example, 

the most popular Low-E Blue Argon-Filled 

Self-Cleaning double glazed units being 

reduced by 24%. 

Global Glass offers toughened roof 

glass in a range of specifications from 

Clear glass and Low-E Clear glass to 

of new homes – a trend we are likely to 

witness for many years while the housing 

and mortgage market recovers. 

“Our role as one of the leading conservatory 

roof manufacturer is to set the standards 

by which all other manufacturers 

follow and develop roof solutions that 

lead the conservatory market towards 

improved thermal efficiency for homeowners. 

That has been our role for years, 

and we will continue to work closely with 

our customers to provide next generation 

‘hybrid’ systems that evolve the conservatory 

market and raise the expectations of 

the homeowner about the thermal attributes 

they should be looking for as standard 

in their conservatory. 

Opportunity – so stop the confusion 

“This is a fantastic opportunity for the conservatory 

market if certain roof providers 

stop playing in the dirt and grasp the nettle. 

This period of Government reflection 

is not about bringing the conservatory 

market into line with Part L, it’s about manufacturers 

recognising that the time for 

cheap, inefficient roofs has long gone 

and home owners demand and expect 

their conservatory to perform in exactly 

the same way as their normal living 

space. 

Ultraframe has gone through some 

seismic changes in recent times, not least 

of all with the appointment of self build 

and offsite manufacturing expert Joe 

Martoccia. 

Low-E Blue Argon-Filled Self-Cleaning 

glass and the new Low-E Bronze Argon- 

Filled Self-Cleaning glass. 

Synseal’s Global conservatory roof 

system is well-positioned to satisfy the 

growing popularity of glass for roofing, 

rather than polycarbonate. Design features 

such as easy-fit glass stops ensure 

practical installation coupled with a high 

performance and reliability in use. 

Integrated operations now allow 

Synseal to engineer both PVC-U profile 

“Joe has told me: ‘This is an incredibly 

exciting time for any manufacturer 

that can develop future proof solutions 

in the conservatory and extension market. 

It’s quite easy to get bogged down 

in the detail of Part L and try and falsely 

cause panic amongst the installer 

market. 

‘The reality is, we should be developing 

solutions that lead us towards a carbon-free 

conclusion and this won’t be driven 

by Government in this market – it will 

be driven by Ultraframe. 

‘Reality is we are answerable to home 

owners – keen to conserve fuel and keep 

a lid on their utility bills’. 

Leading the market 

With rising fuel prices and a stagnant 

housing market its critical that Ultraframe 

lead product innovation to ensure that 

their customers continue to deliver a 

broad range of solutions that look great, 

provide optimum thermal performance 

and add value to the home. There is no 

room for mediocrity. Consumers are 

more demanding than ever before. Our 

debate in this market shouldn’t be 

focused on Part L, it should be focused on 

supporting our installers with evolved systems 

that underpin their business in terms 

of reputation and profit.” i 

t. trade.ultraframe.co.uk 

Follow Ultraframe 

twitter.com/#!/ultraframe1 

and IGU in parallel to ensure that costeffective 

solutions. i 

sysnseal.com 

30 


Enjoy more flexibility 

with our new 

extended range. 

Pilkington K Glass 

The evolution continues 

For over two decades Pilkington K Glass has been the leading choice in 

energy-efficient glazing. With the launch of our new soft coat option, 

Pilkington K Glass S, the range has become the widest and most flexible 

on the market. Giving you more options, more solutions and more ways 

to comply with Part L, now and in the future. So whatever your 

application, processing technique or framing system, the newly extended 

Pilkington K Glass range is the only range you’ll need to know. 

To find out more, visit www.pilkington.co.uk/kglass, 

email pilkington@respond.uk.com or call our team 

on 01744 692000 quoting 0274

WE’VE CHANGED OUR NAME… 

WITH INSTANT EFFECT 

Solaglas’ strength is in its people, 

its great technical knowledge and 

experience and its rapport with 

customers. 

That’s all built on the brilliant 

resources of Saint-Gobain – 

innovation, investment, technology 

and logistics. 

Together, we deliver glass solutions, 

placing our customers and their 

needs at the centre of our world. 

That’s why Solaglas is changing 

its name to GLASSOLUTIONS. 

T: 0870 606 2004 

www.glassolutions.co.uk

glass 

Tuff X Team-up 

with Technoform 

Tuff X, a glass conservatory roof manufacturer, is now incorporating the German 

engineered TGI-Spacer within its insulating glass units 

Since moving to TGI the company 

says it has enjoyed greater production 

efficiency while still offering 

their customers improved thermal performance. 

Paul Higgins, purchasing manager of 

Tuff X explains: “We were looking for a 

warm edge spacer bar solution that 

would fit into our production line, while 

maintaining a high level of thermal efficiency. 

We found TGI very supportive in 

Ambience brand from TuffX Conservatory 

Roof Glass – and the 

Ambi-Max option in particular – 

has proved perfect for an Okehampton 

Glass project which required superlength 

units of LowE glass to be fitted. 

Previously the company would have 

used 6mm glass units, however, having 

read about the 4mm glass Ambi-Max 

option from TuffX, opted to incorporate 

this into the sun room that was being 

built onto the renovation project as it 

assisting us in setting up our production 

line to work as efficiently as possible with 

their TGI spacer bar. 

