COLOUR
Surfaces – design beyond the colour
Leon James, Product Manager for Exterior Products at RENOLIT Cramlington Ltd looks at how surface textures are having an increasing impact on customer demand.
»»
THE MARKET IS CHANGING, AND consumers are looking for more …
As consumers look for something different, solid colour and woodgrain surfaced window profiles, doors and facades are a key area for growth within the UK fenestration industry. Many window systems companies report that sales of foiled components now account from approximately 30 % to even 50 % of their output. While traditional products continue to sell well, a younger audience is emerging with different tastes, influenced by a rise in popular building television programmes, highly publicised“ house & home” exhibitions and modern architecture that uses colour to create pleasant and varied environments. This has led
Leon James, Product Manager for Exterior Products at RENOLIT Cramlington Ltd to a growth in the use of solid colour exterior foils of 36 % in the UK laminated profiles market during the past three years.
As colour has become more established,( RENOLIT offer nearly sixty different colours in their global exterior stock range and many more on a make-to-order basis), a wide choice is now the norm. Increasingly it is the surface which has become as important as the colour or design itself to the overall finished effect. Demand is now focussed on more authentic textures to enhance the overall finished effect by adding style, design and feeling.
This is a trend that is expected to continue.
The exterior market is following the shift already seen in kitchen and furniture markets towards smooth, very matt and realistic textures.
The first some years ago to introduce an exterior film with a smooth architectural finish, RENOLIT next introduced Smooth 2 with improved scratch and mar resistance. Where colour is the primary driver, this midgloss product provides the ideal cover.
The new highly desirable low gloss Ulti- Matt finish was introduced at FIT Show 2017 and developed in response to customer demand to complement the existing Smooth 2 offer. It works especially well with popular darker colours such as Anthracite Grey and the much-anticipated real Black which received an enthusiastic welcome. This new finish is ideally suited to contemporary window styles and has already been taken up by a number of leading UK system companies.
It is not just architectural surfaces that are evolving, with an increasing demand for premium wood finishes as the market looks for alternatives to the traditional wood tick.
Elegant Ash is ideally suited to traditional and heritage installations, to replicate the look of painted wood in a range of colours to enhance the country’ s legacy of architectural period buildings.
Evolving further, appeal is maximised by the structured VLF structured surface. The natural look and authentic feel of the linear and deeply structured VLF will really impress. With its sense of depth and structure it is possibly the most realistic woodgrain finish on the market. Modern hardwoods need the right partner to be able to reveal their full effect while solid colours with a strong textured surface serve as the stage for the latest architectural trend and have the appearance of painted solid wood.
It is clear then that with the rising demand for a coloured finish, consumers are looking to differentiate from the norm and add something different within the UK Window Industry. RENOLIT offer a range of realistic woodgrains, modern popular solid colours with a variety of surfaces finished, all produced to RENOLIT’ s exacting quality standards. So you can be assured that not only are you using the best looking products, but the best performing ones to.
You can rely on it.
www. renolit. com
72 » MAR 2018 » CLEARVIEW-UK. COM