Windows

Organisers of FIT Show, the UK’s leading trade show for the glass, glazing, hardware and components industry, have announced record levels of industry support for its delayed 2021 event.

FIT Show will return to the NEC Birmingham from 10 - 12 May, 2022 and is set to bring together every link in the supply chain - from manufacturers and suppliers of the latest windows, doors, glass, hardware and components, right through to the specifiers and fitters of these products.  

Visitor registration for the event is currently tracking at 50% above the same point in the campaign for FIT Show 2019 show, highlighting the appetite to get back to live events. When FIT Show opens in May, it will be the first live European trade show for the fenestration industry in more than three years.

Specialist commercial installer The Window Company (Contracts) has achieved PAS2030 accreditation, which is a requirement for installing windows and doors funded by any of the government’s energy efficiency schemes targeting retrofit projects. With only around 5% of UK window and door installers estimated to hold PAS2030, the company has joined a fairly exclusive club.

While the Green Homes Grant has been withdrawn from the domestic market in readiness for alternative plans aimed at greening the UK’s existing housing stock, landlords and housing providers in the commercial sector can still access funding through various government schemes, including the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF).

Outward opening window hardware has always been a staple range for leading hardware distributor Carl F Groupco, who offer fittings to suit most window styles. Supporting this, a new guide for outward opening window hardware has been produced which highlights product options from established manufacturer partner, Roto.
Recently published, the new document provides a clear and simple summary of Roto hardware suitable for different outward opening window styles, including FRH Reversible, Projecting, NT Tilt and Turn hardware and the TSL and SSL espagnolettes. The guide is aimed to assist fabricators and specifiers, making hardware selection easy and hassle free.

With pressure on the construction industry to utilise more sustainable building methods and product choices, specifying a PVC-U solution is increasingly being
seen as a way to further drive the green agenda.

Eurocell is supporting sustainability options for housebuilding and commercial projects through its market-leading PVC-U recycling and manufacturing processes that are substantially reducing the amount of plastic waste heading for landfill and helping to tackle the problem of carbon reduction. The company offers an extensive range of high performing PVC-U window and door solutions that not only look good,
but also help organisations satisfy their sustainability ambitions.

Changes to Part L have significant ramifications for new build – but also replacement programmes. We report...

The Government is expected to unveil its interim update to Part L next month [Oct]. Stopping short of the far more comprehensive changes to follow in 2025 ,with the introduction of the Future Homes Standard, they nonetheless have significant ramifications for new build and refurbishment programmes – including windows and doors.

John Duckworth, Head of Sales, Commercial, Deceuninck, explains: “The Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is expected to publish its revision of Part L in this October, coming into effect in England and Wales from July next year.

“While it doesn’t go anywhere near as far as the Future Homes Standard, its ramifications are significant for new build and refurbishment projects, pushing up minimum standards at a time when COVID-related supply chain disruption is already pushing up costs and disrupting delivery.

“Planning now to take out the guess work is critical.”

Leading PVCu and aluminium window and door supplier to the social housing sector, Nova Group, has invested in new technology and supply chain partnerships to offer customers even greater product quality and performance.
The Altrincham based company, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, provides a wide range of PVCu and aluminium solutions to social housing providers, the commercial sector and retail customers, including conservatories and secondary window systems. As a provider of both frames and sealed units, Nova Group has full control over supply which means it can apply strict quality control and put continuous improvement at the heart of its strategy.

Orbit Housing’s Fordham House in Stratford-upon-Avon aims to raise the bar for rented accommodation. Although initially a social housing provider, Orbit now refers to itself as a “developing housing association”, and Fordham House was designed for private rental by key workers in the town.