Pro Installer December 2019 - Issue 81 | Page 4

4 | DECEMBER 2019 News Read online at www.proinstaller.co.uk LETTER TO THE EDITOR ENDURING THE WET WEATHER Throughout the year entrance doors are faced with keeping the elements out and in securing homes right across the UK. With composite doors now the main choice for discerning homeowners with over 50% share of the entrance door market, they are now under the most exacting scrutiny due to the large numbers of installations, each and every week. By definition a composite door is made up of different materials and combined are designed to look good, with the promise of an extended life span well in excess of 10 years. We know that instal- lation companies generally prefer the timber core based composite doors and the challenge for our segment of the market is to carefully manufacture these doors to withstand the harshest of conditions. Water ingress has been a challenge for some, par- ticularly to the foot of the door and in and around the glazing apertures. As this has been a known concern for many years it was for good reason that we introduced our unique Moisture Barrier System back in 2014 and subsequently, customer con- cerns plummeted overnight. Glazing apertures in com- posite doors all have the po- tential for water ingress and suppliers have different ways in attempting to mitigate this potential hazard. It’s an additional production pro- cess for all of us and we’ve found that aluminium tape to the aperture along with a wet seal once the cassette is installed, is the ultimate failsafe standard. I would Window and residential door trends for 2020 As 2019 draws to a close, The Residence Collection is al- ready looking towards 2020, with a view to leading the market in terms of tomorrow’s window and residential door design conven- tion, across their R2, R7 and R9 pioneering product platforms. The Residence Collection was the first brand in the PVCu sector to develop a flush casement window, in the form of what still remains the only true timber casement alternative, based on traditional 19th Century window dimensions. The brand has also been fundamental in the adop- tion of dual colour finishes and still stands alone with foiled re- bates and in the case of R7, seven different substrates. According to the influential brand, 2020 is likely to be a year where product differentiation is paramount, with R7 taking share out of 70mm window systems and R2 cutting a unique product trajectory for what is the ultimate contemporary PVCu window. R2 has the same product dimensions as the defining R9 window and door, yet with a square architec- tural edge and matching square glazing beads for double and triple glazing. While other companies are still playing catch up with ‘heritage inspired’ windows, R2 is likely to find its niche for a the ultimate urban PVCu window and door design, with genuine architec- tural appeal. When it comes to residential doors then, after a huge surge of interest in 2019, the new RD range of engineered panel doors will also experience further strong product adop- tion. residencecollectiontrade.co.uk Holidaymaker hotspot gets modern makeover Nestled amid the narrow suggest that the provision of a wet seal on all glazing cassettes in all composite doors is the most prudent way forward, based on our experience in manufacturing dating back to 2002. So surely as an industry we should be doing more to re- duce product liabilities with a caring attitude to trade partners and with a duty of care ultimately to the end consumer? After all it’s our reputation on the line for the long-term. Yours sincerely Stephen Nadin Managing Director Endurance Doors lanes and open fields of Dorset lies a coastal oasis for British holiday- makers. Popular all year round, Hoburne Park is the latest recipient of high-quality products from glass safety specialist, Tuffx. The brief for this ongoing, phased project has been to supply over 250m2 of 10mm toughened clear glass, and 10mm toughened grey glass balustrade panels – installed to provide ele- gant finishes to the decking areas of hundreds of Hoburne Park’s on-site caravans. Standing at approximately 1m high, the glass evokes a sense of privacy without compromising the community feel residents and visitors enjoy from close-proximity living. The park had specified pol- ished edges and dubbed corners, in part to ensure the safety of the numerate families and young children visiting each year. Selected for speed, reliability, consistency in quality, and high concern for customer wellbeing; Tuffx is an ideal partner for such commercial projects. Tuffx’s Managing Director Graham Price said: “Each of the caravans are individually styled with windows, cladding and doors giving personality to what starts out life as an empty shell. We consulted with our customer to ensure that we provided the most appropriate colour and finish to each unit, using glass which offered optimum safety, aesthetic appeal and ease of installation.” A leader in the glazing field for over 25 years, Tuffx has certainly brought expertise and contempo- rary style to the oldest estab- lishment in the Hoburne group, which first opened in 1912. www.tuffxglass.co.uk