April 2022

APRIL 2022
PRACTICAL CONTENT FOR THE GLAZING INSTALLER & HOME IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST
REQUEST INFO
YOUR ONE STOP SHOP
FOR WINDOWS, DOORS & ROOFS
01226 890890 | WWW.SOLROOFS.CO.UK | QUOTES@SOLROOFS.CO.UK
Untitled-5 1 31/03/2022 13:
>>> • FIT SHOW '22 • SOCIAL MEDIA TIPS • INSTALLER INSIGHTS • MENTAL HEALTH • >>>

PARTNER

THE EFFORTLESSLY SLIM
Break the barrier to the outside
world with our UniFold+ bi-folding doors
Maximise natural light into
your room with our contemporary
doors that have slim profiles, with
only 120mm glass-to-glass sightlines
C O N TAC T U S
F O R M O R E I N F O R M ATIO N
+ Fully Open Corners + Colour-matched Hardware
+ PAS23: 2016 Tested + Fully Adjustable Jamb
Watford: 01923 803 923 London: 020 8889 6821 sales@arkaywindows.com www.arkaywindows.com

Editor’s Comment
GEORGE LEWIS
EDITOR
GEORGELEWIS@MEDIA-NOW.CO.UK
It’s very much an up and down time for the sector at the moment.
In positive news, momentum continues to build for the return of the FIT Show
in May, a live event that brings together the best of the sector, and provides a
platform to showcase the significant investments companies throughout the
supply chain continue to make in new innovations and solutions to meet the
demands of customers and an ever-changing market. We have a round-up
of some of what’s on show at the NEC in May, as well as the brilliant speaker
programme which will keep visitors in the know from page 16.
On the negative side, the fluctuations in demand are reflected again in the
latest Business Pilot Barometer (page 12), which suggests that in the last
month order values for installers crashed by more than 50%. But this is offset
against the stat that average sales were up almost 15% in March, and leads
were also up 14%, reversing the fall recorded in February on January.
In this issue we also hear from Steve Winslet, Victorian Sliders Group MD,
about the aforementioned peaks and troughs of the current industry climate
(page 24); our Installer Insights column features Neal Harper of Midlandsbased
Wolverhampton Glass (page 34); and social media expert David
Glenwright provides advice to ensure you maximise the impact of your
company’s posts (page 56).
Elsewhere in this issue, we also discuss the challenges around mental health
with the help of DGCOS Chief Executive Faisal Hussain (page 48); and Paul
Webb of Eurocell explains how the company’s ‘closed loop’ recycling service
is helping to stop significant volumes of waste plastic materials ending up in
landfill (page 50).
So please read on and I hope you enjoy the issue.
George
REQUEST INFO
YOUR ONE STOP SHOP
FOR WINDOWS, DOORS & ROOFS
01226 890890 | WWW.SOLROOFS.CO.UK | QUOTES@SOLROOFS.CO.UK
Untitled-5 1 31/03/2022 13:29
Cover courtesy of SOL Conservatory Roofs. Read about the market in 2022
and how to maximise opportunities with money savvy customers on page 60.
FOLLOW US @INSTALLERTOTAL
SIGN UP FOR YOUR REGULAR E-BLAST AT
WWW.TOTAL-INSTALLER.CO.UK
Editorial Director: Matt Downs
DD: 01892 732047
Mob: 07963 330774
Email: mattdowns@media-now.co.uk
Advertising:
Publishing Director: Andy Dunn
DD: 01892 732047
Mob: 07963 330777
Email: andydunn@media-now.co.uk
The content of Total Installer magazine (and website) does not necessarily reflect the views of the editor or publishers and are
the views of its contributors and advertisers. The digital edition may include hyperlinks to third-party content, advertising, or
websites, provided for the sake of convenience and interest. The publishers accept no legal responsibility for loss arising from
information in this publication and do not endorse any advertising or products available from external sources. No part of this
publication may be reproduced or stored in a retrieval system without the written consent of the publishers. All rights reserved.
Registered office: 1 Forstal Road, Aylesford, Kent, ME20 7AU
Supported by:
Editor: George Lewis
DD: 01892 732047
Mob: 07715 550351
Email: georgelewis@media-now.co.uk
Commercial Manager: Jake Roxborough
DD: 01892 732047
Mob: 07956 133314
Email: jakeroxborough@media-now.co.uk
bi-folding
doors
Delivering the best
products, with the
best service,
at the best price
Contact Made for Trade
for a Kwikquote today
madefortrade.co
sales@madefortrade.co
01642 610799
TIK02
*Discount applies to all trade customers and applied to the first,
single item purchase only of the Korniche Bifolding Door

Contents
ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS
24 A GAZE INTO THE FUTURE
We talk to Steve Winslet, Victorian Sliders
Group MD, about his route into the industry, an up
and down last 24 months and his future plans
34
48 WE NEED TO TALK...
Faisal Hussain, Chief Executive of DGCOS, and Thom
Emerson of Ideal Window Solutions, discuss the urgent
need to talk more openly about mental health
56 ARE YOU BEING SEEN?
FIT Show 2022 speaker David Glenwright provides his
top tips to ensure your posts are seen on social media
FEATURES
16 FIT SHOW 2022 PREVIEW
We take a look at some of the new product launches and
what visitors can expect to see at the FIT Show 2022,
which returns to the NEC, Birmingham, this May
28 TOPPING UP ON TRAINING
With its training academy reopened, we hear from AluK
Training Manager Darren Burford on why now is the right
time to increase your knowledge of aluminium products
36 A BOOST TO TENANT SAFETY
Total Installer hears from UAP about how the goals of a
challenging social housing project were realised
38 THE SMART TECH UPSELL
John Crittenden, of Carl F Groupco, discusses how smart
technology can grab homeowners’ interest and provide
exciting upselling opportunities for installers
50 TIME FOR CHANGE?
Paul Webb, Director of Recycling at Eurocell, explains
how its recycling service is helping prevent
significant amounts of waste plastic materials, and
how this can benefit installers
58
58 WHY COMPROMISE ON YOUR
PROJECT?
We hear about Made For Trade’s engineering-led ethos to
manufacturing, and how it has taken a ‘key next step’ by
attaining ISO9001 quality certification
62 SHEDDING SOME LIGHT ON
PART L
Paul Trace, Stella Rooflight Director, addresses the new
Part L Building Regulation rules for rooflights and
thermal performance
72 A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
Neal Harper, MD of Sustainium Group, discusses the
reasons why installers must promote more sustainable
products to safeguard their future
4 T I APRIL 2022 PRACTICAL CONTENT FOR THE GLAZING INSTALLER & HOME IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST

REGULARS
12 THE BUSINESS PILOT
BAROMETER
Senior Analyst Neil Cooper-Smith charts the latest
data for the sector, highlighting the ups and downs
and trends in the market
34 INSTALLER INSIGHTS
In our latest Q&A, Neal Harper, Managing Director
of Wolverhampton Glass, talks memorable
projects, supplier frustrations, and why constant
communication is vital for success
46 THE VIEW FROM CERTASS
TRADE ASSOCIATION
In his latest column, Jon Vanstone focuses on
FIT Show 2022, including what visitors can expect on
the Certass TA stand, and why the Installer Support
Hub is a must-visit for installers
INDUSTRY NEWS
06 DIGITAL WINS
Conservatory Outlet says a £250,000 digital investment has
helped the company bounce back from the global supply
chain disruption and rising energy prices
08 A HELPING HAND
Money raised by Band of Builders’ Big Brew event has been
used by the charity to fund a vital, free counselling service for
tradespeople in crisis
SECTIONS:
WINDOWS
24
DOORS
36
GLAZED
EXTENSIONS
50
HOME
IMPROVEMENT
58
VEHICLES, TOOLS
& WORKWEAR
08
68
PRACTICAL CONTENT FOR THE GLAZING INSTALLER & HOME IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST
APRIL 2022 T I 5

News Roundup
ENCOURAGING THE NEXT
GENERATION
The Business Manager of a Birmingham
window and door manufacturer provided
local sixth form students with a snapshot
of the glazing industry.
Howard Trotter of Shelforce was invited to
give a half-hour inspirational talk to students
at Highclare School in Erdington about
Shelforce’s journey and the industry.
Highclare students welcomed a number of
inspirational speakers from all walks of life
to deliver talks over enrichment fortnight,
and there is no more inspirational story than
Shelforce.
The company, which specialises in providing
high-quality PVCu and aluminium products
to local authority building projects including
Birmingham City Council, employs some of
the city’s most vulnerable people with 75%
of its workforce disabled.
Howard said: “I was honoured to be asked
to speak to sixth form students at Highclare
School, particularly as we are a proud
Erdington company, as these young people
are the future.
“At Shelforce we have always encouraged
young people and provided regular work
experience placements for students from
nearby schools and with a skills shortage
challenge in our industry, it was a fantastic
opportunity to tell them about what we do.”
Other talks during enrichment fortnight
included financial support talks from Aston
University; how to cope at university work
ethics, and medical careers.
A spokesperson for Highclare School
said:“We’d like to thank Howard and
Shelforce for taking the time out to get
involved; it was great to hear about such an
inspirational company that’s on our doorstep
and learn more about what is a huge
industry.”
www.shelforce.com
DIGITAL INVESTMENT PAYS DIVIDENDS
Investing in a major digital transformation
programme has helped a UK fabricator
of windows, doors, home extensions and
conservatory products to bounce back from
global supply chain disruption and rising energy
prices.
Wakefield-based Conservatory Outlet, which
supplies a 27-strong network of home
improvement retailers across England and
Scotland, says it is now back at 98.5% on time in
full (OTIF) for the last four weeks, and is aiming to
build on this even further over the next six months.
The company has had to manage increased lead
times for materials and unprecedented demand
from customers, who have been benefiting from the
massive surge in spending on homes and domestic
office spaces.
At the heart of the approach has been a £250,000
investment in creating a live tracking system in the
factory, meaning that everyone in the business has
real-time information on where a product is in the
manufacturing process, starting from initial order
right through to dispatch.
Led by Group Head of IT Craig Schmidt, the
Glass processors are under
increased pressure to reduce
overheads and optimise
their use of glass as
margins are being eroded
at an alarming rate due
to rising energy and raw
material prices, according
to Dave Broxton, MD of Bohle.
He says a perfect storm of excessive
demand, logistical problems associated with
Covid, and rising energy prices has put a huge
amount of pressure on the glass industry, with
increased prices being pushed through the
supply chain.
Dave (pictured) says as an indication of what is
to come, the energy surcharge on one lorry load
of glass from one manufacturer went from £350
digital transformation has also provided critical
information on improved order planning, material
utilisation and predictive maintenance on
machines, reducing downtime in the process.
“The whole team has worked tirelessly over the
last six months to get production back to what we
saw prior to Covid-19 with a stable supply chain
and full control of the factory,” commented Michael
Giscombe, Managing Director of Conservatory
Outlet.
“This has basically translated into lead times being
brought back into what customers would normally
expect, despite volumes increasing by 20% since
March 2019.”
www.conservatoryoutlet.co.uk
GLASS PRICES EXPECTED TO INCREASE
to £6,500 during March.
“I think it's inevitable that
there will be significant price
increases in the price of glass
over the coming months,”
explained Dave. “And the
problem with that for the glass
processor, whether they're a large
sealed unit manufacturer or a small
glass processor, is that they really can't afford to
waste glass anymore.
“They need to optimise their production through
software, but they also need to ensure that they
have a limited amount of wastage, and they can
do that by improving the way in which they cut
and process glass.”
www.bohle.com
6 TI APRIL 2022 PRACTICAL CONTENT FOR THE GLAZING INSTALLER & HOME IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST

For more news and the latest updates, visit www.total-installer.co.uk
TOP MARKS FOR PREMIER ARCHES
Premier Arches has scored top results in a recent
customer survey, ranking highly when it comes
to product quality, customer service, turnaround
times, and value for money.
Managing Director Sean Greenall commented: “It’s vital
for us to know what our customers think about how we
currently perform as a supplier, as well as where they need
us to improve moving forward.
"We’re constantly trying to listen, improve and adapt, and
a customer survey was a great opportunity to look at the
collective answers from our top customers, which will then
drive the changes we make this year.”
In the survey, Premier Arches ranked 4.62 out of 5 on
finished manufactured product quality, 4.19 out of 5 on
customer service, 3.69 out of 5 on product turnaround speed, 3.95 out of 5 on value for money and 4.31 out of
5 on easiness to deal with.
Out of 42 customers who responded to the survey, which included fabricators, installers and trade counters,
53% use the company’s online pricing and ordering portal to instantly quote and order arched and angled
frames, while 65% buy fully glazed frames from profile stocked in-house. www.premierarches.co.uk/
REHAU ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH YALE
PVC-U window manufacturer REHAU has
announced a strategic partnership with worldleading
hardware brand, Yale.
This new initiative means window fabricators and
installers will be able to source high quality REHAU
profiles and products integrated with fully approved and
tested Yale hardware and furniture.
Both companies say they are proud to manufacture in
the UK, which means they can facilitate shorter lead
times amid high market demand.
The range will include locks, cylinders, shoot bolts, hinges, handles and letter plates – and exclusive
to REHAU, Lockmaster 21 will give the ability to cover a wide range of door sizes.
The companies say the first part of 2022 will see REHAU and Yale welcome fabricators on board the
initiative, later followed by installer and consumer engagement.
Russell Hand, Head of Technical and Product Management at REHAU Windows, commented: “This is
an exciting announcement, and we are looking forward to working in partnership with Yale. In joining
forces with them, we are aiming to add reassurance throughout the supply chain.
“Specifically, we will be able to match our premium profiles with equally premium ancillary products.
Ultimately, REHAU will be offering a secure partnership, the fabricator will be supplying a secure
package, and the installer will be providing a secure product to the consumer.”
www.rehau.com/uk-en/
FOILS BACK TO 10-DAYS
Emplas has reinstated its stock foil colour
offer to 10-days, reversing extended lead
times put in place during COVID.
The decision follows increased stability in foil
supply from Emplas systems partner Profile
22, allowing Emplas to reinstate its pre-COVID
service offer.
Jody Vincent, Sales Director, Emplas said: “The
last couple of years were clearly tough and
we weren’t able to maintain service levels on
foils because we didn’t have the product to
manufacture.
“In the last three months we have been able to
significantly increase our stock holding, which
means that we can reinstate our pre-COVID lead
times.
“As the market becomes a little more
competitive, we believe that puts our service
back where it should be and strengthens our
customer offer.”
www.emplas.co.uk
A NEW LOOK
Industry software provider Business
Micros Group has unveiled a new website
and a new logo and umbrella brand.
For the first time, the website links together
online all four group businesses – Business
Micros, BM Aluminium, The Consultancy and
Glazing Vault.
The new website demonstrates the scale of
the group, the depth of expertise which exists
across software, data and web development,
and showcases the senior team.
Graeme Bailey, Managing Director of the
Business Micros Group, said: “We’re
reminding the market of the brands within
the group and the shared culture and
values which help to ensure that, whichever
products you buy, you get the same level
of expertise and the same commitment to
delivering outstanding service.”
www.thebmgroup.co.uk
PRACTICAL CONTENT FOR THE GLAZING INSTALLER & HOME IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST
APRIL 2022 TI 7

News Roundup
HELP AT HAND
Money raised by Band of Builders’ Big
Brew event has been used by the charity
to fund a free counselling service for
tradespeople in crisis, providing ‘a real
lifeline for people who think they have
nowhere else to turn.’
Construction workers in crisis are being urged
to use the new, free counselling service that
has been set up by the Band of Builders
(BoB) charity, after its inaugural Big Brew
fundraising campaign raised enough cash to
run the service for the next two years.
BoB says it is reaching out to tradespeople
who are experiencing anxiety, depression,
loneliness, relationship issues, self-harm,
feeling suicidal or any other trauma to
encourage them to take the all-important
first step of seeking help, which is tailored for
those in the construction industry.
Tradespeople can self-refer themselves
through the charity’s website and receive
confidential counselling in person (dependent
on location), by phone or online via a video
call service such as Microsoft Teams or
Zoom.
The introduction of the counselling service
and the drive to make mental health
awareness courses available is the charity’s
response to tackling the mental health crisis
within the construction industry, where the
suicide rate of UK construction workers is
estimated to be as high as two people every
day. UK construction workers are also said
to be nearly three times as likely to die by
suicide than their counterparts in other
industries. Find out more and access the
helpline at: www.bandofbuilders.org
SHEERLINE ROOF LANTERN SCOOPS AWARD
Sheerline took centre stage at a recent industry
awards event to honour the best-in-class
installers and products, by taking away the
winning trophy for ‘Best Technical Innovation’ for
a second time.
The Sheerline S1 Roof Lantern, fought off fierce
competition to win the award, an accolade that
coincided with the anniversary of Garnalex, four years
ago. The GGP Installer Awards was held at the Albert
Hall, a Grade II listed Wesleyan chapel in Manchester
and was hosted by TV Presenter, Jenny Powell
“Competition for the ‘Best Technical Innovation’
category was intense,” commented David Wigley, Head
of Marketing for Sheerline. “So, coming first to take
away this year’s Installer Award is a fantastic honour
Distinction Doors has unveiled a new
streamlined brand identity to reflect its
‘premium position in the marketplace and
appeal to the consumer market’.
Instead of the blue and grey Distinction Doors logo
with a door surround, the identity is now 100%
black and simply states, Distinction Doors in a
geometric sans-serif typeface called Gotham Book.
The typeface is said to be inspired by architectural
signs of the mid-twentieth century. The composite
door supplier says this design is a visual
for the effort being made across the business ensuring
our products stay at the cutting edge of innovation.”
This is the second time Sheerline products have been
recognised for an award at the event. In 2020, the
Sheerline Classic window system won in the same
category.
www.sheerline.com
A DISTINCT NEW BRANDING UNVEILED
Roofing manufacturer Britmet Lightweight
Roofing is launching a new and innovative
accessory range for its composite slate tile,
Liteslate.
Introduced to the market in May 2019, Liteslate
is a synthetic slate roofing tile with all the
characteristics you can expect from a traditional
slate tile.
After years of research and development, Britmet is
set to unveil the long-awaited accessory range to
complete any Liteslate project.
For more company news visit www.total-installer.co.uk
representation of the Distinction Doors tone and
voice. It is clean, clear and easy to read; it gives
confidence.
Additionally, the simplified design of the logo allows
it to work especially well across different platforms,
materials and mediums.
Bethaney Larkman, Marketing Manager at
Distinction Doors, said: “Updating our brand
identity represents how we as a business are
evolving.”
www.distinctiondoors.co.uk
LITESLATE ACCESSORY RANGE LAUNCHED
Sales and Marketing Director, Chris Powell, said:
“I’m extremely excited for the launch of our new
Liteslate flashing range, the team at Britmet head
office and our production facility have worked
tirelessly to put together an easy to use range of
flashings that look as stunning as the product
itself.
“We are especially pleased to offer the installer
something of real value that will make life easier
and will be more cost-effective to use on-site.”
www.britmet.co.uk/liteslate.asp.
8 T I APRIL2022 PRACTICAL CONTENT FOR THE GLAZING INSTALLER & HOME IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST

