Featured guidance
Why entrance doors lead aluminium enquiries
What trade buyers should check before pricing an aluminium entrance door: style, side lights, threshold, glass, hardware, security route and finish.
Read guidanceTrade advice and specification notes
Aluminium guidance for trade buyers
We write trade notes from the bench on aluminium specification, PAS 24 security, U-values, Building Regulations, internal doors, bifolds and sliders.
Specification
Aluminium or PVCu: trade comparison checklist
A practical comparison of frame depth, sightline, finish, stiffness, glass options, whole-unit U-values and project fit before a trade quote is issued.
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Design
High-end aluminium look on tighter budgets
How to protect the design intent when budgets are tight: standard colours, sensible openings, clear glass choices and drawing-led specification.
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Sustainability
Why aluminium recycling matters to trade buyers
Recycled aluminium, closed loop sorting, and what a current Council for Aluminium in Building membership does and does not tell a client on a tender.
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Performance
Condensation: what is and is not the frame
Condensation is a whole-project issue. Check ventilation, glass specification, room use and thermal bridging before blaming the frame.
Read morePerformance
Draughty windows: spot the signs and fix them
Most draughts are gaskets, hinge adjustment or a failed perimeter seal. What to check before replacing, and when a new aluminium window is the fix.
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Thermal
Low-U aluminium routes: what to send for quote
Low-U routes are project assessed. Send sizes, glass target, opening style, threshold, colour and drawings so the achievable spec can be confirmed.
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Security
Security checks for aluminium door quotes
Security should be product-specific and quote confirmed. Check the PAS 24 route, glass, hardware, locking, threshold and door use.
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Internals
Steel-look internal doors: growing demand
Joiners and interior teams are using internal aluminium screens for light, zoning and glazed room division without making spaces feel closed down.
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Design
Which glazing upgrades add buyer appeal?
Trade guidance on where aluminium upgrades usually make the strongest visual impact: front doors, wide openings, worn windows and internal glazed screens.
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Daylight
Roof lantern or flat rooflight?
The roof decides more than taste: pitch, kerb detail and build-up set which unit fits, and the U-value for either is confirmed at quote.
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Specification
Door thresholds: level access or weathered upstand
A threshold choice is a drainage decision before it is an accessibility one. What each option asks of the build, and what to settle before quoting.
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Where aluminium works best on modern projects
Aluminium is strongest where slim sightlines, larger openings, colour choice, stiffness and clean detailing matter more than a lowest-cost frame.
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Compliance
Building Regulations checks for trade glazing
A quote-stage checklist for U-values, safety glass, ventilation, documentation, product route and installation responsibilities on aluminium projects.
Read moreAcoustic
Noise reduction starts with the glass spec
Acoustic performance depends on glass make-up, seals, fitting, ventilation and project context. The aluminium route is only one part of the answer.
Read moreHardware
Smart-home ready aluminium: practical checks
Before quoting a smart-home job, confirm access control, wiring routes, threshold detail, hardware compatibility and who commissions it.
Read moreOpenings
Bifolds or sliders: choosing by opening
Bifolds and sliders solve different problems. Compare clear opening, panel size, traffic use, threshold, sightline, furniture layout and budget.
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Sustainability
Recycled aluminium: responsible specification
Responsible aluminium choices are strongest when they combine durable product selection, realistic service life, recycling routes and clear documentation.
Read moreDesign
Slim frames, bigger glass and realistic limits
Slim sightlines mean more glass and more light, but final sizes depend on glass weight, exposure, hardware, threshold and the product route.
Read moreCompliance
Trickle vents and ventilation: trade notes
Ventilation needs to be considered early. Confirm project type, existing ventilation, background ventilation requirements and frame impacts before quote.
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