As the trend for a window or door in something other than just white continues to increase, many of the leading suppliers are taking up the opportunities this growing market has to offer. With a host of new colours and vast improvements to lead times, colour is fast becoming the norm for the fenestration sector.
VEKA is one such company leading light to get behind the growing trend. With group sales of 40% in coloured profile, VEKA has recently invested in its lamination process and announced the simplification of its coloured foil offering, with 95% of VEKA’s colours now available ex stock. Jason Thompson, Managing Director of The Glazerite UK Group Ltd discusses the importance of colour for Glazerite, VEKA, and their installers.
He says: “As a leading VEKA fabricator, Glazerite’s sales in coloured frames have reached 42%, an increase of nearly a third in the last few years. Our sales, like VEKA’s, are ahead of the national average, which we believe is indicative of the fact installers like to have a great choice of colours available, on a short lead time, backed up by excellent product performance and robust guarantees.
“With the popularity of colour, and the variety of shades available, there are inevitable differences in application, with some suppliers using foils and others using a spray method. Both Glazerite and VEKA, however, are firmly behind foiling, not only for the premium finish it gives but for the guaranteed lifetime our installers want. We believe painting or spraying can lead to differences in colour and finish, as well as fading in the long term. Add to that the seriousness of a void guarantee if a frame is over sprayed - given the fundamental changes painting the surface can have on the finish, and the impact it can have on the characteristics of uPVC itself – it’s clear to see why we favour foils over painting.
“We also believe that with the sheer number of colour combinations now available, as well as the high quality of the Renolit foil we use, there really is no need to spray. Our lead times are much improved, with the majority of the 14 core ex-stock colours available on our VEKA and Halo products on a 5 day lead time, while our door range can be supplied in the majority of these colours in just 7-10 days. The remainder of the 29-strong Variations colour range is available on a ‘made to order’ basis, on a four week lead time, giving our installers all the colour choice they’re likely to need, when they need it.
“Renolit foils are extremely durable and resistant to the elements, require minimal cleaning and maintenance and are aesthetically pleasing. It’s also worth noting that foil gives a woodgrain effect, which adds authenticity for installations where the look and feel of timber is desired, a particularly popular choice with the growing Flush Sash market.
“Like VEKA, we have never advocated painting profiles and have only ever supplied foiled products that we know have been fully tested.
“Earlier this year, we introduced colour-matched laminated mouldings to our range, giving our installers and their customers the option of a completely flawless and professional finish. This includes cill end caps and couplers, casement horn mouldings, French mullion end caps and weatherbar end caps, which perfectly match the entire Variations range and finish off windows perfectly. As it’s grained and not a flat spray colour, the laminated mouldings blend into the rest of the frame flawlessly, and are also covered by our 10-year guarantee.
“In terms of doors, the VEKA/Halo composite door range has 46 colour options as standard, and Solidor now have 23 colour options available for the slab. When you consider the Variations range of outer frames, there are more colour combinations than installers are ever likely to need, but the variety available helps them to cover all bases.
“We have and will always continue to supply foiled products that we know have been fully tested, along with our 10 year guarantee. Installer and customer confidence is important to us so providing high-quality, long lasting products is crucial to our business. Glazerite installers can feel reassured that, whatever the colour, their installations will withstand the test of time.”