Dekko hits out at unglazed R9 sales
13th March 2018

Lancashire fabricator Dekko has sparked a major debate with a full-on attack on the sale of unglazed Residence9 frames, saying a frame that is not factory glazed and glass bonded ‘can cause major problems when installed in the home’.

The claim, in a letter to trade media from sales director Kurt Greatrex, goes on to say that R9 owner, the DW3 Group, “agrees that unglazed Residence 9 is simply not manufactured to current specification” and goes on to warn that any product warranties will fall purely on the installer, not the system manufacturer, adding: “Would any installer want to install a product without the backing of the systems house?”

He even compares the potential consequences to the PVC-U ‘pinking’ fiasco of the eighties where the industry was swamped with consumer complaints over discolouring frames.

In the letter (reproduced here in full), he continues: “I have personally seen the consequences of non-glass-bonded, welded Residence 9 sashes in a dark foiled finish and it’s not a good outcome.

“The net result is call backs, replacements, unnecessary costs and customer disappointment – a terrible outcome considering all installers rely on recommendations.”

The main issue, he says, is that R9 is meant to be factory glass bonded, a process which gives the frame its strength, while the same result cannot be guaranteed with any attempt to glass bond on site.

He concludes: “The promise of one of the industry’s hottest products at a cheaper price is of course incredibly attractive. However, it’s a false economy - an inferior R9 window creates more problems than it solves and you can’t be sure your supplier will support you when things do go wrong.”

Residence Collection sales and marketing director Sarah Hitchings added: “We recommend fabricators follow the Residence technical manual and glass bond all units whether welded or mechanically jointed. Glass bonding is an integral part of the design. We are in the process of further evaluating the impact of some of the latest welding methods as well as weather and security performance.”

www.dekkowindows.com