NFA Digital Jan 22

HAPPY NEW YEAR

NFA NEWS

National Fenestration Awards Propels Forward To New Era In 2022

As the National Fenestration Awards are about to enter their tenth campaign, the NFAs are happy to announce that they will be taking another huge leap forwards in their reach and development as they come under new ownership.

Co-founder and Director Jason Grafton-Holt, is handing the baton over to Lee Clarke and a growing team of superb industry people who will take the NFAs further and higher than ever before. Indeed, it is the same team that was behind the incredibly successful Winners Event that took place in November 2021 and that cemented the awards as the highlight of the year in the industry calendar. Speaking of the transfer, Jason said: “it has been an absolute honour to be able to build the National Fenestration Awards over the last decade. When it started in 2013 I wanted to show the sector that there was a way to include everyone in the industry in the process of finding and rewarding the very best people and companies each year.

We decided to voluntarily close the business and it has since been purchased by the new owner, Lee Clarke, of Glass Ceiling Media Ltd. This will allow the business to expand with the group of companies under his ownership.

It’s unique nomination and voting processes, that relies on industry participation to create shortlists and eventual winners and has set the standard for inclusion and reach across the sector. 2021, despite the pandemic, was the very best year for the platform and cemented the NFA’s place at the top of the industry calendar.

I am proud to have been part of something that has changed the industry for the better and I know that Lee and his team will take the NFAs even further forward in the years to come and I’m excited to see what happens.

Lee has been involved with the National Fenestration Awards for many years and has been part of the reason why they have grown into the position they have. As my own personal circumstances change, I know Lee and his team is going to do amazing things with the NFAs moving forwards and I wish them all the very best.”

Lee Clarke, new Director of the NFAs said: “it’s an absolute privilege to take the reins of the National Fenestration Awards as we begin the tenth campaign. Jason and the team have worked very hard to bring the industry the best awards platform there is and the potential for the awards moving forwards is incredibly exciting.

Jason will still be involved with the NFAs in the background, whilst the team that brought the sector the very best NFAs in November 2021 will be working tirelessly to make sure that the 2022 campaign is the biggest and best yet.”The 2022 campaign will kick off soon and will bring with it the momentum taken from the 2021 campaign and record participation.

Sponsorship opportunities with the National Fenestration Awards are available right now.

Contact the NFAs on 01924 911234 or Email info@fenestrationawards.co.uk.

Web: www.fenestrationawards.co.uk

Twitter: @NatFenAwards

Facebook: www.facebook.com/NatFenAwards

CONTENTS

THIS MONTHS KEY ARTICLES

PAGE 08

MORLEY GLASS RENEWS AMBASSADOR SPONSORSHIP FOR 2022 NFAS

We are happy to announce that Morley Glass, have renewed their Ambassador sponsorship of the NFAs.

PAGE 12

10 COMPANIES TO WATCH FOR IN 2022

Double Glazing Blogger takes a look at some of the companies that he believes will make a big splash in the coming 12 months.

PAGE 16

GQA QUALIFICATIONS RENEW 2022 NFA AMBASSADOR SPONSORSHIP

We are proud to announce that GQA Qualifications, have renewed their sponsorship of the NFAs!

PAGE 18

Koloring Korner: with Deborah Hendry, Managing Director at Kolorseal Kolorseal Advises: Know Your Kolors!

PAGE 28

THE CONTINUING ALLURE OF GLASS

As a construction material, glass has been adapted and altered over time, with many positive breakthroughs achieved.

PAGE 35

SHEERLINE WELCOMES A WEALTH OF TECHNICAL EXPERTISE

Aluminium systems company, Sheerline has experienced exponential growth over two years.

PAGE 52

PILKINGTON: STRUCTURAL GLAZING BRINGS NATURE & COMFORT TOGETHER

Everyone loves a room with a view and they don’t come more striking than an uninterrupted vista of a fjord.

PAGE 60

NEW BUILDING REGULATIONS ANNOUNCED – WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE FENESTRATION SECTOR

The long-awaited revisions to Building Regulations have finally arrived!

CLIPPINGS & MUSINGS

It’s Time To Clean Up Our Act

For those looking to clean up their acts when it comes to clean business practice, then recycling waste has to be a huge part of that process.

Naturally, recycling waste will reduce disposal costs as well as carbon emissions, which all goes towards complying with UK environmental legislation.

Frequently, when it comes to construction sites, as is common knowledge, the materials used are a combination of virgin materials and those where a level of recycled materials are already incorporated.

With construction using such a wide variety of materials in large quantities it enables many companies to increase the amount of waste they can either reuse or recycle.

For those looking to improve their recycling processes there are simple but really effective methods that can be introduced to ensure that more waste can be recycled.

When it comes to glass and recycling products from construction projects this tends to come from replacement windows for refurbishments and structural glass when replacing old products for new.

Frequently, breakages in storage, in transit or during installation tend to be some of the main issues in relation to recycling as well as over ordering of Waste glass produced on site or during production can be recycled in a number of ways including, crushing, screening, sorting as well as washing and drying.

FROM HELEN DUVAL 2022

Beyond this, recovered glass can be used in aggregates, insulation, abrasives and filtration amongst other things. There are some drawbacks in that glass extraction can be expensive business, when loading and transporting glass to cullet collection centres.

Companies such as Morley Glass, have made great headway on the recycling front by recycling more post-consumer glass this year after installing automated machinery to process waste glass collected from Uni-Blinds® installers.

After the Camden Group’s £150k investment in a processing plant at the company’s recycling division, the premises processes 30-50 tonnes of construction materials a week at the 1.5 acre site.

Likewise, CNC Recycling Ltd, has gone from just one facility in the North East, to a specialist, national UPVC window and door recycling specialist that is dedicated to providing a sustainable alternative to landfill for the fenestration sector.

There are small or large changes that can be made to site operations, but they can be simple steps to ensure more can be recycled.

Offering staff training on material handling when separating glass, will avoid damage and contamination. Equally, arranging for materials to be delivered at specific times to a designated space will also reduce breakages.

For those looking to reduce their business carbon footprints in particular, the repurposing of waste glass helps to reduce the consumption of natural resources, and will minimise greenhouse emissions.

As the disposal of waste glass in landfills continues to be a major environmental challenge across the globe, it is possible to realise true value in recycling construction waste material.

KOLORSEAL LAUNCHES ‘DE-STRESS WITH GERI KIT’ FOR CUSTOMERS

As we hurtle towards Christmas and another new year celebration, 2021 has once again proved a very stressful year for many, with work, Covid and Brexit all taking their toll.

In a recent 2021 Mental health poll researchers concluded one in three people (29%) had taken time off work for mental health reasons. Interestingly, the survey showed fidgeting may provide more relief for men in high pressure situations.

For Deborah Hendry, Managing Director at Kolorseal Ltd, it is an issue that should be raised and monitored with solutions or support offered.

For this reason the ‘De-stress With Geri’ kit has been launched, for customers and installers who use Kolorseal services. A selection of Kolorseal fidget toys and stress reducing gifts have been designed as a light-hearted way to tackle this serious issue, that for some is hard to deal with on a daily basis.

Fidget toys have gained a lot of recognition in recent years, as a release from nervous anxiety, stress and restlessness. These help those who have builtup tension inside or who experience suppressed feelings of anger or frustration.

Deborah comments, “Ongoing worry and dread is a large issue for those who suffer from stress, with some people unable to cope with emotions that may interfere with their daily work activities. This can lead to depression amongst other stress related issues.

The idea behind Geri’s fidget toys is that they not only help to alleviate stress but can also improve concentration.”

It has been stated that fidgeting can stimulate and help to engage areas in the brain associated with attention. Repeating movements can help to quickly relieve stress as the objects are tactile and can be easily carried around in pockets.

The ‘De-stress With Geri’ Kit offers a fidget or squeezing object that may help improve handeye co-ordination, concentration and can help to reduce anxiety.

Deborah concludes, “We really hope that this will be a useful, albeit light-hearted method to help those who may need to reduce their stress levels.”

To claim a ‘De-stress With Geri’ Kit, customers or installers can send in a recent photo of products fully built up in the factory ready to despatch; or shots of windows or doors in situ, that have been ‘Kolorsealed’.

For more information on the Kolorseal range of colours or services, please visit the website www.kolorseal.co.uk.

MORLEY GLASS RENEWS AMBASSADOR SPONSORSHIP FOR 2022 NFAS

As the opening of the 2022 National Fenestration Awards draws closer, the NFAs are happy to announce that long-time supporters of the awards, Morley Glass, have renewed their Ambassador sponsorship of the industry-leading platform.

Morley glass enjoyed a successful 2021 campaign, with the industry voting the integral blinds specialists as winners in no less than five categories.