“It was very reassuring that TGI were 

willing to support us with the upgrade of 

our bending machine as well as working 

on evenings and weekends so as to 

reduce any impact on our normal production 

hours.” 

Tuff X recently launched new oversized 

roof glass units which are manufactured 

was far more cost effective, visually 

more striking and meant there would not 

be any issues regarding muntin bar 

leaks. 

Oakhampton's Roger Thorne comments: 

“Innovative ideas for the conservatory 

sector are very welcome, particularly 

when they remove technical 

problems such as muntin bar leaks 

which are very frustrating for all concerned.“The 

project looks impressive 

and we will definitely be specifying 

up to a four metres, preventing the need 

to split units and use muntin bars. “We 

found that the TGI-Spacer worked well for 

all sized units, as well as maintaining 

very good quality bends, even for the 

very acute angles that we produce,” concludes 

Higgins. i 

glassinsulation.co.uk 

t. 0121 506 9740 

Pictured: Paul Higgings (left) of TuffX 

and Andrew Jenner of TGI 

superlenghts a perfect fit for oakhampton glass 

Ambi-Max on any new installations that 

require the larger sized units. i 

ambiglass.co.uk 


33

glass 

THE OXTOBYS OF ANCASTER AVENUE, HULL are the 

latest homeowners to have the cost of their new windows 

refunded in the Planitherm Cash-Back promotion that has paid 

back thousands of pounds to customers since the campaign 

was launched last year. 

Colfax Window Systems had the pleasure of telling their 

customer the good news and presenting them with a cheque 

for the full amount of their new Planitherm windows. “Mr and 

Mrs Oxtoby were delighted to learn they had won the full cost 

of their installation back through the competition,” says 

Tim Pedersen of 

Colfax. 

Colfax joined 

the Installer Network 

when it was 

launched and 

makes full use of 

the marketing 

material and 

sales leads it provides: 

“We use 

the materials provided 

to us as 

members and it 

works very well. 

We recommend 

Planitherm as it 

offers the best performance of any low-E glass which benefits 

our customers and offers us an additional competitive edge,” 

concludes Pedersen. i 

saint-gobain.co.uk 

BALCONY SYSTEMS HAS LAUNCHED ITS NEW BALCONANO 

self-application glass coating process that it claims transforms ordinary 

glass into self-cleaning glass. This easy-to-apply DIY sachet solution supports 

Balcony’s patented factory-applied coating for its range of modern 

glass balconies, glass Juliet balconies and curved patio doors. 

BalcoNano works at a nano-scale level – a nanometre is one millionth 

of a millimetre - to form a hard, clear coating that leaves a supersmooth 

surface on the glass. It transforms the dirt-trapping microscopic 

pits, peaks and valleys of the underlying glass surface into one that 

is water-repellent or hydrophobic. 

Water landing on the coated glass curls into droplets that quickly 

roll away, so any dirt, grime or deposits washes off easily to keep the 

glass surface looking new and cleaner for longer. i 

balconano.com 

SAINT-GOBAIN 

GLASS UK HAS COM- 

PLETED THE LATEST 

STAGE in the development 

of its Planitherm marketing 

campaign by 

extensively revamping its 

Installer Network, which 

was created to support the 

massive consumer advertising 

campaign that 

began early last year. 

After more than 1,600 

window installers and fabricators 

signed up to 

receive a listing on the 

Planitherm website, 

(along with marketing 

materials and sales leads), SGGUK requested that those registered 

re-affirm their commitment to the Network by refreshing 

their credentials. To date more than 575 have done so. 

Craig Dodsworth, Planitherm Market Manager says: “Consumers 

are encouraged to look at the website for local installers. 

Sales leads are sent directly to Network members, so it is right 

to ensure that such rewards go to pro-active, reputable companies. 

We asked members to re-confirm their interest and we 

have been delighted with the response.” 

The Planitherm campaign, which is expected to run for another 

two years at least, provides a powerful stimulus to the market 

which has filtered through into record sales of the product. i 

PLANITHERM-network.com/become-a-member 

creative design leads to positive results 

AN INSTALLATION IN EXCESS OF 

£100,000 is due to be completed by 

The Glass Machinery Company at Cornwall 

Glass and Glazing at a new Somerset 

branch – which makes 13 branches in 

total in the south-west region. 

After extensive negotiations, the two 

companies have developed a state-of-theart 

facility. Meticulous attention to detail 

was incorporated into the CAD/CAM 

design for the 15,000sq.ft project to 

ensure that the new equipment would cater 

for current and future production needs. 

Additional 

capacity 

should boost 

group production 

by 25% in 

the next 18-24 

months. 

With orders 

steadily 

increasing it 

was imperative when making the investment 

decision, to order equipment that 

would not only substantiate the existing 

standards but that would help to further 

enhance the company’s reputation. 

As with all ‘works in progress’ the challenges 

for The Glass Machinery Company 

came as the project altered to accommodate 

an evolving corporate plan. The 

team evaluated the production floor 

developed design ideas that would help 

to improve productivity and efficiency, in 

essence to help take the business further 

forward as it initiates an expansion programme. 

i 

theglassmachinerycompany.co.uk 


“ 

The question isn’t do we care. I know 

we all care. The question is do we care 

enough to actually do something? 

