Clearview Midlands October 2013 - Issue 143 | Page 36

DOORSEXTRA

£¾ MILLION INVESTMENT IN
DECORATIVE GLASS STOCK
“Continuity of supply is everything,” says Distinction Doors’ Director, Dave
Gomersall, and you would presume he is referring to the £3.5 million worth of
insulated GRP door blanks and glazing cassettes it holds at its 80,000 sq ft Tankersley
based warehouse. But Gomersall is referring to the vast holding of decorative
glass that Distinction stocks for distribution to its ever-growing customer base.
“Showing our 12 ranges of decorative glass
at FIT 2013 was key”, he says, “and we
devoted a lot of effort to researching the
range we designed and now offer to our
customers.”
Distinction has taken a lot of trouble
over its decorative glass offering for the
composite door, providing designs that cover
both the traditional as well as modern and
contemporary styles, and all coloured to
complement the colours within the composite
door range. In addition to this, all glass
designs and door styles offered by Distinction,
have safety glass, tested and certified to
EN12150 or EN14449 or can be supplied
with Low E or laminated outer panes. All
units are manufactured to EN1279 standard
and when glazed in the Distinction door,
comply with building regulations so that door
sets are within the 1.8 w/mtr2/k for England
and Wales and 1.6 w/mtr2/k in Scotland.
“We wanted to provide ranges that cover
the majority of customer requirements and
give our fabricator customers a ‘one stop shop’
to get door blanks, glazing cassettes and all
their decorative glass, backed up with a coffee
table styled brochure that was available to
our customers to distribute in quantity. The
12 ranges have proved to be correct. Not too
many, such that the end user can’t make their

36

OCT 2013

mind up, but enough to give a real choice.”
Dave Gomersall continued: “It’s one thing
to offer the range, and another to ensure
that there is continuity of supply, which we
recognise is so important to our customers.
That’s why we have invested over £3/4m into
this new venture, and now hold in excess of
25,000 decorative triple glazed units. Our
supply chain is varied such that traditional
hand-made zinc and brass camed glass comes
from China, whereas the satin glass designs,
screen printed, and ‘resin lead’ designs are UK
sourced. For the real traditionalist, we also
offer a popular resin bevel option”.
So why triple glazed units? While some may
argue that triple glazing provides enhanced
insulation both to sound and heat, Distinction
also believes that triple glazing is about
providing protection for the decorative glass
centre pane and preventing the build-up of
dust on the glass pieces and bevels. In short,
just a wipe over the protective outer panes
keeps the unit looking as good as new!
However Distinction, apart from holding the
vast range of triple glazed units, also maintains
a large stock of the decorative centre panes.
Distinction was determined to ensure that it
could satisfy demand and, by having centre
panes in stock, can make up units to satisfy

customer requirements and changing trends.
It also enables customers to specify laminated
glass to meet the requirements of Secured By
Design, and Low E for those who want to
demonstrate even more advanced performance
from their door set.
Decorative glass and the techniques
employed has come a long way from its
roots in Italy in the 8th century and there
is documentary evidence of stained glass as
decoration as early as the 10th century. Now
highly decorative glass is both affordable and
energy efficient, available off the shelf, and
backed by a brochure that really sells the
products.
The final word to Dave Gomersall: “If
we were to provide decorative glass to
complement our popular insulated composite
door blank, we had to ensure that its
availability matched our service for both
blanks and cassettes. This is why we have
invested so heavily in stock and why our
customers can have confidence in selling our
products.”
For more information about Distinction
Doors call Dave Gomersall, Director, on
0845 2000 816, email davidgomersall@
distinctiondoors.co.uk

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