Visit us at this years
FIT Show and enter the
bi-folding
door
SAVE
HOURS
ON SITE
GLAZED IN
SECONDS
SPEEDBEAD
INNOVATION
£1000
DRAW
The Korniche
pre-gasketted
clip-in bead.
FREE TO ENTER
register on stand
and simply take part
in the SPEEDBEAD
demonstration
STAND
N11
For more information
on the Korniche
Bi-Folding Doors
visit madefortrade.co

News Roundup
TAKE OFF FOR VEKA
L-R: Simon Scholes; Andreas Hartleif; Norburt Bruns;
Edward Lipinski-Barltrop
VEKA Group CEO Andreas Hartleif has
officially opened VEKA Recycling new £15
million recycling plant at Wellingborough
– 15 months after the facility came fully
on-stream.
This is the third to be built by VEKA since
1993 and said to be Europe’s most
advanced. Andreas was accompanied
by Norburt Bruns, VEKA Recycling Group
Chairman and Managing Director of VEKA
Umwelttechnik GmbH, the specialist division
of which VEKA Recycling Ltd is a part of,
UK Managing Director Simon Scholes, and
Operations Director Edward Lipinski-Barltrop.
Restating VEKA Group’s commitment to
a holistic approach towards PVC-U, Herr
Hartleif told staff that the UK remained one of
the company’s most significant markets: “As
one of the World’s largest users of PVC-U the
UK remains a key market for VEKA Group.
“As such it is important for UK to be as
self-sufficient as possible, and now served
by a recycling facility that allows the full
processing of PVC-U without the need for
transport overseas.
“The completion of this site has been
a remarkable achievement, against the
toughest conditions created by the global
pandemic, and also for advancing the quality
of material now achievable through recycling
end-of-life frames.”
www.veka-recycling.co.uk
ROLE SPECIFIC DASHBOARDS LAUNCHED
Business Pilot has brought in dedicated landing
dashboards defined by job function within
installation businesses.
Up until now, all users regardless of the role that they
perform, have landed on a ‘standard dashboard’
when they have logged onto Business Pilot.
Going forward, a major update of the installer
CRM and business management tool means users
can choose a dedicated dashboard depending on
the role or roles that they perform.
This includes its Sales Dashboard, Survey
Dashboard, Service Dashboard, and Ops Dashboard.
Each is designed to bring the most useful tools,
Edgetech has responded to
the worsening humanitarian
situation in Ukraine by
donating to the Disasters
Emergency Committee’s
Ukraine Crisis Appeal.
Edgetech UK has donated
£5,000 to support the organisation’s efforts to help
those affected by the conflict.
The company’s employees have also donated
goods to be sent to the region, collaborating
with Feed the Hungry Coventry Food Bank, a
dependent on role, to the fingertips of users.
It also allows users who perform multiple roles
within a business to switch between them,
bringing the tools they use to perform each role
into a single dedicated dashboard. The update
delivers a big visual change”, explained Elton
Boocock, Managing Director, Business Pilot.
He continued: “It simplifies what you see when
you log in, pulling in the elements that as an
individual you need to access, depending on what
you do, so you can get straight into what you need
to do.”
www.businesspilot.co.uk
EDGETECH SUPPORTS UKRAINE APPEAL
Thanks to recent strategic investments,
February was a record month for arched and
angled frame manufacturer Premier Arches,
outperforming the same period last year by an
impressive 105%.
The company has also beaten its October 2021
sales by 29% and its November 2021 sales by
12%, typically two of its busiest months of the
year.
Managing Director Sean Greenall commented:
“Sales in February outperformed all previous
months since the birth of Premier Arches in 2015,
For more company news visit www.total-installer.co.uk
local charity Edgetech has
supported previously.
Meanwhile, Edgetech’s
European arm has donated
5,000 Euros to German aid
charity Aktion Deutschland Hilft.
Edgetech Managing Director Chris Alderson
commented: “We routinely supply customers
across Ukraine and the wider region, and our
thoughts are with them at this incredibly difficult
time.” www.edgetechig.co.uk
A RECORD BREAKING MONTH
including last summer, which is unheard of seeing
as February is both a short and typically quiet sales
month in the fenestration industry.
“Through December and January, we have made
significant improvements to our machinery,
manufacturing flow, training and recruitment,
meaning we are confidently set up to grow.
“We are ready to onboard many more new
customers as well as deal with increased demand
from our existing fabricators, trade counters and
installers.”
Email: info@premierarches.co.uk
10 T I APRIL 2022 PRACTICAL CONTENT FOR THE GLAZING INSTALLER & HOME IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST

oof
lantern
10%
NEW TRADE
CUSTOMER
DISCOUNT
QUOTE CODE:
TIK01
Supply & install the multi-award-winning aluminium
Korniche Roof Lantern. Fitted in minutes, glazed in
seconds. The strongest lantern in class, available up to
3x2.5m in four glass panels and a maximum size of 6x4m
Delivering the best products, with
the best service, at the best price
Contact Made for Trade for a Kwikquote today
madefortrade.co | sales@madefortrade.co | 01642 610799
*Discount applies to all trade customers and applied to the first, single item purchase only of the Korniche Roof Lantern
glazed in
seconds
faster
to fit
STAND
N11

The Business Pilot Barometer
DOWN - BUT NOT OUT...YET
Neil Cooper-Smith, Senior Analyst at Business Pilot, gathers the data on the first quarter of
2022, and analyses what impact it has had on the sector, before looking ahead to Q2...
Business Pilot Barometer Edition 27: April 2022
It’s a big figure but probably only reinforces
something that retailers have instinctively
known; average order values crashed in the
last month – by more than 50%.
This is consistent with what we have picked
up anecdotally from our customers. Big ticket
items and whole house replacements have been
harder to get across the line, but single items,
replacement doors, distress purchases, have
continued to move.
If they aren’t spending as big, homeowners are,
however, still spending.
Average sales were up almost 15% last month,
leads were also up 14%, reversing the fall
recorded in February on January.
So, what can we take from this month’s figures?
Homeowners are definitely more cautious.
The Government safety net – furlough – has been
pulled from underneath them.
The Stamp Duty breaks aren’t there, and the
housing market has slowed down – at least in
the sense that the number of transactions have
fallen.
Despite this, end-users are still exhibiting a
desire or an aspiration to buy new windows and
doors – their resilience financial or otherwise,
longer term, is more difficult to gauge.
Conversion rates remained flat in March at
around 33%, where they have been hovering all
year. This compares to the 37.7% in summer last
year, a time when the total number of leads was
also 8% higher than last month’s figure.
In summary then, leads are significantly down on
the hiatus of last summer and despite the monthon-month
resurgence seen in March on February
this year, they are harder to convert and coming
in at lower value.
As we have highlighted, Government incentives
have gone – and have been replaced indirectly by
disincentives to invest in home improvements, so
in a sense this shouldn’t be a surprise.
This includes massive increases in energy bills,
which will see average household energy costs
top £2,000 this year, this is on top of inflation
and the uncertainty and volatility created by the
conflict in the Ukraine.
The latter particularly has, in our view,
accelerated the cooling of the market seen at the
start of this year.
As consumers adjust to continuing political and
economic uncertainty, alongside the seasonal
appeal of products, we may see a moderate
return of confidence in the months ahead.
The landscape has shifted
Fundamentally, however, the landscape has
shifted.
We are also still to see the impact of the lifting of
the energy price cap and how consumers respond
to it. While reducing disposable income, it brings
energy efficiency into clear focus, creating market
opportunities for windows and doors.
The Business Pilot Barometer offers a monthly analysis of the key trends defining window and door
retail, drawing on real industry data collated by the Business Pilot customer relationship management
system (CRM). Business Pilot uses cloud-based technologies to give installers complete visibility of every
element of their operation from leads and conversions to job scheduling, cost of installation, service
calls, and financial reporting.
www.businesspilot.co.uk www.businesspilot.co.uk/barometer
12 T I APRIL 2022
PRACTICAL CONTENT FOR THE GLAZING INSTALLER & HOME IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST

VISOGLIDE PLUS
SLIDING DOORS
10%
FIRST ORDER
INTRODUCTORY
DISCOUNT
QUOTE CODE
TI-VG01
INDUSTRY LEADING CUSTOMER SERVICE
Comprehensive install guide & support
THERMALLY BROKEN ALUMINIUM
Slim profile, Lipped outer frame, Sobinco locks
TRIPLE
TRACK
AVAILABLE
NOW!
LARGE SASH WIDTHS
Up to 6.4m wide in 2 panes. 2-4 panes available
STOCK COLOUR CHOICE
White, Anthracite Grey & Black, Dual Colour
FROM
2 WEEK LEAD TIMES
Reliable safe site delivery
www.madefortrade.co | Tel: 01642 610799
* Discount applies to new trade customers and first, single item purchase only of the Smart Visoglide Plus Sliding Doors | Image for representation only
* Per leaf price is unglazed and may vary depending on size and specification of the door. Lead time is based on a standard colour. Postcode restrictions apply

BDC the 1st to Manufacture Smart’s
INTERIOR DOORS & SCREENS
BDC, in partnership with Smart Architectural Aluminium, is the first
trade manufacturer to supply AluSpace, Smart’s modern, cost-effective
alternative to traditional steel systems. AluSpace will elegantly transform
any internal space, creating light and airy interior environments:
Cost Effective
Mirroring the aesthetics of steel
systems, AluSpace delivers
timeless elegance
Easy Installation
Fast and easy to install, with no
special installer training required
33mm Sightline
Slim sightlines create an elegant,
modern architectural feel
Glazing
For yet more design flexibility,
glazing options from 6-18mm
are available
Colours & Finishes
Available in black from stock,
or choose from Smart’s entire
colour palette
For more information visit www.bdcaluminium.co.uk

AVAILABLE TO ORDER
BDC Aluminium are leaders in the manufacture
of UK Aluminium windows and doors.
Established in 2008, BDC Aluminium has rapidly grown to become a
SINGLE DOOR
DOUBLE DOOR
SLIDING DOOR
trusted manufacturer of bespoke aluminium windows, doors and bifolds,
with a proven reputation for the quality of its products and service.
PIVOT SCREEN
INTERIOR SCREEN
The company has a broad product portfolio, supplying
customers across the South of England with an extensive
range of aluminium products, carefully selected from
some of the UK’s leading architectural systems companies.
Contact us today to discuss your requirements.
sales@bdcaluminium.co.uk
Call us today to place your order 01245 474747

FIT Show 2022 Preview
MADE FOR TRADE SHOWS
Made For Trade says it is delighted to
be attending the FIT Show in May at the
Birmingham NEC, as the event returns to
the exhibition roster stronger than ever,
following a two-year forced Covid hiatus.
A longstanding supporter of the fenestration
and glazing industry event, Made for Trade
also has an in-house heritage promotional
link to be celebrated, since the FIT Show
platform was chosen for the initial launch of
MFT’s Korniche roof lantern back in 2016.
In the years since, that inaugural Kornichebranded
product has gone on to receive
a plethora of awards and become a sales
phenomenon, whilst Made For Trade has
continued to choose FIT Show as the number
one exhibition of the year through which to
showcase new innovations, alongside design
and engineering prowess.
The 2022 Made For Trade FIT Show exhibition
stand will up the ante in comparison to the
2016 event, with the entire product range on
display including the recent Korniche bi-folding
door system – proudly offering the same
engineering-led design prowess as the multiaward
winning lantern roof – plus the flagship
new Visoglide Plus sliding patio door system.
The Wynyard-based firm are set to display
the range via an eye-catching and exciting
170sqm stand area, which is currently under
construction in preparation for the event
on 10-12 May 2022.Attendees can operate
the products and compare the renowned
construction, as well as speak to the on-site
MFT team who help set Made For Trade apart
from competitors.
Should any colleagues be unable to attend
the FIT Show, appointments can be arranged
for a visit to see the same products on
display at the recently launched in-house
showroom within Made For Trade’s North
East HQ.
Stand: N 11
www.madefortrade.co
A FOCUS ON THE FUTURE OF COMPETENCE
What does the future of competence
in construction mean for the glazing
industry? Find out at Jon Vanstone’s
seminar at FIT Show 2022.
Jon (pictured) will discuss the future
competence landscape within the construction
industry and the impact it will have on the glazing
sector.
With the new Building Safety Bill and the
introduction of the Building Safety Regulator, there
is a drive for seismic shift throughout construction
and how individuals and organisations are deemed
to be competent.
“Big changes lie ahead for our sector,” explained
Jon. “As well as new regulations that come into
force on 15 June, we are faced with the impact of
the Building Safety Regulator which will be run by
the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
"By understanding these changes and preparing
ourselves for them as a sector, we can make
compliance easier for everyone, so we can work
together to design, build and maintain buildings in
a safer way.
SupaLite, the Preston-based
tiled roof specialist, will
be launching some
major new product
developments to its
roof system at this
year’s FIT Show.
The SupaLite team will
also be showcasing the
new trade and retail pricing app
which is due to launch in the spring.
The app will provide roof costs for business
owners and prices based on customers’ retail
pricing. It also links to the company’s installer
hub, SupaLite FUSE, which means users will have
free access to a database for their retail sales.
Wes Clarkson, Sales Director at SupaLite, said:
“But we need a clear understanding of why
these measures are being implemented
and what our industry needs to do now to
avoid pain later on.”
The ‘Future of Competence’ seminar will be
held on Wednesday 10 May 2022 at 11.10am
in the FIT Seminar Theatre and will cover: new
legislation and regulations that will directly affect
installers and the way they work, the future of the
industry with the new Building Safety Regulator
and the new demands for proving competence.
Jon delivers clarity to industry on Building
Regulations and Government Requirements with
industry programmes. He is the founding chair for
HSE’s Interim Industry Competence Committee,
Chair of Certass, Director of the National Home
Improvement Council, member of DLUHC’s Building
Regulations Advisory Committee and Chair of its
sub-committee, the Competent Persons Forum.
Stand: D49 (Certass)
www.certass.co.uk
Read more about the FIT Show speaker
programme on page 22
A SUPA REASON TO ATTEND FIT SHOW 2022
“We shared a preview of our new
products at our SupaLite Seminars,
and we received a really positive
response to the latest products
and our new app. We can’t wait
to show more people what we’ve
been busy working on.”
Joining the newly enhanced roof
system on the stand will be the new
flat roof orangery.
This latest product has been designed to be one
of the fastest flat roof systems on the market,
with recent tests revealing it takes around three
hours to install a typical 6x4 roof – excluding roof
coverings.
Stand: M60
www.supaliteroof.co.uk
16 TI APRIL 2022 PRACTICAL CONTENT FOR THE GLAZING INSTALLER & HOME IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST

For more news and the latest updates, visit www.total-installer.co.uk
TWO TO LOOK OUT FOR
Integral blind manufacturer Morley Glass will unveil two
further innovations in its award-winning Uni-Blinds range at
this year’s FIT Show.
The first is a completely new system for the health and social care
sector, as well as other commercial and public buildings, called
ScreenView. This provides installers with a solution for applications
such as hospital and medical school door vision panels, where a mix of privacy and observation is required,
switchable with ease, at different times of the day. Coupled with fire rated glass, this offers a solution that is
both practical and fully compliant with the requirements of a fire door specification.
A second innovation making its debut at the FIT Show is a smart home solution for the eco-friendly,
solar powered integral blind system, Uni-Blinds W Smart. Already available with a remote control
device, the W Smart is a Venetian blind that utilises a small solar panel on the exterior face of the
window or door to power the raising, lowering and tilting of the blind – providing easy automation
without the need for any hard-wiring by an electrician.
Providing an alternative option to the fully Loxone smart home compatible Uni-Blinds MB System,
W Smart features a new Pellini plug and play smart hub called ScreenHub, a technology upgrade that
means it can now be controlled using a smart phone app.
Stand: N31
www.morleyglass.co.uk
WIN AN IPAD WITH ODL!
Visitors to ODL Europe’s stand will be able to see
the company’s vast range of composite door and
specialist products as well as a chance to win a 10.2-
inch 64GB WiFi-enabled iPad each day.
To be in with a chance of winning the iPad, visitors to ODL
Europe’s stand will choose a key and use it to try to unlock a special composite door. The person who
selects the key that unlocks the door wins the prize. The promotion is running on each of the three days
of the FIT Show.
The stand will also show off its Capstone composite door slab, which is said to offer an outstanding
pedigree. There is a huge range of composite door designs across contemporary, heritage, classic and
specialist collections, many of which are exclusive to ODL Europe.
Also on display will be a wide variety of decorative glass options that have all been carefully designed to
work with the door styles, as well as a glazing cassette range that includes the TriSYS system.
Completing the line-up will be the Blink Blinds + Glass that have led the encapsulated blinds sector for
20 years.
Andy Meakin, Head of Sales and Customer Services at ODL Europe, said: “We’re looking forward to
showing visitors how ODL Europe can help secure a competitive advantage in the composite door market
– and to the anticipation of seeing which mystery key unlocks our door too!”
Stand: D11
'EXCITING NEW STUFF'
The people behind AdminBase, the admin
system of choice for Britain’s window and
door installers, are using the FIT Show to
show visitors what they promise is a ‘stack
of exciting new stuff’, superb new features
and benefits that have been added to
AdminBase during the past two years.
With hundreds of new users joining AdminBase
during the pandemic, attracted initially by the
remote working capabilities of the system,
they have now discovered how it eases
workloads for busy installers and smooths
communications with demanding customers.
With so many new features available, AdminBase
has decided that the only way to show off so
many new features to so many people, is to do
so at FIT Show this May: “Our Customer Portal
alone, which encourages customers to manage
their own installations, would be enough to come
and see us,” said Rhonda Ridge of Ab Initio, the
clever company that developed AdminBase.
“But then there’s the Diary App which
attaches documents to a lead or contract; the
Canvasser App that sends leads straight into
AdminBase; and Google Maps that shows
locations of sales-people, fitters, and even
key installations, at-a-glance,” she added.
“And so much more besides. We believe that
just spending five minutes with a visitor
face-to-face will allow us to get the ‘wow’
factor across to them, far more than through a
website or even a phone call.”
Named ‘Best Installer Support Programme or
Service’ at a recent awards, AdminBase is
said by users to actually save them money by
reducing dependence on administration staff
whilst improving customer communications with
automated text and email updates, self-service
administration and improved response times.
AdminBase will be demonstrating its Customer
Portal, and the software’s numerous other
time-saving features, on its stand:
Stand: D31
www.abinitiosoftware.co.uk
https://odleurope.com
PRACTICAL CONTENT FOR THE GLAZING INSTALLER & HOME IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST
APRIL 2022 TI 17