” 

Britain’s PVC-U industry has a lot to 

be proud of. We make great products. 

Our windows, doors and conservatories 

not only look great, they are also 

extremely durable. And they are 100% 

recyclable. In fact, PVC-U out-performs 

rival materials such as timber across 

the board - particularly where it 

really matters in areas such as energy 

 

whole life costs. 

Our products are fantastic. Our products aren’t the problem. The problem is we no 

longer bother to tell anyone just how good they are. As an industry we’ve stopped 

 

threat to our future prosperity. I’ve been in the windows industry for 25 years. 

I started out as an installer. I now run a successful fabricating business, Crystal 

Direct. I care about the future of the industry. And I’m prepared to put my money 

where my mouth is. 

This isn’t about promoting my own business. I want to create a platform that will 

bring fabricators and installers together to promote PVC-U. I don’t wish to exclude 

systems companies or anyone else who wants to support the campaign. However, 

we cannot rely on anyone else to do this for us. Installers and fabricators are 

 

Fabricators and installers have a vital role to play and a vital interest at stake - it’s 

time we stepped up to the plate. 

 

material. We also need to challenge the inaccurate and misleading claims put 

about by manufacturers of alternative materials who, instead of improving their 

own products, would rather spread scare stories and misinformation about ours. My 

 

asking for your support. 

 

in helping to promote PVC-U, please visit or email 

me at Martin@pro-PVC.com 

Martin Randall, Chairman, Crystal Direct 

PVC-U

products & projects 

KÖMMERLING CONTINUES TO INVEST in new products 

with the introduction of a mechanically jointed sash horn for their 

5 chambered, lead-free O70 Gold window and door system. 

The O70 Gold mechanically jointed sash horn is available in 

all the stock laminated 

finishes including 

Rosewood, Golden Oak, 

black, cream, Irish Oak, 

white ash, grey on white 

and Chartwell Green on 

white. The new colours that 

are available from stock and 

the inherent 5 chambered 

design of the system have 

resulted in existing 

customers experiencing a 

great start to the year. 

The new sash horn kit 

comprises of a one piece sash horn end cap with an 

integrated gasket and laminated end cap for a better finish. 

Kömmerling have developed a dedicated metal fixing bracket 

for mechanical sash joints, which doubles up as mechanical 

joint for a standard transom/mullion. 

Kömmerling’s Kevin Warner comments: “We’re continually 

adding to our product range and our customer base with some 

vigour. While some systems companies continue to struggle, 

Kömmerling, KBE and our customers are thriving. This 

Olympic year is already looking to be our best year ever by 

some way.” i 

kommerling.co.uk 

WER Website Goes Live 

SYNSEAL’S ONLINE Window Energy 

Ratings site www.wer-synseal.com is 

now live, and currently contains more 

than 1,000 WER reports and U-values. 

Each report is guaranteed and accredited 

by the BFRC and has been prepared 

by Synseal’s two qualified assessors – 

Greg Tabberer and Ben Foulds. The WER 

site is designed to be future-proof and is 

updated as new products are launched. 

“Our in-house BFRC assessors have been a 

huge success,” explained Andrew Potts, 

Synseal’s Digital Marketing Project Manager. 

“Rather than simply give fabricators 

information that was relevant to the 

products they produced, we decided to 

develop an intelligent tool so that 

fabricators can find the best way to 

produce the products they need, whether 

that be a compliant C rated window, or a 

super efficient A+20 window. 

“Furthermore, if the finished window 

isn’t covered by one of our many stored 

WER reports, we can create a new report 

and add it to the growing list for others to 

use in future.” i wer-synseal.com 

AMBER WINDOWS HAS BECOME ONE OF THE FIRST companies in the industry 

to benefit from the recently launched Excalibur Plus multi-point claw lock from hardware 

supplier Kenrick. 

Amber has worked with Kenrick for many years and was looking for a robust and 

reliable system that could be adapted to suit both the WHSHalo and Duraflex chamfered 

and sculptured windows it manufacturers. Having reviewed many systems on the market, 

Amber opted for the Excalibur Plus system from Kenrick. 

BBA and Secured by Design approved, Excalibur Plus, is quick and simple to fit and 

easy for the homeowner to use. It has also been successfully tested to more than 100,000 

operations of opening and closing the window and provides more than 240 hours of 

intense salt based corrosion to exceed the requirements of BS7412. 

Kenrick and Amber Windows also worked closely together to adapt the centre keeps 

of the system to carry Amber’s product branding for the lock - “Defender”. i 

kenricks.co.uk 

REHAU HAS LAUNCHED a new baypole solution for its 

70mm systems which will enable fabricators to achieve a perfect 

profile and colour match in a wide range of bay window 

installations. 

The REHAU baypole features aluminium sections with PVC-U 

cladding which is extruded using the same weather resistant 

and impact modified RAU-PVC1406 material used in REHAU’s 

window systems. This means that not only does it offer the same 

levels of performance and quality assurance but it also provides 

the exact material and colour match. 

