Clearview National March 2015 - Issue 160 | Page 60

ALUMINIUM

Aluminium opens up doors for glazing trade
The popularity of bi-fold doors is predicted to reach its highest level in 2015 with
Palmer research forecasting over 47,000 bi-fold installations this year, making bi-fold
doors one of the most sought after home improvement products of the last decade.
»»Aluminum now has an
increasing share of this lucrative
market as the superior choice
in terms of strength, energy
efficiency, durability and style,
compared to PVCu and wood.
Origin, one of the largest
British manufacturers of
aluminium bi-fold doors and
windows, has experienced
exponential growth in line with
this trend thanks to the zero lead
time service offered to its trade
partners. The ‘Your Lead Time,
Not Ours’ promise eliminates lead
times completely, so customers
can have their doors delivered
when they want them.
Neil Ginger, CEO of Origin,
discusses the many reasons for
aluminium’s increasing popularity
in the door and window
industry.

Strength and weight
Aluminium is unique in its
properties. It is extremely strong
and weighs 67% less than the
weight of steel. The strength
of aluminium allows bi-fold
doors to be manufactured with
incomparably narrow frames
to let in maximum amounts of
light.
Aluminium is versatile and
strong enough to easily make
complex layouts, such as moving
corner posts and bay setups,
without being too heavy. The
strength also makes aluminium
bi-folds very secure, especially
when combined with multipoint locking systems and high
security cylinders.
Maintenance
Aluminium bi-fold doors
are virtually maintenance free.
Expanding and contracting is
minimal so the alignment of
the doors will be maintained
over the lifetime of the product,
with no warping or need for
adjustments. The smooth finish
of the material contributes to
the low maintenance of the
doors, as they don’t attract
contaminants. In addition to
this, they can be supplied with
a marine grade finish which
means the frames won’t rust,
discolour or get damaged by
exposure to the sun or wet

60 » M AR 2015 » CL EARVI E W- UK . C O M

weather, which makes it ideally
suited to all installations, even
those in hard weather areas such
as coastal properties.
As a British manufacturer,
Origin maintains direct control
over the product quality to
ensure it has the best product
on the market. While we design
systems for UK markets, some
competitors often fabricate
a foreign door system by
buying in components and
assembling them. The final
product can be less secure
with fewer quality checking
processes. The superiority of
the Origin product is proven
by our industry leading 20-year
manufacturer’s guarantee, giving
customers peace of mind that
the product will perform year
after year.
Energy efficiency
Bi-fold doors, if well made
and especially aluminium,
should last for years, enabling
the customer to save energy for
longer. The current U Value
regulations are 1.8W/(m2K)
when you are replacing existing
doors and 2.0 W/(m2K) for
new builds or extensions.
Aluminium bi-folds with triple
glazed units can achieve U
Values of 1.3 W/(m2K). Double
glazing can achieve 1.67 W/
(m2K) using 24mm units.

The main contributor to the
low U-Values of aluminium
folding sliding doors is the
thermal break which resists
thermal transfer from the outside
face of the doors through to the
living area inside. As aluminium
is a natural conductor, rather
than insulator, it is important to
have a polyamide thermal break
which separates the aluminium
frame into interior and exterior
pieces, joining them together
with a less conductive material.
This break acts as a thermal
barrier, reducing the flow of
thermal energy through the
aluminium.
It’s clear to see why aluminium
is a popular material for bi-fold
doors; the ability to seamlessly
link strength, precision
functionality, innovative design
and beautiful finishes.
For more information visit
www.origin-global.com or call
0845 450 6662