The National Fenestration Awards, which has grown into the largest awards platform within UK fenestration, has enjoyed the support from Morley Glass from very early on and has helped the awards grow into one of the top marquee events in the industry calendar.

Lee Clarke, Director of the NFAs, said: “it’s an honour to welcome Morley Glass back to the NFAs for 2022 as Ambassador sponsors. Their support over the years has been instrumental in helping the awards grow into the premier awards event in UK fenestration. We are looking forward to working with Morley Glass this year to help promote their message to the entire sector and to continue the growth and success of the National Fenestration Awards.”

Ian Short, Morley Glass MD, commented: “it’s a pleasure to once again support the National Fenestration Awards as an Ambassador. We have supported these awards for many years now and have watched them grow each time into their leading

role that they have in the sector now. We’re looking forward to another great campaign this year and another year of a productive relationship between ourselves and the NFAs.”

The 2022 NFA campaign is due to kick off very soon and will showcase a number of additions to the platform which will see it represent the fenestration sector even better than ever before.

Stay connected with the NFAs:

Web: fenestrationawards.co.uk

Email: info@fenestrationawards.co.uk

Twitter: www.twitter.com/NatFenAwards

Facebook: www.facebook.com/NatFenAwards

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/51726620

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CHRISTMAS CHARITY DONATIONS

Lee Clarke and the NFA team want to say a huge thank you to customers who made donations to last year’s Christmas Charity. It was a great success all round and very much appreciated by the children and younger people who benefited from the generosity-ty from those in the fenestration sector who supported the causes.

The donations from NFA customers helped two charities - CATCH (Leeds) and WISH (Derbyshire), both of which aim to provide people from all ages and backgrounds with goals and ‘positive alternatives’, giving them access to greater opportunities in life.

Contributions that are made help these causes to continue and last year was extra special for CATCH as they were able to send Christmas gifts to refugee children in Afghanistan via a mutual partnership. Every single penny counted, and for WISH, some funds will cover core costs to help protect those who are vulnerable and suffering from domestic violence.

The focus for Lee Clarke was primarily to give children and young people the chance of making healthy life choices.

Lee comments: Our customers have helped to make a major, positive impact that will benefit the lives of many others. Christmas is always a time when we think of family and friends, but for a lot of people that can also be a very difficult time to get through.

He comments further, “We have had two very difficult years and for the younger generations it has been particularly hard. I for one cannot sit back without giving some help and support, so as we move into 2022, I hope that our customers realise how much they are helping disadvantaged children.”

Lee concludes, “As a team we wanted to champion the causes that can encourage the next generation by demonstrating there is hope for the future and that there are people out there who care about that.

Once again, I have been deeply humbled by the generosity of this industry and those who share the same values. From the NFA team, CATCH (Leeds) and WISH (Derbyshire), a very big thank you.”

YOUR KENT-BASED TRADE SPECIALISTS

Our trade sales team is proudly made up of time-served industry experts. We're your local one-stop-shop for competitively priced, quality assured fenestration supply across Kent and the South East

10 COMPANIES TO WATCH FOR IN 2022

Every year I take a look at some of the companies that I believe will make a big splash in the coming 12 months. The opinion-based. It doesn’t matter about the size of the business or how long they have existed. Their inclusion is based within the wider sector and the mark I believe they could make this year

1. Deceuninck Aluminium

The residential aluminium sector continues to grow and the last couple of years has shown that there is indeed room for more growth as new aluminium system companies have come online. One particular company that made an impact last year and looks set to widen its influence in 2022 is Deceuninck Aluminium. 2021 was a good year for the business, winning a number of new fabricators away from already established systems companies. But with a raft of new regulations coming online in the next 12-18 months, and their products already meeting those new requirements, demand for residential aluminium that is automatically up to scratch is going to be very useful to a lot of people.

2. Vitrine Aluminium

Continuing on the aluminium trail is Vitrine Aluminium. Established at the end of 2020 and having their first full year in 2021, they grew quickly and became what I saw as a disruptive force in the world of aluminium fabrication. They even picked up a 2021 NFA award in November. I have met the people at the top of this business and their team around them, and I can honestly say that I have rarely come across energy and partnership as is demonstrated by these guys. Their desire to do things right, to have the drive at relatively young ages to reform their part of the sector and show how professional it can be done. They grew so quickly last year that they already needed to expand to a new unit. I would keep an eye on these guys in 2022.

3. Morley Glass

They already command most of the integral blind market in the UK, so why include them on this list for 2022? If that’s what you’re thinking, then you’d be right. They really have cornered the integral blinds market in this country, delivering almost 5000 blinds per week. They are leading the way in terms of onsite glass recycling and their raft of charity work in the local area is fantastic. But they’re on this list for 2022 because I

believe that Morley Glass isn’t about to become one of the leading brands in the glass sector, I see them as about to cement their place as one of the leading brands in the whole of UK fenestration. If you chart their rise from the start to their facility in Leeds now, to their expansion and sheer volume, and factor in their incredibly well-crafted reputation, they have earned their way to the top.

4. Glass Futures

You may remember last year planning permission was granted to a new £54m facility in St Helens. It was a huge announcement in the wider landscape of UK glass and this year is going to see the start of the building of that very facility. This new hub in St Helens is going to be a huge research and development hub for glass that is going to focus on creating new innovations, improving glass production and working with domestic and international supply chains. This type of facility could not come at a more important time considering the last 18 months we have all worked through, and I am sure we are all looking forward to seeing this sparkling new plant come online.

5. CNC Recycling

2022 has to be the year where industry sustainability takes centre stage, and one of those companies I believe is going to be CNC Recycling. Yes, the PVCu recycling scene is very much established in this sector now, with a growing list of major names investing millions in hubs around the UK to process millions of frames, keeping them out of the ground. But there is always room for more, and when you look at the expansion of CNC Recycling in recent times, with just one facility in the North East to now seven across the country, the company is very well placed to benefit from the rise in PVCu recycling. With a 2021 NFA award to recognise their work, 2022 looks set to be a very good year for them.

list is not in any order and is purely based on the size of the impact they make

6. Eurocell Recycling

Another company that looks well placed to benefit from the sustainability drive is Eurocell. They already have a well-established recycling network and are one of the biggest PVCu recyclers in the UK. Coming off the back of a very good 2021, and looking to expand their recycling capacity in the coming years, the focus on sustainability and the need to reduce the sector’s carbon footprint means Eurocell is a company well placed to make the most of that in 2022. I expect to see a lot from them on this specific subject in 2022.

7. Festa Doors

Have you seen their enormous pivot doors? If not click here. I advise that you do. In 2021 I was lucky enough to go see the creation of their stunning showroom in Huddersfield and it was at that point I was convinced that companies like Festa would be responsible for bringing ultra-luxury doors to the wider market. In 2022, with their showroom finished and demand for higher-end doors only growing, I can see installations with Festa products even going viral on social media. There are of course other very notable mentions in this field as well, such as Spitfire, Pirnar and others, and they too will make their mark this year with their own amazing doors. I see Festa as being at the forefront of pivot doors and mega-mansion doors making a big breakthrough this year.

8. Brisant Secure

This is a company that consistently makes top growth lists in various media publications and has continued to garner a very good reputation amongst the locksmith and fenestration communities alike. 2021 was a good year for the business, but with their new 2-star Ultion handle, and the Ultion SMART cylinder which seems nicely poised to take better advantage of the rise in smart home tech in the coming years, 2022 I believe is going to be a year where you’re going to hear and see a lot more of the Dewsbury-based business.

9. Any trickle vent manufacturer

This one has everything to do with the new Building Regulations that were announced at the end of 2021. And as there is more than one supplier of trickle vents in the UK, it is simply easier to band them altogether. As we know, updated regulations are going to see a huge bump in the sale of trickle vents for windows and doors. That is going to be very good news to those that make them, and I would expect 2022 to be a very healthy year for anyone involved in the production of trickle vents.

10.

AGC Glass Europe/Fineo

AGC and their Fineo vacuum insulated glass product made a splash last year. This year we are going to hear a lot more about VIG and these guys are leading the way, with partnerships with the likes of Masterframe in the UK and Deceuninck in Europe. You can find out more about vacuum insulated glass here. With its ability to achieve incredibly low u-values, using less material and the prospect of it becoming more affordable as time moves on, I can see Fineo making some big noise in our sector.

2022 for UK fenestration is going to be another competitive year, with challenges and changes at every turn. It will be the making of some companies and the breaking of others. But there is also a ton of opportunities to make the most of and the ten mentioned above are some of who I think will take advantage of those.

Of course, the industry is much bigger than the list above, and there are great companies up and down the country who will most certainly do great things.