Wolfgang Gorner, Business 

Unit Director for REHAU 

Window Division, explains: 

“The baypole system is part of 

our continuous product 

development 

and 

enhancement programme and 

has been delivered in 

response to demand from 

customers for a complete bay 

window solution which can be 

promoted as being entirely 

REHAU. “It gives our fabricators the opportunity to offer 

customers a system which looks better than a mix and match 

solution using third party components and which has all the 

added reassurance of REHAU’s product and quality guarantees 

throughout.” 

REHAU baypole is available as a fixed 90º corner post, in 

three variable angles from 100º to 160º and as a 180º in-line 

coupler. i 

rehau.com 


Prefix Invests in Elumatec 

AS THE CONSERVATORY MARKET 

SHIFTS AWAY from the traditional 

white standardised products to new 

colours, designs and cross over products, 

Prefix Systems has continued to invest 

within their business to help lead from the 

front. 

The latest investment has been at their 

head office in Lancashire, with the additional 

of a new Elumatec SBZ 122 

machining centre, which will help 

improve the manufacturing processes and 

efficiencies. 

The new machining centre from Elumatec, 

allows all the drilling to be carried 

out on glazing bars with incredible accuracy 

and in a single process. The company 

is a firm believer in manufacturing the 

Ultraframe systems to the very highest 

standards, helping the installer on site 

and providing added confidence. i 

phoenixdoorpanels.co.uk 


SYSTEM10 CURTAIN WALLING from Bowater Architectural 

is now available in a range of internal woodgrain finishes that 

combine the strength and durability of aluminium with the 

traditional looks of timber. 

The internal finishes comprise any existing window foil 

available from the company – such as rosewood, Irish oak, and 

white and black woodgrain. In addition there is the capacity to 

mix powder-coated and woodgrain finishes to give specifiers the 

opportunity to create either all wood-effect facades or almost any 

permutation of foil and solid colour. 

System10 Curtain Walling offers ease of installation, low 

maintenance – and 

superb energy efficiency 

with a U-Value of 1.0 

W/m2K, depending on 

specification. The 

product provides 

enhanced thermal and 

acoustic building 

performance and 

delivers improved safety, 

security and weather 

performance, providing 

both cost and sustainability benefits to the end user. 

A choice of assembly methods is offered, being either the 

Keyway system, which allows for faster fabrication and 

installation – saving time and money in manufacture and on site – 

or the traditional ‘spigot’ type for those more familiar with the 

technique. Externally fixed thermally broken pressure plates 

provide installation and maintenance benefits. i 

bowaterarchitectural.com 

FOR THE GLASS PROCESSING INDUSTRY choosing the 

right loading equipment can have a huge impact upon the 

efficiency of the entire production line. 

The Hegla team always suggests a study of matched 

machinery within a facility to highlight any potential issues that 

could arise for customers. 

Steve Goble, MD at Hegla UK comments: “Manufacturers 

need to assess whether they are being held back by machines 

that leave the production line dormant. Pockets of wasted time 

will build up and subsequently have a considerable effect on the 

output levels, which 

no-one can afford 

in the current 

climate.” 

The double sided 

loading and cutting 

systems from Hegla 

offer many 

advantages with 

one single control 

unit and internal 

database which provides a continuous supply of glass to the 

cutting line. Cutting codes are produced for batch/glass types 

with the machine calibrated and set as to how it will proceed. 

The online option mode of the fully automatic line enables 

decisions to be made in a production office rather than on the 

production floor which can provide huge cost savings. 

Additionally, Hegla’s double sided loading systems are fast and 

efficient due to the mechanical glass separation system and the 

mechanical gearbox which is incorporated instead of 

hydraulics and this ensures that the operation runs smoothly. i 

www.hegla.co.uk 

KÖMMERLING HAVE EXTENDED their foiled offering to 

include Chartwell Green from stock. This takes their 

woodgrain and coloured options to over 40 different finishes, 

on profiles that are extruded with their lead-free Greenline 

compound. 

Chartwell Green will be available from stock, along with the 

other special options on their highly energy efficient 5 

chambered C70 and O70 Gold systems. Rosewood, Golden 

Oak, Cream, Grey, Black and Irish Oak are all now available 

from stock. The special colour options within the newly printed 

Kömmerling and KBE Colour Programme brochure provide 

added choice for the homeowner or specifier and are offered 

in both grained and smooth finishes. i 

kommerling.co.uk 


37


LINIAR ARE NOW ABLE TO OFFER an enhanced service 

to its exclusive network of fabricators. By investing in new foiling 

machinery, Liniar now offer a ‘Platinum,’ ‘Gold’ and ‘Silver’ 

service for all bespoke foiled colours with the shortest lead 

time being just 5 working days. 

White Extrusion Machinery recently supplied Liniar with its 

third FUXprofile-foiling machine. The latest generation FUX 

machine is capable of foiling single profiles first time with a 

wide range of Renolit foils. 

Many fabricators can often wait weeks for coloured profile 

to be delivered. The new FUXmachine now makes this a thing 

of the past allowing Liniar to respond without having to 

interfere with their 

normal lamination 

production schedules. 