FIT Show 2022 Preview
For more news and the latest updates, visit www.total-installer.co.uk
ANSWERING YOUR Q’S
FIT Show visitors that want to find
out more about recruiting new talent,
upskilling, winning more new business,
or how to navigate the new building
regulations, can find all the answers on
stands C10 and C12 with the GGF and
FENSA respectively.
Anda Gregory, Chief Development Officer
at the GGF, said: “Visitors to the GGF stand
can expect to find out more about our Skilled
Pathways Scheme and training offering. We
can offer member companies everything they
need to attract new talent and full training
programmes to employees. It can feel like a
big mountain to climb when you first start
looking into offering apprenticeships, but we
think we have created something different
that will achieve real results and we’re
incredibly excited to share this with visitors
to the show, first-hand.”
Lis Clarke, Operations Director at FENSA and
BFRC, explained what visitors can expect to see:
“Exhibiting alongside the GGF, we are keen to
support the industry with the implementation of
the new Building Regulations.
“There has been much discussion about how
we are going to meet this new challenge and
what installers need to be aware of, so we
want to offer our support with more clarity
and practical advice. With over 15 million
certificates now issued by FENSA, we’ll also
be encouraging our installer members to use
our 20th anniversary to their advantage when
attracting new business.”
Anda concluded: “Both GGF and FENSA are
looking forward to connecting with industry
peers in person to provide the trusted
expertise that the industry so needs and look
forward to welcoming visitors to our stands
at the show.”
Stand: C10
Stand: C12
www.ggf.org.uk/
www.fensa.org.uk/
THE IMPORTANCE OF RECYCLING
VEKA Recycling’s dedicated facility for the reprocessing
of end-of-life and virgin offcut profiles
was completed and commissioned during the
two years of anti-pandemic lockdowns. The VEKA
Recycling team has therefore been restricted in
its mission to show off the facility, and will do so at
this year’s FIT Show.
The company’s team is on stand K21 throughout
this year’s FIT Show to show and discuss the
incredible technology by which old windows and
offcuts become brand new products, including new
window profiles, within just days of being collected
and returned to Wellingborough, and how such
material actually improves new PVC-U profiles
when combined with virgin material.
The team will also advise how homeowners are
increasingly interested and impressed to learn
that their old PVC-U frames will be re-used, thus
alleviating fears about plastic pollution and how such
positive messages should be used to secure sales.
Crucially, installers and fabricators may also
discuss how they can avoid the perils of unwittingly
committing waste fraud, by returning old PVC-U
frames and virgin offcuts to VEKA Recycling.
After significant backing from investment firm
Knightstone Capital, headed up by Purplex
Marketing founder Andrew Scott, tech start-up
Augmented Reality Creations (ARC) will be
showcasing its latest innovation at this year’s
FIT Show.
New to the industry and already taking the
conservatory market by storm, ARC Design is a
unique and innovative software that sits within
an installer’s website, helping consumers design
their own conservatory within seconds, and then
request a quote.
The homeowner can then save the design to their
mobile phone or tablet, and view the conservatory
in immersive augmented reality while walking
around their garden and home.
ARC COO and Co-Founder Andy Clear said:
“ARC Design is incredibly easy to use, and the
Simon Scholes, Managing Director of VEKA
Recycling says that the discussions around
recycling have moved on significantly in the past
two years: “The window and door industry is a
different place even since the last FIT Show and
that includes homeowners’ attitudes towards the
broader issues of sustainability and what happens
to their old frames when they are removed.
“FIT Show provides an ideal opportunity to answer
any questions visitors may have about this
increasingly important subject.”
Stand: K21
www.veka-recycling.co.uk
ARC DESIGN MAKES IT DEBUT AT FIT
photorealistic visuals will upgrade any installer’s
sales process, helping them grow and improve as
we move towards a new digital world.
“We’re very much looking forward to showcasing
ARC Design at this year’s FIT Show, and
to introduce industry leaders and potential
customers to this game-changing innovation.”
www.arc-solutions.co.uk
18 TI APRIL 2022 PRACTICAL CONTENT FOR THE GLAZING INSTALLER & HOME IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST

i-folding
door
15%
GLAZED IN
SECONDS
INTRODUCTORY
DISCOUNT *
DISCOUNT CODE
TIK02
Patented clip bead delivering the fastest glazing time.
Trickle vents positioned in frame - no need for extenders! Full
bearings and stainless steel hardware for the smoothest glide every
time. All with a 10 year manufacturer’s warranty.
Delivering the best products, with
the best service, at the best price
Contact Made for Trade for a Kwikquote today
madefortrade.co | sales@madefortrade.co | 01642 610799
*
Discount applies to all trade customers and applied to the first, single item purchase only of the Korniche Bifolding Door | *Korniche Bi-folding
door price is based on 5-5-0 configuration 3750 x 2000 , stock colour, delivered. Unglazed. Price is correct at point of publishing. Delivery
restrictions apply. Product specification and prices may be subject to change without prior notice.
FIT FASTER
CLIP BEAD
STAND
N11

FIT Show 2022 Preview
For more news and the latest updates, visit www.total-installer.co.uk
Allumette Group will make its return
to the FIT Show in May. Stand E21 will
feature products from group companies,
IKON Aluminium Systems, a manufacturer
of architectural aluminium building
products, and powder coating specialist,
Vertik-Al.
As the company celebrates its twentieth year,
IKON Aluminium Systems will be showcasing
its proven louvre range. Under the theme
‘Ventilating the Nation’, visitors to stand E21
will learn how products such as the continuous,
demountable and barrier louvres, alongside
louvre doors, can facilitate air flow demands.
With five standard outer frames and
numerous custom modifications available,
the IKON range offers over 60 variants.
Information relating to technical data and
independent product testing, including Impact
Resistance and Wind Resistance, provide
assurance on performance and quality.
Vertik-Al, meanwhile, will be proving that
functional doesn’t have to mean dull and
boring. Grey product will not feature on the
stand! Each IKON product will be powder
coated by Vertik-Al to showcase the group’s
coating capability and standard of finish.
Both businesses have benefited from
significant investment in recent years,
including new equipment, like the Cube
Grande, a vertical powder coating booth
and the first booth of its kind to be installed
in the UK; alongside giving staff access to
continuing professional development.
Fabricators, installers and systems houses
are encouraged to visit stand E21 where the
Vertik-Al and IKON teams will be available
to answer questions and give advice on
products and services, not least on how to
maximise their market potential.
Stand: E21
TWO GOOD
www.allumetteltd.co.uk
‘ALWAYS OPEN’ FOR SOLAR CALIBRE DOORS
Solar Calibre Doors will be making its debut
appearance at FIT Show 2022, supported by
its new ‘Always Open’ marketing campaign and
showcasing its extensive range of GRP and
Timber composite doors, under the well-known
brands Benchmark and Craftsman.
Solar Calibre is looking ahead, exploring new
technologies and glimpsing the future of door
specification. Visitors to the stand will be able to
take a look at some options and give their thoughts
to the Solar Calibre team, which is always open to
observations and feedback from customers.
Excellent customer service and attention to detail
are both critical USPs for the business, as explained
by Gareth Jones, Managing Director of Solar Calibre
Doors:“Not surprisingly, one of the reasons our
customers come back to us again and again is
because of our service – we listen, we learn and
we deliver. So, we’ve wrapped Solar Calibre in
our ‘Always Open’ marketing theme because it
represents everything the business is about – we’re
always here whether that’s literally, to drop in and
see us, or to handle technical queries, answer
product questions or ensure smooth delivery to
site. And now, we’re really pleased to announce the
Extrudaseal is exhibiting its entire product
range on Stand G6 at FIT Show 2022, including
PremaSeal and its range of Se-Lon foam seals.
“We are excited about the return of FIT Show,
and we can’t wait to see so many industry faces
in one place again,” says Chris Byers, Managing
Director at Extrudaseal.
“The event provides fabricators and installers
with a fantastic opportunity to meet other people
in the industry, learn about the latest technology
and how it may be able to benefit their business.
The 2019 event was very successful for us, we
spoke direct to fabricators and installers about
the benefits of working with Extrudaseal, as well
as showing off our wide range of products, and
we’re looking forward to showing visitors our new
PremaSeal range at this year’s event.
“PremaSeal is our premium range of seals and
launch of our new online portal to streamline the
ordering process – customers can place orders in
their own time, day or night. We know this will be
a real benefit for them so we’re looking forward to
receiving their feedback.”
As well as having its stand presence at FIT Show,
Solar Calibre will also be represented on stage
when Gareth Jones joins a panel on 10th May,
1.10-1.40, discussing ‘Facing up to the skills
shortage’ with industry colleagues.
Stand: R11
www.solarcalibrenorvik.com/products/solarcalibre/
SEALED IN FOR THE SHOW
gaskets which have integrated anti-stretch
technology to help prevent shrinkage or stretching
and the team at Extrudaseal are looking forward
to showing fabricators and installers the benefits
of this product face-to-face.”
Stand: G6
www.extrudaseal.co.uk
20 TI APRIL 2022 PRACTICAL CONTENT FOR THE GLAZING INSTALLER & HOME IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST

Contract FIT Show 2022 Talk Preview
TACKLING THE KEY ISSUES
Visitors to this year’s FIT Show will be able to access over 30 hours of CPD content during
the show, which runs from 10th-12th May 2022, at the NEC in Birmingham. Below, we
take a look at some of the highlights of the not to be missed speaker programme...
FIT Show organisers have announced that the
learning programme will tackle key industry
issues when the glass and glazing industry’s
only UK dedicated trade show returns to the NEC,
from May 10th-12th 2022.
A host of industry experts will
take to the floor during the FIT
Show 2022 learning programme
Working in partnership with third-party expert
12th Man Solutions, FIT Show has curated over
30 hours of CPD content.
Starting at 10.30am on day one of FIT Show
(Tuesday 10th May), visitors can attend free
sessions including:
• ‘Five ways to turn your data into cash’ –
Elton Boocock, MD, Business Pilot
• ‘How to be seen on social media by
potential customers, without spending a
penny’ – David Glenwright, JS Social Media
• ‘Preparing for changes to Building
Regulations - meeting Part L’ – John McComb,
Technical Services Director, Reynaers
• ‘The future of competence’ – Jon Vanstone,
Chair – Interim Industry Competence Committee
(BSR/HSE), Member – Building Regulations
Advisory Committee (DLUHC), Chair – Competent
Persons Forum (DLUHC)
• ‘The importance of third party certification
for fire doors’ – Kevin Underwood, Technical
Director, British Woodworking Federation
• ‘Standards and legislation affecting flat
entrance doorsets’ – Patricia Sowsbery-
Stevens, Chair of the ‘timber doorset group’, Door
& Hardware Federation
• ‘Ironmongery fire safety’ – Douglas
Masterson, Technical Manager, Guild of
Architectural Ironmongers
The learning programme comprises seminars,
demonstrations and panel discussions all
delivered by industry experts.
FIT Show’s in-person learning programme follows
on from the launch of its hugely successful online
learning event which took place in September and
attracted over 250 delegates.
When FIT Show returns to the NEC Birmingham
in May, it will bring together every link in the
fenestration supply chain, all under one roof, for
the first time in three years.
Over 200 brands will display the very latest
products and materials for use across domestic,
commercial, private and public sector building
and renovation projects.
FIT Show visitors can see the likes of door
manufacturer Doorco, glazing experts Glazpart,
window systems giant Kommerling, Roseview
Windows, lantern roof and bi-folding door experts
Made For Trade, Morley Glass, Ultraframe, VEKA
and machinery suppliers Haffner Murat, Stuga
and Emmegi.
The full programme can be viewed via: https://
www.fitshow.co.uk/seminars-2022#/
seminars/, but organisers warn there are
limited spaces available for each session, and
visitors are encouraged to register early to avoid
disappointment.
FIT Show organisers had already announced record
levels of industry support for its delayed event.
Organisers recently stated visitor registration was
50% above the same point in the campaign for
FIT Show 2019, whilst many brands have signed
up to exhibit or increased their stand size since
the start of 2022.
Find out more about FIT Show:
0207 886 3100
www.fitshow.co.uk
@fitshow
Scan to register
22 T I APRIL 2022 PRACTICAL CONTENT FOR THE GLAZING INSTALLER & HOME IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST

Innovation comes built-in
MANUFACTURING
EXCELLENCE
DUAL SEALED
UNITS
RELIABLE &
EFFICIENT
COMPLEMENTARY
NATIONWIDE
DELIVERY
PROFESSIONAL
AFTERSALES
SERVICE
NEC BIRMINGHAM
10-12 MAY 2022
QUOTES IN
60 MINUTES
MANAGE DAYLIGHT
WITH INTEGRAL BLINDS
Our pleated blackout blinds help you control the amount of
daylight in bedrooms, children’s nurseries and cinema rooms -
an ideal solution for longer and lighter summer days.
Morley Glass & Glazing Ltd
Unit 3, Leeds 27 Industrial Estate
Bruntcliffe Way, Leeds LS27 0HH
morleyglass.co.uk
0113 277 8722 sales@morleyglass.co.uk

Total Talks: Victorian Sliders
A GAZE INTO THE FUTURE...
We put the questions to Steve Winslet, Victorian Sliders Group Managing Director,
discussing his route into the industry, an up and down last 24 months for the sector in what
is a rapidly changing market, his future plans for the company, and much more...
Total Installer (TI): Can you tell us a bit about
Victorian Sliders, the company’s offering
and the types of projects your customers get
involved with?
Steve Winslet (SW): Victorian Sliders is a
UK manufacturer and supplier of PVC-U sash
windows. We’re virtually unique in the sector for
our ability to extrude our own profile, and make
our own glass units and hardware, alongside
manufacturing thousands of energy-efficient
ECOSlide windows every week.
It is an incredibly exciting product as it offers a
real alternative to standard casement windows
with different aesthetic appeal and different
operating functionality. It offers an alternative
window solution.
For the last 17 years, we’ve served as the bridge
helping casement installers right around Great
Britain and Northern Ireland expand into the
growing sash window market.
From the very start, CEO Scot Starkey and the
team have challenged the idea that sash windows
are ‘complex’ products, only suited for renovating
heritage buildings.
Today, ECOSlide is widely used in new-build
residential developments as well as older
properties.
TI: What was your route into construction and
to your current position?
SW: Before joining Victorian Sliders, I worked
with some of the largest global, European and
independent businesses across the building
products industry. This has given me an excellent
grounding in the world of housebuilders, builders
merchants, distributors, buying groups and
others.
Steve Winslet
“I firmly believe in
a customer-centric
strategy where the
principle of putting the
right quality product, in
the right place, at the
right time is a priority”
During that time, I have been able to lead
businesses in strategy, business improvement
and growth mainly within manufacturing
organisations.
I firmly believe in a customer-centric strategy
where the principle of putting the right quality
product, in the right place, at the right time is a
priority.
After my previous role, which saw me help
a leading contract furniture maker return to
profitability and growth, I began looking for a new
challenge, and it was then that I first met with
Scot and began the process that would see me
become Group Managing Director at Victorian
Sliders.
I feel hugely privileged to be able to lead
Victorian Sliders on the next stage of their
journey.
TI: The last couple of years have seen huge
challenges for both manufacturers and
installers to contend with on a daily basis
– how has Victorian Sliders weathered this
turbulent time?
SW: Like every manufacturing company in
Britain, we couldn’t help but be impacted by
the huge supply chain disruption we’ve seen in
recent months to some extent.
However, we’ve been hit less than many
companies, largely thanks to Victorian Sliders’
long legacy of investment.
Since the company’s earliest days, it’s focused
on investing to bring everything from profile
extrusion and glass unit manufacturing, to
colouring and recycling under one roof.
As a result, we’re the UK’s most vertically
integrated PVCu sash window manufacturer,
and that’s given us a level of control over
supply that other companies can’t match.
TI: How important is it for the installer to
up-sell and diversify their offering? Is this a
trend you recognise in customers?
SW: The UK’s fenestration market has changed
drastically over the last twenty years.
The home improvement boom of the 2000s,
driven in part by the enormous popularity of
aspirational TV shows like Grand Designs,
created massive demand for products that
at the time were considered outside the
Continued on page 26
24 T I APRIL 2022 PRACTICAL CONTENT FOR THE GLAZING INSTALLER & HOME IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST

Total performance
with TOTAL70
Our TOTAL70 window and door system
achieves the highest possible energy ratings
and performance. The unique compound with
a smooth gloss finish ensures that your windows
retain their pristine appearance for years to
come meaning they will never warp, rot or
need repainting.
Windows. Reinvented for modern life.
www.rehau.uk/windows
enquiries@rehau.com
Tel: 01989 762600