Jason Grafton-Holt

www.doubleglazingblogger.co.uk

NEWLY EXPANDED GREENTEQ OMEGA LETTERBOX FAMILY

The greenteQ Omega letterbox range from VBH has evolved to include both a remodelled standard sized box and a completely new 56mm Slim version to suit ultra slim transoms. Both versions feature the clean, contemporary styling that is so popular on doors of all styles and materials.

The opening on Omega Slim is offset towards the bottom of the box’s frame. The greenteQ design team has calculated that this maximises the available aperture whilst ensuring that the letterbox doesn’t overhang the bead on even the slimmest sections.

Omega letterboxes feature attractive convex curved metal flaps that open to near vertical both inside and outside, ensuring that relatively thick packages can be put through the door without putting stress on the letterbox’s springs. There is no groove in the flap to allow it to open fully, leaving just the attractive curved surface. The frame ends are also metal, and are gently curved to continue the modern styling.

Omega has been tested to BS EN 13724 with a classification of 4241. This calls for 25,000 full ‘closed – fully open – closed’ cycles.

Both versions are available in nine finishes of the greenteQ Suite, VBH’s expanding range of colour and style-matched window, residential door and patio door furniture that allows a full house installation to be seamlessly tied together.

All finishes will exceed 480 hours salt spray testing to BS EN 1670 Grade 5.

The letterboxes feature a strong, yet cushioned, closing action to stop rattling in windy conditions, and have an internal brush and an external foam seal to provide excellent draught and water protection.

VBH Marketing Manager Gary Gleeson says, “The original Omega has been very popular but the redesign has given it a new lease of life and, possibly, a wider appeal.

“We are really pleased to have added the Slim version to the greenteQ Suite now. It was developed in response to requests from customers who have been desperate to fit greenteQ to their mid-rail doors, but Standard Omega was just too deep. With its contemporary good looks, we’re sure that Omega Slim will be a popular addition to the greenteQ range.”

Both boxes are fully weather- and cycle-tested and are suitable for doors between 40-80mm thick.

To find out more about the Omega family or any other VBH product, visit www.vbhgb.com, email sales@vbhgb.com, or call 01634 263263.

GQA QUALIFICATIONS RENEW 2022 NFA AMBASSADOR SPONSORSHIP

As the 2022 NFA campaign draws near, the National Fenestration Awards are proud to announce that one of it’s longest standing supporters, GQA Qualifications, have renewed their Ambassador sponsorship of the flagship awards platform.

GQA Qualifications are the industry’s leading awards and qualifications bodies and have played a significant part in transforming the fenestration sector into one that focuses heavily on quality training and recognised qualifications, and will continue to play a vital role in making sure that standards and skills are constantly improved within the sector.

Lee Clarke, Director of the NFAs, commented: “to welcome back GQA Qualifications as an Ambassador once again is obviously great news and we’re looking forward to working with them in 2022 to push their positive message out to the entire sector during the course of this campaign. GQA are our longest ever supporter, and their backing of the NFAs, the most inclusive and transparent platform the sector has allowed the NFAs to grow into the leading position they have now.”

Mick Clayton, CEO of GQA Qualifications, added: “GQA are delighted to once again support the National Fenestration Awards as Ambassadors. We have backed these awards from the beginning and have watched them grow over the last decade to be able to offer the industry an awards platform that can genuinely include everyone, is highly representative of the entire industry and is also a supporter of better training, skills and qualifications. We’re proud to associate the Big Green Q with the NFAs in 2022.”

The 2022 National Fenestration Awards campaign is due to kick off shortly, with an enhanced categories list, a new calendar and announcements about the 2022 Winners Event that will mark a decade of changing the industry for the better.

Follow the NFAs:

Web: www.fenestrationawards.co.uk

Email: info@fenestrationawards.co.uk

Twitter: www.twitter.com/NatFenAwards

Facebook: www.facebook.com/NatFenAwards

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/51726620

GQA Qualifications is a multi-industry awarding body writing vocational based qualifications to support a wide range of career paths.

Accredited training leading to qualifications

If you are looking to retrain for a new career, or looking to develop your skills to open up opportunities why not consider practical training in window and door installation

Learn about Building Regulations, working safely on site, how to remove windows and doors from buildings and replace with new ones

All courses fully accredited and could contribute towards NVQ Qualifications

With further assessment and achievement, successful candidates can go forward to achieve CSCS Cards to enable them to work safely on site

Training delivered in Sheffield in a fully Covid secure environment

For more information on training contact sayhello@buildingourskills.co.uk

For more information on vocational qualifications and CSCS cards contact info@gqaqualifications.com

www.gqaqualifications.com

KOLORING KORNER

Kolorseal Advises: Know Your Kolors!

For Deborah Hendry, Managing Director at Kolorseal Ltd, the entrance to a home helps to reflect life-style choices. It is viewed as the focal point for any property and it is now being used by consumers to reflect lifestyles and individual personalities. Getting the colour right is essential.

“Choosing the right colour is more difficult than people may realise, which is something installers should consider when approaching the end user about door renovation or installation projects.

First impressions are absolutely everything when it comes to property, and homeowners have grown bolder in their colour preferences. A beautifully colour coated front door makes all the difference, and today, there are pretty much no limits,” Deborah comments.

For fabricators and installers it is all about providing as much choice as possible, and the Kolorseal team understands this. Giving a broad range of colour coating options enables them to offer home-owners the design and overall appeal they want for their property.

Getting the colour right will depend on a few considerations, including whether there are any colour restrictions on the property. Some listed buildings or new builds could have covenants or restrictions which dictate the colour palettes that can be used on an entrance door, in order to keep an aesthetic continuity within a particular area.

One of the key factors to consider when talking to consumers, is the overall existing look from the outside. Additionally, it is important to evaluate the exact colour shade of a front door when standing outside.

Deborah continues, ‘It is probably wise to have narrowed down some colour options that will match with an existing house aesthetic. To simplify this, look at the colour of the windows and any other primary colour coated products such as gutters and fascias.” There may also be some considerations people might want to give to colour choice based on how that particular shade might reflect on them as people.

A composite door that has been colour sprayed yellow suggests warmth with friendly occupants. Al-alternatively for those homeowners into fengshui then a blue sprayed front door suggests peace and tranquillity while green generates feelings associated with safety and security.

When it comes to helping end users choose the right colour then red and black are always timeless classics.

For consumers who are very into the design and aesthetic of their home then a shade of red is probably the most powerful colour to install. It reflects power and in fengshui terms it provides protection, passion and is considered the luckiest colour of them all. Certainly, a bright red front door will be noticed.

Deborah concludes, “Knowing what colours signify could be very important to some people, so for installers who understand this then it could be the difference between making the sale or not.

There are some simple things to consider when choosing a shade, but probably the most important is complementing the tones and materials that are already there, in the property. Advise homeowners to evaluate their surroundings and to coordinate to get the best from the colours chosen.

For fabricators looking to add a little more choice to their business, then increasing their colour portfolio on windows, doors or rainwater products will be very advantageous.”

Anyone wishing to discuss colour coating options please call the Kolorseal team on 01924 454856 or visit the website www.kolorseal.co.uk

32YEARS OF SASH WINDOW EXPERIENCE –AND WE’RE READY FOR ANOTHER

This might be the very first time you are considering changing your sash window supplier. Or, perhaps you just want to try an alternative award winning sash window specialist to offer your customers a wider choice. Either way, we would like to help you to increase your VS sales.

With 32 years focussed on manufacturing high quality timber alternative sash windows, we are true specialists and confident that our products will impress your customers. We have also earned a sound reputation for always providing an exceptional level of personal service and our entire team are committed to delivering this.

Our new specification launched in 2019 featuring exclusive new Masterframe Systems, standard with patented Timberweld® technology and we would welcome the opportunity to take you through the improved product offering and delighted to quote.

No matter the size or design of a home or project, if sash windows are required then we can help. If a specialist solution is needed for a conservation area, modern development, school or historic building our sash windows add the right amount of authentic styling to either fit seamlessly into original settings or set the property apart from other new developments.

To see the choices, including patented Timberweld® corner design, download our new brochures here.

Some of the advantages we offer as standard:

10 year guarantee for peace of mind

Made in Britain for continuity

BBA Approval on standard window sizes for longevity

Energy Savings Trust recommended for energy efficiency

Specialist solutions for challenging projects that require matching new to original designs

Free and safe UK mainland delivery

Quotes with non-priced customer proposal

CAD drawings where required

Expert technical support

Free 47 page professional conservation guide

Free product training

Call our friendly sales team on 01376 510410 or email for a quote here.

HOW THE OMICRON VARIANT COULD DISRUPT UK FENESTRATION

A new year and still the pandemic is with us. Will 2022 be the year we finally say goodbye to COVID and see it melt away into the obscurity of daily life? Maybe. But right now it’s still with us and the Omicron variant is causing us problems.