Roger Hartshorn, 

Managing Director 

comments: “Since 

launching the foil 

swatch booklets just 

over a year ago, 

demand for special 

foiled profile has 

dramatically 

increased. We 

continually invest in new machinery to keep up with demand, 

and our new service offering is already proving to be a great 

solution for many fabricators who need a quick turnaround for 

those special foiled jobs.” i 

white-extrusion-machinery.co.uk 

ISO CHEMIE HAS UPGRADED ITS ISO-BLOCO One Control 

foam tape to provide improved bonding to all uPVC profile sizes. 

The addition of the 

new fixing system 

featuring two new butyl 

strips will provide 

increased adhesion of 

the foam sealant tape, 

particular to thinner 

window profiles 

ensuring fast and 

effective sealing to 

comply with energy 

saving standards and 

RAL requirements. 

ISO-BLOCO One 

Control is a pre-compressed multi-purpose joint sealing tape 

featuring a tear-off film. This keeps the tape compressed while it 

is applied to the window frame and, once the window has been 

installed, is torn off when required along the perforations for 

controlled expansion, providing a high performance joint seal. 

This allows the seal to be fitted at the fabricators’ factory or 

workshop, ensuring the window can be fitted on site in any 

weather conditions, including rain, then activated on site to suit 

the build programme – ideal for timber frame. 

The tape offers a single ‘fit and forget’ solution for fast sealing 

based around the European RAL principles of three level sealing 

- the inside seal area is more airtight than the external one, 

allowing any trapped moisture inside the joint, or within the 

wall, to escape outwards rather than into the building. i 

iso-chemie.co.uk 

Sea Cadets Building gets the Vulcan Touch 

HULL-BASED VULCAN WINDOWS 

has carried out a sympathetic window 

replacement, giving a local sea cadets 

building a welcome new lease of life. The 

period property presented a number of challenges 

to the Synseal fabricator, not least the 

building's general state of disrepair. 

"The Sea Cadets project was quite a 

challenge because the building was 

dilapidated and in poor condition," Peter 

O’Brien, Vulcan’s Commercial Manager, 

says. "Most of the fenestrations were 

boarded up and there was evidence of 

subsidence." 

The company replaced the boxed sash 

timber casements with PVCu windows 

made from Synseal's Shield profile. Extra 

care was taken to incorporate the very 

ornate internal decorative reveals. 

"We replaced the frames while being 

sympathetic to retaining the internal 

finishes," Peter explained. "The 

Chairman of the board of governors, 

Mr Captain Pearson, commissioned the 

works, and he and the rest of 

the board were delighted with the 

finished work." i 

synseal.co.uk 

HALO HAS INTRODUCED a range of PVC-U clip-on cills that 

simplifies and speeds up the retro-fitting of external insulation 

across its four PVC-U systems. 

The clip-on cills mean that the external insulation can be 

installed leaving doors and windows in situ, with the cills then 

being fixed in as part of the final fix. In the new build environment, 

clipping on the cills after the doors and windows have 

been fitted prevents them being damaged during construction. 

Available in depths of 122, 192 and 242mm – depending on 

the system material – these projecting clip-on cills will fit over 

any thickness of external insulation to provide a neat, aesthetically 

pleasing finish. 

As with all Halo products, 

the cills are part of a quality-engineered 

system that 

not only satisfies the design 

demands of 

specifiers but 

also exceeds 

the installation 

and maintenance 

criteria of ‘traditional’ 

products. i 

whshalo.com 


the king of colour 

10 day turnaround 

Same day quote 

All RAL/BS colours + 

colour matching service 

UV colour stable 

Guaranteed 

Windows, doors 


 

rainwater products 

Coloured Glass 

Tel: 01924 454856 

Fax: 01924 438606 

Dale Works, Thornhill Lees, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire WF12 9HU 

Email: 

 

Or alternatively, we offer a full 

Supply, colour coat 

& delivery service


REHAU TRADE FABRICATOR and profile bending specialist, 

Force 8, has launched what it believes it the UK’s first 

round pivot window in the REHAU PVC-U profile system. 

Dennis Sumner, Force 8 MD, says: “Round pivot windows 

add an interesting design feature in domestic properties and 

are also used extensively as part of commercial design 

schemes. We believe that they have the potential to create 

valuable new sales opportunities for installers particularly in 

REHAU profile which is so renowned for its quality and ease 

of installation.” 

The new round 

pivot window is a 

perfect 

demonstration of 

Force 8’s bending 

expertise, with 

eight bends in total 

used to achieve 

the perfect circle. 

The window is 

completely 

reversible through 

180º which makes 

it easy to clean when necessary and it has security catches at 

the top and bottom to ensure the safety and security of users. 

Force 8 is offering the REHAU round pivot in diameters from 

750mm to 1200mm and in white as standard. It can also 

supply in Mahogany, Rosewood or Golden Oak woodgrain 

or in any one of REHAU’s coloured foiled finishes. i 

www.force8.co.uk 

Safety at Bucks School 

VULCAN WINDOWS ADDED extra 

value to a refurbishment project it carried 

out at Buckingham Street Primary School 

in Hull over the summer. 

Shield PVCu profile was used to 

replace the windows, which formed part 

of staged refurbishment programme of 

works that the firm is currently carrying 

out for the school. 