Total Talks: Victorian Sliders
Continued from page 24
Victorian Sliders is a UK manufacturer and supplier of
PVC-U sash windows, and manufactures thousands of
energy-efficient Ecoslide windows every week.
mainstream – including bi-folds, rooflights,
sliding doors and glass balustrades, but also
sash windows.
Since then, we’ve seen hundreds of installers
begin offering these products.
So diversification is definitely a trend, and it’s
been happening for years.
If anything, COVID has seen it accelerate further
– during lockdown, people came to appreciate
the importance of comfortable, stylish living
environments more than ever.
TI: Can you explain in more detail the £14m
BGF funding Victorian Sliders received and
what that will be used for? Will this be used to
expand your offering?
SW: The company’s huge growth in recent years
saw it catch the eye of the Business Growth Fund
– one of the UK’s most respected independent
investment companies with a balance sheet of
more than £2.5bn.
BGF got in touch, and began negotiations
with Scot and our Chief Financial Officer Ian
Cunningham to acquire a 31% stake in the
business worth £14m.
“I think it’s inevitable
that demand for energy
efficient products is
only going to increase”
Scot and myself retain day-to-day control of
Victorian Sliders, but Edwin Davies and Mark
Huxtable of BGF have joined our board.
The significant investment will be used to
increase production capacity and further invest
in our recycling plant, as well as create dozens of
new jobs.
Fundamentally, the key focus for the company
is about investing in our business to be able to
further improve our service to our customers.
In the short to medium term, we’re focused
on making the existing ECOSlide window the
best it can possibly be, but we’re not ruling out
expanding our offering in future.
TI: Sustainability is a topic of ever-growing
importance to fabricators and increasingly
for installers and end-users. What does
sustainability mean to Victorian Sliders and
how do you see it impacting the supply chain
in the coming years?
Caring about sustainability is nothing new for
Victorian Sliders – we’ve been pioneering energy
efficiency in the glazing industry for decades.
What’s more, we’ve invested extensively to
build an impressive in-house PVC-U recycling
capability.
We’re virtually unique in our industry in
having our own recycling plant, that turns
old PVCu frames into thermal inserts that
go on to improve the energy efficiency of our
ECOSlide window.
In the years ahead, I think it’s inevitable that
demand for energy efficient products is only going
to increase – there are 29 million homes in the
UK, and the vast majority of those are going to
need substantial retrofitting for the country to
stand a chance of hitting net zero.
Contact Victorian Sliders:
01269 846200
www.victoriansliders.co.uk
@VictorianSlider
26 TI APRIL 2022 PRACTICAL CONTENT FOR THE GLAZING INSTALLER & HOME IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST

Four flush casement systems.
Made in Yorkshire.
Delivered nationwide.
Timberweld ® 90° jointed sashes inside and out
Your trade partner for flush
casement windows and doors
• The complete Residence Collection: R2, R7 and R9 Flush
Casement Window and Door. Supplied unglazed or
glazed. Take the weight out of onsite handling.
• Kömmerling Flush Casement
• Easy 24/7 ordering and order tracking
• Ultra-low u-values and Part L ready
IN WINDOW AND DOOR
CRAFTSMANSHIP
M A N U F A C T U R E
For more information:
e. sales@hwlwindows.co.uk
t. 0113 2449006
www.hwlwindows.co.uk

Training
TOPPING UP ON TRAINING
AluK has recently reopened its training academy in Chepstow, Wales. Below, Training
Manager Darren Burford explains why it’s important for installers to increase their knowledge
on all things aluminium.
AluK has just announced the reopening of
its training academy in Chepstow, with a
full range of installation and fabrication
courses available to book now.
For AluK, the Academy exists primarily to broaden
customers’ knowledge about its aluminium
window, door, and curtain walling systems and
to encourage best practice in installation and
fabrication. It’s an impressive, fully equipped
facility located right in the heart of AluK’s
350,000 sq ft manufacturing plant and the
emphasis is very much on practical training.
Darren Burford, AluK’s Training Manager said:
“As we learnt during the pandemic, online training
is all well and good, but there’s no real substitute
for hands-on experience. It’s all about learning
direct from the systems house and working in
line with our approved processes and technical
manual to improve quality and reduce snagging
or remedials.”
AluK’s one-day installation workshop is dedicated
to its SL50 and SG50 curtain walling systems
and is designed for installers and site supervisors
with any level of industry experience who have
not previously fitted AluK curtain walling. Some
knowledge of the window, door and curtain wall
industry is beneficial, but it is not essential.
The workshop introduces installers to the
theoretical aspects and principles of the AluK
curtain wall systems and the contents of the
technical manual. It covers glass and glazing,
bracketry, fixings, testing, and sealants.
Delegates learn how to install both the SL50 and
SG50 systems into a designated structure, and
how to use safety tools and installation aids to
achieve a successful outcome in line with AluK’s
recommendations. At the end of the day, there is
Left: AluK’s Training Manager Darren Burford.
a short assessment to obtain the GQA certificate.
The workshop runs every month from May to
December during 2022.
There are also plenty of product-based courses
available at the Academy, on AluK’s bi-folds (BSF70
and F82), windows and entrance doors (58BW and
58BD), sliders (BSC94 and SC156) and curtain
walling (SL50 and SG50). These last two days and
include a full brief on the system, and then an
introduction to the LogiKal processing software.
Primarily aimed at fabricators, they are none the
less useful for installers who want to understand
more about the capabilities of AluK products.
Darren Burford added: “All the AluK courses are
ideal for all those new starters over the past
couple of years who might have missed out on
formal training, and as a refresher for those who
might just be new to our systems. There’s an
understandable focus on training newcomers at
the moment, but we shouldn’t lose sight of the
value that comes from investing time and money
in training your existing workforce and, even more
crucially, the costs to the business of not making
those investments.
“All our training is free, but I know installers will
still weigh up the cost of sending staff out for
one or two days against the added value they will
bring to the business once they have improved
their skills. However, time and again delegates
who attend the Academy tell us that the benefits
would still stack up in even if we made a charge
for our training, as I know lots of the machinery
and software companies do.”
The reopening of the Academy is a reminder
for the market that AluK is the only aluminium
systems house that has it all ‘in-house’. It offers
a comprehensive customer support package,
which also includes in-house CAD design,
technical advice, sales and marketing support
and testing facilities.
Contact AluK Academy:
01291 639739
www.alukacademy.co.uk
@AluK_GB
28 T I APRIL 2022 PRACTICAL CONTENT FOR THE GLAZING INSTALLER & HOME IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST

Business.
Done.
The business management tool
designed for installers by installers
Get your free trial at:
businesspilot.co.uk
Maximise conversions.
Complete visibility on
every lead.
Simple drag and drop
installation scheduling
Realtime financial
reporting and cashflow
management
Map/automate your own
processes, saving time
and resource
0333 050 7506 info@businesspilot.co.uk www.businesspilot.co.uk/free-trial

Updates
Within the arched frame market, it can typically take days to get an informed quote or order
acknowledgement, delaying processes and often resulting in frustrated customers.
But with the new pricing and online ordering platform from arched and angled frame manufacturer
Premier Arches, fabricators can now get their quotes within seconds, 24 hours a day, allowing them
to swiftly get on with the job at hand. Managing Director Sean Greenall commented: “We are the only
arched frame supplier in the UK to offer a platform like this, allowing fabricators to price and order
even the most complex arched and angled frames in a wide range of profile systems, including glass,
accessories and hardware, in a matter of seconds. They can also securely save their quotes and view
their orders through a unique login portal on our website, taking full control of the ordering process and
getting ahead of the competition.” www.premierarches.co.uk
For further windows updates visit www.total-installer.co.uk
A STREAMLINED PRICING AND ORDERING PLATFORM
MAKING SURE YOU'RE READY FOR NEW PART L REGS
Changes to Part L of Building Regulations coming into force on 15 June 2022 mean big changes for the
thermal efficiency requirements of buildings. But Epwin Window Systems is already ahead of the curve
to help its customers achieve the lower U-Value targets as its multiple systems already meet or exceed
the new requirements.
Phil Parry, Business Development Director at Epwin Window Systems, said that all Epwin Window Systems
products across all its ranges already comply with the new regulations. The ranges include the Stellar Window
& Door Aluminium System, Optima Window & Door System, Spectus Window & Door System, PatioMaster
Sliding Door System, Flush Casement Window System, Flush Tilt & Turn Window System, Vertical Sliding Sash
Window System and the Fully Reversible Window PVC-U System. www.epwinwindowsystems.co.uk
LEAD TIMES SHRINK AS DEMAND GROWS
Quickslide’s designated supply partner of foiled profile has expanded and increased capacity,
reducing lead times for stock woodgrain VS windows to less than two weeks.
At a time when many other fabricators are experiencing significant challenges in fulfilling the
demand for woodgrain profile, Quickslide is living up to its name by catering for the increasing
demand for coloured and foiled products, fast.
Quickslide’s Legacy range of vertical sliders replicate traditional timber frames to give all the
appearance of wood with the enhanced benefits of PVC-U, earning Quickslide ‘Vertical Sliding Window
Company of the Year’ at the most recent National Fenestration Awards.
www.quickslide.co.uk
SUPER SLIM THINKING WITH NEW GLAZING SYSTEM
While open plan spaces have been an aspirational aspect of contemporary living and work spaces in
modern times, Covid-19 has made it necessary to rethink how we use large interior areas. The need to
create safe, practical segmentation without compromising on natural daylight or style has seen a rapid
growth in the popularity of glazed room dividers.
Perfect for both commercial and residential projects, a unique new system from Super Slim Glazing meets
this demand with a full suite of fixed glazing and a range of door options that utilise one of the slimmest profiles
on the market. Providing the largest possible area of glass without compromising on durability, the Super Slim
Glazing system has been designed by a company that truly understands glazing, comprising of a high-strength,
rigid aluminium frame into which the glass unit is fitted. www.superslimglazing.co.uk
30 T I APRIL 2022
PRACTICAL CONTENT FOR THE GLAZING INSTALLER & HOME IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST

TI - Half page ad CMYK + bleed fin.indd 1 04/04/2022 09:57
ALUMINIUM PRODUCTS
IN A
5 DAY LEAD TIME!
Start Selling Sternfenster
Today To Benefit From
Industry-Leading Aluminium,
With Fast 5 Day Lead Times
On Standard Colours!
Any RAL from a 10 Day Lead Time
Dual Colours Available
Simple Installation
Secureplus Guarantee
Secured by Design

WINDOW
& DOOR
VISIT YOUR LOCAL CRYSTAL
WINDOW
CENTRE
& DOOR
FOR QUALITY PVC-U &
ALUMINIUM WINDOWS,
DOORS & CONSERVATORIES,
CENTRE
EXPERT ADVICE &
GREAT TRADE PRICES!
CRYSTAL
FOR QUALITY PVC-U & ALUMINIUM
NATIONWIDE
DELIVERY
AVAILABLE
WINDOWS, DOORS & CONSERVATORIES,
EXPERT ADVICE & GREAT TRADE PRICES!
£654
EX VAT
INCLUDES
GLASS
£79.99
EX VAT
GLASS &
EX VAT
GLASS &
CILLS
CILLS
£97.77
1000x1500 mm 800x800 mm 1200x1200 mm
GROWING
YOUR
BUSINESS
WITH MARKET LEADING
PRODUCTS &
SERVICES
ARE PROUD TO BE
ALUMINIUM LANTERN ROOF PVC-U CASEMENT WINDOWS
HEADLINE SPONSORS
OF THE BMF CONFERENCE 2021
NATIONWIDE
DELIVERY
AVAILABLE
WWW.CRYSTAL-DIRECT.CO.UK
Made to measure PVC-U & aluminium windows, doors & conservatories.
We CALL offer 01462 supply 489900 only, as well FOR as YOUR supply NEAREST & fit on all WINDOW of these products: & DOOR CENTRE
Made to measure PVC-U & aluminium windows, doors & conservatories.
Casement windows
Vertical sliding
sash windows
Flush casement
Lantern roofs
Conservatories
WWW.CRYSTAL-DIRECT.CO.UK SALES@CRYSTAL-DIRECT.CO.UK @CRYSTALDIRECTUK

CRYSTAL
ARE PROUD TO BE
HEADLINE SPONSORS
OF THE BMF CONFERENCE 2021
GROWING
YOUR
BUSINESS
WITH MARKET LEADING
PRODUCTS &
SERVICES
Made to measure PVC-U & aluminium windows, doors & conservatories.
We offer supply only, as well as supply & fit on all of these products:
Casement windows
Vertical sliding
sash windows
Flush casement
Lantern roofs
We offer supply only, as well as supply & fit on all of these products:
Conservatories
Residential doors
Bi-fold doors
CRYSTAL
ARE PROUD TO BE
French doors
Patio doors
Composite doors
HEADLINE SPONSORS
OF THE BMF CONFERENCE 2
B
WITH
CALL 01462 489900 FOR YOUR NEAREST WINDOW & DOOR CENTRE
WWW.CRYSTAL-DIRECT.CO.UK
T: 01462 489900 SALES@CRYSTAL-DIRECT.CO.UK
@CRYSTALDIRECTUK
Made to measure PVC-U & aluminium windows, doors & conser

Installer Insights
A recent Infinity flush sash
installation project by
Wolverhampton Glass
CUSTOMER CARE MUST BE THE FOCUS
Neal Harper, Managing Director of Wolverhampton Glass and Sustainium Group, talks heartbreaking
projects, supplier frustrations, and why constant communication is vital for success
when dealing with customers…
Total Installer (TI): What was your path into
the sector?
Neal Harper (NH): Production planning sealed
units for a long-established company called
Pearce and Cutler in Birmingham, sadly no longer
in existence, was my way into the industry.
The 37 years since have absolutely flown by!
TI: If you had one piece of advice about
starting an installation business, what would
it be?
NH: Focus on personal customer care, especially
in the retail sector. We live in a world where
people think e-mail, WhatsApp and texts are the
only means of communication.
You still cannot beat keeping in touch with your
customers by talking to them and better still,
visiting them once your installation is progressing
or completed.
Communication is vital to retail success as is
Neal Harper
“Communication is
vital to retail success
as is actually saying
thank you!”
Neal Harper
actually saying thank you!
As Managing Director of Sustainium, a group that
was set up to acquire local home improvement
companies, the customer service is the first thing
we look to improve on for every business we
acquire.
TI: Tell us about a recent project you are
proud of...
NH: We recently replaced the frames and roof on
a challenging conservatory.
The client wanted to replace their existing roof
with a solid roof that needed to be structurally
sound for both snow loading and wind speeds
based on the exposed nature of the property.
Five other companies has already walked away
from job as they said the work was impossible,
as had their suppliers in turn, and with the client
having recently suffered a debilitating stroke it
left them exasperated as they needed to solve the
34 T I APRIL 2022 PRACTICAL CONTENT FOR THE GLAZING INSTALLER & HOME IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST

The Wolverhampton Glass showroom
problems they had.
It was complex and took a team of ten on the job
for many days to complete but we did, and it was
very satisfying to see such a happy customer.
TI: What is the most difficult/challenging
project that you’ve worked on?
NH: There have been many over my 37 years
in the industry, but another recent project has
been one of the most difficult for quite different
reasons than usual.
The client contacted us to replace his old plastic
conservatory roof, but disaster struck just before
the installation date as he was made redundant
unexpectedly and simply couldn’t afford to have
it fitted.
He was devastated and it was very heartbreaking
to hear.
At 58 he feared he would never be at the point
to get the project finished, so we wanted to do
something for him and after he covered the cost
of the roof we agreed to do the install for free. He
was, as you can imagine, absolutely delighted.
TI: What’s the most frustrating thing about
your job?
NH: Suppliers who have no appreciation that the
“We need to make the
industry attractive
again to a younger age
group”
only brand damaged when they don’t perform
is the installers’ and dealing with unreasonable
people; to keep their spirits up I always tell my
team ‘You cannot reason with unreasonable
people.’
The industry has also yet to realise that allowing
a retail customer to withhold thousands of
pounds until we have left site is the wrong thing
to do!
TI: And the most satisfying?
NH: A project well done with a satisfied customer
at the end whose home has been improved is
always the best thing about the job and always
has been.
TI: How do you deal with difficult customers?
NH: As calmly as we can but it is getting harder
by the year. But a face-to-face meeting is always
the best way to reach resolutions.
TI: What is your opinion of online reviews? Are
they a blessing or a curse for the installer?
NH: They are a bit of both; they provide a great
reference tool for the consumer, but far too few
leave a review when they have had great service,
whereas many will jump on if they think they have
been wronged.
Too many review sites are also inflexible to
the installer when they try to report blatant
inaccuracies in the account of the reviewer.
TI: What’s the biggest issue currently affecting
you as an installer?
NH: The same as it has been for all the years I
can remember, a saturated industry with far too
many unprofessional people in it, who do not
know how to sell the benefits of their products
properly so resort to a race to the bottom
on price, even when dealing with premium
products, or by lengthening ridiculous guarantee
periods.
That’s closely followed by an aging generation
of installers and salespeople – we need to
make the industry attractive again to a younger
age group.
Contact Wolverhampton Glass:
01902 773831
www.wolverhamptonglass.co.uk
@WolvesGlass
PRACTICAL CONTENT FOR THE GLAZING INSTALLER & HOME IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST
APRIL 2022 TI 35

