spring Dear Customer... Welcome to SWC's Spring 2014 Newsletter. We are about to enter May and most of us are wondering where the last four months have gone given the relentless pace of the marketplace! Since the last Newsletter in February there have been many developments, pertinent questions raised and good suggestions made. We will attempt to address as many of your suggestions as possible , especially ones that make you money! and save you money so please read on! Residence 9 (R9) Window System – Windows the way they're meant to be! Residence 9 is a new window system designed to replicate the 19th Century Flush Sash Timber Window. It can be considered for use in Conservation areas due to it's authentic appearance. This appearance is also appealing to any home-owner who wants a top end luxury window that is an alternative to timber. It can accommodate a 28mm double glazed or a 44mm triple glazed insulated glass unit (IGU) giving the product market leading thermal and acoustic performance. This is a hand finished, mechanically jointed window made by craftsmen right here at SWC. 'Presumption should never make us neglect that which appears easy to us, nor despair make us lose courage at the sight of difficulties' an insightful quote by Benjamin Banneker The World Cup is looming!... One of our customers has re-written a version of Tenpole Tudor's 'Swords of a Thousand Men' and re-named the song 'Hopes of a Thousand Men'. Robin Ward of Vision PVC has collaborated with Roy 'Chubby' Brown and Journey South to produce a cracking song for the World Cup terraces. A song to inspire a nation Good luck Robin we hope it brings you fame & fortune. Want to know more? Go to You Tube and type in: World Cup Song Chubby Brown. Roll on the lighter nights and warmer weather and chilled beer.....Come on England! Residence 9 is manufactured from a modern composite material to give a virtually maintenance free finish. Residence 9 is truly a luxury top end window system that creates new opportunities with many outstanding features. At a recent trade show many home-owners commented ' I can't believe it's not timber' - job done! The features on this award winning window include: 9 chamber design Flush Sash Authentic foil finishes in 13 colours Foiled Rebates Mechanical Hand finished detailing Deeper 100mm frame with decorative detailing (that easily incorporates triple glazing without compromise) Special Hardware & furniture spring The Triple Glazing Question - The Facts Laid Bare! I recently attended a widely publicised and anticipated Industry seminar about the future of Triple Glazing which was organised by Edgetech the manufactures behind our warm edge 'Super Spacer' bar. The attendance and interest was certainly well supported as the number of delegates approached five hundred with some of the biggest names in the industry having representation in both the audience and as key speakers in the presentation. The seminar was interactive as everyone was given a keypad and voted on several key questions raised during the debate. The Guest Speakers included Profile Systems, (Veka / Halo were represented by Mark Barsby) IGU, Window & Hardware Manufactures and of course National and Regional installers. The aim of the seminar was to better understand some of the key questions being asked of the industry regarding our progression towards Triple Glazing specifically addressing 'is it necessary and how does it impact on our business?' Double Glazing or Triple Glazing is often referred to as a 'distress purchase', something that is needed due to failure and is likely to be an unplanned event, unlike more desirable items such a new cars, kitchens or bathrooms. We all know that triple glazing is on the increase but how much business does it currently account for, how does it impact on the supply chain, what if any are the real advantages and who are the drivers behind its future? It is estimated that Triple Glazing currently accounts for less than 10% of the UK market where it is more common place in the rest of Europe (German market is 50% triple glazed) and Scandinavian Countries. We all concurred that it currently account for less than 10% of our business. The impact to the supply chain is huge especially on the IGU Manufacturers. These considerations include: major investment to gain better accuracy. Increased demand for toughened glass as all triple glazed units need a toughened centre pane because of thermal dynamics. Health and safety issues Increased transport capacity because of increased weight. These same issues affect us all and as a result should be costed for. As we look more closely at the key facts around the advantages of Triple Glazing some surprising information stood out. A generic 'A' rated double glazed Window has an overall 'U' Value of 1.4 (this includes profile and glass, with a centre pane 'U' value on the IGU of 1.2). It is common place to get these performance values mixed up. The PVCu frame surrounding the IGU is not as thermally efficient as the IGU by itself hence the drop. The same generic window when fitted with a 40mm triple glazed IGU (SWC's current offering) brings the overall window value down to 1.0 and the centre pane 'U' value of the IGU down to 0.7. But what does this mean in real money to the home-owner? An example was given (but not substantiated) that a typical semi-detached house would only save around £30.00 per year when replacing their old PVCu double glazing with the latest energy saving triple glazing. (Please note I have used this example as it is more common place to replace PVCu double glazing than original timber or aluminium single glazing). It was surprising to learn that triple glazing over double glazing only improves the acoustic performance by less than 5% and as little as 1 dB which is hard for the human hear to detect. spring Other things to consider... More external condensation as less energy escapes through the double