Steel fights corrosion for coastal installer
3rd March 2015

Hull-based Vulcan Windows has upgraded its composite and uPVC door ranges with high quality stainless steel hardware from leading supplier for the trade, Total Hardware. The move reflects Vulcan’s commitment to provide customers with the best possible products, as well as its strategy to eliminate callouts due to hardware finish issues.

Vulcan Windows has been manufacturing and installing windows and doors since 1973, and is now offering a wide range of aluminium and uPVC products to the trade on a nationwide basis.

Working in geographical proximity to the coast, the company’s installation division used to encounter regular problems involving corrosion of their door hardware. Vulcan operations manager, Paul Walker, said: “We are obsessed with quality, and needed a hardware solution that would reflect our high standards. We turned to our supplier, Total Hardware, and they’ve recommended a range of door furniture manufactured in 304 stainless steel from Trojan, that offers ultimate corrosion resistance and comes with a 25 year guarantee on all finishes.

“We took their advice and they made sure the transition was very swift, with no disruptions to the production activity. Switching to stainless steel was definitely the right decision for us, as it makes more economical sense to invest in high quality products, than to deal with service calls due to hardware finish problems.”

Total Hardware managing director, Andy Cunningham, said: “By fitting stainless steel Trojan hardware on all its doors as standard, Vulcan is positioning itself very competitively in a tight market. These benefits are also transferred to their trade customers, who can capitalise on being able to offer a product that stands out through improved quality.”
Vulcan Windows fabricates Nan Ya composite doors, as well as the full range of uPVC doors and windows using Synseal Synerjy and Sheerframe 8000 series profile systems, and has a weekly output of 500-600 frames. The company has been a Total Hardware client for almost 9 years, and is currently sourcing approximately 70% of all its hardware from the Leeds-based supplier. Aside from stainless steel products, Total Hardware also provides Vulcan with window hardware, including its own range of premium window handles, Quantum.

“There’s a reason we have been in a partnership with Total Hardware for nearly a decade – it is very focused on customer service and supply an extensive range of high quality products from many leading manufacturers. The entire team at Total Hardware respond quickly and effectively to any request we might have, so we never experience stock shortages or delays,” he concluded.

Pic: Vulcan Windows operations manager Paul Walker, left, and Total Hardware managing director, Andy Cunningham.