Aluminium Extra
CAB Reports on the Continued Rise in Use of Aluminium in Building
Fifteen years ago you could open any fenestration magazine and you would be introduced to windows , doors and conservatories all in PVC , aluminium product promotion in home improvement was few and far between . House builders at that time had adopted PVC as the fenestration product of choice which encouraged new home sales and , whilst aluminium fenestration was firmly rooted in the commercial field , high end properties in up-market desirable residential areas continued to use aluminium .
BY PHIL SLINGER - CAB CEO
Once a premium product over the choice of aluminium or timber , PVC systems have continued to improve and to evolve with high speed production techniques which offered an ongoing competitive edge between suppliers . Today the product is excellent for home improvement , but , some say there is little more development that can be achieved with the material .
So what changed ? Why do homeowners now aspire to fit aluminium if it can be afforded over alternative materials ?
First , it needs to be said , that aluminium fenestration in the residential sector still only has a small share of the market , 15 % to 20 % at the most , but it sits as a ‘ premium ’ branded material for homeowners who wish to invest in something a little more upmarket . So why the continued uptake in aluminium ? Like any product that gains market saturation , buyers will always look at alternatives and aluminium sits in the wings with unquestionable commercial acumen . Also , now debunked , is aluminium ’ s poor thermal performance , as profiles with high performance thermal breaks can easily meet that of their PVC counterparts .
On the upside is aluminium ’ s ability to be virtually 100 % recyclable without loss of material characteristics , something that has been done since its commercialisation in 1880 . Furthermore , 75 % of all aluminium produced over the last 140 years is still in active use today , being recycled more than once in many cases . Then there is the life expectancy of finishes such as anodising and high performance powder coatings which offer unparalleled life expectancy when it comes to weathering . This sustainability of aluminium and its finishes has further found favour with specifiers in other external architectural aluminium products such as facias , spandrel panels , rain screen cladding systems , rainwater
goods and parapet capping , such is the products life expectancy in use .
But , it is not about which material is better ; steel , timber , PVC and aluminium all make excellent fenestration products given their material limitations . Today it is good to see that major PVC companies also have profitable ranges of aluminium systems that sit alongside their PVC counterparts , so the choice is with the specifier , often the homeowner , as to what they wish to have in their home .
A recent online survey concluded that the majority of companies in the home improvement sector believe that aluminium has the most upside potential over the next few years . Whilst window profile designs can be complex , but easy to produce , new systems are continually being launched into the market , there are also further markets for aluminium that show signs of growth .
62 NOVEMBER 2023 CLEARVIEW-UK . COM