Over half (52%) of UK local authorities responding to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request reported delays to planned fire door maintenance and replacement in the first half of 2020. The number rises to 60% when inspection delays are also factored in.

For building occupants and the fire services, fire doors play a life-saving role in holding back the spread of fire and smoke to help keep corridors and emergency exits clear.

The Residence Collection have created a virtual 360-degree environment for their showroom, so that installation and manufacturing partners and even consumers can navigate and explore the product range, which includes R2, R7 and R9 luxury windows and doors.

Developed in conjunction with Adverto Media, this new development has been created with cutting edge software and a 3D camera, so not only can you navigate through all the product displays, but at each point on the tour there is further information, links to videos and even Pinterest pins for each system.

ODL Europe has announced it will be exhibiting at the FIT Show 2021, which will be held 25-27 May 2021 at the NEC Birmingham. Nathan Barr, Managing Director of ODL Europe, said: “I’m delighted to be announcing we’ll have a presence at FIT 2021. The strapline for the show is ‘Get ready to reconnect with the industry’, and that’s exactly what it feels like after the unprecedented events of 2020.”

FIT Show 2021 is the UK’s only dedicated event for the window, door, glass and components market. It attracts systems houses, fabricators, installers, architects and specifiers and offers exceptional networking opportunities too.

Award-winning sash window manufacturer Victorian Sliders has celebrated 15 years in the business.

It was back in September 2005 that Scot Starkey first founded what would become Europe’s biggest sash window manufacturer, among the biggest names in British fenestration.

Today, its ECOSlide sash window is sold to over three thousand installers nationwide.

Decades of sustainable innovation across the entire value chain have been recognised of REHAU as the company joins “50 Sustainability & Climate Leaders”, an initiative by media production agency TBD Media Group in conjunction with the United Nations.

With finite natural resources available on earth, it is imperative that companies use them responsibly and sustainably. The aim of the “50 Sustainability & Climate Leaders” campaign is to draw attention to this issue and provide companies with a platform on which to showcase their commitment before an international audience.

Fastframe, one of Deceuninck’s leading commercial fabricators, has invested over £150,000 in a state-of-the-art Decoroc paint line for Deceuninck commercial windows and doors. The Decoroc line is the first of its kind outside Deceuninck’s head quarters in Belgium and, since opening the line, Fastframe has won a number of major commercial contracts.

Decoroc is Deceuninck’s patented colour coating system. It gives a high performance, long lasting finish which matches aluminium powder coating for looks and performance.

Gloucester based aluminium fabricator CDW Systems has added Designer Doors to its range, helping installers tap into the increased demand for premium quality aluminium entrance doors.

Developed by Smart Systems, Designer Doors combines the strength and style of aluminium with the versatile options for customisation offered by composite doors.

The latest company to join Certass Trade Association (TA) is Glazerite UK Group. The leading uPVC fabricator has signed up for Supply Chain membership to take advantage of the information and advice that is being shared with manufacturers and component suppliers by Chair Jon Vanstone and the Certass TA team.

Jeff Dunn, Group Sales and Marketing Director at Glazerite, says: “We’ve already had good value from our membership, with the advice and information that Certass TA shared with us during COVID-19.

VEKA Recycling Ltd is entering the third phase of the development plan for its new Wellingborough UK Headquarters, during which sophisticated refinement processes will be introduced towards the goal of making the UK operation completely self-sufficient. This latest chapter in the construction and installation process was completed during August and is part of an additional investment of more than £2 million, which will be fully completed later in 2020.

In a series of integrated processes that reduce post-consumer and virgin offcut PVC-U frames and profiles into high quality polymer compounds and other reusable materials,

Architectural ironmongers are being encouraged to demonstrate their competence for specifying door hardware by gaining a diploma in architectural ironmongery in preparation for industry changes.

The Guild of Architectural Ironmongers’ (GAI) education programme is offering a Certificate in Architectural Hardware as a self-led, online course and examination in two stages. It is particularly useful for those working in related warehouse and trade counter roles, scheduling and estimating, customer service, technical support, sales and administration.

Quickslide is introducing seamless corner joints to its casement window range from Autumn 2020, as well as announcing External Timber Look (ETL) joints as a new option on its flush sash range of windows.

Available on both classic casements and flush casements, seamless joints are created using a revolutionary Graf seamless welder, a state-of-the-art piece of machinery which eliminates the welding seam seen on standard 45° mitre-jointed PVCu windows.

Aluminium systems company exlabesa has released its new catalogue for 2020.

Available to download from the company’s website, the catalogue is a comprehensive guide to the ever-growing exlabesa range.

In it, fabricators can read about the company’s selection of casements, tilt and turn windows, lift-and-slide doors, residential doors, patio doors, bifolds, shop fronts, curtain walling and more – all of which are extruded here in Britain.

Following calls from architectural experts to save on carbon emissions by upgrading older buildings instead of knocking them down, building designers and specifiers should consider retrofitting solutions to improve overall sustainability.

The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) estimates that a sizeable proportion of a building’s lifecycle carbon is emitted during construction – 35% and 51% for office and residential properties respectively.

The Avocet Hardware Group has announced a new partnership with Endurance Doors as the award-winning ABS cylinder will now be fitted as standard to all Endurance composite doors.

Avocet marketing director, Daniel Shaw remarked, “Endurance Doors have an unrivalled name in the composite door market and to combine our ABS 3* security cylinder with such a high-quality product, is an opportunity we’re very excited by.”

An emerging trend for pink doors has gathered huge traction during lockdown thanks to social media, and platforms such as Instagram and Pinterest are providing the perfect place for door styles and trends to gain popularity.

That’s the view of Lauren Barnes, head social media co-ordinator at composite door manufacturer and PVCu panel supplier Vista.

CA Birmingham window and door manufacturer has been making sure its disabled employees have been as protected as they possibly can during their return to work after the Covid-19 lockdown.

Shelforce employ some of the city’s most vulnerable people, with 75% of its workforce disabled, and the Covid-19 pandemic has been particularly hard on those who rely on their daily work at its factory in Erdington.

One-stop shop fabricators Central RPL are welcoming an experienced new managing director, who wants to drive greater efficiency and growth in the months ahead.

David Hartland spent 23 years at the £800m induction melting group Inductotherm, first running the company’s European division, then later assuming responsibility for its operations in China.