Vulcan Windows is contracted directly 

by the school, and has taken on other 

professional responsibilities, including 

doing all the risk assessments and health 

and safety coordination. 

Vulcan’s Commercial 

Manager Peter O’Brien 

says: “Normally the 

school would have to 

appoint an architect or 

CDM coordinator to 

carry out these specialist works, which 

would have eaten into their budget. Since 

I am CDM-qualified, I can undertake that 

work, which saves the school a 

considerable amount of money that it 

SALES OF ZOOM LINIAR CONSERVATORIES have taken 

off at Frames Conservatories Direct as more and more homeowners 

recognise the benefits of adding space with a conservatory. 

The Suffolk-based fabricator and installer took around 40 

orders for new conservatories in the run up to Christmas. The 

company has been using the Zoom Liniar system for three years 

and prides itself on offering high quality, durable products to its 

customers. Frames Conservatories Direct chose Zoom Liniar 

over other systems because of its precision engineering and 

ease of installation. 

Rob Addison, 

Operations Director 

said: “I have 

installed a number of 

big-named roofs in 

the past and Zoom 

Liniar is as good as 

leading competitors 

for ease of assembly. 

Unlike other roofs, it 

is site-adjustable. This gives you that extra bit of leeway and 

ensures that you get a perfect fit on site. Zoom Liniar also uses 

far fewer components than other systems. It has a number of 

clever features, such as Zoom’s patented Glazing Stop, which 

completely eliminates glazing slippage. 

“We pride ourselves on ensuring all customers are satisfied 

with our service. Zoom Liniar helps us achieve this. We know 

we’ll get the installation right, first time, reducing the need for 

call backs”, added Rob. i 

www.zoomroom.co.uk 

doesn’t have. All schools’ budgets are 

being squeezed, and it is an extra service 

that we can offer because of our expertise 

in this sector.” i 

synseal.co.uk 

EXCALIBUR PLUS IS A NEW MULTI- 

POINT CLAW LOCK from Kenrick, 

which has been created to combine high 

levels of security for the homeowner. 

Excalibur Plus benefits from a high 

performance central gearbox with 

retractable claws and shootbolt bars with 

steel mushroom cams. They all locate 

into specially designed keeps attached 

to the window frame to provide up to 

eight high security locking points on the 

opening side. 

When used in conjunction with high 

quality hinges, each window has up to 

10 locking points, making Excalibur Plus 

one of the most secure locks in its class. 

Two high strength steel rods located in 

the keeps at the top and bottom of the 

window add to its security. 

Steve Jones, managing director at 

Kenrick, said: “We are absolutely 

delighted to launch this superb new 

product which has been designed to 

offer the very best in performance and 

convenience for the homeowner and 

fabricator alike. i 

kenricks.co.uk 



New Renaissance Range Launched 

The Renaissance brand was created by Quickslide to offer opportunities for its customers wishing 

to tap into the increasing reach of the Renaissance name as it is promoted around key 

events such as Grand Designs, The Ideal Home Show and others. 

Quickslide has now launched a new range of customisable brochures, drop cards, posters, 

swatches and other printed material, together with sections and sample windows for customers 

that use the company’s Renaissance consumer brand in their marketing. 

Quickslide’s Chairman Adrian Barraclough explains: “We have a mix of customers including 

retailers that want to protect and strengthen their own local reputations. Renaissance is 

designed to complement their existing strengths and generate additional opportunities through 

the activities that we undertake on their behalf. The Quickslide name does not appear anywhere, 

with all materials customized and bearing the Renaissance system name to complement 

what they do.” i www.quickslide.co.uk 

STOKE BASED STRATA WINDOWS has opened a refurbished 

showroom in Festival Park. The company previously had 

separate showrooms for its conservatories and doors and window 

products but has now brought its complete range under one roof 

so that retail, trade and commercial buyers can see everything in 

just one visit. 

The investment coincides with Strata’s 30th anniversary in 

business and its 15th year supplying REHAU products and is 

evidence of its ongoing 

commitment and confidence. 

Rob Dale, the Sales Director 

at Strata Windows, said: 

“The new showroom reflects 

the buying habits of today’s 

customers. Our REHAU 

windows and doors are 

displayed in a much more 

contemporary way than 

previously, we’ve got lots of 

popular new foiled products 

and we’ve built two styles of 

orangery inside the 

showroom to inspire customers with the latest new trend. 

“For trade and commercial customers, we’ve also got 

hardwood and aluminium products on display and, with our 

offices and warehouse now all on the same site, visitors can get a 

real feel for what we think makes Strata so special.” 

Strata will be hosting an Open Day during the Spring for trade 

and retail customers at the new showroom. i 

rehau.com 

A LIGHTWEIGHT PLATFORM 

for working at height has been 

unveiled to the UK construction 

industry by approved installer 

Safety Net Services. 

The proven WalkAbout system 

from SpanSet is a tensioned decking 

designed to enable workers to 

access awkward or remote areas 

at height, and due to its low deflection, 

to work with the ease normally 

associated with ground-level 

tasks. 

WalkAbout comprises a durable 

mesh membrane supported by a tensioned webbing matrix that 

is reassuringly stable and capable of achieving a surprising 

loading performance. It interfaces with the structure by fabric 

slings and/or webbing ratchet straps. 

