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DECEMBER 2015 PRO INSTALLER
PRO PRODUCTS
www.proinstaller.co.uk
FIRST GLASS ROOFS
LIG HT INSPIRED DESIG N
Casting a
new light
on glazing
design
First Glass Roofs has only existed
as a business for 19 months but its
founders’ passion for glazing solution
design has already translated into
a sales rise of between 60-70%.
The Hampshire-based business which serves mainly London and the south was started
by brothers Kieran and Paul
Hand, who both have long
experience in glass solutions
and manufacturing. The company is growing and is taking
on two more employees in the
New Year to add to its team.
It markets what it does as ‘light
inspired design’ and blends high
grade British materials with manufacturing expertise to maximise
light and create stylish products
that also offer large load capacity.
Kieran, who has been in the
industry for 17 years, said: “We
started because we had a vision of
how things could be done better.
The glazing market has increasingly sophisticated needs and wants
elegant solutions. We meet that
demand by designing all our own
products so people get something unique. We mainly serve the
domestic market but al so do some
commercial work.”
Among First Glass Roofs’ products is FixGlaze, a thermally broken glass skylight with a slim edge
design. The business supplies
three opening rooflights - manually opening, manually assisted and
fully electric.
New products are coming up
such as a ‘revolutionary’ glass
balustrade. Kieran said: “Architects
will love it. It can be integrated
into a door or window system and
will be undergoing impact tests
in January. It’s a simple idea but
no-one thought of it before, just
because balustrades have only
been designed in one particular
way.” Also due to come out in January is SkyPod, a frameless ‘glass
box’ design. Kieran said: “It hangs
outside your house so you can put
cushions in it and sit outside up in
the air.”
‘You have to stay
one step ahead
in this business’
He added: “You have to stay one
step ahead in this business. We
want to grow and get a bigger factory – we already have two, one of
1,800 sq ft and the other 4,000 sq
ft. One is for stock and the other
for manufacturing.” The company
is planning a busy year in 2016
and will be attending trade shows
with the first in Birmingham in
March.
Maco MultiMatic Tilt &
Turn Now
Available
at VBH
Hardware specialist VBH now stocks Multi-Matic,
the latest tilt and turn system from Maco.
Multi-Matic is available in
both surface fit and ‘Invisible’
concealed hinge versions,
and in standard and PAS24
security configurations.
PAS24 kits feature IS (Intelligent Security) mushroom roller cams, which are adjustable
for compression and height.
The revolving action of the
cam means that operation is
very smooth even on security
windows that include many
locking points.
Multi-Matic has been developed
with an eye on fully and semi
automated window assembly lines.
Features include Klix-fix clips that
hold the hardware into the Eurogroove prior to fixing and a ‘crop
& punch’ connection system where
cutting to size is required. VBH
advise that Multi-Matic can also
be easily assembled on a manual
line by utilising optional connector plates. These enable manual
cropping of the hardware without
the need to punch a hole in the
cropped faceplate end.
‘Multi-Power hinges
allow sashes
weighing up to
150KG to be installed
without the need for
additional support’
Multi-Matic carries sashes weighing up to 100KG but this can be
increased further on Invisible
hardware by fitting Maco’s innovative Multi-Power hinge system.
Multi-Power hinges allow sashes weighing up to 150KG to be
installed without the need for additional support. This feature is an
important one as the call for triple
glazed windows becomes more
commonplace.
The dual purpose sash lifter
guides the sash into the turn
position so heavy windows close
smoothly, minimising wear and
tear. It also acts as a mishandling
device to prevent the sash from
entering the tilt and turn positions
simultaneously.
Multi-Matic is supplied in Maco’s
standard Silver-look surface protection finish. It can also be supplied
in TRICOAT-PLUS finish to provide
additional protection on installations in coastal areas or in regions
with other aggressive atmospheres,
such as heavy industry.
Visit www.vbhgb.com or call
01634 263300