glazing. External condensation is a physical sign and a direct result of the intended performance of the product that is not often welcomed by the consumer. Reduced light transmission with more reflective surfaces is also another key factor. Window Design is key as the physical size of some apertures must be reduced due to weight. Some products are not available with a triple glazing option such as Authentic Bar and some door types. The impact on installation and glazing is also critical as products must be toe & heeled and packed correctly. The extra glass weight becoming most apparent in products with large square sashes such as Top Hung Casements. The industry has often prostituted its value through unnecessary competitive and marketing strategies mainly due to an oversubscribed market. The big guns such as Everest are now pushing Triple Glazing with an obvious link on the home page of their website and a possible suggestion that future offers will include Triple Glazing for the price of Double – Yeah Right! Question: Answer: Question: Answer: How important is energy saving to your customers? Very Important 36% & Important 56% Will this become a bigger consideration Yes 71% about the same 27% Not Sure 2% The Stakeholders in this argument for bigger is better included: Systems Companies, IGU Manufacturers, Window & Door Fabricators, and of course you the installer. But what about the consumer who is the most important stakeholder of all and how do they make a decision based on the current information provided by installers (which are varied) Design.. The current PVCu Systems in the UK have been designed principally around a typical double glazed IGU. If existing Systems are used incorporating up to 44mm triple glazing this will affect the balanced aesthetic of the PVCu profile ( based on 70mm Systems). Does this mean that we need to consider wider systems like for instance Residence 9? This product is 100mm front to back as this will obviously dramatically affect the considerations around manufacturing capabilities, installation and ultimately price. Question: Answer: Would you compromise on the aesthetics to accommodate a Triple Glazed IGU? 75% said No! The Summary... With national Companies such as Everest already out there promoting triple glazing and the promotion of alternative products such as R9, then I would say it is difficult to ignore. Triple Glazing is still relatively new, it's different and therefore generates interest and opportunity particularly when replacing the replacements. Little knowledge is dangerous and it is evident that most manufacturers and installers don't fully understand the technical performance or the general impact it has on the supply chain, and are these being correctly costed when selling? so what chance does the consumer have? I do believe in responsible selling but I also think that the consumers are interested in the very best products that are currently available even if the improvements are only minor ones. In their minds they've got the latest and the best and at the very least want to be given the choice. A satisfied customer is one of the biggest marketing tools at your disposal and they are more likely to boast that they have had the latest triple glazing installed than the normal double glazing, this is often referred to as bragging rights. Triple Glazing has arrived and being forewarned is being forearmed! The overwhelming conclusion at this point is: I honestly don't know! As none of the question raised were definitive or conclusive, other than the huge potential on-cost. Triple Glazing is coming but the investment and considerations throughout the supply chain are huge, they should not be ignored and be costed into the final price of the product to the consumer. What was certainly evident is that an alternative route to innovative progression would be through more clever double glazing where it was demonstrated clever double could reach similar thermal performance levels to those of 36mm triple glazing! spring Open Your Eyes to Integral Venetian Blinds With discerning customers always looking for something new and different, integral blinds could help you give domestic rooms and commercial spaces that all important wow-factor. When the key considerations are to maximize privacy, light and solar control it's time to open your eyes to Uni-Blinds. Uni-Blinds is a system of integral blinds available in a range of colours in both Venetian or pleated styles, which are assembled and permanently sealed within the double glazing cavity so can go unnoticed until they are activated manually or by remote control. This delivers great looking interiors with less clutter and uninterrupted sight-lines. Integral Blinds are an innovative product and should be considered early within the design stage when formal decisions are being made. This will keep the cost competitive if fitted at the time of the initial product installation. One specific area in which the use of integral blinds are becoming more frequently viewed as the only viable option is within a bi-folding door (see photo) Uni-Blinds offer many key advantages over traditional Conservatory or Windows blinds. Once sealed in this totally dust free environment, the blinds always appear new and require no cleaning – unlike traditional blinds. With today's accent on improved insulation characteristics of double glazing, the application of integral blinds can further improve the 'U' value performance of any window & door – with consequential savings on the heating and air conditioning requirements. Blinds which are encapsulated within a double glazed unit will perform better than traditional blinds in terms of solar heat gain and shading characteristics. Warranty information: IGU 10 – years Blinds 5 – years For further information please contact Jon Hodgson on the Trade Counter - 01723 580745. Authentic Bar – Pricing Please remember that Authentic / Astragal Bar