Happy New Year to you all! I hope that the Christmas break was good for everyone and that plenty of downtime, rest, enjoyment, food and drink was had.
We’re all now dragging ourselves back to the office, probably still a bit tired, shocked at the state of our bank accounts and still mulling over whether to keep eating the chocolate that remains in the cupboards at home or stick to the healthy eating plan. I still feel a bit groggy from it all to be honest!
But, as we wave 2023 goodbye and the difficulties that came with it, we look towards a new year and the possibilities it will bring.
There is no promise that 2024 will be a walk in the park. There are a number of very well documented problems at home and abroad that will no doubt continue to make their presence felt on us all.
However, that doesn’t mean there are not opportunities to be had in the fenestration industry this year. Here are just 5 areas that I think will do well in the coming 12 months.
Aluminium internal doors
I am speaking on my own personal experience on this one. Aluminium internal doors are insanely popular right now. At our family run business we ended the year on a great run. Indeed sales of the product increased during the course of the year, to a point now where I think we’ll be selling and installing them every single week this year. If we don’t I’ll be very disappointed!
But when you look at the wider aluminium market, internal doors are in such high demand that nearly every systems company have their own product on the market now. Demand being so high in fact that you can scroll through social media platforms like Pinterest and Instagram and find brand new companies set up dedicated to sales of just internal doors.
There are endless social media accounts now, dedicated to home improvement projects or people covering their own projects, that are splattering aluminium internal doors all over their accounts. And for good reason.
Slim frames, lots of glass, stylish hardware and minimal maintenance. These doors look fantastic and grab homeowner’s attention hard. Demand appears to be on a rapid incline and clients appear happy to pay good money, often the same price as external doors or slightly higher, for these doors. 2024 is going to be a very good year for this particular niche.
Flush PVCu windows
I think I mention these every year, but it is with good reason. The sales of flush PVCu windows continues to rise year after year, and again speaking from my own experience, they are a huge driver of sales into retrofit installations.
They are the biggest innovation to happen to PVCu windows in decades. I cannot think of anything else comparable in terms and aesthetics and design that matches the impact flush windows have had on the PVCu market.
Last year I would estimate that somewhere between 40-50% of our sales of PVCu were flush casements. I am anticipating that we will be increasing that ratio in 2024.
The attraction is obvious. Clean, flat lines. Thin welds if you’re using a flush system that is produced with a Graf welder. Timber look joints if you’re going for the traditional look. Visually flatter than standard casements. They offer a homeowner a genuinely different option to transform the look of their home.
Aluminium sliding doors
Bi-folding doors aren’t going away, but I am anticipating sales of slimline aluminium sliding patio doors to increase in 2024.
Homeowners and installers alike are tuning into the benefits of maximizing the glazed area of a door and minimizing the frame work. If you are building an extension or already have a large aperture that looks on to a stunningly landscaped garden or dramatic view, why would you want to break that up?
This is where slimline sliding doors win. Bi-folds have to have more splits, more frame and therefore take away from the amazing visuals big glass and wide-span doors can give you. Yes, the glass is an absolute pain to lift if you’re an installer, and you’ll certainly know about it by the end of the day. But as you can see with this triple track slider that we installed into a property at the end of 2023, the slim frames and large glazed panels make a massive impact.
Homeowners are becoming increasingly educated about their options when it comes to aluminium bi-folding doors and sliding doors, and I think we have all noticed the increase in sales of sliders over the last couple of years. I don’t expect 2024 to be any different.
Timber doors
Although much of the resurgent energy in the fenestration sector has been in aluminium, I do believe that there is a clear and growing demand for high quality timber entrance doors.
What I thought was obvious through 2023 was that on larger projects that included aluminium windows, bi-folding doors or sliders, a growing number of homeowners were opting for a grand, high-end timber entrance door. If you follow the right accounts on social media you could see that trend play out.
I believe 2024 is going to see a further surge in demand for high quality timber doors. For me, I am seeing the market as fragmenting further. Market dominance of one material if becoming eroded and homeowners are now able to access a wider range of options for their home improvement projects, and it would be wise for installers to make the most of this new opening.
Timber currently plays a small role in the wider fenestration sector, with PVCu still eons ahead in terms of market share. However I see this part of our sector as an opportunity for installers to be able to offer clients something extra. As with most things, quality, range, security and energy efficiency continue to improve, and the hardwood timber doors of today are vastly improved from those a couple of decades ago.
Sash windows
I sense that we are moving into a phase where homeowners are seeking to either restore character to homes that have lost it previously, or add character to their new home or other projects. In which case, PVCu and indeed timber sash windows are going to see an uplift.
Obviously not the cheapest window on the market, and against a backdrop of a stagnant UK economy and strained personal finances, you might think it odd I have gone this way.
But, what I do believe I am seeing is the more discerning buyer, with the budget to spend, is looking more seriously at sash windows, especially when it comes to traditional and period properties.
Nothing comes close to keeping the character and charm of an older home than sash windows. And if we’re looking at the PVCu side of things, the general quality and options within PVCu are getting better year after year. So much so that the traditional barriers with conservation/planning officers are now being broken through.
If you are an installer looking at options to bring in new revenue streams, sash windows I think would be a very good way to go in 2024.
Of course, these are just my five picks from many, but what I believe could be the most fruitful. I can already hear the rumblings of discontent from some that I didn’t mention a product group that they did, so please leave your own suggestions in the comments section below and help generate some productive discussion that will help point installers in the right directions through 2024!
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