Clearview North December 2013 - Issue 145 | Page 44

CLEARVIEW EXCLUSIVE GLASS&SEALEDUNITS ‘TRIPLE-SHOT?’ Outside of passivhaus-type high end developments and energy-focussed new build, triple glazing has secured only limited traction. Clearview reports… Triple-glazing was to be the new ‘big thing’. Glass and spacer manufacturers extolled its benefits to the end user and its sales potential to fabricators and installers. But while not ‘out’, triple-glazing sales have remained ‘down’ - at the very least on the forecasts – delivering only a minimal dent on double-glazed sales. So does this make triple-glazing something of a white elephant? Well not if you use to deliver a much wider energy efficiency message, argues Mike Crewdson, Sales and Marketing Director, Emplas. As one of the UK’s leading fabricators Emplas, by definition, offers a triple-glazed option. This features a unit manufactured in Pilkington Optiwhite ‘E’ (outer pane), an argon or krypton gas filling and Pilkington K Glass ‘OW’ (toughened middle and inner pane), plus spacer bar with warm edge option to achieve a suitably impressive installed 0.8W/m².K. U-value. “We offer a triple-glazed unit and frame because we don’t ever want any of our customers to miss out on a job because 44 DEC 2013 we can’t supply them. But is triple glazing currently a main stay of our business? Absolutely not”, he says. “If you’re selling a triple-glazed frame you have to sell it at additional cost, there is extra glass, an extra spacer bar, the middle pane is toughened and not least extra weight in transport and in installation. “For the majority of homeowners, other than those with a specific interest in the environment, that additional outlay and also the trade off against loss of light and solar gain, doesn’t add up - Triple-glazing simply hasn’t had the impact in the retail sector.” Crewdson argues that in the new build and commercial sectors, where developers are under pressure to deliver Code for Sustainable Homes Level 4, 5 and 6 properties, the appeal of triple-glazing may be greater. “Even here”, he adds, “because the energy performance of the building is taken as a whole it’s probably more cost effective for developers to bump up the specification of wall and roof insulation, than it is to specify triple glazed windows and doors.” But while Crewdson’s assessment of tripleglazing is ‘grounded’ to say the least, this doesn’t mean that he fails to see potential in it. By contrast, he argues that it has significant value as a sales platform, particularly in the retail sector, ironically the market where to date, it has failed to make a meaningful impact. “Forget the product, it’s the message that it [triple-glazing] allows us to deliver as an industry, which is of biggest advantage”, says Crewdson, pointing to the second time replacement market. Crewdson continues: “The majority of windows we now replace as an industry are already double-glazed. So aside from aesthetics, how do you convey the benefits of a new generation of double-glazed windows to the homeowner? The answer is that you do it through triple-glazing.” He argues that despite the lengths the BFRC has gone to convey the benefits of new windows to homeowners through the Window Energy Ratings Scheme, the retail message can sometimes be lost. But throw an extra pane of glass into the equation and you have an immediate and very tangible point of differentiation. “The second time replacement market is challenging” says Crewdson. “I’m going to show my age but back in the day it was a comparatively simple proposition to argue that two panes of glass were better than one. But how do you convey that to Mrs Jones that new windows will make her home far warmer and more secure when she already has doubleglazing? “Of course we know that low iron argon filled units will perform much better and that multi-point locking mechanisms will make her property more secure but how do you explain it effectively? The answer is triple-glazing. “If she’s prepared to pay a premium for triple-glazed products then great but if not, once you’re talking it’s very easy to then explain that top double-glazed units will deliver comparable levels of performance at a more affordable price point.” And with homeowners still smarting from the latest round of energy company gas and electricity price hikes and with the chill of winter now firmly biting, this January may be a good time to push the energy efficiency and triple-glazing message. To read more, visit www.clearview-uk.com