Clearview National April 2020 - Issue 221 | Page 32

DOORS&WINDOWS
Capitalising
on kerb
appeal
» WITH NATIONAL HOME
Improvement Month encouraging homeowners
to make one change to their home throughout
April, installers have the perfect opportunity
to secure additional sales due to consumers
who are looking for ways to improve the kerb
appeal of their property. Here David O’Mara,
Marketing Manager at Hörmann UK, shares
his key recommendations on the products
installers should be recommending to help
customers achieve a visually striking exterior.
According to latest research*, over half of
UK homeowners are planning to complete
home improvements over the next year, with an
estimated £55billion being spent on renovation
projects.
As the nation looks to ‘improve rather than
move’, installers can stay one step ahead of
the competition by recommending innovative
solutions that have been designed and
constructed to help individuals add real kerb
appeal that increases the overall value on their
home.
A survey of new homeowners found that
68% felt kerb appeal was important to their
purchasing decisions, while 52% said a well
maintained / attractive front door was one of the
most important factors of achieving strong kerb
appeal**.
So, what solutions should installers be
recommending and installing throughout
National Home Improvement Month to support
clients in achieving their perfect exterior?
For many individuals looking to improve
the visual style of the front of their home, the
garage door can often be forgotten as the
entrance door and windows take precedence.
However, an increasing number of people
are looking to utilise their garage space as an
additional living area, such as a home gym or
office area.
To ensure the successful usability of this
additional space, the installation of a thermally
efficient garage door is essential. However, it
is important that aesthetics and security are
also considered, which is why installers should
recommend garage doors that consider all of
these elements in equal measure.
32 » A PR 2020 » CL EARVI E W- UK . C O M
For garages attached directly to the house,
installers should look to recommend double-
skinned sectional garage doors, which feature
enhanced sections with a thermal break
to offer U-values as low as 1.00 W/(m².K).
Sectional garage doors also a feature double
bottom seal and should be considered to
compensate for any floor unevenness, which
can lead to potential energy losses.
While thermal performance will be the
leading consideration for homeowners
looking to utilise their garage as an
additional living space, the aesthetics of the
door will also be of great importance. Here
the opportunity for personalisation is key,
as individuals continue to look for solutions
that can add a bespoke finish to help their
home really stand out from the crowd.
Hörmann UK’s new Duragrain surface
finishes offer 24 different decors, featuring
an innovative digital printed finish, which
uses a protective exterior paint to provide
an ultra scratch-resistant surface to
withstand the external elements with ease.
The 24 stand out finishes, from Concrete
to Rusty Steel and Whitewashed Oak, have
been designed to provide homeowners
with a new generation of garage doors that
enable them to project their personality
onto the exterior of their property.
By supplying such a unique range of
garage doors, installers can offer a range
of products that enable customers to add
real kerb appeal to their home, without
compromising on thermal performance
or security. To help clients in achieving a
consistent look to their exterior, installers
should look to cross sell to complementary
entrance doors that have the same visual
style as the garage door.
With over half of new homeowners feeling
an entrance door was an important factor in
achieving kerb appeal, it’s important that installers
are also offering entrance doors that provide the
highest standard in performance, security and
style. With an abundance of timber, composite,
upvc and metal entrance doors available on the
UK market, installers should help customers
navigate the minefield of choices to help them
find the product best suited to meet their needs.
Hörmann UK’s Thermo46 and Thermo65 steel
entrance doors are available in five Duragrain
finishes, enabling homeowners to achieve a
consistent visual style across the entire property,
whilst also supporting overall thermal efficiency.
Offering U-values up to 0.87 W/(m².K), the
entrance doors feature a steel door leaf and
aluminium frame, combined with high break-
in-resistance through the inclusion of a 5-point
security lock, to provide clients with additional
peace of mind that their property is protected.
Installers should use National Home
Improvement Month this April as an opportunity
to inspire potential clients in creating a bespoke
finish to the exterior of their property through
easy to install solutions that will offer the highest
standards in performance for years to come.
www.hormann.co.uk
*www.homebuilding.co.uk/news/
estimated-55bn-to-be-spent-on-
renovations-in-the-next-12-months-
research-suggests/
**hoa.org.uk/2019/09/kerb-appeal/