Aluminium Making A Colourful Comeback

For many years PVCu has been top of the pile when it comes to materials choice for replacement windows and doors. But thanks to the recession and the inherent need for businesses to diversify and find niche areas of the market to squeeze extra money out of. 

Over the last couple of years, aluminium seems to have made a significant and sustained comeback. Success for aluminium has been found in high-end bi-folding doors and coloured frames. I'm sure that those of you down south will also report that aluminium is still a popular material choice down there. Aluminium has improved in appearance over the years and I think it is probably time for it to make more of an impact in the industry. If it is targeted at the right customers of course.

I think it is time for those companies who only sell PVCu to have a look at aluminium, especially the bi-folding doors, and add it to their product portfolio's. Aluminium bi-folds aren't going to be a regular seller unlike your standard white PVCu windows. But they are going to be those once-in-a-while high value contracts which earn you a lot of profit. As are the odd contracts where you sell coloured aluminium frames in a specialist building. You wont do it often, but when you do, this is your chance to earn a rare fat profit margin.

I am of course speaking from a PVCu installers point of view. Aluminium will probably never replace PVCu as their material of choice. I am simply saying that having the ability to sell aluminium for higher end projects, they're probably going to open a few more high value doors.

Those who sell aluminium purely will probably back me up when I say they have seen an increase in interest in the product. 

Now is the time to take a serious look at aluminium again. I'm not saying it's going to over take PVCu, especially when it still holds 85% of the residential market. But high end alumnium products could win you those extra high-value contracts every company will be desperate to get.