Flushed out

Many say it’s the next big thing in vintage-styled windows but will the flush sash gain favour with the planners when it comes to conservation areas and other sensitive locations? There is more to that question than meets the eye, according to a thought-provoking letter from Residence’s Martin Dickie.
Read Letter

Still on letters, John Leary of Emplas puts the spotlight on one corner of the retrofit sector that is about to become very fruitful in the next few months, as private landlords are due to face tighter laws on energy efficiency. Read Letter

Another hot-spot for retrofitters is of course the house-mover so there is welcome news that estate agents are seeing many more homes going on the market. Read Story

There’s good news too for anyone in composite doors as the latest Palmer report shows they now account for half of all entrance doors sold. Read Story

And, speaking of statistics, we also hear that the FIT Show already has twice as many visitors registered as last year so the move to the bigger venue of the NEC is paying dividends all round.

We hope you all find something heart-warming in this Valentine’s Day issue.

Chris Church Editor

Please send all your news stories to news@the-glazine.com

This Week's News

Comp doors reach 50% with more growth to come – Palmer

Composite doors now account for half the entrance door market with a further 22% growth in sales expected through to 2020, according to the latest report from Palmer Market Research,The Market for Domestic Entrance Doors.

PVC-U panel doors took 25% in both installed value and volume, while wood (including engineered timber) took 20% by volume and 15% by installed value. Steel fell to just 46,000 doors. The 50% held by composite doors translates to 54% installed value.

Overall, the market for entrance doors grew by 2.2% to 1.40million doors in 2015. Installed value was also up 7.6% at £692 million.

Although the report suggests only a minimal impact of Brexit on the home improvement and social sectors, the report’s authors warn the impact may be felt acutely in new build.

Read More Here...

House market waking up

The UK property market has shaken out of its winter slumber with almost double the number coming on the market in January, in sharp contrast to the exceptional December dip.

New listings with estate agents increased in every town and city, according to the Property Supply Index from online estate agents HouseSimple.com. giving an overall 93.3% increase, while more than a quarter of them putting on over 100% and many adding much more.

Alex Gosling, CEO of HouseSimple.com said: “We expected to see property supply rise in January, and it will be a relief that numbers have jumped because there were concerns that sellers, jaded by Brexit talk, might be slow to market in January. Although the numbers of new properties listed wasn’t through the roof, they were higher than November and only a little lower than October, so supply returned to pre- Christmas levels.

Read More Here...

Glazing grows but solar soars for TrustMark

A 6% increase in searches for window installers and glaziers has contributed to TrustMark recording a ‘bumper’ year of more than 8.3 million searched for tradespeople via its website and helpline in 2016.

However, the increase was massively outstripped by a 130% upturn in searches for solar panels and even more so heat pumps, which more than trebled ( up 217%) while in glazing generally, Velux installers also were among the most sought after out of the 49 licensed trades offered by TrustMark, alongside home entertainment installers and flood resilience experts.

Simon Ayers, Chief Executive of TrustMark, said: “With technology in our homes becoming much more sophisticated, coupled with rising expectations of home comforts such as air conditioning, home entertainment systems and adaptations for accessibility, we predict an increasing need for specialist businesses and tradespeople to help us maintain our homes.

Read More Here...

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From: Martin Dickie,
Managing Director, Residence Collection

Is this the year of the flush sash? Most systems companies have launched one, or added one or two profiles to create a flush sash look. In the main, they’re the same window with a new face rather than a new flush system, so there are compromises.

Some systems companies imply planners will permit their windows in conservation areas. But many installers will be disappointed when their windows are rejected at the planning stage.

For decades, PVC casements were excluded from conservation areas because the windows didn’t match the look, dimensions or detailing of the windows they were intended to replace. Those that sneaked in usually had to come out, which hit installers’ costs and reputations.

Read More

From: John Leary,
Sales and Marketing Director, Emplas

There’s now little more than a year to go before strict new laws governing the energy efficiency of rental properties come into force.

Under the legislation any residential property rented after 1st April next year will need to achieve a minimum ‘E’ Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating.

It means that residential landlords have between now and this time next year to bring the thermal efficiency of their properties up to scratch or be banned from agreeing new rentals.

Read More

From: Ben Brocklesby,
Director, Origin

“There’s no doubt that the whitepaper (Fixing Our Broken Housing Market) marks a step in the right direction for the future of the UK’s housing industry. It is hugely positive to see the government lending support to local authorities and developers to resolve Britain’s housing crisis.

Many of the issues and challenges identified were discussed at length by leading industry experts during Origin’s Homes of the Future roundtable, which brought together housebuilders, architects, developers and economists to discuss the changes that needed to be made to support growth.

While the whitepaper promises to support housebuilders, and resolve the issue of skills shortages in the construction industry, supporting British manufacturers is not mentioned within the government’s plan.

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