Fire doors
A BOOST TO TENANT SAFETY
Installation-ready fire doors from UAP have enhanced safety and reduced the risks for
Greater-Manchester-based social housing provider Irwell Valley Homes. Total Installer hears
how the goals of this challenging project were realised...
Social housing providers have a duty of care
to maintain their housing stock under the
Decent Homes initiative, to ensure that they
are both safe and habitable
All 50 apartment entrance doors were
replaced in just two and a half weeks
Since the Grenfell Tower tragedy five years ago,
there has been an even greater focus on fire
safety in all aspects of property maintenance
and upgrade. It’s a responsibility that Greater
Manchester social housing provider, Irwell Valley
Homes, takes very seriously. So much so that the
company has a compliance team that inspects its
8,000 homes on a rolling programme to prioritise
upgrade works to fire safety.
One of the key areas surveyed for safety and
compliance is the fire doors in the properties.
Over the past two years, more than 500 fire
doors have been replaced at Irwell Valley Homes
properties, in both residential towers and smaller
apartment blocks. Specialist contractor, Jackson
Jackson & Sons works closely with doorset
manufacturer, PDS and hardware manufacturer,
UAP to deliver the fire door upgrades, as part of a
wider programme of fire safety improvements.
Dan Williams, Contracts Manager at Jackson
Jackson, explained: “Every year we receive a
schedule of properties that are due for upgrade
works from Irwell Valley Homes and we work
collaboratively with their compliance team to
prioritise the upgrades and agree a schedule.
“Once we have agreed a programme with the
client, we carry out joint surveys with PDS to
ensure that the correct specification of doorset
is ordered for each installation, aligned to the
agreed schedule.”
Putting residents first
The most recent fire door upgrade project carried
out by Jackson Jackson for Irwell Valley homes,
using PDS doorsets with UAP hardware, was at
Eastwood Court, a block of sheltered housing
apartments in Bury, Greater Manchester. The
upgrade for the four-storey housing involved both
replacement of all fire doors and improvements to
the fire stopping.
Following the initial surveys, the Jackson Jackson
team met with the residents’ association and
the properties’ management team to discuss
what the programme involved and show tenants
what the doors would look like when they were
finished.
Dan continued: “Almost all the upgrades we do
are in occupied properties so it’s really important
that we make people aware of what will be
happening and how it will benefit them. We also
want to reassure tenants that the improvements
will be done at no cost to them and that their new
doors and any other work we carry out will be
fully certified to the current standards.”
Part of that reassurance for tenants is in the
level of testing and quality assurance carried out
by the joined-up supply chain. Whilst there is
currently no mandatory certification required for
retrofitted fire doors, a requirement for bilateral
fire resistance test evidence for all fire doorset
installations, including refurbishment works, is
expected as part of the forthcoming Fire Safety
Bill. For Irwell Valley Homes, fully certified
doorsets with fire resistant hardware are already
fitted as standard.
At Eastwood Court, the requirement was for FD30
solid timber doors with integral smoke seals to
provide 30 minutes of effective protection against
both smoke and flames for the entrance to every
property.
Kevin Barnes, Sales Director at PDS, explained:
“As this is a low-rise apartment block, 30 minutes
protection is sufficient to enable safe evacuation
of all residents. Our doorsets provide protection
from fire and smoke from both sides of the door
having been successfully tested to the more
rigorous and very latest EN1634 dual orientation
testing specification as complete doorsets with all
UAP hardware installed, contributing to smooth
36 T I APRIL 2022
PRACTICAL CONTENT FOR THE GLAZING INSTALLER & HOME IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST

project delivery, whilst providing high levels of
safety for residents.”
Joined-up supply chain
PDS supplied the doorsets for Eastwood Court as
installation-ready units, with a complete set of
UAP hardware from the company’s Firemongery
range, including handles, a Soterian TS008
compliant fire rated letter plate and a 14mm fire
resistant door viewer (spyhole).
Kevin Barnes continued: “The doorsets are
manufactured by us to a proven quality and high
specification with all UAP Firemongery hardware,
intumescent fire and smoke seals, threshold
seal and overhead closer pre-installed and fully
tested by Warrington Fire.
“We work closely with UAP to ensure that new door
designs are specified with the right hardware first
time, enabling a smooth testing and certification
process. The hardware is not just fire rated, it
also looks good, which means that the finished
door answers the housing association’s safety
requirements, while providing an appearance that
every resident can be proud of.”
Replacement of all 50 apartment entrance doors
at Eastwood Court was completed in just two
and a half weeks, with the strategy of utilising
certified FD30 doorsets with pre-installed fire
resistant hardware enabling faster installation
and a smoother programme.
Rick Winnard, Senior Planned Surveyor from
Irwell Valley Homes, added: “Tenant safety and
comfort are priorities for us. Using this joined up
supply chain with full Warrington Fire certification
of the doorsets, including pre-installed UAP
Firemongery hardware, ensured we have clear
accountability for safety and compliance, along
with reduced disruption for residents, thanks to a
fast and efficient programme.”
Contact UAP:
0161 796 7268
https://uapcorporate.com/
@UAP_Limited
More than 500 fire doors were
replaced during the project
Experts in
Hardware
“ Carl F Groupco’s
hardware support
throughout PAS 24
testing has been
invaluable…”
John Mitchell
Technical Manager
Carl F Groupco
Get in touch
and speak to
one of our
experts today:
t. Peterborough:
01733 393330
t. Cumbernauld:
01236 721557
e. sales@carlfgroupco.co.uk
w. www.carlfgroupco.co.uk
Amanda Hale
Roundbrand

Smart technology
Smart speakers, video doorbells, remotelyoperated
heating systems and many
other smart home devices have become
increasingly commonplace with consumers.
Research shows that people value this smart
technology because, very simply, they make life
easier.
When we think of smart technology, we envisage
a device that saves time and money as well as
delivering additional comfort and security.
THE SMART TECH UPSELL
John Crittenden, Managing Director of hardware distributor Carl F Groupco, discusses smart
door technology that both capitalises on homeowners’ interest, and gives installers exciting
upselling opportunities.
Essentially, smart technology provides the
convenience of a remote control to a new
selection of home products and appliances,
allowing greater control for the consumer.
The practical benefits of smart technology
are why there’s such a growing demand –
and a growing market.
Here at Carl F Groupco, we have the
products to help installers tap into this
interest and create valuable upselling
opportunities.
Our SmartSecure range of electronic door locking
systems gives you a suite of modular technology
solutions that are perfect for both new and retrofit
projects in all sectors. In the same way as all
smart devices do, they simply make life easier.
The FUHR multitronic 881 Door Lock Kit is
an electronic, motorised multipoint locking
system with integrated panic function suitable
for aluminium, timber, composite or PVC-U main
entrance doors in residential and non-residential
buildings.
A full range of access control systems can be
integrated in addition to radio-based key fobs,
finger print recognition and key pads.
The intelligent SmartConnect easy access
control system allows users to open doors with a
smart phone or tablet.
The system features a user-friendly app from
which users can control a door from wherever
they are. It can also be
used to operate garage
doors, electric door
openers, roller shutters,
lighting and much more.
SmartTouch comfort is a transponder
that allows users to unlock the door by moving
towards it and gently touching a sensor.
Access rights and the detection range of the
transponder can be adopted to users’ individual
requirements and the signal is only active when
the transponder detects movement.
The Gilgen Electromechanical Door Opener
range is fully compatible with the multitronic 881
to provide a complete electronic door solution.
With the Yale Conexis L1 Keyless Locking
System, the homeowner’s smartphone is now
their key. Using the app the user is able to send
mobile keys and give access for a few weeks or
hours.
The app also gives peace of mind because users
receive a notification when keys are used. Key
cards, key tags and phone tags are available
and, along with mobile keys, can be revoked in
an instant.
As well as making life easier and smarter, all
the products in the SmartSecure range offer
outstanding security that meets all the current
regulations. They also have fallback functionality
for times when there’s a power failure or batteries
have run down.
We know from feedback from our customers that
young professionals, busy families and people
with caring responsibilities are just some of the
people who are particularly interested in this
technology.
In commercial settings, they offer valuable
hygiene benefits too. Fewer touchpoints mean
fewer opportunities for germs to transfer from
person to person, a benefit that has come into
sharp focus post-Covid 19.
Above all, our SmartSecure range offers tried and
tested solutions from world-renowned suppliers,
so they combine the valuable combination of
cutting-edge tech and reassuring reliability.
Contact Carl F Groupco:
01733 393 330
www.carlfgroupco.co.uk
@Carl_F_Groupco
Smart technology is becoming a
growing trend for homeowners
Inset: John Crittenden
38 T I APRIL 2022
PRACTICAL CONTENT FOR THE GLAZING INSTALLER & HOME IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST

Oh so
SIMPLE
The Virtuoso Gateway is a quick and simple online tool where you can order
your customer’s new door. You can access the Gateway twenty-four hours a day,
seven days a week. Getting started is easy, just set up a Virtuoso trade account,
and once registered you will have access to your own dashboard, where you can
use the ‘design-a-door’ tool, generate instant quotes and place an order.
There’s Oh So much more to discover, contact
sales@virtuoso-doors.co.uk or visit virtuoso-doors.co.uk/gateway
Nationwide Coverage. Competitive Lead Times. Unlimited Colour Choice.

PVCu & ALUMINIU

CALL:
EMAIL:
VISIT:
M LEAD TIMES FROM JUST 5WORKINGDAYS!

Showroom investment
SHARED BENEFITS FOR CUSTOMERS
Total Installer hears from fabricator and supplier A Plus Aluminium, who has invested
a ‘substantial amount’ to build a new flagship showroom at the company’s Watford
headquarters, which customers can make exclusive use of...
Entering through a glazed aluminium
door, customers are greeted by
a welcoming, well-lit space.
One where the product positioning is
deliberate rather than accidental, with
each area carefully considered and its
potential maximised.
That was the goal when Jon Palethorpe
and fellow Managing Director, Steve Warr
from specialist trade fabricator, A Plus
Aluminium, took the bold decision to
stick with their pre-pandemic strategy,
and build a new flagship showroom at the
company headquarters in Watford.
“This represents a substantial investment by A
Plus,” said Jon. “Before Covid hit we had plans
to provide our customers with a large, flexible
space showcasing a wide range of aluminium
fenestration products. But the pandemic
stopped us all in our tracks; there was so much
uncertainty and anxiety in those early days, noone
knew where it was going.
“Yet, like many businesses, as that first lockdown
eased, we saw a sharp upturn in demand.
While the showroom had initially been put on
hold it soon became obvious that the pandemic
hadn’t derailed our plans, it had increased their
necessity. We knew from our clients that there
was a strong need, so we decided to carry on as
planned, as quickly and safely as possible.”
Showcasing leading aluminium products
The 130 square metre showroom spans
two floors and centres around a customer
presentation lounge, with a private meeting area.
Features at the new Watford showroom include
demonstration products from leading systems
houses, including Hydro (inclusive of both Technal
and Sapa brands), Smart Heritage and Cortizo.
These include sliding and lift/slide doors; bifold
doors; and flush casement and tilt before
turn windows; alongside specialist fenestration
A substantial investment
has been made at A Plus
Aluminium’s Watford HQ
products such as vertical sliders, reversible
windows and smoke vents.
Lighting was integral when designing the
showroom: “It needs to enhance products
and highlight certain features, while making
customers feel welcome,” said Jon. Cool white
lights have been used to create a modern space
and to accent products. This is complemented
by LED shadow gap lighting in a rich blue tone, to
define the customer presentation area.
Appointment only
Entrance is by appointment only. Customers are
met by Jon or Business Development Manager,
Clive Barham. “While Clive and I do much of
the meeting and greeting, we are supported by
a large team who provide assistance throughout
the enquiry and order process,” explained Jon.
Headed by Neil Weiser, Customer Services
Manager, and Naobh O’Donoghue, Operations
Manager, both departments provide invaluable
support.
Exclusive access
A Plus manages the booking system so that
customers benefit from exclusive use, treating the
space as their own. This is extremely valuable for
those without a showroom. Architectural glazing
specialist, Bauxite is one such business.
“With no showroom of our own, the A Plus studio
is invaluable,” said Steve Lemarie, Managing
Director of Bauxite Glazing Specialists.
“It allows us to show clients the full
product range, including large format
doors and harder to demonstrate
products such as vertical sliders and
reversible windows.
“Having worked with London-based
architects and surveyors for many years
we appreciate their requirements. They
wish to understand the technical details
and enjoy the ergonomics and aesthetics
of a product, especially when making a
comparison. It is something that they are more
than willing to travel for, particularly when acting
on behalf of larger, more prestigious clients.”
Gives confidence
Bauxite is a long-standing A Plus customer,
and Steve believes that sharing this resource
demonstrates the strength of the partnership.
“Knowing that we have direct access to the
manufacturer reassures our clients. They gain
confidence from the showroom and tours of the
fabrication facility.”
Developing relationships
“I am extremely pleased with the new
showroom,” concluded Jon. “It offers us
tremendous potential and is proving itself to be
popular already. It offers our sales staff a chance
to build closer relationships with our customers,
and in turn, their clients.
“Our enviable location also means we will
attract more customers from the South East and
be accessible to a greater number of decision
makers, while also being close to our second
manufacturing facility in Sandy, Bedfordshire.”
Contact A Plus Aluminium:
01923 225855
www.apluswindows.co.uk/
@APlusAluminium
42 T I APRIL 2022
PRACTICAL CONTENT FOR THE GLAZING INSTALLER & HOME IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST

WITH ENGINEERING
ON THIS LEVEL,
ONLY THE SKY’S THE LIMIT.
Our engineering know-how not only delivers one of the slimmest sightlines
in a roof lantern – but also unmatched performance and durability.
Each lantern is tested for ultimate security, watertightness, thermal efficiency,
and strength. And roofs have been engineered to make installation quick and easy.
• 40mm internal ridge, rafter & hip
• No boss or Y cover
• Hidden tie bar
• Variable dual roof pitch – 17 degrees to 35 degrees
• Equally proportioned
• Stronger construction
Lantern Flat Rooflight Skyroom Conservatories Verandas Lean-tos
To see more, contact our Technical Team at 0283 832 7741
or visit atlasroofsolutions.co.uk/engineering

Updates
For further doors updates visit www.total-installer.co.uk
GREENTEQ ORION RETAINS ITS INTEGRITY
The greenteQ Orion TS007 3 star profile cylinder from hardware specialist VBH is now available
in bespoke keyed alike suites.
Until now, keyed alike cylinders were available in factory-produced pairs or batches of 10, but all the cylinders
were matching in size and finish.
With the new option to open and re-pin Orion cylinders, customers can now have cylinders of different sizes and
finishes, all operated by the same key; perfect in a home with a composite front door, an aluminium bi-fold and a
PVCu back door, for example.
Orion keyed alike sets are processed and despatched usually within 3-5 working days. www.vbhgb.com
DISTINCTION'S SIX OF THE BEST
Distinction Doors has announced the introduction of six new colours.
The new shades vary from vibrant pink and exotic turquoise to cool blue and deep grey. This
eclectic mix has been carefully curated in-house with shades to suit all tastes and property
styles. The new additions are Distinction Slate Grey, Distinction Pebble Grey, Pale Green,
Porcelain Blue, Telemagenta and Turquoise Blue. All six shades are available now and span the
entire door range.
The new shades will replace six existing ones – Signal Violet, Azure Blue, Pastel Blue, Black
Grey, Sable and Silk Grey, to preserve the company’s commitment to supply only much-loved,
current and inspirational colours for their entrance doors. www.distinctiondoors.co.uk
SOPHISTICATED OPENINGS
MasterTrack BT sliding door hardware from Bohle offers a new high-end solution to the increase
in demand for internal glass partitioning.
“In the last few years, we’ve seen the amount of glass going into buildings – not just the external fabric –
absolutely rocket,” Bohle MD Dave Broxton said. “And for good reason. You can define specific areas very easily,
and still let that most precious of commodities – light – reach every corner. Plus, if you want privacy, then there
are many options, such as blinds, smart glass and interlayers, that can easily create the appearance of solid
walls.” MasterTrack BT from Bohle offers a sophisticated sliding mechanism that comes with the option of a
hydraulically operated dampening system. There are further options of a synchronous opening, so that two doors can open at the same time, and telescopic opening,
which allows two or three leaves to retract simultaneously. www.bohle.com
WARMCORE MEETS INCOMING DOCUMENT L REGS
June will see the latest changes to building regulations come into force and updates to Document L
means the countdown is on for installers to find windows and doors that are compliant with tighter
thermal efficiency standards.
Approved Document L: Conservation of Fuel and Power requires windows and doors for refurbished
properties to have a U-value rating of 1.4 W/m²K. For new build, the U-values are even lower. Windows and
doors with a glazed area of more than 60 percent must have a U-value rating of 1.2 W/m²K, whilst opaque or
semi-glazed doors require an overall U-value of 1.0 W/m²K.
For new builds where additional measures have been taken to lower the overall energy efficiency of the
building, the limiting U-value for windows and doors is 1.6 W/m²K. However, WarmCore already achieves the
new criteria comfortably with superior performance U-vales as low as 1.0 W/m²K. www.abcell.co.uk
44 T I APRIL 2022
PRACTICAL CONTENT FOR THE GLAZING INSTALLER & HOME IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST

PARTNER

Contract The View Talk from Certass TA
A HUB OF ACTIVITY AND ADVICE
Jon Vanstone, Chair at Certass Trade Association, explains why the Installer Support Hub
on Stand D49 at FIT Show 2022 is a must-visit for installers...
After two long years of virtual meetings,
it feels good to be preparing for our first
face-to-face exhibition since 2019.
Though Certass members have had direct access
to talk to myself and Danelle via our awardwinning
Facebook Forum right the way through
the pandemic, nothing beats sitting down
with members in person to talk through the
challenges they are facing, and the support that
Certass provides to help navigate hurdles that
can get in the way of a thriving business.
We’ve got a great stand planned – bringing our
Facebook forum to life with the Certass Installer
Support Hub.
It’s specifically designed for us to sit down and
have a catch-up with existing members over
coffee. If it is a new certification provider you’re
after, we are always up for a chat to hear about
your current concerns and share our unique
expertise on how Certass can work for your
business.
Certified Competent Profile
On the stand, we will be doing live demos of
certifiedcompetent.co.uk – the consumer
advice and ‘find a trader’ website service
powered by Certass to help homeowners find
certified, competent contractors to carry out their
home improvement works.
Existing members already have listings where
tens of thousands of genuine consumer
reviews of existing members can be seen to
help homeowners choose the right installer for
them.
Members get homeowner leads directly through
Certified Competent and it’s a service that
is automatically included with your Certass
Membership.
Jon Vanstone
Meet the Team
Our entire expert team will be on the stand. Jason
and Clive, our Chartered Builders who power the
technical team, are available to talk you through
technical aspects of your membership, building
regulations and audits. Fiona and Jacqueline,
who head up Certification and Operations, can
chat you through the services included with your
membership, and help you to make the most of
the benefits available to you.
I’ll also be around for the three days to talk
and present on up-and-coming Government
regulations, the future of competence and a
general catch up. If you would like to book an
appointment with any of us, please get in touch.
Stand Partners
As well as the Certass team, you can find out
about what’s happening in the IBG and Deposit
Protection market from our stand partners Quality
Assured National Warranties (QANW). We’ll also
have lots of information available from Lighthouse
Club Construction Industry Charity who offer
essential support to the construction community.
On Stage
There’s a really impressive seminar programme
lined up at FIT Show this year, so I would highly
recommend checking out the schedule. I’ll be part
of the opening discussion ‘The Windows & Doors
Market 2022/23 - Mill Pond or Tsunami?’ on
Tuesday. On Wednesday you can catch my seminar,
‘The Future of Competence’ at 11.10am.
We’ll also be hosting presentations on the
Installer Support Hub to launch our new
scheme and talk in more detail about Building
Regulations, as well as having guest spots from
our stand partners.
Late Night Wednesday
For anyone who is planning on an evening visit
or an overnight stay, I can highly recommend
visiting on Wednesday. It’s the late opening of the
show, and the Certass stand is hosting the PiGs
(People in Glazing Society) party. It’s a fantastic
opportunity for networking over a few beers and
it’s supported by some of the biggest names in
the industry.
We’ve also got live music from Ellie Jones and The
Giants, the cover band that wowed the crowd at
the last PiGs event in Birmingham – so they are
certain to get the party started!
New Certification Scheme
We’re also launching a new scheme at the
show, which has been designed to help Certass
members save money with certification on other
products…but you’ll have to come and see us at
the show to get the full details.
See you in May!
Contact Certass Trade Association:
01292 292 095
certassta.co.uk
@CertassTa
46 T I APRIL 2022 PRACTICAL CONTENT FOR THE GLAZING INSTALLER & HOME IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST

