28 | JULY 2019
Installer Support
New Technical
Support
Manager is IN
Independent Network has long
been committed to providing all the
practical and business guidance
that members could possibly need,
and introducing Paul as Technical
Support Manager is a continuation
of this industry-leading support
offering.
Paul says: “I was attracted to the
Technical Support Manager position
because IN has maintained a fan-
tastic reputation over the years. In an
ever-changing industry like ours, it’s
refreshing to see long-established
organisations like VEKA Group and
Independent Network continue to
progress and move forward.”
Paul has been involved in the win-
dow and door industry for 25 years,
ever since completing his appren-
ticeship in Carpentry and Joinery
- where he was proud to work on
prestigious buildings such as the
original Wembley Stadium.
He moved into the PVCu sector as
an installer and believes that under-
standing the fitting process and the
challenges that installer members
face will be an advantage in his role
at IN, having experienced these ups
and downs for himself.
“During my career so far, I’ve
worked as an installer alongside
small, local fabricators as well as
having built relationships with some
of the big UK market leaders. My
previous roles include Service Engi-
neer, Service Manager, Installation
Manager (PVCu and Aluminium),
Conservatory Project Manager, Sur-
veyor and, more recently, Regional
Operations Manager. I’m well versed
in fabrication and installation, and
- with IN’s resources at our disposal
- I look forward to working close-
ly with members to provide all the
Technical Support they require.”
www.inveka.co.uk
Installer Support is
sponsored by Kayflow
ROOFING
TECHNOLOGY
AND TRENDS
Ultraframe Design & Development Director, Andrew Thomson, discusses the latest
trends in roofing and the technology that supports and drives these trends.
If you ask anyone in the glazing in-
dustry what Ultraframe means to them,
they would most likely say conservatory
roofs, after all, it’s the sector we’ve been
the pioneer of for some 35 years, and I’m
proud to say that many of the true innova-
tions in conservatory roof technology have
been ours. In fact our Classic system boasts
over 50 patented features such as ridge and
eaves ventilation, Speedlocks and an eaves
cleat that are still unique to the system
which is the original and longest-estab-
lished conservatory roof.
While in the past, conservatories rare-
ly tended to deviate from the white PVC
structures that can be found on several
million homes in the UK, conservatory roof-
ing technology has moved on so much in
recent years. There is now not only a much
wider choice of products to provide hugely
enhanced aesthetics, but also to provide
thermal performance which far exceeds that
of the early roofs – meaning that more so
than ever, the lines between a conservatory
and an extension are becoming increasingly
blurred.
As long as consumers are educated to
understand that such structures are no
longer solely the forte of their local builder,
there is a huge opportunity for those in the
conservatory industry. Not only have the ad-
vancements in roofing technology brought
home extensions up to date in terms of
their aesthetics and performance, but they
have also opened up the extension market
to a whole new sector of trades people.
Ultraframe is actively engaging in con-
sumer activity to enlighten homeowners that
their local conservatory company is just as
capable of building them a stunning exten-
sion as their local builder. We are also help-
ing many of our customers to rebrand and
reposition themselves as home improvement
companies as opposed to window/door/
conservatory companies. We know from our
research that this type of company name
inspires more confidence about a company’s
capabilities to carry out what homeowners
often class as ‘building work’.
During recent consumer research un-
dertaken by Ultraframe, we found that the
huge advancements in roofing technolo-
gy, driven by market trends for open plan
living and ‘Grand Designs’ type extensions,
mean that many consumers are no longer
certain what’s a conservatory and what’s
an extension. What they were very clear
on however, is that the new types of living
spaces that are made possible and more
achievable than ever before thanks to being
based on simpler-to-install conservatory
roofing principles, as opposed to traditional
building methods, are what the majority of
consumers desire when adding new living
space to their home.
Not only have the
‘ advancements
in roofing
technology brought
home extensions up
to date in terms of
their aesthetics and
performance, but they
have also opened up
the extension market
to a whole new sector
of trades people
’
Our customers have been quick to pick
up on this trend for light-filled living spac-
es that also provide a solid, room-like feel
and we have seen our Classic and Ultrasky
glazed roofs increasingly being used to
create structures that would be more likely
to be classed as extensions, as opposed
to conservatories. This is achievable by
pairing a glazed roof with our internal
pelmet – the deeper the pelmet, the greater
the orangery-type feel that is achieved.
It’s a clever way of using a system such as
Classic which has been around for as long
as Ultraframe, to create a new contempo-
rary look.
Another roofing trend that has grown in
popularity is the flat roof extension - a con-
temporary option for adding extra living
space to a home that fits perfectly with the
minimalist look that is still so prevalent in
home design trends.
Brought to the forefront of many con-
sumers’ minds by Grand Design’s Kevin
McCloud, flat roof extensions have moved
on hugely from their poor reputation in
the 80’s thanks to huge advancements in
material technology in components such
as membranes. While many of the flat roof
structures shown on Grand Designs feature
a solid roof, for the room below to feel light
and spacious, it is imperative to include
some form of glazing in the roof, using
products such as lanterns and flat skylights.
Here at Ultraframe we offer both of these
roof types and are seeing their sales contin-
ue to accelerate.
Of course, another key trend in roofing
systems is the solid and tiled roof market.
Offering the looks and performance of an
extension, yet created from systems which
are well within the skill set of any conserv-
atory installer to build, the market for these
roofs just continues to grow and grow.
So much so, that we’ve recently launched
the 2nd generation Ultraroof tiled roof sys-
tem, which was also declared the consum-
er’s favourite tiled roof at around the same
time - a claim which we’re understandably
very proud of.
The roofing sector of the glazing industry
is a fast-paced area which continues to evolve
in line with consumer trends. We’re already
working on our next roofing system and look
forward to sharing it with you very soon.
www.ultraframe-conservatories.co.uk