As restrictions ease and the UK returns to live events, anticipation is building for the Glazing Summit – the conference that tackles the key issues facing the glass and glazing industry.

Andrew Scott, founder of the Glazing Summit comments: “Our industry is facing some of its toughest challenges ever, from supply-chain issues and labour shortages to spiralling costs and looming legislation. People are exhausted with it. Industry leaders need to come together and find solutions.”

The Glazing Summit takes place on 21st October 2021 at Edgbaston Stadium and Conference Centre, Birmingham. It brings together forward-thinking fabricators, installers and component suppliers to discuss the biggest issues and share ideas and solutions.

The Business Pilot Barometer offers a monthly analysis of the key trends defining window and door retail. It draws on real industry data collated by Business Pilot, the cloud-based business management tool developed by installers for installers.

To find out more see www.businesspilot.co.uk/barometer

Consumer demand still high but cooling of the housing market

By Neil Cooper-Smith, Senior Analyst, Business Pilot

Year-on-year house prices were 10.5% higher this July than the same time last year – they were, however, slightly down on the 17-year high seen in June, which suggests that the pairing-back of the Stamp Duty holiday, has let a little heat out of the market.

Engineering is a broad term and sticking your neck out you could say it’s a career that young people usually get involved in from an early fascination with vehicles. Bikes, cars, planes, trains and the plethora of parts and systems that make them work. Whether right or wrong about the primary drivers one thing is certain Brunel didn’t lie awake at night dreaming of windows and doors.

Despite this it is a very real fact that everything around us in the world has been designed and engineered somewhere along the line. All the products you see in the pages of this magazine are only in existence because someone out there thought of them, then had the opportunity to commit those thoughts to paper and finally someone else financed them to manufacture.

With the government’s 2050 net zero target, sustainability is a critical issue across our industry. Phil Parry, Business Development Director at Epwin Window Systems, has been discussing the sustainability credentials of the Stellar aluminium window and door system and how the multi award-winning system gives their customers a head-start. He comments: “If the UK is going to meet our net zero ambitions, everyone has to play their part. This was at the forefront of our thinking as we developed Stellar.”

As an aluminium system, Stellar immediately has plenty of sustainability advantages. Phil says: “Aluminium is infinitely recyclable without loss of quality and it’s estimated that nearly 75% of all aluminium ever produced is still in use today. (1)  Recycling and reusing aluminium saves up to 95% of the energy required for primary

With a new survey revealing that UK homeowners wish to make their homes eco-friendlier; window professionals should look to offer more energy-efficient frames to meet the trend, says an industry expert.

According to online marketplace Rated People’s Home Improvement Trends Report, 57% of UK residents wanted to be more environmentally friendly in 2021 and beyond. This includes adopting all manner of sustainable behaviours, from recycling more, eating less meat, to making homes more sustainable and energy-efficient.

The analysis (1) of more than 500,000 jobs set out to uncover home renovation trends for the future. Alongside these findings around sustainability, it also discovered that energy-saving home

Decorative glass component suppliers RegaLead have added a new design to their Etched Glass range, inspired by the Manchester Worker Bee. The repeat pattern design features the iconic bee symbol which has become a significant emblem associated with the city of Manchester, but its popularity has expanded across the country to become the hot new trend in home improvement and other sectors.

“We think the Manchester Worker Bee design will be a huge hit,” says Guy Hubble, Joint Managing Director of RegaLead.

“It’s a symbol which we are seeing everywhere at the moment, from fashion to interior design, which is why we wanted to add it into .

Swisspacer has seen sales of its Georgian bar spacer bar increase exponentially over the past year. Sales are up over 300% in Q1 2021 compared with the same period in 2020.

The surge in home improvements is driving demand across many product sectors, including high-performance heritage-style windows. Swisspacer’s Georgian bar claims to offer outstanding energy efficiency as well as enhancing the appearance of this popular style of window that replicates the look of traditional timber windows.

Perfect for premium-looking flush sashes and vertical sliders, Swisspacer’s full suite of Georgian bars consists of 13 different sizes, including the most recently introduced 12x18mm and 16x18mm models, aimed at the most popular sized windows in the UK and Irish markets.

Epwin Window Systems’ six-man team is undertaking final preparations before taking part in GM Fundraising’s GMF 100 cycling challenge on Sunday 8th August.  The charity event will raise vital funds for Hope House Children’s hospices, which provides palliative care for children with life-limiting conditions and support for their families.

Between them, the team members will cycle 100 miles, starting and finishing from Epwin Window Systems’ headquarters in Telford, Shropshire.

The Epwin Window Systems team will be lining up alongside 85 other riders from twelve industry companies who will all be taking on the team challenge from their respective head offices.

Specialist fabricator, Mercury Glazing Ltd has just launched its new website. The new improved site has been designed to showcase their comprehensive range of durable PVC-U and aluminium window and doors, suitable for both commercial and residential properties.

Visitors can view the scale and depth of Mercury’s product range by viewing the website’s comprehensive video content demonstrating the key benefits of their products. Steve Cross, co-founder and Director at Gloucester-based Mercury, said: “We’ve invested in developing a website that delivers what our customers need. It is both modern and comprehensive and our trade customers can easily obtain the information they require.

Aluminium fenestration solutions from Senior Architectural Systems have helped shape the new state of the art sports centre at the University of Stirling, with the eye-catching building featuring the manufacturer’s high-performance doors, windows and curtain walling.

Designed by Faulkner Browns architects and built by Morrison Construction, the new build facility has been constructed over three levels to complement the existing landscape and maximise the links with the established national swimming and tennis centres which are located on the same site.

A key feature of the new sports centre is the extensive use of glazing which sees Senior’s thermally-enhanced SF52 curtain wall integrated

Stowmarket Glass Company has completed a bespoke, frameless shower installation at a residential property in Diss, Norfolk, using Bilbao Premium HD shower fittings from glass consumables specialist, Bohle.

The installation incorporated 8mm toughened glass, which was cut and processed in house at Stowmarket, and finished using Bohle’s Duplocoll adhesive tape to perfectly seal the gap between glass and tiles.

Offering a near invisible sealing solution, Duplocoll is a specially formulated adhesive tape that offers significant time and cost savings compared to traditional silicone. Suitable for a range of materials, including glass, ceramic and aluminium, once applied, it chemically bonds to the surface to prevent water ingress and mould.