September/October2020

Article Balustrades
GO BESPOKE AND GAIN THE EDGE
F.H. Brundle is one of the UK’s largest suppliers of handrail and balustrade systems. Below,
Paul Smith, Group marketing manager, explains how the long-standing family firm is
helping customers capitalise on the popularity of bespoke products created from parts.
In everything from furniture to fashion, beauty to
home improvement, ‘bespoke’ has become one
of the biggest buzzwords around.
Whatever the product, end-users are more
demanding than ever. Many are turning away from
‘off-the-shelf’ to seek products that offer something
more unique – and our sector is no exception.
Not all that long ago, the situation was very
different. Glass and glazing was dominated by
standard PVC-U casement windows, for example.
But over the last 20 years, an explosion of stylish,
high-end home improvement products, available
in a vast array of colours and configurations, has
totally changed all of that.
Unique and versatile
Fuelled by the huge popularity of aspirational Grand
Designs-style TV shows, there’s been soaring
demand for more unique, versatile and visually
appealing products that homeowners can tailor to
the exact look and feel of their properties.
Offering something completely bespoke – products
that are genuinely one-of-a-kind – is obviously an
extremely tall order.
But products that homeowners can extensively
customise to fit with their particular home
improvement vision are the next best thing.
Even offering that might sound like a huge amount
of effort, but it doesn’t have to be complex,
expensive and time-consuming.
Liveconfigurator - bespoke made easy
The first product to really benefit from the highend
home improvement boom of the 2000s and
2010s was the bi-fold. Then it was arguably the
sliding door – and we’re not alone in thinking that
balustrades are the next in line.
At F.H. Brundle, for example, we’ve watched
interest in glass balustrade and handrail products
soar in recent years.
Homeowners love glass balustrades because
they’re stylish, they’re functional and can make
a real statement – and because they come with
huge opportunities for customisation. It’s to help
installers capitalise on their growing popularity that
we created our Liveconfigurator.
Liveconfigurator is a user-friendly online platform
that lets you quickly and easily design a balustrade
to your (and your customer’s) specifications.
Within minutes of completing your design, we send
you a full set of free CAD drawings and a detailed
quotation. Saving you hours of drawing time and
ensuring you avoid costly mistakes, it makes
designing bespoke balustrades a breeze.
You can choose everything from the post centres,
stand-off adaptors and spigots to the glass, and an
extensive array of other parts in different styles.
The system automatically configures the design
to the dimensions you input, and supports layouts
that will suit the most common applications.
Then, once you’re finished, it presents you
with detailed and accurate technical drawings
completely free of charge. It will also produce you a
quote in minutes.
All in all, it’s an incredibly powerful tool for
helping you capitalise on both booming interest in
balustrades, and the ever-growing popularity of
more bespoke products.
You can see the liveconfigurator in action at:
www.liveconfigurator.co.uk
Contact F.H. Brundle:
01708 398048
www.fhbrundle.co.uk
@fh_brundle
56 T I SEPT/OCT 2020 PRACTICAL CONTENT FOR THE GLAZING INSTALLER & HOME IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST