Clearview National October 2014 - Issue 155 | Page 70

GLASS&SEALEDUNITS Triple-Glazing Products – more than just efficient Hampshire installer and home improvement specialist KJM Group reports that triple-glazing now accounts for 20 per cent of its standard PVC-U product sales. Getting tougher, warmer with new low-E glass »»Europe’s leading low-E glass has been made even better with the launch of the next evolution of the acclaimed PLANITHERM TOTAL+ from Saint-Gobain Glass. The new PLANITHERM TOTAL+ has an increased g-value, making higher WERs more achievable, and a more robust coating to maximise manufacturers’ yield and reduce associated losses. The g-value is stepped up from 0.71 to 0.73 with the use of SGG’s new lower-iron PLANICLEAR float substrate and further enhancements to the coating, giving higher solar gain to contribute to WER banding and improved aesthetics through greater transparency. For IGU manufacturers, its improved magnetron coating has greater mechanical strength and scratch-resistance, reducing the wastage from accidental damage. Saint-Gobain Glass Marketing Manager, Susan Lambeth said: “This new PLANITHERM TOTAL+ gives higher WER performance, including the ability to deliver the new A+ band more easily and greater efficiencies to our customer. “Saint-Gobain Glass has always been a leader in magnetron coating technology, as well as the development of all kinds of advanced glazing and this latest evolution will be a major factor in retaining this lead.” PLANICLEAR, which forms the substrate of the new PLANITHERM TOTAL+ was launched earlier this year as a lower-iron glass, giving higher light transmission and solar gain without the price-exclusivity of a specialist full low-iron product. PLANITHERM has been a residential market leader for over 12 years. The brand has been strongly supported by TV consumer advertising and in the trade by the Planitherm Installer Network scheme. For more information on Saint-Gobain visit www. saint-gobain-glass.co.uk. 70 » OCT 2014 » CL EARVI E W- UK . C O M »»Owner and Managing Director, Mark Pearce, said that KJM was seeing sustained and ‘growing interest’ in tripleglazed products from ‘wellinformed consumers’, calling for a cut in VAT on triple-glazed ranges. He said: “People are doing their research. Customers buying triple-glazing will have generally reviewed products online, they’ll have an understanding of U-values and a wider interest in energy efficiency and sustainable home improvements. “At the present it’s the ‘earlyadopters’ who are buying tripleglazed products but the demand is there and it’s growing. “What would really accelerate this growth would be if the government reduced VAT on this high thermal specification window to 5%, that way they would cost little more than our standard “A” rated double glazed units.” “Triple-glazing gives you some pretty strong messaging”, explained Pearce. “It offers 40 per cent better insulation over our ‘A’ rated double-glazed products. “If you emphasis the add-on benefits, for example the acoustic advantages of laminated glass, the argument in favor of triple-glazed products becomes very strong.” For more information visit www.kjmgroup.co.uk email [email protected] or call 01264 359355. www.clearview-uk.com