” I save 30
hours a month
on quoting with
Framepoint”
Liam Best,
Kalico Home
Improvements
...and it’s as simple as
sketching on a pad.
book a demo - www.tommytrinder.com

Mental health
WE NEED TO TALK...
Faisal Hussain, Chief Executive of the Double Glazing & Conservatory Ombudsman Scheme
(DGCOS) and Thom Emerson, Sales & Marketing Director of Ideal Window Solutions, discuss
the urgent need to talk more about mental health issues and challenges in the industry.
L-R – Ideal Window Solutions’ Thom Emerson, architect, presenter and DGCOS ambassador George Clarke and DGCOS’ Faisal Hussain
Mental health in the sector has been on
my mind for some time and really hit
home to me following a frank and honest
conversation I had with an installer at the end of
last year.
Reflecting on what I perceived must have been a
financially successful year for him thanks to the
home improvement bounce, his response actually
painted a rather dismal picture.
Rather than the positive conversation about sales
and profit growth I thought we were going to
have, he stopped short and simply said: “I’ve had
enough Faisal.”
He explained some of the issues that were
affecting him so badly: Juggling staff shortages
and increased workload; admin, sales and credit
control; delays in lead times vs consumers
literally shouting for their installation dates.
And it wasn’t just his mental health that was
“It may be difficult to
talk about your mental
health and it may make
you feel vulnerable”
affected, he admitted that some days he struggles
to walk due a bad back that he’s had no time to
visit the doctors for. There’d been hardly any time
off at all, and certainly no holidays.
This story got me thinking, there must be many
more installers in the industry in a similar situation.
Since I opened up the conversation about mental
health in the sector, it appears that the home
improvement bounce has impacted many of us.
While we think we should have been reaping the
rewards, the reality is quite different. But this
issue is, as Thom said on the podcast, something
no one really talks about it in the trade.
I read an article recently that said 30% of
tradespeople have taken time off due to mental
health, but how many tradespeople are there that
don’t talk about it and instead are in a vicious
cycle of keeping the wheels turning as efficiently
as possible?
The article suggested this could be another
third – that’s 64% of tradespeople whose mental
health is affected.
Time for change
At DGCOS we want to talk about mental health in
our industry so that hopefully we can start to see
positive changes. My conversation with Thom in
the podcast is reassuring; pastoral care is more
important than ever in our businesses, and Ideal
Window Solutions is certainly taking positive
steps to support their staff.
48 T I APRIL 2022 PRACTICAL CONTENT FOR THE GLAZING INSTALLER & HOME IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST

Contract Talk
In his words: “If nothing else, Covid has made us
focus on individual people”, and this is so true.
The days of just providing good facilities,
employment and wages are long gone.
Anxiety became a real issue throughout the
pandemic – there was concern over the health of
loved ones and families, children couldn’t go to
school, and at first, we were unsure if we could
we visit people’s houses to work.
And two years on, many of these struggles
remain. People can only cope up until a certain
point, then everything becomes overwhelming.
Thom Emerson speaking on the podcast
Faisal Hussain, Chief Executive of the DGCOS
Difficult conversations
It may be difficult to talk
about your mental health
and it may make you feel
vulnerable. The key is honest
communication and an opendoor
policy to your staff that
allows them to talk about
their feelings. Pastoral care
could be as simple as asking
how they are and listening to
the response.
This level of empathy
extends to your customers
too.
As Thom said in the
podcast, if you are feeling
stressed, it’s more than likely that your customer
is too – we’re all worried about the health of our
loved ones – and sometimes the easiest way to
ease frustration is to complain.
As an installer, you’re probably doing your best to
manage issues which are outside of your control,
but your customer feels let down because their
installation has been delayed.
It can seem like consumers don’t care that lead
times that were once five days are now more like
five weeks and that sourcing products over the
“Our mission is to
support both installers
and consumers”
last 18-24 months has been a nightmare.
This is the reality of the current situation and
installers are doing their best, but relaying this to
a consumer is never an easy conversation.
You want them to know you’re on the case but
when you don’t really have any news, you can
aggravate the situation further.
DGCOS has many conversations with consumers
following this issue. It could be viewed as a form
of mediation but really what we are trying to do
is support the installer who may have told their
customer the same message two or three times,
but it takes a third party like DGCOS to make the
customer feel reassured.
Ultimately, our mission is to support both
installers and consumers in any way we can.
Be part of the conversation
DGCOS wants to open up the conversation with
the industry about mental health.
That’s why we’ve launched a Glass & Glazing
Industry Mental Health Survey.
It’s confidential and will only take five minutes
to complete. We want to understand the
thoughts and experiences of mental health in the
fenestration sector over the last two years.
The survey will close on 12th April 2022 and
we will be releasing the results in the weeks
following. DGCOS invites you to be part of the
conversation.
To take part in the survey visit: https://installers.
dgcos.org.uk/news/glass-glazing-industrymental-health-survey-2022.
Contact DGCOS:
0345 053 8975
www.dgcos.org.uk/
@DGCOS
PRACTICAL CONTENT FOR THE GLAZING INSTALLER & HOME IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST
APRIL 2022 TI 49

PVC-U recycling
TIME FOR CHANGE?
Paul Webb, Director of Recycling at Eurocell, explains how its ‘closed loop’ recycling service
is helping to stop significant volumes of waste plastic materials ending up in landfill, and how
this can help installers offer more sustainable choices to homeowners
Installers working on home improvement
projects have several things to consider when
it comes to the types of materials they choose,
but, when it comes to PVC-U used for windows,
doors and other products, many installers may
not realise the full sustainability benefits they
can offer.
Eurocell has been committed to supporting the
aims and ambitions of recycling for more than 20
years. Recognising a corporate need to do what
is required to minimise plastic waste and, where
possible, reuse materials across our largescale
manufacturing processes, we have, over time,
moved from externally purchasing recycled plastic
to the establishment of our own nationwide waste
recycling system. This is now used to furnish
Eurocell’s manufacturing operation with recycled
plastic raw material.
Eurocell Recycle allows us to meet two primary
objectives: it helps prevent sending plastic waste
to landfill and, secondly, it enables us to recycle
old products at the end of their life into new
Eurocell is committed to
continuing to advance the
sustainability agenda
Eurocell’s two waste recycling plants at
Ilkeston and Selby are now responsible for
processing approximately 44,000 tonnes
of PVC-U waste annually
PVC-U profiles.
Such has been the success of the service; the newly
created material now accounts for around 29% of
all the material Eurocell’s manufacturing business
required to generate our extensive range of brandnew
dual material extruded plastic products.
British standards dictate we must use a certain
amount of virgin material in specific areas, as
such it’s incorporated into the outer face so that
it doesn’t impact the look or UV performance of
the frames, but wherever possible we replace
virgin plastic for recycled plastic on all new
products.
Two PVC-U waste plastic recycling plants at
Ilkeston and Selby are at the heart of the Eurocell
Recycle service and their combined efforts are
delivering real benefit.
Using a ‘closed loop’ recycling system that deals
with both post-consumer and post-industrial
plastic waste, the two plants are now responsible
for processing approximately 44,000 tonnes of
PVC-U waste annually, equivalent to around 3.4m
window frames, a figure that has been steadily
rising as demand for recycled product solutions
has escalated in recent years.
Without the service, a high proportion of the
plastic waste generated by large manufacturers,
fabricators, and installers would simply end up
in landfill and contribute further to the waste
disposal challenge the UK continually faces.
Continued on page 52
50 T I APRIL 2022 PRACTICAL CONTENT FOR THE GLAZING INSTALLER & HOME IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST

Membership
just £24.95 +VAT
per month
Job registrations
from £1.50 +VAT
It’s time to switch to
The certification body that’s on your side
Direct line to our Chair through
Facebook forum
Heads-up on future regulation &
Government position
Free Certass Trade Association
membership
Free listing on our
“Find an Installer” search
Free unique company profile
page
Free customer ratings
Legal, Tax, HR & Health and
Safety advice
Technical & installation advice
Free Covid secure procedure pack
JOIN US
TODAY
Call
01292 502 398
Email
info@certass.co.uk

PVC-U recycling
Continued from page 50
“New PVC-U window
frames using recycled
polymer can last up to
35 years, a real benefit
for installers to share
with homeowners”
‘Closed loop’
The closed loop system is a six-stage recycling
process. It starts with a national collection service.
Old and discarded plastic windows, door frames
and other plastic offcuts are collected by our fleet
from company locations and waste management
centres across the UK.
When the waste arrives at one of the two
Eurocell recycling processing plants, the material
undergoes an extensive sorting and separation
process which divides metals, white polymer, and
coloured materials, as well as capturing material
which is ultimately non-recyclable.
After a transformative process which creates a powder
or pellet form similar to virgin PVC-U material, the
recycled plastic is used by Eurocell to manufacture
its extensive range
of extruded plastic
products.
The fabrication of new
products such as window
and door profiles then
follow, leading to the installation
of many new products in homes and
buildings ultimately fashioned from thousands of
old windows and door frames that have reached
the end of their working life.
And the recycling process promises much for the
future. New PVC-U window frames using recycled
polymer can last up to 35 years, a real benefit for
installers to share with homeowners.
And what’s more, the material can be further
recycled up to ten times delivering ongoing
sustainability benefit for generations to come.
The future for Eurocell Recycle promises scaled
growth driven by demand and an increased
appetite for sustainable product answers from
installers and homeowners.
On the back of forecasts of an upsurge in the
number of homeowners looking to undertake
opportunity.
home renovation and
refurbishment projects
post lockdown, Eurocell is
committed to the continual
extension of the recycling
service to support installers
looking to tap into this business
As an industry leader, Eurocell is committed to
continuing to advance the sustainability agenda.
We work hard to ensure previously discarded
plastic material can be sourced and converted
into new, long-lasting recycled products that
installers can use to add value to the materials
they offer homeowners, who are often focused on
sustainability too.
For installers looking to improve the sustainability
of the products they choose for home
improvements, the benefits offered through
Eurocell’s PVC-U products are worth considering.
Contact Eurocell:
03301 737 159
www.eurocell.co.uk
@EurocellRecycle
52 TI APRIL 2022 PRACTICAL CONTENT FOR THE GLAZING INSTALLER & HOME IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST

DoorGlass Brochure 21/22 Total Fabricator Half Page.qxp_Layout 1 18/08/2021 14:01
Press play on
quality content
for your sector
NEW DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO
COMPOSITE DOOR GLASS
U P D A T E D F O R 2 0 2 1 / 2 0 2 2
Easily
accessible on
your desktop,
mobile or
any device
AVAILABLE TO
DOWNLOAD
NOW!
Free
content that
is constantly
updated
Subscribe
to channels
for your specific
areas of
interest and
expertise
The new platform for digital
content from the key players in
your sector, including: How-to’s;
Projects and product focuses;
Installation advice; Training
and webinars; Interviews
and opinions.
www.glaze-tube.co.uk
In association with Total Installer &
Total Fabricator magazines.
To discuss showcasing your video content,
contact Andy or Jake on: 01892 732 047
or email andydunn@media-now.co.uk
jakeroxborough@media-now.co.uk
All designs are Document L & Q compliant
Available in any thickness up to 52mm
Call 0161 946 1164 to request your hard copy
RegaLead Limited | Columbus House | Altrincham Road
Sharston | Manchester | M22 9AF
Telephone: 0161 946 1164
Email: sales@regalead.co.uk | Web: www.regalead.co.uk

Updates
ONLINE DESIGN
Garden Room Designer from Making Your
Space makes the process from enquiry
through to order seamless. The company says
it’s also a platform that can be dropped on
to other websites, and specifically for their
expanding network of Design Partners.
A garden room is the ultimate additional
premium space, but until now the challenge has
been to find a way in which these functional
rooms can be designed individually.
The Garden Room Designer from Making
Your Space follows considerable investment
in the business and allows a bespoke room to
be created in 3D in just a matter of minutes.
Sizes can be changed at the click of a mouse
as can the location of windows and doors, roof
overhangs added, and even internal electrics and
skirting boards can be added, along with other
useful functionality.
Everything can also be priced in real time for
a finished priced, with garden room costs fully
customisable at the back end. From a consumer’s
perspective, a finished design and price can
be agreed at a single sitting and a confirmed
order also sent directly to Making Your Space for
checking and production scheduling, as part of a
paperless process.
Ryan Crossley, Director of Making Your Space
commented: “We’re in the digital era now when
you build a car on a configurator and even
chose the options on your new home in 3D. With
this investment in technology, we’re enabling
our design partners to create bespoke garden
rooms in real time and with the option of an
installed price, based on carefully audited and
customisable build and installation costs. It also
removes the need for a garden room show village,
given the level of detail and the availability of our
mini-pods for sales and marketing purposes.”
www.makingyourspace.co.uk/
Epwin Window Systems’ digital integrated
platform Connect has recently celebrated
its first anniversary.
Gerald Allen, Head of Marketing at Epwin Window
Systems, said: “Connect was designed to help
fabricators and installers access the vast range of
business support available to them and, in doing so,
help them drive sales, grow profit and simplify the
access points. We’re delighted to see it delivering
on its remit.”
Reflecting the value that it adds, nearly 550
installers, fabricators and trade counters have
already signed up to the platform.
The most popular sections of the site are the
U-Comply N Customer Portal, which allows
users to calculate the thermal efficiency ratings
of their products, the technical bulletins that
advise customers on the latest product updates
and the image gallery, a comprehensive library of
professional images for use in marketing materials.
Gerald commented: “Epwin Window Systems’
customers are committed to making sure their
For further glazed extensions updates visit www.total-installer.co.uk
CONNECTING THE INDUSTRY
products offer the latest thinking and meet the
latest requirements. This is reflected in their
use of the technical sections of the site which
our customers have found invaluable. The
importance of high-quality marketing is reflected
in the use of the images downloaded from our
gallery along with the various POS options.”
The company says customer feedback on the
Connect portal has been very strong.
www.epwinwindowsystems.co.uk
ENERGY SAVING SLIMFOLD DOOR
Pyramid Aluminium has launched its
SlimFold bi-fold door that achieves a
1.4 W/m 2 K U-value with standard double
glazing. SlimFold offers easy clip-in
beading, with a 45mm wide slimline sash
and is the latest addition to the Purelight
aluminium system range.
Thanks to an innovative insulated thermal
break, SlimFold bifold doors achieve a 1.4
U-value with a Low-E argon-filled warm
edge glass unit, complying with the June
changes to Part L of the building regulations.
SlimFold has a super slim 45mm sash to give a narrow 100mm meeting stile, one of the slimmest
on the market. Sashes can be up to 1.1m wide and 2.5m high, to create large glass areas with
minimal frames, for incredible views.
“There has always been a high demand for more glass and less frame, so we’re really excited
that we’ve achieved such a slim profile to help homeowners create better views” said Paul Bailey,
Managing Director of Pyramid Aluminium.
The SlimFold bi-fold is built with installers in mind, with an aluminium clip-in bead making quick
work of glazing, for an easy and speedy installation. www.pyramid-profiles.co.uk
54 T I APRIL 2022
PRACTICAL CONTENT FOR THE GLAZING INSTALLER & HOME IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST

www.britmet.co.uk | 01295 250998 | sales@britmet.co.uk
Available
Today!
Liteslate Accessory Range
Check out our full range of accessories www.britmet.co.uk/liteslate
Liteslate Ridge End
Cap
New
Improved
Design!
Liteslate Tile Vent
Liteslate End Cap 90
Liteslate 3-way End Cap
Liteslate Tile Vent
Liteslate End Cap 135
RAISING THE STANDARDS IN LIGHTWEIGHT ROOFING

Contract Social media Talk
ARE YOU BEING SEEN?
David Glenwright is the Head of Training at JC Social Media and has been a social media
specialist and consultant for over 10 years. Below, he explains the ins and outs of social
media for installers, and what you can do to be seen more.
There’s no escaping the fact that social
media has become an essential marketing
tool for businesses in all shapes and sizes.
In fact, it’s believed that there are over 50 million
small businesses around the world using social
media as a way to engage with their customers.
And it’s working as well – 9 in 10 Instagram
users follow at least one business, and 78% of
Facebook users purchase products and services
that they discover on the platform.
With statistics like this, it can be frustrating for
business owners who are putting time and energy
into their social media presence, but aren’t
generating the results that they expected, or feel
they deserve for their efforts.
When we are so focused on our own business and
content on social media, it’s easy to forget the
context in which people see our posts.
The reality is that it’s rare for someone to go
through a business’s own feed, looking at all their
content in one sitting. Instead, users will tend to
scroll through the news feed, a curated feed of
content that pulls together posts from dozens if
not hundreds of users and brands.
Your post is effectively in competition with all
these other posts to make it onto this feed, and
there is no shortage of competition.
In fact, it’s believed that the average user will
scroll through an incredible 90 metres of content
every single day – that’s a daily news feed the
height of Big Ben. If we assume that your post is
roughly 10cm in size, that makes it one of 900
posts that someone will scroll through.
A great social media strategy recognises that
being seen is more than half the battle, and that
means creating content that is going to stick
out on that newsfeed, capturing your audience’s
focus and attention. Often referred to as ‘thumbstopping’
content, here are three top tips
to creating posts that will help you
increase your visibility and generate
genuine interest in your brand.
describe everything that you’re trying to get
across, it just needs to illustrate it in a way
that is going to draw interest in you and
your brand. Think of it as the hook of
your post – if they are intrigued by
the image, they’ll read the text that
Avoid the constant sell
follows.
It’s annoying when someone walks
up to you out of the blue and starts
trying to sell something, isn’t it? The exact David Glenwright
Respect the algorithm
Algorithms are the beating heart of social
same principle applies to social media.
networks. There is far too much content out
there for us to see everything that is posted by
People go onto these networks to escape the
the people and brands that we follow, so the
world and look at things that interest them and
algorithms decide what content to show users,
add value to their day. In the same way we
and in what order. Think of the algorithm as
hover over the skip button when an ad comes
the bouncer outside the Newsfeed nightclub. It
up on Youtube, if we come across a post that is
decides if you get in, when, and whether you get
overtly trying to sell something to us without first
that VIP top spot.
engaging us, there’s a good chance that we’ll
scroll right past it.
You can’t ‘beat’ the algorithm, but you can
learn to understand what it’s looking for in
It’s important to sell our products and services,
a post. Concise amounts of text, good use of
there’s no denying that, but it doesn’t have to be
imagery, a healthy posting frequency that doesn’t
the focus of everything that we post.
oversaturate (3-5 posts per week on Facebook
Conversations about pricing, calls to encourage
people to apply for a quote and links to your
website can all put people off interacting, so try
and Instagram, not per day!) and content that is
easily likeable are just some of the things that the
algorithm is looking out for.
limiting these kinds of posts, and focusing on
There is a learning process to creating a great social
things that will educate, inform or even entertain
media content strategy, and it’s a process that can
your audience.
take time. But if you pay close attention to what
Visual content excites
When we’re scrolling through our news feeds,
we’re trying to digest as much as possible, as
quickly as possible. It’s somewhat clichéd to say
that a picture speaks a thousand words, but it’s
performs well and what doesn’t, and you consider
what your audience wants to see rather than what
you want to show your audience, it won’t be long
before you really will start to be seen online.
www.jcsocialmedia.com
true! An image or short video can easily convey
to someone in moments something that would
See David at the FIT Show 2022:
take written text seconds to get across, and in the
Tuesday 10th May 12:30pm – 1:00pm &
world of social media, seconds is a long time.
Wednesday 11th May – 3:10pm - 3:40pm
A visually stimulating image doesn’t need to
FIT Show Seminar Theatre
56 T I APRIL 2022 PRACTICAL CONTENT FOR THE GLAZING INSTALLER & HOME IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST

2022
NEC BIRMINGHAM
10-12 MAY 2022
FITSHOW.CO.UK
A TRIP TO FIT COULD MAKE YOU MORE
A DAY OUT BUT NOT A DAY OFF
FIT SHOW
2022
WILL BE THE
FIRST
EUROPEAN SHOW
FOR THREE YEARS
OVER 200
INDUSTRY
LEADING
BRANDS.
FIT IS NOT JUST A SHOWROOM,
IT’S A SHOWCASE OF PRODUCTS,
FEATURING EVERY LINK IN THE
SUPPLY CHAIN.
NOWHERE ELSE CAN YOU
SEE, TOUCH AND PLAY WITH
THE LATEST PRODUCTS ON
THE MARKET, COMPARE
THEM SIDE-BY-SIDE, UNDER
ONE ROOF.
NEC BIRMINGHAM, 10-12 MAY 2022
Register early and beat the queues at the
NEC. Scan the QR to book you FREE place
at FIT Show 2022.
#FITShow22

Quality Assured Products
WHY COMPROMISE ON YOUR PROJECT?
Total Installer hears about Made For Trade’s engineering-led ethos to fenestration
manufacturing, and how the company has taken a ‘key next step’ by attaining ISO9001
quality certification.
Keeping control of the details in a thriving
manufacturing business is a key objective
as a company undergoes expansion, and
that control was a significant driving factor
behind Made For Trade’s latest achievement:
gaining the internationally-recognised standard of
ISO9001:2015 with regards to quality control.
The enviable accreditation is the latest in a
multitude of steps that help to separate and elevate
MFT from the competition via the transfer of
processes, design and even staff from the high-tech
automotive, motorsport and aerospace industries to
manufacturing and glazing.
Whilst the term ‘quality’ is often seen to represent
the aesthetic look, fit/finish or longevity of a
product, in engineering terms it means a significant
amount more; it is the discipline concerned with
the principles and practice of quality assurance and
control for both the product and service.
“It has been a challenging two years to get to
this point but we are delighted that with
Jason’s hard work and guidance the team has
successfully achieved an ISO9001 certificate for
Made For Trade”
factory – even the optimised and refined method in
which packaging materials are applied.
Chris Wann, Operations Director at Made For Trade
said: “Understanding the importance of control in a
larger business was paramount as MFT continues
to expand.
“We recognised that a robust system which can
provide validated data from all areas is necessary
for our own feedback – and to make the informed
decisions required for success.
“This is where the need for a documented and
audited quality system came in.
“We brought in Jason Couse as our Quality Manager,
who was tasked with supporting other members
of the senior management team to document all
business processes.
The NQA Certification sets MFT apart as a result,
thanks to the precise repeatability of every single
aspect of how a Made For Trade product is designed,
sold and manufactured.
Refining the business to gain the enviable
accreditation has been the result of years of work,
and particularly so in the last 24 months under
the auspices of Quality Manager Jason Couse,
who joined Made For Trade from a parallel role in
engineering at the start of 2020.
The steps and implemented procedures needed to
satisfy the accreditation process across every single
area of the business.
This started right back with the experienced MFT
sales team and the adoption of consistent processes
for dealing with new enquiries, right through to the
very last steps as the fenestration products leave the
Jason Couse, Quality Manager and Chris Wann, Operations Director
58 T I APRIL 2022 PRACTICAL CONTENT FOR THE GLAZING INSTALLER & HOME IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST

Made for Trade is now
ISO 9001 quality certified
“The rapidly expanding
business already had
a very good base to
build on”
“It has been a challenging two years to get to this
point but we are delighted that with Jason’s hard
work and guidance the team has successfully
achieved an ISO9001 certificate for Made For Trade.
“What is of key significance, however, is that we
now have a rigorous quality system in place that is
tailored specifically to the business.”
But, what does this mean for the trade partner,
installer or end consumer?
The certification ensures that Made For Trade can
now truly quantify their promise of offering the best
service in the industry, thanks to an internationallyrecognised
standard proving that each and every
product follows the same key steps from sales
through manufacturing - each and every time.
The mark is a formal recognition of MFT’s
engineering-led ethos and elevates the company
above the competition, whilst creating an in-house
culture focused on customer satisfaction and
continuous improvement.
Speaking of the new achievement, Quality Manager
Jason Couse said: “Having joined Made For Trade
at the start of 2020, the rapidly expanding business
already had a very good base to build on; the
Directors’ engineering background already helping
create processes that were ready to be refined
and formalised. My part was to build on what was
already in place to provide a practical and workable
Quality Management System (QMS) for improving,
monitoring and continually improving all areas of
the company, but also with one eye on meeting
the requirements of the internationally-recognised
ISO9001:2015.
“The first step was raising awareness of the
standard across all members of the staff team
and what it means for the organisation, before
working with each department in turn to help create
processes, develop training needs and identify risk
and opportunities.”
The Quality Management System (QMS) includes all
members of the business in one way or another and
is driven from the top.
Made For Trade’s Directors have been a driving force
for implementing the changes, whilst Operations
Manager Mike Robinson played a significant part
in developing the standards within the quoting
and order processing teams, and Frank Donaghy
and Ritchie Bezance doing the same in the
manufacturing environments.
Furthermore, MFT’s Mark Thompson and Tracy
Garrod received internal auditor training as part
of the process to expand their skills and achieve
recognised auditor standards of CQI and IRCA, with
a focus on raising the internal audit practices and
continually improving business standards.
Gaining the desired accreditation is of course
only the start of the journey; ISO9001 is based on
continually improving and optimising all stages of
how the company operates, allowing Made For Trade
to remain at the forefront of manufacturing and
efficiency in the fenestration industry.
Contact Made for Trade/Korniche:
01642 610 799
madefortrade.co
@MadeForTrade1
PRACTICAL CONTENT FOR THE GLAZING INSTALLER & HOME IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST
APRIL 2022 T I 59

Article Conservatory roofs
COST CONSCIOUS CUSTOMERS
The team at SOL Conservatory Roofs explain how with 2022 looking very different to 2021’s
home improvement boom, the cost of living means homeowners are likely to become more
money savvy than ever before when it comes to home improvement projects...
A recent Solarframe
conservatory roof project
With COVID inadvertently creating a home
improvement boom throughout late 2020
and 2021, 2022 is looking like taking
a very different turn with homeowners likely to
become more cost conscious than ever when it
comes to their home improvement projects.
It is also vital that installers are able to navigate
the minefield of preserving their own bottom
line against rising business costs, while still
remaining competitive in the market.
Showcasing a high quality product range capable
of adding value to properties in the increasingly
aggressive housing market, while helping to lower
energy bills, is a must going forward.
Price increases are also an inevitability and
currently hitting our industry left, right and centre
– something that was expected to slow down
after coming out the other side of COVID.
However, it seems that we are still looking
towards uncertainty and instability in terms of
material pricing. There is no instability where
SOL Conservatory Roofs are concerned, working
consistently throughout the supply chain to offer
installers the best prices on the full product
range, ensuring that increases are only passed on
when absolutely necessary.
“Significant investment has already been made
throughout our window, door and roof factories
this year” explained Lee Marson, Operations
Director at the company.
“Upgrades to machinery, stock control, planning,
batching and despatch systems has allowed
our production facility to be in a position to
successfully ride the wave of supply and demand.
“We are currently sitting at about 50% capacity
on roofs and frames, and have the ability to scale
up significantly without any lapse in levels of
quality, service or lead-times.”
Partnering with installers, SOL offers a one-stop-
shop for solid and glazed roofs, lantern roofs,
orangeries, windows and doors.
For complete peace of mind, installers get a
dedicated account manager, a single point of
guarantee and direct to site delivery.
A full suite of retail brochures, bespoke flyers
and showroom literature are just some of the
marketing support available.
Installation guides, videos and data sheets
provide all the information needed, along with
technical specifics – plus, SOL experts are
always on hand to offer assistance when it comes
to those tricky designs!
Contact SOL Conservatory Roofs:
01226 890 890
www.solroofs.co.uk
@SOLroofs
60 T I APRIL 2022 PRACTICAL CONTENT FOR THE GLAZING INSTALLER & HOME IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST

REQUEST INFO
YOUR ONE STOP SHOP FOR WINDOWS, DOORS & ROOFS
OUR SLEEK SOLID ROOF SYSTEM WITH INNOVATIVE
FEATURES FOR FASTER FITTING
THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS, OUR SOLID ROOF
WITH STUNNING GLAZED PANELS
TECHNICALLY ADVANCED ALUMINIUM ORANGERY
ROOF COMBINED WITH OUR APEX LANTERN
WITH SLIM SIGHTLINES TO MAXIMISE NATURAL LIGHT
WHILE CREATING A FEATURE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE
BESPOKE GLASS ROOF SYSTEM MANUFACTURED
TO ANY SIZE AND SPECIFICATION FOR THE
UTMOST FLEXIBILITY
FROM CASEMENT WINDOWS TO TILT & TURN, FRENCH
DOORS TO BI-FOLD, WE HAVE EVERYTHING YOU
NEED TO COMPLETE YOUR PROJECT
01226 890890 | WWW.SOLROOFS.CO.UK | QUOTES@SOLROOFS.CO.UK

Building Regulations
SHEDDING SOME LIGHT ON PART L
Paul Trace, Stella Rooflight Director, addresses the new Part L Building Regulation rules for
rooflights and thermal performance and what it means for the sector.
A
major part of the UK’s commitment to
meeting its targets for carbon reduction is
being driven by a tightening of the Building
Regulations surrounding energy efficiency
standards for homes.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local
Government (MHCLG) argues that by making our
buildings more energy efficient and embracing
smart technologies, we can cut energy bills,
reduce demand for energy, and boost economic
growth while meeting our targets for carbon
reduction and maintaining healthy environments.
As such it has introduced ‘The Future Homes
Standard’ to ensure all new homes achieve a
30% improvement in energy efficiency standards
by 2025.
The new Building Regulations aimed at achieving
these targets will comprise five new Approved
Documents, which will come into effect in June
2022.
Manufacturers, architects, specifiers and
customers looking to install rooflights and roof
windows will be most interested in uplifts to the
Approved Document L, Conservation of fuel and
power Vol 1: Dwellings.
What do the new regulations state?
For rooflights, skylights and roof windows (of
which the definition is crucially important),
the relevant consideration is the thermal
transmittance. This is measured as a U-value in
units of W/m 2 K, which stands for Watts/meter
square Kelvin.
The new Part L Building Regulations come into
effect in June 2022
The lower the U-value the more efficient the
construction is at keeping heat flow through the
structure to a minimum.
The new regulations deem the worst acceptable
U-values to be 2.2W/(m 2 K) for rooflights and 1.6
W(m 2 K) for roof windows.
Rooflights vs roof windows – what’s the
difference?
To correctly assess whether an element meets
the new limiting U-value figure, the U-value must
be calculated for the element in the appropriate
plane – either horizontal or vertical.
Now this makes a big difference, as testing the
same product in either a horizontal or vertical
position will make a significant difference to the
resulting U-value figure. With the vertical position
providing a much lower (better) U-value figure.
This is where the definition of the terms and roof
window prove crucial in determining how they
should be tested and what the relevant U-value
should be for each.
According to the Approved Document the
following definitions apply:
Rooflight: A glazed unit installed out of plane with
the surface of the roof on a kerb or upstand. Also
sometimes referred to as a skylight.
Roof window: A window installed in the same
orientation as, and in plane with, the surrounding
roof.
Therefore, while we might refer to our product as
a rooflight or skylight, the official terminology for
a conservation rooflight, which is designed to sit
flush within a roof line, should be a roof window.
According to the approved document, the
U-values for roof windows should be calculated
based on a vertical position.
Continued on page 64
62 T I APRIL 2022 PRACTICAL CONTENT FOR THE GLAZING INSTALLER & HOME IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST

Expert Witness Service
When you need expert backup
for a fenestration dispute.
When a dispute between an installation company and a
homeowner cannot be settled, specialist expert advice
and reporting can be the best way forward.
Our RICS accredited experts can help. We can act as
a single joint expert or as a party appointed expert
and produce a high quality report in line with the Civil
Procedure Rules for expert witnesses.
• Domestic window and door installations
• Building regulation compliance inspections
• British Standard 8213-4
• Specification disputes
☑
☑
☑
☑
☑
RICS accredited
Window and door
installation specialists
Party appointed expert
Single joint expert
CPR 35 compliant reports
Call 0800 085 3032
Email expertwitness@risaltd.co.uk
RISA are specialists in domestic window installations. As part of the Glass and
Glazing Federation Group, we are able to call upon the resources and expertise
of the entire GGF Group for the benefit of our clients.
risaltd.co.uk/expertwitness

Building Regulations
Continued from page 62
rooflights must be undertaken by an approved
UKAS accredited product certification agency,
who will calculate accurate thermal performance
figures based on the individual make up of
components in the product’s construction.
A bird’s eye view of a project’s roof windows
For rooflights, U-values should be calculated
based on a horizontal position.
Further guidance in the Building Research
Establishment’s BR 443 tells us that U-values for
roof windows and rooflights are usually quoted for
in the vertical plane. This allows comparison of
different products that could be used at different
inclinations.
However, for the purposes for calculating heat
losses from buildings, U-values should relate to
the plane of the component as installed in the
building.
This can be done by calculating the U-value
of rooflights and roof windows, allowing for
the angle of the roof in respect of both surface
resistances and gas space resistances.
Alternatively, the following adjustments can be
made to U-values assessed for the component in
the vertical plane (see table 1, below).
What is the best U-value that you are
likely to achieve?
It is important to understand that there is much
ambiguity surrounding rooflights, skylights and
roof windows and the U-values quoted by various
manufacturers. The much-coveted U-value
figure has become a powerful sales tool for those
claiming to be ‘the best performing’ or ‘most
thermally efficient’ rooflight on the market, and
you will often see figures advertised that are
misleading at best, at worst, completely untrue!
Some companies might even try and confuse you
by quoting the centre pane figure for the glass,
rather than a whole frame U-value, which is the
legal requirement. In any case, caution is advised
when researching the various products available
and you should always request evidence to
support the thermal performance claims made.
U-value calculations for roof windows and
Given that Stella use only the finest quality
materials in our manufacturing process, from the
highest specification glazing, to our high quality
handmade hardwood liners, through to the best
quality rubbers and seals, we are confident in
claiming that our roof windows are among the
best performing on the market, with our triple
glazed, fixed product achieving a U-value of 1.1
W(m 2 K).
A huge caveat for conservation properties
– exemptions for historic and traditional
dwellings
While it is not always the case, it stands to
reason that the majority of conservation rooflights
are installed in traditional properties, barn
conversions, and Listed buildings. If your project
involves such a property, you may find that there
are exemptions to these new regulations.
The Approved Document states that the energy
efficiency of historic and traditional dwellings
should be improved only if doing so will not cause
long-term deterioration of the building’s fabric or
fittings.
New extensions to historical and traditional
dwellings should comply fully with the energy
efficiency standards, unless there is a need to
match the external appearance or character of
the extension to that of the host building. In which
case, the work should comply with standards in
the approved document to the extent that it is
reasonably practicable.
In determining whether full energy efficiency
improvements should be made, the building
control body should consider the advice of the
local authority’s conservation officer.
Table 1
Contact Stella Rooflight:
01794 745445
www.stellarooflight.co.uk/
@StellaRooflight
64 TI APRIL 2022 PRACTICAL CONTENT FOR THE GLAZING INSTALLER & HOME IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST

Introducing the strongest, most
thermally efficient and quickest to
install flat roof orangery system on the
market.
FAST INSTALLATION
Factory fabricated in the UK, designed for quick assembly
as standard
STRENGTH
Incredibly strong with large unsupported spans
PEACE OF MIND
Building Regulation approved (JHAI)
NEW BUILD OR RETRO FIT
The ILite roof is perfect for either application
QUICK 10 DAY LEAD TIME
Quotations returned within 24 hours
Interested? Get in touch with our
sales team today - 01772 802009
www.supaliteroof.co.uk | sales@supaliteroof.co.uk