Safety Net Services’ director John Walsh said: “We are very 

excited to be able to offer this system to the UK construction sector. 

Contractors who choose WalkAbout over traditional birdcage 

scaffolding for tasks such as glazing and painting, to 

name just a few at-height activities, will realise its huge potential 

for cost savings, programme acceleration and reduced 

installer risk. 

SpanSet’s WalkAbout is intended as a primary means of support 

and is used in conjunction with a secondary safety system 

that can also be supplied by Safety Net Service. si 

safetynets.co.uk 

SYNSEAL EXTRUSIONS IS ONE OF THE FIRST COMPANIES to back an initiative to 

create a brand new exhibition showcase for the UK window, door and conservatory industry, 

The FIT Show. 

Synseal’s Head of Marketing Mark Schlotel says: “The UK home improvement glazing 

market has always been a distinctly separate industry despite being closely related to 

building and construction. It has its own dynamic character and therefore deserves its own 

showcase and forum. That is what The FIT Show at Telford promises to deliver and why we 

at Synseal have been amongst the first to support the event by booking stand floorspace.” 

“There should be something a bit special to reward visitors for attending an event such 

as The FIT Show,” says Mark. “We will ensure that our stand displays innovation items to 

attract interest from both Fabricators and Installers,” he confirmed. i synseal.com 


41

fit show news 

Getting FiT for 2013 

THE ORGANISERS OF THE FIT SHOW 

SAY THAT MORE THAN 50% OF THE 

FLOOR SPACE HAS ALREADY BEEN 

SOLD just weeks after it was officially 

launched. A mix oflarge and small 

companies has clamoured to book 

exhibition space at the new business 

event for the window, door and 

conservatory industry taking place in 

April next year. 

The show is the first to clearly target 

fabricators and installers working in the 

home improvement glazing sector. An 

exhibition ofmore than 150 companies in 

addition to a programme ofseminars, 

discussions, competitions and networking 

has had immediate appeal to firms 

looking for an effective way of reaching 

potential new customers face-to-face. 

When it takes place on 16th to 18th 

April 2013 it will be the first national 

event for the glass and glazing sector for 

more than three years. Matthew Glover, 

MD ofThe FIT Show and whose 

commercial interests include the 

manufacture of windows, doors and 

conservatories, says he is delighted 

with the response: “We launched The 

FIT Show because we listened to so 

many people saying that the industry 

needed its own show, that a sector 

worth more than £3.7 billion should 

have its own showcase. This is a market 

in which business is done face-to-face 

and the response we have had confirms 

the need for our own industry event.” 

Solid commitment 

Solidor became the first company to 

sign up for the FIT Show 2013. Solidor 

MD Gareth Mobley signed up 

immediately for the show albeit 18 

months in advance at the time. He 

commented: “This is a great opportunity 

for both Solidor and the industry as a 

whole. We’ve got front of house position 

that will be the perfect platform to show 

off our 14 different colours inside and 

out. We may even look to add a new 

colour for the show!” 

As one ofthe key launch partners to 

the exciting event, Solidor will be 

looking to promote the FIT Show to their 

ever expanding nationwide network of 

installers and will be appearing on

some of the promotional 

material from the 

event. 

Sliding in 

Quickslide has a firm 

commitment to 

live exhibitions 

with regular 

stands at Grand 

Designs and the 

Home Building and 

Renovating Show, 

which are both 

essentially aimed 

at consumers and 

Adrian 

Barraclough 

(pictured above) 

welcomes an event for the trade: 

“Whilst window and door installers 

should be broadly familiar with the 

types of windows and doors that are 

available, an event such as The FIT 

Show presents Quickslide with the 

opportunity to physically demonstrate 

how far our PVC-U sliding sash has 

come and how our design has been 

engineered to be ‘installer friendly’. It 

will also allow us to demonstrate other 

techniques and processes that we’ve 

developed in order to make the whole 

trading process with us tradefriendly.“ 

Nan Ya 

Another door company, 

Distinction Doors, has also 

quickly signed up to take 

exhibition space at the 

newly announced FIT 

Show. The exclusive Nan 

Ya blank distributor has 

booked a space of almost 

100 m 2 which it believes is 

necessary to show at least a 

representative selection of its products: 

“It becomes clear why Nan Ya blanks 

outsell every other composite door 

panel in the UK when it is possible to 

touch and feel their quality and finish,” 

explains Drew Wright, Distinction’s 

MD (pictured right). “The Internet is a 

wonderful source of information but it 

can never provide the tactile responses 

that often make the difference between 

our products and others. And neither is 

it a substitute for meeting customers and 

potential buyers face-to-face,” adds 

Wright. “That’s why we jumped at the 

chance to exhibit.” 

