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Chris Coxon, Head of Marketing, Eurocell looks at two hot style choices in housing.
The most significant trend in windows and window styles at the moment is for premium PVC-U flush sash windows. The life-cycle, energy efficiency and low maintenance arguments have been established for decades, yet extrusion technological developments in the past few years mean that discerning mid- to up-market homebuyers can source engineered quality and high aesthetic differentiation in their windows.
For example, over 50% of Eurocell premium window system sales into new build housing are now for flush sash casement windows. And within this, there are two developments of note. First is colour choice – with leading proprietary systems offered in popular contemporary ‘Fired Earth’-style or heritage finishes such as creams, greys and pale greens, either from stock or made-to-order.
The second innovation is the availability of mechanically jointed flush sash casement windows. Additional precision-engineered mouldings inside the frame remove the need for diagonal corner welds – a distinctive characteristic of standard PVC-U windows.
These new joint details add considerable authenticity to the appearance of the window and enables installers and fabricators to provide a product with the look of timber, while retaining all the optimum energy efficiency and virtually maintenance-free performance benefits of PVC-U. These work well on more traditional house designs, and are also a boon in conservation areas too.
Away from windows, it’s bi-fold doors that have really been capturing the imagination of homeowners. Consistent with the open plan kitchen-diner-lounge layouts that are such a feature of contemporary designs, modern BBA-approved bi-folds are a great alternative to patio doors,
Our PVC-U bi-folds are designed from the bottom up using purpose-made systems, so ensuring that the doors work perfectly for years and years. Our dual track carriage – with rollers at the bottom and security pins in the top track – offers better stability for smooth operation, guaranteeing trouble-free performance for the lifetime of the doors.
In respect of configuration – the size of the doors, and how many panels comprise the opening – a huge range of bespoke options are available. Furthermore, depending on source, they can now also bring additional peace of mind – especially in the Part Q Building Regulations context – as they may also come with Secured by Design status (subject to fabricator accreditation).