The use of fully-finished joinery in the UK is still in its infancy, but growing yearly and I believe that’s good news for the timber industry overall.
Scotland and the Republic of Ireland have been in the forefront of this revolution by purchasing high quality fully-finished windows or doorsets which are delivered to site ready glazed and painted for instant installation.
In the present climate, when price is all important, it is an ideal time to highlight the financial advantages of using “ready-to-go” product. Many buyers are surprised by the arithmetic, but when considered, the overall costs of painting, glazing, ironmongery and time constraints and labour charges make fully finished an increasingly logical choice.
The market is also now getting a further boost from promotion by the British Woodworking Federation and the Wood Window Alliance, both highlighting the benefits of factory-finished joinery.
And this trend should be self-perpetuating and reinforce the market moves back to timber and away from rival materials generally as the durability and lower maintenance of factory finished products boost buyer confidence.
In addition, these products, fitted with the latest double-glazed units, offer ever higher levels of insulation, also a key factor in today’s energy-saving, carbon-footprint reducing market culture.
Energy efficiency plays an ever increasing role in buying decisions among consumers and specifiers. And on reading the “Energy Efficiency Best Practice in Housing” I note that many of the strategies considered vital are ones which Nordic countries have been practising for years, and here, of course, use of double- or triple-glazed factory-finished timber windows is the norm.
The energy efficiency or U-value rating of windows is dependent on various factors, including manufacture, frame design, glazing and raw material. Different species can affect U-values, but overall well-made timber windows perform strongly in energy rating tests.
All factors considered, the industry can only benefit from this key market trend towards well-manufactured, factory-finished joinery products.