Omicron and isolation

COVID and the Omicron variant is still a healthcare problem. Perhaps not as serious as the previous Alpha and Delta versions of the virus, and we have millions of people vaccinated and boosted. But the healthcare systems in this country are at full stretch and any additional pressures will only make things worse.

However, the other major problem Omicron is going to cause and has already been causing is absenteeism at work. I warned about this in a Twitter post quite a few weeks back and what we are seeing now is disruption across various sectors due to people either having the illness or selfisolating. It’s resulted in transport schedules being ripped up, hospitality venues closed and extra strain on staff who are already overworked.

This is also going to be a problem that the fenestration sector is going to have to battle for at least all of January and perhaps into February as well. Before the Christmas break, I spoke with a number of suppliers and all were worried about staff being off as we came back to work. Some were putting in place contingency plans in case of large numbers of people being unable to return to work. But the reality is that with demand at the fabricator

level still high due to a huge backlog of business from installers, and staffing levels already strained, even a small number of people unable to return to work is going to heap further pressure on supply chains, deliveries and overall performance.

We have been told this week that the Government has instructed that plans be produced which cover a variety of scenarios which sees various numbers of people unable to work. The worst-case scenario is 25% of the workforce being stuck at home. If a fabricator or systems company, or indeed any major fenestration business with a significant workforce saw a quarter of their staff not able to work, you can imagine the problems that would cause.

2021 was the year of the disrupted supply chain. If our sector experiences high rates of staff being away from work then there is a genuine risk of 2021’s problems dragging on into 2022.

Patience and spirit required

With Omicron tearing through, testing and isolating properly is going to be key to ensure the minimum number of people are off work. That of course is easier said and done in reality.

What we are going to need in the first few weeks of the year is a whole lot of patience and some of that festive spirit. The manufacturing parts of the supply chain are likely to be under the cosh from the get go and we’re all going to need to take an understanding stance if many start to communicate that they are short on staff due to Omicron and self-isolation.

Jason Grafton-Holt

www.doubleglazingblogger.co.uk

info@doubleglazingblogger.co.uk

@glazingblogger

I am sure that during the festive period, as you were all scrolling through social media, like me you saw a swathe of people having their Christmas Day and New Year plans quashed by positive test results. It was so sad to see, especially after the year everyone had been through. But many millions more did mix over the festive period which means it’s highly likely that there will be many more positive test results to follow in the coming weeks. Add to that schools are now back.

The first quarter of this year could well be bumpy for our sector on a number of fronts. Many of which are out of our control. So it’s time to adopt a flexible approach, communicate loud and clear to all customers up and down the supply chain and remember to be kind to the other person on the phone or the other side of the email. There are plenty of great opportunities ahead of us this year, but we have to navigate Omicron and the curve-balls it throws at us first.

BRISANT LAUNCH ULTION 2 STAR PLUS SECURITY HANDLE

Brisant welcomes the New Year 2022 with the launch of the innovative Ultion 2 Star PLUS Security Handle, bringing together the best safety mechanisms in a handle.

It has the molybdenum cylinder security guard, technology already used in the Ultion 2 Star handle, which protects against drilling and lock snapping. Combine this with the patented locking mechanism from Brisant’s ‘Lock Lock’ handle, which adds an extra security bolt, and the homeowner has double the protection. The patented anti-tamper spindle is also built in.

From the inside the homeowner simply lifts the handle and presses down the switch, showing the red half-moon which indicates the door is locked and secure. Whilst the switch is down it is impossible to move the handle up or down therefore the locking mechanism cannot be disengaged. The switch works independently from the actual euro lock barrel. When the switch is down in the locking position, using the key to try to unlock the door will not work. It’s the same as having a traditional iron bolt on the inside of the door.

Once this technology is added to the design of the stylish rounded form of the handle, which stops mole grips being able to rip off the handle, Brisant’s award winning design turns the door from a temptation into a deterrent.

Manufactured from hardened steel, this handle is coated with six layers of armour plating and survived over a year in the weather test chamber. It comes with a twenty-year homeowner guarantee, which given the extreme weather conditions we have been facing in the UK over the last few years, has become increasingly important. Offered in chrome, stainless steel, gold, black, white, anthracite, brushed and the modern rose gold, it will suit all door designs and colours.

The Ultion 2 Star PLUS handle will keep doors locked.

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THE CONTINUING ALLURE OF GLASS

As a construction material, glass has been adapted and altered over time, with many positive breakthroughs achieved. Once a product for the wealthy that was heavily taxed and used more for decorative purposes, it is now an integral part of most new structures and continues to be in great demand in a world of mass production .

Laminated and toughened glasses are often used by architects as one of the most versatile construction products on the market. Without our glass processors however, the dynamism in design would not be so easy.

Sheet glass is probably the most popular type of glass used for doors and windows and large commercial projects, which continue to increase in our inner city redevelopments. Laminated glass products, used by architects where breakage is possible, are on the increase. Despite shortages the demand still grows.

The versatility of glass provides numerous aesthetics and eco-friendly options providing buyers and investors with a beautiful product, that delivers light transmission, temperature control not to mention the views that it can give, particularly in skyscrapers.

For glass processors intelligent glass is a product that has made a real impact in the sector recently. Consumers being more aware of glass potential also look to understand the wider technology of this product. Whilst there are various demands on the glass due to different manufacturing techniques, the possibilities for processors are growing.

Switchable Glass technology

The use of intelligent glass technology that provides privacy at the flick of a switch, is now proving very popular with architects in commercial projects such as board rooms, or hotel hospitality centres.

FROM HELEN DUVAL 2022

Equally this innovative glass option gives excellent privacy as an interior design solution in homes and high-rise living.

The ability to alter appearance from frosted to clear provides architects and planners with an ideal solution for buildings or rooms with multi-purpose requirements. Everything from bathrooms, partitions or interactive screens, switch-able glass offers almost limitless creative options.

Modern Technologies For A Changing World

There is much more glass in modern building design than those of the past. Glass has to do more than simply provide a view to the outside. There are many factors that may have to be considered for new commercial projects including security, solar control, protecting occupants from break-ins or even bullets.

With so many new advantages and options now out there, buildings will continue to be enhanced by the uses glass can bring to a project including reducing energy costs, thermal control and not least its durability.

Leading glass manufacturing companies will no doubt continue to collaborate with architects and specifiers in direct response to the opportunities that can be had from the value glass brings to all architectural projects.

Glass projects have a lot of pressure not just to look good, but to provide an internal ‘experience’ with mental health, well-being, life aspirations and social values all important key aspects of the overall design themes nowadays.

AT ITS BEST AS 10-DAY LEAD TIMES RETURN

Uni-Blinds® manufacturer Morley Glass is starting 2022 on a high after successfully fighting back against unprecedented supply chain issues to bring back its industry-topping 10-12 day lead times on its full range of integrated blinds.

The Morley Glass team has worked hard to get back to business as usual despite a challenging 2021 caused by an unprecedented combination of supply problems. These included the impact of a tornado flattening the ScreenLine blind systems factory in the Czech Republic back in June, the well-publicised UK glass shortages and a whole host of Covid-related challenges.

Working closely with its key supply chain partners, ScreenLine integral blind manufacturer Pellini and Saint-Gobain Glass, Morley Glass has been able to secure significantly increased volumes of blind systems and glass in recent weeks to enable the production of Uni-Blinds to recover well ahead of schedule.

It means that all orders for Uni-Blinds will now be delivered in 10-12 working days when ordered by 12.00pm on any Thursday, a turnaround that its customers had come to rely on and one that few other suppliers of between-glass blinds can match. In addition to restoring its supply chain, Morley Glass has just taken delivery of three new vans and ordered a further eight vehicles due for arrival during 2022. This larger fleet will help keep customer deliveries on track as production capacity increases following its investment of £750,000 in another sealed unit manufacturing line, a move which will enable Morley Glass’s output to grow to 6,000 integral blind units every week.

These investments will help ensure that Morley Glass stays ahead of curve as demand for Uni-Blinds increases, enabling it to maintain its commitment to the industry’s shortest lead times backed with complimentary nationwide delivery on all orders. Ian Short, managing director of Morley Glass, said: “We’re over the moon to be back to where we want to be in terms of our service. It means that installers no longer need to settle for second choice integrated blind suppliers on time-sensitive jobs as our UniBlinds can now be supplied in the shortest lead times in the industry!

“There is no denying that we’ve found the last six months very challenging as we’ve had to work around some very difficult circumstances outside our control. With the high standards we set ourselves we always aim to resolve any supply issues that do arise as quickly as possible, and during these difficult recent months the whole Morley Glass team has pulled together fantastically to get us back on track!”

Morley Glass is the leading manufacturer of ScreenLine integral blinds in the UK door and window industry through its Uni-Blinds branded range. Its 50,000 sq. ft state-of-the-art factory in Leeds is the world’s largest bespoke production facility of its kind for Screenline blind systems, from which it serves door and window installers across the UK.