Distinction will show its most popular 

products in a range of colours but also 

such innovations as the purpose 

manufactured stable door, narrow 6 

panel and its decorative fire doors, 

which have become popular with 

professional specifiers looking for a 

high quality decorative door. 

fit show news 

Location, location, location 

The FIT Show will take place at The 

Telford International Centre, Telford on 

April 16 – 18 2013. The purpose-built 

venue, which was built just 10 years 

ago, is located in the Midlands and 

offers free parking adjacent to the halls. 

www.fitshow.co.uk 

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30 YEARS OF QUALITY

opinion 

Stop Under-Selling 

Quality Products 

Keyframe UK’s Andy Bell says he has invested £700k on machinery to guarantee quality 

and service and yet the industry’s USP is still based on price 

WHEN YOU SIT BACK AND 

REFLECT ON THE CONSTANT 

BOMBARDMENT OF DEPRESSING 

FINANCIAL NEWS given to us by the 

government, media and banking institutions, 

is it any wonder that the good old 

British public have battened down the 

hatches and tightened their purse strings 

to almost breaking point. 

The negative feeling that is being created 

by all this depressing publicity, is 

not only affecting the public’s spending 

patterns but it is also having a grave 

effect on the general attitude of a large 

percentage of sales people in trade and 

retail sales, individual installers, builders 

and other people who are selling to the 

domestic end user. It seems that they 

believe that price is the only thing that 

matters, when negotiating a sale and this 

is the reason why selling prices are tumbling 

and profits are dwindling in our 

sector. On the other foot manufacturing 

costs and raw materials, profile, steel, 

oil, are increasing. 

Not as bad as they say 

We believe that things aren’t quite as 

bad as the political and financial gurus 

make out. There is still a large and lucrative 

market place in the window industry 

and there are still customers out there that 

genuinely desire to buy high quality windows 

and doors at a reasonable price. 

They want to install thermally efficient, 

strong and durable windows manufactured 

to the highest standards, that will 

stand the test of time. This is what you get 

from Keyframe UK. 

Whatever happened to the good 

old days of selling? 

What happened to selling a quality 

product; selling the features and benefits 

; selling the advantages of dealing with 

your company over and above that of 

your completion? What happened to 

selling the peace of mind that your window 

will give in added security; selling 

the quality of the installation that you 

carry out and how it will make a vast 

improvement to a customer’s home and 

lifestyle? 

These are lots of reasons why people 

would want to purchase from your company 

but customers need to be sold to! 

Yes it is a competitive market. But it 

always has been. We have been 

through recessions in the past and in 

times of austerity the general trend is that 

people don’t move, they improve. That is 

what we all need to take advantage of. 

Interest rates are the lowest ever and this 

alone is a good reason for people to 

invest into their homes, after all they are 

getting very little return in interest if their 

money is in the bank. 

USP – Price 

Our sales prowess seems to have wilted 

and we have turned into a industry that’s 

USP is Price – unfortunately believing that 

the way to clinch that all important deal 

revolves purely and simply around how 

cheaply you can do the job. 

USP? 

In the window industry it 

seems to mean – 

Under-Selling the Product. 

Confidence and attitude 

The single biggest contributor to maintaining 

a healthy and profitable price is 

your personal attitude. The belief that the 

products you sell and the company that 

you own or represent provides the best 

service, turnaround times, installation 

and guarantee. Potential customers are 

willing to pay that bit extra for that. 

Keyframe UK have the right ingredients 

to provide it’s customers with what 

they need to compete with their competitors 

but also enjoy higher selling prices. 

We manufacture from the industry’s profile 

brand leader, have a comprehensive 

product range, excellent sales and marketing 

support and probably the fastest 

turnaround times in the industry. 

Our partnership with Rehau gives us 

the best in German engineering coupled 

with best in British manufacturing. 

Because of this we are finding that more 

and more companies and traders are 

choosing to deal with our company. 

Due to the company’s continuing success, 

Jimmy Whittles (MD ) of Keyframe 

UK has announced that the company will 

be investing a further £700K. This will be 

spent on new machinery, with the introduction 

of a new 8 headed welder incorporating 

fully automated corner cleaning 

and a further new machining centre. 

This significant investment will guarantee 

continuity in the quality of our finished 

frames, streamline our production 

and guarantee our customers we meet 

those all important delivery dates. This 

alongside the increased levels of sales 

and marketing support that we are now 

offering our customers, will be instrumental 

in the company’s future growth 

plans. i 

t. 01204 705718 

FOR MANY YEARS IT HAS BEEN 

A PROBLEM FOR INSTALLERS 

that when they are asked to quote for 

coloured foiled profiles, they are 

thrown into a quandary as to who 

they can source it from, how long it 

will take to make it and how much it 

will cost, says Andy Bell. 

Keyframe UK is introducing Rehau – 

White, Black, Grey and Cream foiled 

profiles to its range. Windows and 

doors manufactured in these colours 

will be available in the S706 70mm 

fully bevelled suite and in a choice of 

either slim 52mm or 72mm outer 

frame profile, whilst still incorporating 

high security locking features. 

Because we will hold the four 

colours in stock, this will also serve to 

reduce lead times from the standard 

3-4 weeks that we usually quote on 

sprayed frames down to 7-10 days. 

These much improved lead times 

along with the ability for us to go to 

the market with more attractive selling 

prices, will ensure our customers have 

not only the best products but also a 

competitive edge. i 


PROFINDER 

www.profinder.eu 

Tel: 07967 585475 

Email: steve.anthony@profinder.eu 

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Kearsley, Bolton BL4 8NB 

Sales hotline 

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Installer April 12 - profinder.eu

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