Ian Kemp, sales director at Eurocell plc – leading manufacturer, distributor and recycler of PVC-U window, door, conservatory and roofline systems – explores how fabricators can ensure they have the solutions they need during the current home improvement boom
While winter is typically a slower time for home improvements, with the cold weather and festive slowdown causing people to put projects on hold, this year is likely to be different. This is because there are many unique reasons for homeowners to keep pushing through housing upgrades, such as the stamp duty holiday, Green Homes Grant scheme, more time spent indoors and a growing awareness around the sustainability and cost-saving benefits of efficient homes.
Indeed, the Construction Products Association anticipates that the continuing boom of the home improvement sector will last well into next year. The British Home Enhancement Trade Association also sees this trend continuing, highlighting research which states that 18% of consumers will start home improvement projects sooner rather than later. Our customers supplying the home renovation and improvement market can back up these stats, as they’ve been handling significantly more orders compared to last winter and are seeing strong demand for their products extending through early 2021.
This trend means fabricators are going to be under pressure to source the solutions demanded by homeowners eager to upgrade their properties. At Eurocell, our extensive product range ensures that we not only supply the products the market wants, but that we’re also providing the practical benefits and added value advantages fabricators need.
Locally made, locally recycled
Top of the agenda for many people is the issue of sustainability, and as we move towards a zero-carbon society this is only going to become more important. To play our part, approximately one third of the 60,000 tonnes of product we make is recycled. We achieve this by creating the engineered central core, which typically makes up 50% of a product, from recycled material while any products not exposed to direct sunlight are 100% recycled. In fact, we’re so committed to sustainability that we’ve invested over £10m in developing our PVC-U recycling plant.
Not only do we do all our recycling in the UK, but all our manufactured products are produced in a number of production sites in the UK, with the main extrusion being in our purpose-built facilities in Derbyshire. This ability to both manufacture and recycle all Eurocell products within the country means that they have the smallest carbon footprint possible. The home-grown self-sufficiency we’ve built up also means that we don’t depend on long supply chains and can ensure a continuity of supply to our customers.
From a homeowner perspective, improving energy efficiency is going to be central to reducing emissions and lowering energy bills. We’re able to provide windows and doors, such as the PVC-U Logik profile system, which have a u-value as low as 0.8, making them highly effective at reducing heat loss and minimising energy use.
Amazing aesthetics
Windows, doors and conservatories have a significant impact on a home’s appearance, so we’ve developed our systems in a wide variety of colours and styles to ensure that we’re always ahead of the curve when it comes to the latest design trends. A great example of this is our anthracite grey colour option, which has become a popular choice thanks to its high-end visual impact. We’ve even created frames that extend this colour throughout the whole profile, rather than just on the surface foil, so there’s no sign of a white PVC-U core. This creates a premium all-grey appearance without incurring the cost of an expensive aluminium frame.
If grey isn’t the right shade, we’re able to provide frames in an almost unlimited array of colours and styles. This includes the PVC-U Modus system, which is available in colours to fit any design scheme and which can even be supplied with metallic and woodgrain finishes.
Creating bright and open homes
As the nights draw in many people will want to make the most of what light there is. The ultra slim frames of our Aspect range of PVC-U bi-fold doors ensures that as much light can enter as possible. For an aluminium option, we also manufacture the StudioGlide range of bi-fold doors which are available in both double and triple glazing options and with a number of colour and threshold choices.
Perhaps the space where maximising light is the most important is the conservatory. Available in a wide variety of visual options, from classic Edwardian and Victorian styles to bespoke designs, our conservatory collection has the solution for any project. For even more versatility, homes with flat roofs can use our Skypod roof lantern range, while homeowners with conservatories that want to make them more thermally comfortable spaces can utilise our Equinox tiled conservatory roof system.
Closer collaborations
To make it even easier for fabricators to offer the full range of Eurocell products, we’ve launched the Fabricator Network Portal. This online platform allows fabricators to easily identify and trade with other fabricators in their area that have products they may not. This means that fabricators don’t have to worry about restricting their offering to a reduced selection of Eurocell solutions, as they’ll be able to access the whole range, enabling them to easily provide their customers with a wider variety of products.
The winter season is likely to be a busy time for fabricators and the whole home improvement industry. By making it easier to collaborate and source the right products at the right time, it will help everyone to work faster and smarter so that we can we start the new year on a strong and successful footing. As we’re always innovating and coming up with new ideas, products and services at Eurocell, you can rest assured that we’ll be there to make sure you can keep this growth going all throughout 2021.