Find out more at www.morleyglass.co.uk.

Y O U R D I G I T A L

D O S E O F T H E N E W S

T H A T M A T T E R S

C H A N G I N G T H E S T A T U S Q U O

# B E T T E R N E W S

 MFA BUILDING CONTROL APPROVED

 40 YEAR WARRANTY

 LIGHTWEIGHT GRP SYSTEM

 LEAD GENERATION SERVICE

Support

varied support staff on hand, both hard support and soft support All of our team are incredible experienced which helps them get to the support requests, promptly and

support team work in the background, providing technical updates, monitoring and security checks. This very best service levels are for our customers.

support team, deal directly with our helping them through product providing quick demonstration even tailoring their software to individual business needs.

CAN EVEN ASSIST

Using the Onsite 7 App

7 SYSTEM

Luke Smith

Director | The Green Room Building Co

honesty it was di cult to find a fault with the and understood the reasoning as to why developed. It simply helps a trade business to its best and has certainly helped us evidence of the quality of our work, keep jobs and have comfort in being able to see footage/notes and photos being taken from site installations if we as company owners are not physically there ourselves.

ONSITE7.CO.UK

A WEALTH OF TECHNICAL EXPERTISE

to provide technical training and support to fabricators based in Ireland.

Upon his appointment as Technical Manager covering the South-West region, Stephen Thomas stated, “I have worked nearly 40 years in similar roles, supporting fabricators and installers, but Sheerline strikes me as being different than other system companies. The pace of innovation and growth in the business is clear. Sheerline develops products that are suited for both the trade and for end-users. It’s incredibly forward thinking and ambitious, and everyone I’ve met are committed to delivering the best service and products possible.”

Derby-based aluminium systems company, Sheerline Aluminium Windows and Doors has experienced exponential growth over the past two years through the introduction of its Classic, Prestige and S1 lantern range of products, and to strengthen customer support three new technical roles have been created.

Sheerline welcomes Robert Bell, Stephen Thomas and Aaron Housley to its team. No strangers to the fenestration industry or aluminium products, each brings with them a wealth of industry experience having worked closely with fabricators and installers for many years. These new roles will deliver technical support, training, and advice on a variety of window, door, and roof lantern related matters.

Robert Bell is an expert in his field. He started out as a PVCu window fitter in the 1980’s and gained experience as a surveyor, contract manager and production manager, before joining Sheerline

Additionally, Aaron Housley joins to provide first line support for manufacturing software enquiries from Sheerline customers, being appointed as Manufacturing Software Support Engineer. Having previously served in similar roles at Synseal and Guardian, Aaron has extensive experience in the fenestration industry. He will also be key to keeping customer’s software up to date with Sheerline’s expanding product portfolio. Andy Russell, Technical Services Director for Garnalex, says, “Technical support is pivotal to our success. As a proactive company, we consistently ensure our customers’ needs are met, even before a problem arises.

The new appointments are just the first of many planned over forthcoming months, and with our anticipated growth I’m expecting to see more colleagues joining us in our manufacturing facilities and internal departments during 2022.”

For more information regarding Sheerline products got to www.sheerline.com

if you are looking for a new career and fancy joining the team at Sheerline, contact Recruitment@garnalex.com

CASSETTE FROM ODL EUROPE JUST GOT MORE VALUABLE

ODL Europe has just announced that the full length TriSYS® glazing cassette in anthracite grey is now available from stock. The 0764 glazing cassette is an essential component in creating contemporary composite door designs.

Ian Glenister, Technical Sales Manager at ODL Europe, said: “Our customers have seen a sharp upturn in demand for contemporary anthracite grey composite doors and the full-length glazing cassette. We listen to the voice of the customer to deliver the products they need so having our popular 0764 TriSYS® glazing cassette in anthracite grey available from stock will allow us to turn orders around more quickly.”

ODL Europe has been able to make this commitment because it took control of its door cassette production last year. Ian commented: “We invested in machinery that gave us control over our TriSYS® cassette production and means we aren’t reliant on third parties. It means we are able to make decisions like this that support our customers to help them fulfil consumer demand.”

The TriSYS® glazing cassette is the market-leading composite door glazing system because it’s packed with features that means installers can fit with confidence, knowing they are fitting the very best.

The outer frame and inner cassette screw together to hold the door glass into place and the inner frame then simply snaps on. No preparation, no adhesion promoter and no special primers are needed. The cassette’s innovative clip system also eliminates screw hole covers, giving a more attractive finish.

The system meets all PAS24:2016 and Secured by Design requirements. Ian said: “Our TriSYS® threepart glazing system is an intelligent and uncomplicated cassette system that comes with a tried and trusted pedigree because it’s been fitted in millions of doors worldwide.” The decision to add the 0764 TriSYS® cassette in anthracite grey to stock helps fabricators and installers meet the trend for modern designs that support consumer demand for natural light.

The cassette perfectly complements ODL’s anthracite grey door slabs for a cohesive, streamlined look across a choice of door styles. Ian concluded: “Our global purpose is to make people’s lives better with everything we do and every product we make. By making this cassette available from stock, we’re helping consumers achieve more attractive, more secure homes – and helping our customers add value to their businesses at the same time.”

RapidLam Shape: More Scope To Shape The Future.

Shape Cutting of Laminated Glass as a Compact Unit

More possibilities to cut shapes and free forms on laminated glass. Can be integrated into an existing line, or as stand-alone machine. This compact machine uses synchronised turning cutting heads, providing precise results that match the cutting plan.

• Automatic cutting of free forms in laminated glass

• Can be used as part of a cutting line or as stand-alone machine

• Laser foil separation can be installed at a later date

32YEARS OF SASH WINDOW EXPERIENCE –AND WE’RE READY FOR ANOTHER

This might be the very first time you are considering changing your sash window supplier. Or, perhaps you just want to try an alternative award winning sash window specialist to offer your customers a wider choice. Either way, we would like to help you to increase your VS sales.

With 32 years focussed on manufacturing high quality timber alternative sash windows, we are true specialists and confident that our products will impress your customers. We have also earned a sound reputation for always providing an exceptional level of personal service and our entire team are committed to delivering this.

Our new specification launched in 2019 featuring exclusive new Masterframe Systems, standard with patented Timberweld® technology and we would welcome the opportunity to take you through the improved product offering and delighted to quote.

No matter the size or design of a home or project, if sash windows are required then we can help. If a specialist solution is needed for a conservation area, modern development, school or historic building our sash windows add the right amount of authentic styling to either fit seamlessly into original settings or set the property apart from other new developments.

To see the choices, including patented Timberweld® corner design, download our new brochures here.

Some of the advantages we offer as standard:

10 year guarantee for peace of mind

Made in Britain for continuity

BBA Approval on standard window sizes for longevity

Energy Savings Trust recommended for energy efficiency

Specialist solutions for challenging projects that require matching new to original designs

Free and safe UK mainland delivery

Quotes with non-priced customer proposal

CAD drawings where required

Expert technical support

Free 47 page professional conservation guide

Free product training

Call our friendly sales team on 01376 510410 or email for a quote here.

YOUR KENT-BASED TRADE SPECIALISTS

Our trade sales team is proudly made up of time-served industry experts. We're your local one-stop-shop for competitively priced, quality assured fenestration supply across Kent and the South East

FENEX 2021 CHRISTMAS SPECIAL

THE ONLY WAY IS UP AT VBH SWANSEA

Drastic changes to customers’ ordering patterns gave rise to some head scratching at VBH’s sales and distribution centre in Swansea recently. The Swansea centre serves VBH’s customers in Wales and South West England, and it had become apparent that more stock needed to be held locally to help react most efficiently to the requirements of customers whose hardware uptake had rapidly increased or, in some cases, had become erratic.

The focus was to ensure that sales orders from Welsh and South Western customers in 2022 and

beyond would be supplied complete first time from Swansea, without the need to ship part orders from other VBH sites.

Floor area was at maximum capacity so Dave Prout, VBH Operations Manager - Swansea, and his team decided that the only way was up!

They designed and installed high level picking spaces and pallet racking to take full advantage of the building height. The re-design has allowed for a deeper stock holding of VBH Swansea’s most popular lines, including those from the greenteQ brand, and has created an extra 120 pallet spaces with no loss of picking shelves for smaller, slower moving products.

As part of the warehouse upgrade VBH have also invested in a new high-level order picker to be used in the narrow aisle design layout. The picker is capable of reaching all levels of racking and is computer guided to allow for safe working in narrow aisles.

Dave told us “The whole changeover was carried out in just two weeks and we are happy to say that disruption to the depot’s customers was kept to an absolute minimum. In fact, we are very proud to say we never missed one consignment throughout the whole process.”