Updates
COLOUR CALLS WITH FREEFOAM'S NEW BROCHURE
Freefoam Building Products has announced the launch of an updated colour brochure, to
showcase the fascia, soffit and gutter range.
All the recent research in the Window and Door sector points towards an increase in colour. With
statistics like ‘Only 58% of PVC casements in 2021 were unfoiled’ , the trends are clear to see. With
the traditional woodgrain colours such as Rosewood, Golden Oak and Mahogany gradually reducing
in popularity, shades of grey are still the growing desire for homeowners, with Anthracite Grey still
leading the pack, closely followed by Dark Grey and the paler Agate Grey.
And fascia, soffit and gutters are no different. Freefoam has seen the same trends, with colour and
woodgrain orders in the last two to three years increasing by 5% as a proportion of total sales.
The new brochure explains Freefoam’s full colour range and options available to installers and
homeowners. www.freefoam.com
TIME TO CHANGE THE WAY YOU SELL?
For further home improvement updates visit www.total-installer.co.uk
A SMART WAY TO MANAGE CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS
Emplas has launched a new customer complaints procedure, allowing customers to register issues and
trigger manufacture or supply of replacement product, through their smart phone.
The new system, accessed through its customer portal, EVA, fast tracks customer returns and complaints,
capturing data at source, guaranteeing full visibility, and accelerating the supply of replacement products or
fixes.
Jody Vincent, Sales Director at Emplas, said: “What’s critical at that point is that we get a fix or a replacement
product in place as soon as possible and we minimise disruption to our customers.”
Accessible through EVA, Emplas customers can now register a complaint, upload an image, and request and
trigger a replacement, through a single simplified process. www.emplas.co.uk
Homeowners’ habits have changed, and they won’t go back to choosing products based solely on price,
which means selling strategies must change, according to a fabricator Sternfenster.
Nathan Court, Sales Director at Sternfenster, argues that while homeowners spent more on their homes during the
pandemic – on higher value products – it is a mistake to think that consumer buying habits simply changed overnight.
He said: “Even before the pandemic took hold, we were having a lot of success selling the StyleLine window as a
high-end yet affordable flush timber sash window alternative.”
“We’ve found that homeowners’ views on aesthetics are changing,” he added. “The window industry has gone from
being driven by the demand for white squares, to about changing the look and the feel of your home.”
www.sternfenster.com
HOME IMPROVEMENT BOOM IS GOOD FOR INSTALLERS
Sky-high house prices and economic uncertainty will be good news for installers as it means that home
improvements will remain an attractive proposition for homeowners.
That’s the view of Jeremy Phillips, Group Chairman of Gloucester-based aluminium specialists CDW Systems.
Building society Nationwide revealed that figures show a 20 per cent rise in house prices in the two years since
the coronavirus pandemic began, and the average home is up £29,000 over the past year alone.
They also showed the cost of the average home has jumped £44,000 to £260,000 over the past two years, with
house price inflation hitting 12.6% in February.
According to Jeremy, this will mean home improvements are going to stay centre stage as homeowners struggle to make the move – and sales at CDW
Systems are backing that view up. www.cdwsystems.co.uk
66 T I APRIL 2022
PRACTICAL CONTENT FOR THE GLAZING INSTALLER & HOME IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST

Product delivery
DELIVERING THE GOODS
Manufacturers of commercial vehicle accessories, the Rhino Products Group, has launched
its own delivery service – Rhino Products Express. We hear more about the service and why
the company decided to control of their deliveries...
The logistics and distribution sector saw
severe impacts throughout the pandemic,
resulting in longer delivery times and
reduced levels of service for businesses across
most industries, with the automotive aftermarket
sector being no exception.
The delivery service was set up
when delays had ensued due to
the Covid-19 pandemic
Rhino Products saw this gap in the market
as an opportunity to expand operations and
start fulfilling customer orders themselves, to
avoid these timely delays and ensure that their
customers receive first-class levels of service
from purchase, right through to delivery.
The service is solely dedicated to Rhino’s
commercial vehicle accessory products, which
includes roof racks, roof bars, ladder handling
accessories, rear steps and pipe tubes.
Initially delivering within a 200km radius
of Rhino’s head office in Ellesmere Port in
Cheshire, Rhino Express has already made
numerous deliveries, with all orders received by
customers in pristine condition, on a next day
delivery service, with exceptional feedback from
customers already coming in.
“We have been really impressed with the service
levels provided by Rhino Express, even at this
early stage in the service’s roll out,” said Craig
Harris, Purchasing Manager at Vanliners.
“All goods have been delivered exactly when they
should have done, on time and most importantly
in pristine condition.
“On top of this the politeness and dedication of
the Rhino Express drivers is great to see too!”
With an ethos centred around innovation and
exceptional customer service, Rhino Products
says it has exciting continuous growth plans,
“Customer service
remains at the
forefront of all that
we do, and we have
been blown away by
the fantastic feedback
already received”
with large expansions already made throughout
the past five years, from the acquisition of their
passenger sidestep division AVS Steps in 2017,
to moving into a new purpose-built factory and
office in Ellesmere Port in 2020, alongside plans
to release new products to market in the coming
months.
Steve Egerton, CEO of the Rhino Products Group,
commented: “I’m extremely proud to be launching
Rhino Express.
“We saw a clear demand for a guaranteed next
day delivery service of our products, with a strong
focus on quality of delivery and service.
“This was previously commonplace within the
commercial vehicle accessory sector, but since
the pandemic, has not been possible to offer – for
all businesses in our industry.
“We are now once again confidently able to
provide this level of service through Rhino
Express, and we are hopeful that as well as
providing our customers with the standard of
service they deserve, it will also give us another
edge over the competition.
“Customer service remains at the forefront of all
that we do, and we have been blown away by
the fantastic feedback already received from our
customers, which highlights that Rhino Express
is already achieving this goal, and I look forward
to continuing the expansion of this service in the
coming months”, concluded Steve.
Contact Rhino Products
0151 319 2931
www.rhinoproducts.co.uk
@rhinoproductsUK
68 T I APRIL 2022 PRACTICAL CONTENT FOR THE GLAZING INSTALLER & HOME IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST

EE 4G+
Janis Windows & Doors Ltd
48 Appleton Place, Appleton Industrial Estate,
Southern Road, Aylesbury, HP19 9EW
Tel: 0831 6090 476
Email: info@janis.co.uk
Web: http://www.janis.co.uk
17:02 56%
Business Details
YOUR
FUTURE
IN YOUR
HANDS
Credit Rating: 73
Key Contact: Alexia Kalila, Managing Director
Direct Tel: 07968 342 115
Direct Email: alexia.kalila@janis.co.uk
Products
PVCu Windows and Doors
Windows/Doors, Buy in, Spectus
Vertical Sliders, Buy in, Veka
Bi-fold Doors, Buy in, Kommerling
Composite Doors, Buy in, Solidor, 10 PW
Insight Data puts 80,000 potential
customers at your fingertips
Aluminium Windows and Doors
Windows/Doors, Buy in, Techal
Windows/Doors, Buy in, Senior
Bi-fold Doors, Buy in, Technal
50-75 Frames per week
The Insight Database helps your sales and marketing team get better results faster. Updated live
in real-time with in-depth information, not available anywhere else, you get the inside track on
fabricators and installers, builders, architects, merchants, construction firms and house-builders.
01934 808 293
hello@insightdata.co.uk
www.insightdata.co.uk
502 Worle Park Way, Weston-super-Mare, BS22 6WA
@insightdata

Updates
MAKING LITEWORK OF WORKING ON SITE
Clothes change as the seasons do. That’s why Snickers Workwear’s LITEWork working clothes
combine superior comfort and protection for installers in spring and summer on site.
With sustainability at the core of every garment, the new LITEWork range combines all the features of highperformance
sportswear. Its 37.5 Technology fabric technology is quick-drying and functional as well providing
UPF 40+sun protection. It’s also longer-lasting – and more sustainable – than other comparable workwear.
There’s new Trousers, Shirts, Shorts, and Jackets and a High-Vis range with new styles and stretch features
for enhanced freedom of movement, plus trousers that feature the bio-based Sorona fibre for a more
sustainable approach.
So, to make sure you get the right comfort, durability and ventilation, check out the LITEWork garments for
precisely the right clothes to fit your workday and your carbon footprint!
www.snickersworkwear.co.uk
For further vehicles, tools & workwear updates visit www.total-installer.co.uk
BEAT TOOL THEFT AND GET PROTECTED WITH ARMD
Tool theft is the scourge of the construction industry and is putting tradespeople out of business. ARMD,
built to protect the livelihoods of all tradespeople, is now encouraging the trade to protect themselves
against the thieves.
ARMD is designed to protect tradespeople so that if you do suffer a loss, it will get you back up and running as
quickly as possible. ARMD lets you quickly record, protect, insure and replace your tools, either on the website
or the easy-to-use App. “We listened to and developed ARMD with the trade, to tackle the many different pain
points they experience when trying to protect themselves and their tools,” said Stephen Holland, ARMD’s cofounder.
“We are proud that our products keep the trade working – they’re the backbone of our country and no
one should be left out of work because of tool theft.” www.armd.uk/
A SECOND CHANCE FOR TOOLS
In a move to support the circular economy and reduce waste, Screwfix, the
omnichannel retailer, has enhanced its offering in refurbished power tools.
Keeping products in use for longer forms a key part of the company’s sustainability
strategy, and in January, Screwfix began selling refurbished tools directly to customers.
The initial trial has reportedly been hugely successful, and the national retailer is aiming to refurbish and sell 100,000 items this year.
John Mewett, CEO of Screwfix, commented: “We know that our customers are already making sustainable choices and the success of this trial
demonstrates the demand and importance in us minimising our environmental impact, while customers can enjoy the cost savings of buying refurbished
tools. The decision to sell refurbished products directly through the Screwfix website not only helps reduce waste, but also supports us in achieving our
goal of refurbishing and reselling returned power tools. www.screwfix.com/
KEEP UP WITH UPDATED PPE REGULATIONS
Since 6th April 2022, the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations have been
updated. Alex Minett, Head of Product & Markets at CHAS explained what needs to be known.
The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 2022 [came] into force on 6th April 2022,
updating the 1992 Regulations to extend employers’ and employees’ duties around PPE to a wider
group of workers. Under the new rules, employers must ensure workers who carry out casual work
(known as limb workers) receive the same level of protection as employees.
The amendments result from a High Court ruling that found the UK Government had failed to
properly implement EU health and safety directives to protect ‘gig economy’ and precarious workers.
Find out more via: www.chas.co.uk/
70 T I APRIL 2022
PRACTICAL CONTENT FOR THE GLAZING INSTALLER & HOME IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST

PURPLEXED
ABOUT YOUR
MARKETING?
In a world where marketing and customer behaviour is constantly
changing, you could be forgiven for being in a state of confusion
when it comes to your own marketing.
As a fully integrated marketing agency, Purplex is powered to
alleviate this stress and help ambitious companies like yours build
their reputation, business, and future.
With more than 35 years industry experience our specialist teams
build campaigns that cut-through the noise and create integrated,
consistent, and clear messages across all platforms to build brand
awareness and drive your business to greater heights.
SPEAK TO THE EXPERTS IN:
MARKETING
CONSULTANCY
PR & MEDIA
RELATIONS
VIDEO PRODUCTION
& EDITING
BRANDING &
CREATIVE
WEB & E-COMMERCE
DESIGN
SOCIAL MEDIA
MARKETING
SEARCH ENGINE
OPTIMISATION
PAY-PER
CLICK
IF YOU’RE PURPLEXED ABOUT YOUR MARKETING, SPEAK TO THE EXPERTS
T: 020 3137 9319
E: grow@purplexmarketing.com | W: www.purplexmarketing.com
HQ: 200 Worle Park Way, Weston-super-Mare, BS22 6WA

Sustainability
CREATING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
Neal Harper, Managing Director of Sustainium, discusses the reasons why installers must
promote more sustainable products and processes to safeguard their future.
“The sooner installers show they are
totally committed to using renewable
energy and recyclable resources and
materials, the better placed they will
be to win work”
Inset: Neal Harper is the Managing Director of Sustainium Group
Sustainability
is becoming
more important
for all companies across
all industries, but it’s fair to
say that, as a big user of natural
resources by its very nature, there is huge
pressure on the construction sector to reduce its
environmental impact.
From energy usage to emissions, the construction
industry has a huge impact on the environment,
accounting for 36% of worldwide energy usage,
and 40% of CO 2 emissions.
Windows and doors play an integral role in
creating sustainable buildings, with fabrication
and shipping materials significantly impacting
global carbon emissions, so sustainability in the
glazing industry is more important than ever.
And with high levels of thermal efficiency
scheduled for
2025 to meet
net-zero targets
by 2050, this will
continue to be the case.
At Sustainium, for example, we
believe that homeowners deserve innovative,
quality products and wonderful customer
experience, and we believe our companies
should provide this in an ethical and sustainable
way – and all installers and home improvement
companies must think the same way.
Sustainability is now a business approach
to creating long-term value by taking into
consideration how it operates in the ecological,
social and economic environment.
Sustainability is built on the assumption that
developing such strategies foster company
longevity and a sustainability strategy is
necessary to be competitive both today and in the
future.
As the expectations on corporate responsibility
increase, installers must think differently and
recognise the need to act on sustainability and
embrace it.
The right products
Consumers are becoming more aware of the
role they must play in supporting the planet
and the type of product used, and whether it
is sustainable is now a concern, so being able
to install energy efficient A rated windows and
doors and replacing old polycarbonate roofs on
conservatories to new thermally efficient solid
versions will help customers reduce energy costs
and their own carbon footprints.
Each window and door material has its own
sustainable benefits; FSC certified timber is
72 T I APRIL 2022 PRACTICAL CONTENT FOR THE GLAZING INSTALLER & HOME IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST

iodegradable and actively absorbs CO 2 from
the atmosphere; uPVC can be fully recycled and
repurposed up to 10 times with no loss of quality
or performance; aluminium is infinitely recyclable
with 75% of all aluminium ever produced still in
use today.
“A sustainability strategy is necessary to be
competitive both today and in the future”
Glass is also a sustainable, fully recyclable
material which provides great environmental
benefits such as contributing to mitigating climate
change and saving precious natural resources.
And large-glazed areas, alongside their energysaving
properties, also provide natural light into
buildings which enhance the living and working
conditions of occupants, with studies showing
that glass in buildings, through all these benefits,
contributes to people’s well-being and improved
health conditions.
It’s all part of the process
Helping customers reduce their energy costs
and their carbon footprint by offering the most
sustainable, energy efficient home improvement
products you can, should only be part of the goal
– the other part is putting into place your own
sustainable practices as a company to reduce
your impact on the environment.
While homeowners continue to demand more
sustainable products, they are also demanding
that companies carry out sustainable processes
too.
For example, installing air source heat pumps
or solar panels to heat offices and showrooms,
and purchasing electricity from suppliers who
guarantee 100% green sources. Make sure all
vans in your fleet comply with Euro 5 diesel
emissions standards and are fitted with speed
limiters to maximise the efficiency of fuel use and
carbon emissions; and have specific facilities for
the recycling of old PVC frames, glass and any
other relative material.
With an increasing amount of attention on
the environmental impact of every business
and industry, the sooner installers adopt such
methods and show they are totally committed to
using renewable energy and recyclable resources
and materials, the better placed they will be to
win work.
*Sustainium Group is initially operating
throughout the Midlands and the M5/M4/M40
triangle.
It purchases 100% of the shares and acquires
businesses that have a good reputation
locally with annual turnover between
£750,000-£10million, and at least three years
trading history.
Contact Sustainium Group:
0203 096 6148
www.sustainium.co.uk
@SustainiumGroup
PRACTICAL CONTENT FOR THE GLAZING INSTALLER & HOME IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST
APRIL 2022 TI 73

Company News
‘THIRTY YEARS YOUNG’
Quickslide has welcomed Mark Scaife as its
new Group Operations Director.
For more company news visit www.total-installer.co.uk
MAKING HIS MARK AT QUICKSLIDE
Celebrating 30 years in business, Bristolbased
trade fabricator MB Frames has
announced a new management structure that
will prepare it for its next phase of growth.
Today, MB Frames operates from a 30,000
square foot unit in Fishponds in Bristol,
and makes up to 900 frames a week for
customers along the south coast, the south
west and into south Wales.
Long-standing employees Philip Purnell and Paul
Young have been promoted to Director level.
In this role, Mark will take responsibility for the
leadership and management of all business
operations of the leading windows and doors
fabricator, both tactically and strategically.
Explaining what his objectives will be in the new
role, Mark said: “Quickslide is a market leader
in sliding sash windows, and I want to develop a
longer-term strategy for operations that meets the
aspirations of the business to stay best in class, as
well as develop KPIs and scorecards that will help
drive our ambitions in customer service, quality,
people and process capability and reliability.”
Mark has many years of experience in the industry,
including ten years as Group Operations Director
and three years at COO level. He is also a qualified
engineer and Lean Sigma Black Belt and system
deployment champion, certified and experienced in
optimising processes for speed and quality.
Ben Weber, Quickslide’s Managing Director, said:
“Mark’s expertise and experience is just what we
need to continue with our committed focus on
further improving the service and quality of our
offering, and is in line with our goal to remain at
the very forefront of the industry. We welcome Mark
to the team as we look forward to exciting times
ahead.”
www.quickslide.co.uk
“Phil joined MB Frames at the start, and has
run and built the factory – literally – with his
bare hands and leads by example,” explained
Managing Director Andy Burns. “Paul joined
16 years ago from Elumatec and took MB
Frames to the next level. He developed
important new customers and fostered a
professional outlook from the whole company.
Both deserve this recognition.”
Tim Drewry will be running the AluK
manufacturing, while Tom Melville will be in
charge of logistics, and Dan Elliott running
the production and sales office.
“The pandemic gave us the incentive we
needed to restructure the business,” said
Andy. “We want to be match fit for the future,
while recognising the fact we have a very
committed workforce: five employees have
served 25 years here; six for 20 years; and a
further 13 are approaching 20 years’ service.”
www.mbframes.com
PERFECT PARTNERSHIP FOR TOMMY TRINDER
Window industry software specialists Tommy
Trinder and Business Pilot have teamed
up in a pledge to save time and hassle for
installers.
“Time is money and the last thing installers need
is to duplicate work unnecessarily,” explained Elton
Boocock, MD of Business Pilot.
“The new automated links between Tommy
Trinder’s Framepoint app and the Business
Pilot CRM mean that users can enter important
information once and have it populate live, in real
time on both platforms.”
The connection between the two computer
programmes means that customer information
entered into Business Pilot automatically appears
in Framepoint without the need to re-key. In turn,
important documents generated in Framepoint,
such as quotations, survey documents, homeowner
contracts and purchase orders, are automatically
accessible from the customer’s record in Business
Pilot.
“It’s about working smart,” says CEO of Tommy
Trinder, Chris Brunsdon.
“Having a quoting platform that ‘talks’ seamlessly
to your CRM saves time, cuts out error and
increases business performance.”
www.tommytrinder.com
www.businesspilot.co.uk
74 T I APRIL 2022 PRACTICAL CONTENT FOR THE GLAZING INSTALLER & HOME IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST

Alitherm Heritage
The perfect solution for sensitive refurbishment and
renovation projects.
Market leading aluminium windows that deliver
not only the aesthetics required for sensitive
refurbishment projects, but also the thermal
efficiency that is demanded by developers,
architects, planners and building occupiers.
• Signature slim profiles and sightlines associated
with traditional steel doors and windows.
• Outstanding thermal performance.
• All available with a full suite of hardware options
including ‘Monkey Tail’ and ‘Bulb end’.
Call us now for enquiries :
Tel : 01296 668899
Fax now for a quotation : 01296 301839
or email : enquiries@garrardwindows.co.uk
Visit our website :
www.garrardwindows.co.uk
We pride ourselves on our reliability