Drink to that

If anyone is looking for something to raise a glass to now that the pubs are to open again, there are a few glimmers of hope among the gloom in a couple of reports out at the moment.

First AMA says the next years are looking fairly promising for the industry as a whole, once we can shake off the lockdown-starved market of the last couple of months – albeit with the warning of ongoing overcapacity in PVC-U. Read more

Then there’s more good news for conservatories with the GGF adding more optimistic stats to last week’s Purplex report on growing interest from internet searches across the industry.
Read more

Much less cheering however is the news from the Fire Door Inspection Scheme about the number of products and installations that fell far short of expectations – including many that weren’t even fire doors. Read more

Whatever you may be drinking to, we hope there is something for you in this week’s issue.

Chris Church Editor

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

This Week's News

Overcapacity still a
threat despite market optimism – AMA

Overcapacity in PVC-U extrusion and fabrication is likely to remain a significant problem in the coming four years despite an optimistic outlook for the industry as a whole, according to the latest forecast from AMA Research.

However, in a revised forecast for the shorter term, the UK market is likely to see a 22% drop as a direct result of Covid-19 and the lockdown.

AMA says that although this would lead to a short-term challenge and some consolidation, prospects for the medium and longer term were positive, with the worst now behind it and moderate but sustained growth forecast through to 2024.

Read more

Three quarters of
fire doors failed inspection in 2019 – and many weren’t fire doors at all

More than three quarters of the fire doors (76%) inspected by the Fire Door Inspection Scheme in 2019 were condemned as not fit for purpose – and more than one in eight (16%) were not fire doors at all, according to new figures revealed by the scheme.

The figures, drawn from more than 100,000 inspections in over 2,700 UK buildings, also show that 30% of fire doors were condemned due to poor installation, including excessive gaps around the door and the use of non-compatible foam.

Louise Halton, Scheme Manager of FDIS, said “This paints a very worrying picture of the fire safety of the UK’s buildings, and one that we must all play a role in changing for the better to help protect lives.

Read more

More good news for conservatories

Things are looking decidedly rosy for conservatory sales after lockdown, according to figures from the GGF, which has seen searches on its MyGlazing.com consumer site  up by two thirds as well as online searches gaining over a quarter last month.

The announcement follows the research from member company Purplex which highlighted record upturns in web searches for many home improvement categories including conservatories.

Read more

Justin Hunter is new
MD of AluK

Former Reynaers MD Justin Hunter has been announced as the new managing director of ALUK in succession to Russell Yates who left last month.

The company says his immediate priority is to ensure the company continues its phased return to work, protecting the safety of staff, customers and partners at every stage.

Read more