To find out more about VBH’s products and services and to get in touch with the team at VBH Swansea visit www.vbhgb.com, email sales@vbhgb.com, or call 01792 794 556.

ORION

BRISANT-SECURE ANNOUNCED AT FENEX TELFORD 2023 EXHIBITION

Newly award-winning Hardware Company of the Year, Brisant-Secure, has announced that they will be exhibiting at FENEX Telford in 2023.

Brisant-Secure has recently won the Hardware Company of the Year category at the 2021 National Fenestration Awards. They have an ever-expanding product range, with the new Ultion 2 Star handle adding to their already impressive suite of marketleading door hardware.

Speaking about joining the expo in Telford, CEO Nick Dutton commented: “it’s great to see a fenestration sector trade show back at Telford. By 2023 market conditions should be in a much more stable place, with the industry very much ready to seek out new customers and engage with new growth plans for the next 3-5 years. FENEX at Telford, which has always been an incredibly popular venue, is going to provide a fantastic platform for that and we’re looking forward to seeing everyone there.”

Co-founder Lee Clarke on Brisant-Secure joining FENEX 2023: “Brisant-Secure is an award-winning company and it’s fantastic to have a company of their calibre at the show. The demand for a show at the Telford International Centre was overwhelming. Brisant Secure are a rapidly expanding business with lots to show, and when April 2023 comes around visitors and potential new customers are guaranteed to be spoiled by choice when they visit their stand!”

Brisant-Secure will also be taking part in the virtual show calendar in 2022, providing the industry a great opportunity to engage with Brisant discover how their products can help boost their own business over the next year.

FENEX is a virtual and in-person fenestration exhibition platform which aims to bring the best of both worlds together to the industry, with the aim of creating new business, providing networking platforms, an arena in which to launch new products and tackle some of the biggest issues facing the sector at the moment.

You can find out more about FENEX via the website: www.fenex.co.uk or via social media: Twitter: www.twitter.com/FENEX_2022

Facebook: www.facebook.com/FENEX2022

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/66668985

You can find out more about Brisant Secure and their award-winning range of door hardware via their website: www.brisantsecure.com

Michael Hollyer | Clearstyle Windows

how it works

Onsite 7 can edit your job stage headings, making them more bespoke to your business.

Create a team

‘quotation’ or ‘survey’ to ‘first fix etc.

how it works

Create a team

Create a customer

Create a job

Calendar View

Onsite 7 can edit your job stage headings, making them more bespoke to your business. eg. change the title ‘sales’ to ‘quotation’ or ‘survey’ to ‘first fix etc.

Capture your job Onsite

Review your jobs

PUT YOUR BUSINESS IN CONTROL WITH ONSITE 7 JOB MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE

Onsite 7 can edit your job stage headings, making them more bespoke to your business. eg. change the title ‘sales’ to ‘quotation’ or ‘survey’ to ‘first fix etc.

We have varied support staff on hand, both providing hard support and soft support services. All of our team are incredible experienced which helps them get to the bottom of support requests, promptly and ef ciently.

Support

Our ‘soft’ support team work in the background, providing technical updates, service monitoring and security checks. This ensures the very best service levels are maintained for our customers.

Support

We have varied support staff on hand, both providing hard support and soft support services. All of our team are incredible experienced which helps them get to the bottom of support requests, promptly and ef ciently.

We have varied providing hard services. All experienced bottom of support ef ciently.

Installers can also check every stage of each job from sales and survey to install and service. It provides an at-a-glance way to see where a job has got to and whether action is needed.

The ‘hard’ support team, deal directly with our customers, helping them through product queries, providing quick demonstration results and even tailoring their software to their individual business needs.

Our ‘soft’ support team work in the background, providing technical updates, service monitoring and security checks. This ensures the very best service levels are maintained for our customers.

Our ‘soft’ support background, service monitoring ensures the maintained

YOUR QUESTIONS, PROVIDE TRAINING AND CAN EVEN ASSIST WITH SETTING UP YOUR ONSITE 7 SYSTEM

The information contained in Onsite 7 helps installers get valuable insight into their business too. There is end-to-end supply chain accountability to help installers keep track of their orders. There are reports, including job costing and profit reports and the software integrates with Xero and QuickBooks accountancy packages to help speed up financial admin processes.

The ‘hard’ support customers, queries, providing results and their individual

WE ARE HERE TO HELP ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS, PROVIDE TRAINING AND WITH SETTING UP YOUR ONSITE 7 SYSTEM

The ‘hard’ support team, deal directly with our customers, helping them through product queries, providing quick demonstration results and even tailoring their software to their individual business needs.

PROVIDE TRAINING AND CAN EVEN ASSIST WITH SETTING UP YOUR ONSITE 7 SYSTEM

As the industry boom continues, it’s never been more important for installers to operate as efficiently as possible. Rhys Hoddinott, CEO at Onsite 7, says: “Job management software is an effective tool in helping installers stay in control of their businesses. We know from customer feedback that Onsite 7 is smart working for busy companies managing multiple jobs with multiple teams and back-end processes.”

Leigh Barnes Director | JLS Electrical Services

Michael Hollyer Director | Clearstyle Windows

ability, by customer, and on a job by allocate and review every step of the journey was incredible. It is as if the designed specifically for my Using Onsite 7 I can see the ‘sales stage’ ‘install stage’ and ‘any attended against the jobs. This review previous visits and action assigned to myself or my team members.

Having the ability, by customer, and on a job by job basis to allocate and review every step of the customer journey was incredible. It is as if the software was designed specifically for my business. Using Onsite 7 I can see the ‘sales stage’, ‘survey stage’ ‘install stage’ and ‘any service calls attended against the jobs. This allows me to review previous visits and action visits either assigned to myself or my team members.

The beauty of using Onsite 7 is that any person with the admin console access can find information, or photo/video evidence to relay to the customer.

Michael Hollyer

Director | Clearstyle Windows

Leigh Barnes Director | JLS Electrical Services

Having the ability, by customer, and on a job by job basis to allocate and review every step of the customer journey was incredible. It is as if the software was designed specifically for my business. Using Onsite 7 I can see the ‘sales stage’, ‘survey stage’ ‘install stage’ and ‘any service calls attended against the jobs. This allows me to review previous visits and action visits either assigned to myself or my team members.

The beauty of using Onsite 7 is that any person with the admin console access can find information, or photo/video evidence to relay to the customer.

The Onsite 7 system includes a team calendar where installers can schedule their jobs. It helps ensure a smooth-running schedule and helps them manage their teams’ time efficiently, preventing clashes and gaps in workflows. Installers can allocate actions to a particular team member and track progress so there’s less risk of something being forgotten.

We can even download a customer job report with their signature and customer satisfaction rating… this is invaluable for our industry.

Leigh Barnes

Director

WE ARE HERE TO HELP

| JLS Electrical Services Director

Luke Smith Director | The Green Room Building Co

The beauty of using Onsite 7 is that any person with the admin console access can find information, or photo/video evidence to relay to the customer.

Luke Smith Director | The Green Room Building Co

We can even download a customer job report with their signature and customer satisfaction rating… this is invaluable for our industry.

Onsite 7 customer Karl Symmonds, Director of Truplas, sums up the difference it makes when he says: “With multiple software systems, paperbased practices and time consuming tasks we were certainly in the market for that ‘one software package’ to help streamline our activities and also provide us with a link to site activities. Key admin staff and management can now login into the Onsite 7 console from any location to review customers, jobs, active jobs, completed jobs… it is very much a software for all… and so easy to use.”

We can even download a customer job report with their signature and customer satisfaction rating… this is invaluable for our industry.

In all honesty software and it was developed. perform provide evidence track of jobs footage/notes installations

Michael Hollyer

In all honesty it was di cult to find a fault with the software and understood the reasoning as to why it was developed. It simply helps a trade business perform to its best and has certainly helped us provide evidence of the quality of our work, keep track of jobs and have comfort in being able to see footage/notes and photos being taken from site installations if we as company owners are not physically there ourselves.

In all honesty it was di cult to find a fault with the software and understood the reasoning as to why it was developed. It simply helps a trade business perform to its best and has certainly helped us provide evidence of the quality of our work, keep track of jobs and have comfort in being able to see footage/notes and photos being taken from site installations if we as company owners are not physically there ourselves.

Director | Clearstyle Windows

SIGN UP TODAY AT ONSITE7.CO.UK

Onsite 7 costs £20 + VAT per month per licence, which means it offers exceptional value for money for installers of any size, large or small.

Having the ability, by customer, and on a job job basis to allocate and review every step customer journey was incredible. It is as if software was designed specifically for my business. Using Onsite 7 I can see the ‘sales stage’, ‘survey stage’ ‘install stage’ and ‘any service calls attended against the jobs. This allows me to review previous visits and action visits either assigned to myself or my team members.