is now priced by the grid design and not per square metre. i.e. the more squares per pane the greater the cost. This is very important at the quotation stage as your price could be adversely affected. Tilt & Turn Stable Doors Due to restricted opening on the turn feature all Tilt & Turn stable doors will now receive face fixed Hinges (not concealed). Tilt & Slide Patios are no longer available We are one of the few remaining fabricators in the UK who are still offering Tilt & Slide Patios in their portfolio. Unfortunately there is very little demand for this antiquated product therefore it is time to say goodbye. From June 2014 we will no longer accept orders for Tilt & Slides spring Foil options – Panels & Trims Careful consideration should be given to the newer foils such as Agate Grey and Irish Oak as moulded panels, Composite Doors or ancillary trims may not be available. Flat Panel & Moulded Panel Foil Colour Availability Colour Flat Panel Moulded Panels (inc Walcott) Manufacturer's Guarantee Period (Years) C130 White a a 10 Cherry a a 10 Rose a a 10 Beck Brown (H) a a 5 Anthracite Grey (H) a a 5 White Foil (R) a x 1 Cream Foil (H) a a 5 Agate Grey (R) a x 1 Irish Oak x x x (H) Hornschuch Foil (R) = Renolit Foil FOILED TRIMS IN STOCK Rosewood Cherry Cream White Irish Oak Anthracite Grey Black 25mm D-section Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 17.5mm Quadrant Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes - - 45mm Architrave Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 70mm Architrave - - Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 95mm Architrave Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes - - - Yes - - - 65mm Architrave Yes Yes - - - - - 30mm Cloaking Fillet Yes Yes - - - Yes - 20mm x 15mm Box Bead Yes Yes - - - - - 150mm Flat Board Yes Yes Yes - - - - 25mm x 20mm Rectangle All other colours must be Kolorbonded. Please contact our Trade Counter for prices. spring Composite Door Side Panels information update Further to our last newsletter please note that side panels are only available glazed (there is no solid side panel option). Also the Staxton design is only available with 2 pieces of glass to match the Staxton 4. We need your consideration about the following proposed change In the interest of reducing our stock holding we would like you to consider the following: We have now standardised on 45/45 cylinders for both open in and open out doors and we would now like to remove gold cylinders as an option. The gold cylinder is only stocked for gold handles and the Fab & Fix gold finish is very light therefore in our opinion the nickel cylinder looks fine. We await your feedback – in the meantime please refer to the example photograph. Product Information IMPORTANT! Residential and French Door Horizontal adjustment Please note the following changes to the Horizontal adjustment on our Anchorage Heavy Duty Door hinge. The similar old style hinge had a replace plate that was locked off by a 3mm allen key – this has now changed! Please see the enclosed sheet detailing the full adjustment methods. Anyone seeking further clarification to this should contact our Production Manager Wayne Aziz. Wayne can be contacted via Customer Services on 01723 580740. spring New Phone System To help ensure that your enquiry is swiftly directed to the person best positioned to deal with your your enquiry, we have installed a new phone system complete with menu options to get you quickly through to each department. In order for this system to work effectively, we politely request that you select the correct option and refrain from pressing OPTION 1 then asking to be transferred to another department. Thank you in advance for your support around this. The telephone menu options are as follows: Dial 01723 582666, then press... 1 PVCu Products 2 Bifold and Roof Processing 3 R9 & Aluminium 4 Buildings and Plastics 5 Customer Service 6 Delivery information 7 Accounts Direct dial numbers are as follows: 01723 580740 01723 582742 01723 580743 01723 580744 01723 580745 01723 580746 01723 580747 Customer Services PVCu Product Enquiries BiFold and Roofing Enquiries Ancillary Purchases Trade Counter Delivery scheduling Accounts Decorative Glass Options by Regalead. Can you make sure that you are using the current Regalead Brochure. A copy of this brochure is available in the downloads section of the website. If you require a hard copy of this brochure please contact customer services. (Minimal quantities are available so please use sparingly) BIG Thank You! A big thank you from all the team at SWC for your co-operation, support and understanding during the transition from the old order-forms to the new current 2014 versions. We really appreciate this because it has enabled us to speed up processing and eliminate potential mistakes. Arch Templates We often receive templates that do not match the information and sizes provided on the order-forms. There is either a lack of information or conflicting information resulting in lengthy delays and unnecessary additional work. Please make sure all supporting information on the template matches that on the order-form. E-mail Orders & Quotations All Orders & Quotations must be e-mailed using the correct and dedicated e-mail addresses listed below. We have on occasion seen both coming directly through members of staff e-mail and this causes confusion, duplication or missed due to that member of staffs absence. Can we politely request that you always use the following two e-mail addresses: [email protected] [email protected] Final Word.... If you would like to contact me directly about any of the features contained in the newsletter then please ring me on 07802 301488 or email me at [email protected] and I will do my very best to assist you. Assuring you of our best attention at all times. Kindest regards, Mark Catchpole Sales Director
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