Could this be the year triple glazing makes really makes it’s mark in the UK? Whilst being popular in Scotland, triple glazing activity in England and Wales is a bit lacking. However, the wonderful search tool that is Google Trends shows that search activity around triple glazing has seen a sharp increase in recent months, and a generally positive trend over the past few years.
Steady growth
Type in “triple glazing” into Google’s Trend search bar and this is the graph it returns you with for the UK:
Credit: Google Trends
Initial interest in triple glazing spiked in 2007 as the industry started to talk about the prospect of the product came into focus. Then came the recession and the realisation that such an evolutionary step perhaps came at the wrong time. Growing pains and tough economic conditions reflect the dip in the chart above.
Then came the turn around, and with it a renewed interest in the product and a whole load of marketing to back it up. Interest returns and searches naturally go up with it.
Naturally, as the cold weather kicks in, searches for triple glazing are highest around January, then drop off towards the middle of the year. Although as you can see above, the general trend is upwards.
However, as I eluded to at the beginning, there’s some regional disparity that masks the upward trend. Check out this regional split:
Credit: Google Trends
Its well known that in Scotland triple glazing has established itself very much within the fenestration industry up there. Given the harsher climate there compared to the rest of the UK, you would expect triple glazing to work. It’s a bit of a struggle elsewhere.
Wales comes in second, with England showing the least interest in triple glazing by search. Why? I’d have to put it down to both the climate and the way Scotland goes about construction. Their minimum U-Values for example are lower than in England. Their Building Regulations are stricter. Their general approach to building is a good three to five years ahead of ours.
Does that mean in three to five years England will have caught up and got on board with triple glazing in the way Scotland has? Possibly. I have noticed during the start of this year that my our own customers at our place have shown a much stronger interest in triple glazing than in previous years, and we’re quoting much more with an option to upgrade to triple glazed – not for free I might add. People do see the benefits of the Rustique 3 triple glazing we offer and are prepared to pay more for it.
It’s worth keeping an eye on this area of the market this year as it looks like it could make bigger strides this year.
“Its well known that in Scotland triple glazing has established itself very much within the fenestration industry up there” Is it really though, or is that just another triple glazing exaggeration? Certainly isn’t from my experience in supply on the borders, and regular travelling over Scotland. Some firms might be a bit noisier at it than down south, but it’s also a smaller market, and far from mainstream established up there if you ask me. The more suited climate is often touted as a realistic use up there, but it’s hardly the Arctic while down in England they are basking… Read more »
I have a friend who has been living near to Winnipeg in Canada for the last forty years. They get extreme cold there with snow and temperatures often in the minus thirties. He recently had some new windows and doors and so I asked him if they were triple glazed. His answer was a surprise as he said no. When I asked him why he said only geeks and places with very extreme weather conditions in Canada use triple glazing as the costs do not justify the advantages. He said he couldn’t imagine how anyone in the UK could need… Read more »
I wonder if the increase in searches is in part due to the TV ad campaign by Everest?… the thermal imaging is pretty compelling…