Support

varied support staff on hand, both hard support and soft support All of our team are incredible experienced which helps them get to the support requests, promptly and

support team work in the background, providing technical updates, monitoring and security checks. This very best service levels are for our customers.

support team, deal directly with our helping them through product providing quick demonstration even tailoring their software to individual business needs.

CAN EVEN ASSIST

Using the Onsite 7 App

7 SYSTEM

Luke Smith

Director | The Green Room Building Co

honesty it was di cult to find a fault with the and understood the reasoning as to why developed. It simply helps a trade business to its best and has certainly helped us evidence of the quality of our work, keep jobs and have comfort in being able to see footage/notes and photos being taken from site installations if we as company owners are not physically there ourselves.

ONSITE7.CO.UK

GQA Qualifications is a multi-industry awarding body writing vocational based qualifications to support a wide range of career paths.

Accredited training leading to qualifications

If you are looking to retrain for a new career, or looking to develop your skills to open up opportunities why not consider practical training in window and door installation

Learn about Building Regulations, working safely on site, how to remove windows and doors from buildings and replace with new ones

All courses fully accredited and could contribute towards NVQ Qualifications

With further assessment and achievement, successful candidates can go forward to achieve CSCS Cards to enable them to work safely on site

Training delivered in Sheffield in a fully Covid secure environment

For more information on training contact sayhello@buildingourskills.co.uk

For more information on vocational qualifications and CSCS cards contact info@gqaqualifications.com

www.gqaqualifications.com

GQA HELPS ALUK ACHIEVE TRAINING ACCREDITATION

A great example of the way that GQA’s ‘Accredited Training’ service operates is work done recently with AluK, specialists in the design and testing of aluminium products for the fenestration industry. When AluK wished to achieve third party accreditation for its training courses the company turned to this specialist service from the fenestration industry’s leading awarding and qualifications writing organisation.

GQA’s Accredited Training service is aimed at employers in the industry who want to have their inhouse training endorsed by GQA Qualifications and gives them the opportunity to deliver training that focuses on candidates’ particular needs specific to their role with the employer.

Darren Burford, Training Manager of the ‘AluK Academy’ explains: “The AluK Academy presents workshops in fabrication, installation, product awareness and the use of the company’s design system called ‘Logikal’. GQA has provided third party accreditation for the workshops and our training days. The organisation offers a professional service, providing invaluable guidance and support, especially in the development of our training programmes. I would say GQA is a real advocate for the aluminium industry. Its auditing process ensures that all of our courses are consistent, and GQA has helped us get to where we are today as a GQA Accredited Training Centre.

“The fact that the organisation offers recognised qualifications and is one of the few bodies specialising in the fenestration industry made this a good fit for us. The whole process of working with GQA, right from the outset, was a true partnership.”

Commenting on its Accredited Training service, GQA’s EQA/Technical Officer, Martin Sadler says:

“Using our Accredited Training service means that employers can develop their own training to suit their employees or their customers’ needs with the GQA stamp of approval to show the quality of the training delivered. The GQA-branded certificate we offer is an important tool and highlights the third party endorsement we bring. We can also help to develop specific courses in the consultation phase of our collaboration.”

In addition to its Accredited Training service, GQA also offers a ‘Bespoke Qualification’ service. Together, the two specialist services are helping the fenestration industry to develop training solutions tailored to the specific needs of employers and their staff. The two initiatives mean that employers can create and accredit in-house developed training courses and learning programmes in addition to utilising existing qualifications.

GQA’s Bespoke Qualification service is aimed at employers who wish to be able to offer those staff and customers undertaking very specific roles the opportunity to work towards gaining a qualification where one does not already exist. The service is perfect for niche specialist areas, which do not lend themselves to meeting the required content of a standard regulated qualification. GQA has close to 200 qualifications covering a broad variety of sectors. The fenestration industry, just like any other, needs training solutions tailored to its specific needs. The organisation’s services are helping to facilitate this, and are contributing to raising standards and assisting in shaping careers.

More information on GQA and its accredited training and qualifications service is available at www.gqaqualifications.com.

NATURE & COMFORT TOGETHER AT NORWEGIAN SUMMER RETREAT

Project: Summer House, Norway

Client: Private client

Architect: Per Oscar Haaland

Everyone loves a room with a view, and they don’t come much more striking than an uninterrupted vista of a fjord. So, when the owner of Summer House was discussing designs for the building with their architect, maximising sight lines to make the most of its stunning setting was top of the list of priorities. That’s what led the designer to specify a wall of Pilkington Planar™ structural glass along the outward-facing side of the property’s main living space.

Architect Per Oscar Haaland explains: “The view is what makes the house, so one of the biggest requirements for the design was to maximise the occupants’ ability to enjoy it, all year round.“However, the site is very exposed to the weather. It experiences very high wind speeds and low temperatures, so while we wanted to create the largest possible area of glazing, obviously it was also vital that it would also be very strong and deliver high levels of thermal insulation.

“We identified the Pilkington UK product as the best solution thanks to its ability to create an almost completely unbroken glass surface, its proven structural strength and resilience to weather, and its energy performance.”

The wedge-shaped window is more than 10 metres wide and almost five metres high at its tallest point, creating a panoramic scene of sea and sky. And, to maximise the vertical aspect of the view – as well as the amount of natural light entering the building – the window is topped by a 90cm-deep section of roof glazing.

Maximising transparency and strength

The frameless glazing is lent additional strength by a series of 19-mm-thick toughened glass fins that run the whole height of the window. These allow the toughened vertical glass to stand up to significant wind loads while also supporting the roof glazing, which is able to resist large snow loads as a result. The units that make up the roof glazing also feature a laminated pane to lend

further strength, being made up of an outer 12mm layer of toughened glass and an inner layer formed of two 6mm-thick sheets sandwiching a polyvinylbutyral (PVB) interlayer. The whole system is bolted together with lowprofile Pilkington Planar™ stainless steel fittings.

Climate control

In order to deliver excellent thermal insulation, the whole window is made up of double-glazed units featuring a 16mm wide air cavity.

As well as helping the building stay warm in cold weather, the glass also helps to prevent it from over-heating on hot, sunny days by including a solar control coating. The outer glass is Pilkington Suncool™ 66/33, which allows just 33 per cent of the heat energy from sunlight to enter the building, reducing the possibility of excessive heat build-up while still filling the space with natural light and allowing clear views.

Rob Seal, design engineer at Pilkington United Kingdom Limited, part of the NSG Group said: “Thanks to the glazing included in this building, the occupants are able to sit in year-round comfort, despite being surrounded by such a wild and rugged landscape. “We’re used to seeing Pilkington Planar™ in large commercial developments and sensitive heritage settings, so it’s great to see it being used so effectively in a small-scale residential application.

“It is also a great demonstration of the suitability of the system for use in the most weather-exposed applications. The system has been developed with the harshest conditions in mind to ensure it is able to stand up to all of the forces nature will throw at it throughout its life.”

 MFA BUILDING CONTROL APPROVED

 40 YEAR WARRANTY

 LIGHTWEIGHT GRP SYSTEM

 LEAD GENERATION SERVICE

CNC RECYCLING STRENGTHENS SALES TEAM

UPVC Window Recycling specialist CNC Recycling have appointed a highly experienced Business Development Manager to consolidate and strengthen the sales team.

Kate Riley joins the Middlesbrough based firm to support it’s substantial growth over the course of the last 16 months.

Kate previously worked for Ecoplas, (now Eurocell Recycle) as Commercial Manager for just over eight years managing and developing the procurement, logistics and customer service for UPVC window recycling.

Managing Director Melanie Reid, said “ Kate is a highly respected person within our industry and brings a wealth of experience and success in leading sales teams and delivering results. We have a strong strategy for further growth in 2022 and Kate is absolutely the right person to both consolidate and deliver new business into our operation as she is someone who truly understands window recycling.

This is part of our ongoing commitment to be the trusted and reliable recycling partner to the Fenestration Industry”

Kate said “ Despite the recent challenges the industry has faced CNC Recycling has gone from strength to strength. I really feel comfortable here already and the team have been amazingly supportive during the transition.

CNC Recycling is a very customer focused organisation and it is great to be joining a team where there is such an obvious commitment to service and with a priority of continual improvement. Everyone here is pulling in the same direction.

There are a lot of things in the pipeline and I am very excited for what the future holds.”

NATIONWIDE UPVC WINDOW RECYCLING

“We are delighted to welcome Kate to the team as we believe she will play an integral role in helping drive the business forward” concluded Melanie.

CNC Recycling offers a national UPVC recycling service. Our fleet of vehicles can collect your old windows and doors. Choose CNC Recycling as your trusted

For more details visit www.upvc-recycling.com or email iward@cncrecycling.co.uk

NEW KEY PROFILE FOR ULTION

The latest Ultion 3*plus (WXM) lock launched in October at MLA Expo is the most advanced Ultion yet and features many security developments, one of which is an enhanced key profile.

