JANUARY 2020 | 17
News
Read online at www.proinstaller.co.uk
TRENDING: 2020 WINDOWS AND DOORS
The fenestration industry was overwhelmed with the desire for coloured, smart, composite windows
and doors in 2019. While these are expected to still be of importance for many homeowners in 2020,
there are new trends ready to take off in the year ahead. Here, Nick Cowley, managing director of
PVCu and composite window and door manufacturer Euramax, explains what lies ahead in 2020.
More glazing, less frame
With an increased demand
for modern interior and exterior
styles, windows and doors have
the ability to make a huge impact
on the appearance of a home.
Modern and clean frames
allow for a wider expanse of
glazing, compared to traditional
and thicker window surrounds.
Windows create the impression
of space in a home, all while
increasing natural light sources
and bring a sense of the outside,
in. This desire for larger panes of
glass means that windows them-
selves are becoming larger, while
the frames become smaller.
As modern and sleek styles
continue to inspire and influence
homeowners, future designs
could remove the frame com-
pletely, creating stylish floor to
ceiling windows.
Hybrid is here
Composites have become an
increasingly popular material
choice for effortless and stylish
windows and doors. However,
some of the issues that can arise
from using composites, includ-
ing warping, swelling, bowing
and discolouration in changing
temperatures, has been widely
reported.
Hybrid doors, which com-
bine both PVCu and composite
materials, provide a welcomed
solution to these problems. They
are designed to combine the
functionality of PVCu and the
stylish woodgrain finish of com-
posite, ensuring that homeowners
get the best of both worlds. In
2019, Euramax launched a range
of PVCu and composite hybrid
doors that are available in a range
of design finishes and colours.
Though composite materials
are still a popular choice, hybrid
doors could prevent the need for
premature maintenance when
a door becomes discoloured or
warped — all while maintaining
the popular woodgrain style that
so many homeowners now look
for.
Sustainable materials The SMART revolution
Thermal performance and
energy efficiency have become
noticeably important require-
ments for windows and doors.
While this trend is set to continue
into 2020 and could also see sus-
tainability as a potential industry
requirement.
Reducing energy consumption,
and subsequently energy bills,
has been a major driver in what
people look for when updat-
ing the windows and doors in
their home. The integration of
more sustainable materials could
further increase environmental
awareness and associated bene-
fits across the industry.
By manufacturing windows and
doors from sustainable materi-
als such as composites and new
hybrid materials, manufacturers
can ensure that their products are
beneficial to both the environ-
ment and their customers. Technology is evolving in every
aspect of our lives, and the fenes-
tration industry is no different.
From SMART window and door
locks that are controlled from a
smartphone app, to sensors that
can alert homeowners when a
window or door has been left
open — SMART technology has
numerous benefits that are now
being realised across the window
and door industry.
While there was an increase
in the integration of SMART
technology across the industry
in 2019, it’s not always conven-
ient to implement SMART locks
and sensors after windows and
doors have been installed to their
final location. Doing so can often
cause disruption to the proper-
ty owner and additional, costly
maintenance to be needed.
These inconveniences leave
room for improvement with how
SMART technology is initially
installed. Options include imple-
menting technology at the factory
stage, making the technology
easier to install and set up and
could result in more homeowners
to making the decision to purchase
SMART enabled products in 2020.
As people become more invest-
ed in the options available when
selecting their windows and
doors, the need for stylish, smart
and energy efficient windows
and doors is set to rise. Like all
trends, they come and go, but
some in the fenestration industry
are likely to be here for a little bit
longer yet.
www.euramaxuk.com