“ Deceuninck ’ s aluminium bifold door – the Decalu88 , without a doubt ,” was the response . To come up with a reply so quickly was a bit of a surprise , but when considering that D & I Windows of Barnsley only the made the switch to aluminium from PVCu less than two years ago , to already have a ‘ favourite ’ was remarkable . So , what makes this Dave ’ s perfect product ?

“ There ’ s so many factors , but it mostly comes down to fact ,” continues Dave . “ First of all , the fact that bifold doors are in huge demand from homeowners at the moment is hard to ignore . As D & I Windows sells through both trade and retail channels , we are in a position where we have a ‘ foot in both camps ’ and the Decalu88 rarely fails to impress the consumer but also is fitter-friendly which is a major plus point .

“ Homeowners often go on looks – and rightly so , they are the ones who will be looking at it ! Design features such as opening options , colour choice and invisible drainage , tick the boxes from the consumer ’ s point of view . These factors are great for installers too – especially if they are pitching the job themselves – a beautiful-looking bifold almost sells itself . But it won ’ t install itself .

“ So , for the fitter , there are other features that make a bifold door attractive beyond the aesthetic . The Decalu88 has pre-inserted gaskets , which cuts down on installation time – some installers can even do two-a-day due to this – and the system itself from Deceuninck is top quality and low maintenance ; which means the fitter can be confident with their customer base that it will not only look the part but perform as it should .

“ There is a third factor for D & I Windows , and that is the fabrication and supply side . My business partner Ian and myself

have played every part in the door and window process over the decades . We even go on site to help installers sometimes , of course we have the showroom here , and as we met working on social housing , we mean it when we say we ’ ve seen the good , the bad and the ugly , when it comes to products and how they are installed .

“ From a fabricator ’ s point of view , aluminium itself is just a better system , we believe . It ’ s nicer to handle , it ’ s even more ‘ fun ’ to fabricate as PVCu can get quite repetitive but with aluminium you get to do more with it , so it ’ s more satisfying . We are also very eco-conscious here , and talking about facts again , the fact is that aluminium is not only 100 %

recyclable as a system but as a fully-formed and fitted product it can significantly reduce energy consumption in its home setting . Far from the ‘ cold ’ product it used to be seen as .”

All that said , what sets apart the Decalu88 from any other aluminium bifold door , and when bi-folds are in such high demand , won ’ t any door do for the homeowner ?

“ There are plenty of bifold doors on the market – PVCu and aluminium . Most of them are very good . There is certainly demand for this type of product and for homeowners seeking slim sightlines , lots of light , large open spaces and the ‘ outdoors in ’ look , many options tick these boxes and more .

“ At D & I Windows though , we look at every link in the supply chain . What system is a product made from – what is this like to fabricate and fit ? Where does this product fit in our portfolio and our customers ’ catalogues – will it fit seamlessly with other doors and windows ? How does it perform , how long does it last ? Most importantly ; would Ian or myself have it in our own homes , are we happy to fabricate it , could we happily go and fit it ourselves ?

“ Taking all of this into consideration , the Decalu88 aluminium bifold door is my perfect product .”

www . dandiwindows . co . uk

D & I Windows is currently looking at trade partnerships for the supply of Decalu 88 Bifold doors , and Sheerline Prestige windows and door , so now would be a great opportunity to get in touch before the order books get too full .