Defining a market

Heritage windows have long been considered a niche offering, a less-popular high-end option that window companies run alongside a standard – often high volume – offering.

The need for high-end profile, heritage hardware, increased labour in production, and specialist sales knowledge has traditionally meant only a few fabricators catered for this market. But this is changing, according to Deceuninck’s MD Rob McGlennon.

“To even describe the Heritage window market as ‘niche’ suggests that it is out of reach for many widow fabricators and installers,” Rob said. “But in truth, the hard work undertaken by our fabricator customers has helped redefine the expectations of homeowners when they come to replace their windows.”

Rob points to the increased investment in specialist machinery that can provide a near-invisible weld on both the sash and outerframe, elevating to the appearance of the window beyond a typical PVC-U finish.

“Creating a true heritage flush window means removing legacy PVC-U characteristics,” Rob said, “and using machinery like the Graf Synergy has put more fabricators and their customers into this higher bracket of work.

“Plus, we have customers choosing to go for a completely mechanical finish, where machinery is only used to cut and prep the profile before the windows are manufactured by hand, creating an authentic heritage look – especially with a flush sash. In fact, sales of our flush products now account for more than 40% of all products sold.”

Flush windows by Deceuninck

We lauched our Heritage Flush Sash window in 2016. It combines subtle balanced aesthetics, replicating traditional timber windows with advanced thermal performance achieving WER of as high as A++?and U-values as low as 0.90W/m2K. Airtightness is Class 4, Water tightness Class E900, and Wind Resistance AE2400.?

PAS24 tested and Part Q approved, the Flush Sash can be fully welded or mechanically jointed and comes with a night vent facility, a Georgian bar option and a choice of traditional ironmongery.?

Deceuninck added a dedicated open-out flush door sash alongside its flush window offer at the end of 2019. Fully suited with the system leader’s Heritage 2800 system, it achieves U-values as low as 1.0W/m2K and DER A rating.?

It’s also PAS24 approved and can be welded or mechanically jointed, achieving?Class 4 600 Pa Air Permeability, Class E1050 Pa Water Tightness (full frame) and Class A3 1200 Pa Wind Resistance.

Featuring a dedicated reinforcement, there’s also no requirement to glass bond units, simplifying handling in manufacture.?

Colour leads the way

But Rob says it’s Deceuninck’s colour offer that is winning sales in many quarters, with new customers putting a secure supply of coloured profile at the top of their ‘must have’ list when choosing suppliers.

With 30+ colourways in stock and 20 additional colours in just 15 working days, on average Deceuninck fabricators sell twice as much colour as their competitors.

“One customer has recently dedicated part of their operation to hand-built mechanically jointed windows, and has reported that up to 90% of products sold require a coloured foil,” Rob says.?

“Homeowners are already sold on heritage windows, even if their properties are reasonably modern. Installers who aren’t geared up to be selling windows with heritage features could be missing out on significant opportunities, especially as the high-volume work has dipped since the start of the year.

“But it is colour that is driving the conversation. We already know from our own research that homeowners prefer coloured windows when presented with a choice, but feedback from our own fabricator customers suggests that it is the option of colour that is defining the heritage market.”

For more information about Deceuninck’s product and service offer please call 01249 816 969, email?[email protected]?or visit?www.deceuninck.co.uk