Whilst staying true to the original WXM design ethos, the new shape creates an improved glide action. The original WXM key profile was tested to 1.1m cycles (compared to 100,000 test requirement), it is expected that the smoother glide of the new profile will beat this previous record. Ultion locks and keys are precision engineered to work perfectly with each other.

The new key profile adds protection for the homeowner too. The periodic key profile change and now using reserved legacy key codes on the latest locks, reduces the risk of homeowners being sold keys made from counterfeit key blanks.

By using genuine Ultion key blanks the lock guarantee is not invalidated and removes any risk of damage.

The new Ultion key blank is backwards compatible so approved Ultion Centres can continue to cut keys for both models using the new blank.

YOUR KENT-BASED TRADE SPECIALISTS

Our trade sales team is proudly made up of time-served industry experts. We're your local one-stop-shop for competitively priced, quality assured fenestration supply across Kent and the South East

MORLEY GLASS ‘FIT & READY’ FOR HOTLY ANTICIPATED 2022 SHOW

The UK’s leading integral blinds manufacturer Morley Glass will be showcasing its largest ever range of Uni-Blinds at this year’s FIT Show, giving window and door installers a long overdue and exclusive opportunity to explore its latest exciting innovations.

For many visitors, the spacious 110 sq. m Morley Glass exhibition stand – N31 – will be their first chance to see and appraise the two newest UniBlinds integrated blind systems which have been developed since the last FIT Show in 2019. Morley Glass is anticipating strong interest in both the pleated blackout and symmetrically designed SV+ sliding Venetian systems because of the unique proposition that they offer to homeowners and developers.

These latest products will feature along with the full Uni-Blinds integral blinds range to give FIT Show visitors the complete picture of what these multi award winning shading and privacy solutions have to offer. The range on display will also include the manually operated corded C System and the sliding S and SV sliding systems, the smart home compatible motorised MB System – incorporating Loxone home automation – and innovative W Smart, which is motorised and solar powered.

Morley Glass Managing Director Ian Short said: “After the disappointing but understandable postponement of the FIT Show in 2020 and again last year, May’s show looks set to be one of the most important door and window sector events for many years. “That’s why we are looking forward to the 2022 FIT Show so much, finally getting the opportunity to catch up with customers, supply chain partners and industry associates, as well as those who are new to integral blinds but keen to learn how they can open up a whole new revenue stream.”

Morley Glass will have a significant presence at the show, with its stand being triple the size of the space it took in 2019, to cater for the growing interest in Uni-Blinds. By being so large, the stand will also help delegates stay safe too, with easy access from all sides and plenty of space to remain socially distanced.

Ian adds: “The FIT Show will be a great opportunity for anyone who isn’t familiar with integrated blinds to discover why they are gaining so much popularity. But aside from being able to touch, feel and try out our products, we can also explain how our service works and how we can offer the industry’s shortest lead times for a superior quality product which we make here in the UK.”

Morley Glass has grown to become the world’s largest manufacturers of bespoke sealed units with ScreenLine® integral blinds inside. Its products are installed in all types of windows and doors and supplied nationwide to customers with complimentary delivery in just 10-12 working days when ordered by 10am on any Thursday.

Visit Morley Glass at stand N31 of the 2022 FIT Show when the doors to Birmingham’s NEC open from 10th to 12th May.

Register now for your free tickets to the FIT Show at www.fitshow.co.uk. Find out more about Morley Glass: www.morleyglass.co.uk.

ANNOUNCED – WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE FENESTRATION SECTOR

The long-awaited revisions to Building Regulations have finally arrived and there are a number of updated regulations that are going to have a direct impact on the fenestration industry.

In this post, I am going to mark the noteworthy changes that have significance and try and explain what it means for us all. There will be a series of follow-up articles exploring the changes in more detail.

But for now, let’s just try and digest what these revisions are and how they will or won’t change what we do.

Part F – Ventilation

This is the one part of the Building Regulations changes that we have quickly got to know about over the past day or so. In short, the new requirements are going to be that new windows going into existing dwellings (homes) or new dwellings will require trickle ventilation. Here is the wording from the newly published documents:

Background ventilators

1.52 All rooms with external walls should have background ventilators. If a habitable room has no external walls, paragraphs 1.42 to 1.44 should be followed.

NOTE: A window with a night latch position is not adequate for background ventilation, due to the following:

1. The risk of draughts.

2. Security issues.

3. The difficulty of measuring the equivalent area.

Source: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/ government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/ file/1040932/ADF1.pdf – pages 22/23

There is a loophole within these new rules. Mechanical ventilation systems or extractor fans can be installed in each room instead of windows. This is all part of the wider purge ventilation section of Part F which starts on page 19 of the document linked above. But that is simply not a realistic alternative. So trickle vents in windows remain the most viable and readily available solution for installers to abide by these new regulations.

Part L – U-Values

Another expected change was the lowering of minimum u-values for windows. At the moment that stands at 1.6 for new windows going into existing dwellings. New Part L regulations revise that down to 1.4. There was a suggestion at one point that it could be lowered to 1.2, which sparked debate about whether the use of triple glazing would be needed to achieve this.

These are the new minimum u-values for windows and doors

Source: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/ government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/ file/1040935/ADL1.pdf – page 25

Doors have also been moved 0.2 lower, from being at 1.6 previously. At 1.4 any decent double glazed window with the right glass and spacer bar mix should be able to achieve 1.4, which will mean this is no new dawn for the age of triple glazing. I don’t think that many of us will have to worry about the u-values of swimming pool basins.

Part L – Airtightness

Here’s something that perhaps hasn’t hit some radars yet but will be of some significance to most of us and that is the revision of section 4.21 part h:

REGULATIONS MEANS SECTOR

www.doubleglazingblogger.co.uk

Windows and doors: to ensure continuity of the air barrier, window and door units should connect to the primary air barrier and window and door frames should be taped to surrounding structural openings, using air sealing tape. Compressible seals or gun sealants may be used to supplement taping.

Source: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/ government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/ file/1040935/ADL1.pdf – page 40

For those installers that fit a lot of their windows and doors into new-build homes and extensions, it looks like you’re going to need to get used to working with expanding sealant tapes or whatever similar alternative is out there.

Questions still to answer

This is a very brief rundown of what some of the major changes are in the revised Building Regulations. There are others that affect conservatories and porches which will be worth a read as well. But the three above I have highlighted as perhaps the most significant.

The one that has had many people talking on social media is of course the new requirement for trickle vents in all new windows to all existing and new dwellings. There have

already been major pushback from the installer part of the sector, and indeed some fabricators I have already spoken to about it.

However vehement and passionate the protests, these do look set to the be new rules that come into force, unless there are some extremely unexpected revisions in the coming months.

There is however a number of unanswered questions that these new Building Regulations raise.

First, who is going to enforce these new laws? On the issue of trickle vents, it has already been pointed out that without rigorous and effective enforcement, a homeowner that doesn’t like trickle vents will simply go down the road to the company willing to flout the new rules, leaving the business willing to comply losing orders.

Second, what about the transition date? The Government has set June 15th 2022 as the date from which these new Building Regulations become law. But this would pose a very practical problem for both installers and fabricators. Many installers have three to four months worth of work already scheduled. It would mean that any orders sold in mid-February would need to be produced with trickle vents. This is a very short space of time and I would expect the Government to push back that June date to allow more time for the sector to adapt as needed.

Third, will the compliance schemes allow installers another way around registering installations with qualified background ventilation? There is a very high chance that many installers will not comply with these new rules. But will trade bodies really kick out all their members if they don’t follow the rules? No, that would cause chaos. Instead, they may decide that there could be another way to define background ventilation, to avoid what could be a very difficult and awkward situation.

As I have mentioned, these new Building Regulations have just dropped, and this is just my early analysis of them. In the coming days, I will issue follow-up articles to explore each of these changes in more detail and how they are going to affect our industry.

BRISANT SECURESPECIAL OFFER SHOP LAUNCHED

Brisant have opened a new online Special Offer Shop for trade customers, which offers a range of current stock lines at discounts of up to fifty percent. This new shop spans all brands including Ultion, Sweet, Lock Lock, Smart and Federal.

Log onto the Brisant website trade section, where all stock is categorised by product brand. Customers can instantly view stock levels along with the discounted price. It makes ordering quick, easy and transparent and will be delivered next day, as with all current orders. All current guarantees, such as the Ultion £2000 homeowner guarantee against lock snapping, remain in place.

Any trade customer that doesn’t have a login currently can apply online and gain near-instant access. Look for the image below and contact us for access to the best prices that Brisant can offer. Contact

ORION