16 | DECEMBER 2021
News
Read online at www . proinstaller . co . uk
THE EVOLUTION OF DOOR AND WINDOW HARDWARE
A recent visit to one of England ’ s castles got me thinking how doors and windows have evolved over the years says Neil Jones , Marketing Manager of Coastal Group . A lot of which has come about from shifts in consumer demand , lifestyle , and perception of quality . Further enforced through the ongoing pandemic .
There are three main areas that have evolved in doors and windows :
1 . The ‘ inside out ’ lifestyle leading to increased demand for oversized glazing with larger , heavier sliding doors . 2 . Home improvement programs influencing homeowners to have an increased perception of the aesthetics of their doors and windows .
3 . Homeowners spending more time at home meaning they ’ re looking for higher quality products which look and perform better for longer .
This had led to a need for door and window system houses , fabricators , joinery companies and hardware manufacturers to evolve to meet this change in taste and demand or get left behind . But not all companies have evolved with it .
Don ’ t be the ‘ Kodak ’ of the Door & Window Industry
As Loren Jenner , Coastal Group MD says : “ Whilst it ’ s difficult when you ’ re busy to take a step back and assess if your current hardware offering really does meet the current demand , it ’ s most definitely worth it . Nobody wants to become the ‘ Kodak ’ of the Door and Window industry . But there ’ s a danger of that happening once demand starts to settle and homeowners spend more time shopping around for their chosen supplier of their new doors and windows , unless you evolve with the times . And it ’ s through this that we ’ re seeing our BLU Range of 316 Marine Grade Stainless Steel hardware becoming increasingly popular
“ We ’ re constantly innovating and developing our hardware product offering based on customer feedback and requirements . Our BLU Hardware Range now includes product to suit contemporary and classic style tastes and is available as a suited range in a variety of finishes . So if a homeowner wants a classic style front door , with hardware to suit that style of door , but then wants large patio sliding doors on the back of the house we have hardware to suit that also .”
Ensuring the best possible performance for your doors and windows
Throughout this ongoing development of the range we ’ ve continued to manufacture the BLU range using 316 Marine Grade Stainless Steel to give the best possible product performance .
Compared to the overall cost of the door or window , the cost of the handle is a relatively low percentage ,” Loren continues “ yet it is what gives the highest impression to the end user client . The homeowner will often base his rating of how good the door or window is based on what they can see , touch and feel – the hardware .
Helping those that want to progress
We ’ re seeing the door and window companies that want to progress , from both joinery , aluminium and composite markets , increasingly coming to us and standardise on offering our BLU Door and Window Hardware for their front entrance doors , patio sliding doors , bifold doors and windows .”
Feedback from customers has been excellent and they ’ re proving the benefits of using our BLU Hardware , as one composite door manufacturer testified :