60 | NOVEMBER 2017
Business
Read online at www.proinstaller.co.uk
ASK NATALI
Meet NatALI – a long-running
member of the multi-
talented TWR team.
The uniqueness, independence and strength
of business are three pillars of success for the
Scottish economy, according to the organisers
of the SME National Business Awards 2017.
She is an aluminium
expert and has become a
renowned industry source
for answering any alumini-
um-related questions. Each
month, she will answer a
question from an installer
about one of the industry’s
favourite materials.
The awards, an accolade of achieve-
ment in business, are coming up to the final
at Wembley Stadium in December.
“There is no doubt that SMEs in Scotland
have a spirit of uniqueness, independence
and strength and it is vitally important that
they are recognised at these prestigious
awards,” said Awards Director Damian
Cummins.
Dear NatAli,
How fast is the
market for domestic
aluminium growing?
It’s true that the initial
cost of aluminium windows
and doors will set you back
a little more than the PVCu
alternatives - but at TWR we
are seeing strong demand
for aluminium windows and
doors from consumers.
Aluminium is no longer
just for commercial projects.
Figures from Palmer Market
Research highlight the huge
increase in the number of
people turning to alumini-
um for their home improve-
ment projects. The group
forecasts sustained growth
for aluminium, which is
expected to top 220,000
frames by the end of 2020:
“While PVCu remains
by some way, the domi-
nant frame material, there
has been a significant
resurgence in aluminium
– something we expect to
continue through to 2020
and beyond.
“This includes notable are-
as of growth in the alumin-
ium bi-fold door sector. We
predict that this will contin-
ue through to 2020, achiev-
ing total growth of around
50% to 35,00 door sets.”
Increasing
popularity
The increasing popularity
of aluminium is well justi-
fied. Firstly, aluminium is an
incredibly strong element,
TIME FOR SCOTTISH
SMES TO SHINE
especially when compared
to PVCu.
This inherent strength
allows the creation of
curtain walls in commercial
projects where a thin frame
of aluminium can support a
large pane of glass. Equally,
however, aluminium can be
a huge asset to windows
and doors in smaller-scale
domestic projects. If chosen,
aluminium bi-fold doors
offer slimmer sight lines and
a much better aspect, while
aluminium-framed win-
dows offer extra protection
against break-ins due to the
material’s strength.
Less maintenance
Unlike PVCu, aluminium
is also an extremely stable
framing material. The ex-
pansions and contractions
seen in PVCu frames are
much greater than in their
aluminium alternatives and
this means that aluminium
not only makes for a very
sturdy frame – resistant to
break-ins – but also that
windows or doors made
with it are unlikely to
become stiff or difficult to
open over time.
Aluminium windows also
require much less mainte-
nance than PVCu or