Dutemänn agreed a comprehensive new supply-agreement with Deceuninck Aluminium in December. We speak to Martin James, the aluminium door and window specialist’s Managing Director.
“Why Deceuninck Aluminium?”, reflects Martin James, Managing Director, DUTEMÄNN UK LIMITED, “let me tell you, the journey wasn’t a simple one. As with everything we’ve ever done, we haven’t simply restricted ourselves to a UK centric search – we want the best products. If they come from the UK great, it’s not a problem. We choose products which we believe deliver the best opportunities to our customers.”
Set up in 2010 as a specialist supplier of aluminium bifold doors, Dutemänn has seen rapid growth to become one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of quality aluminium doors and windows.
As part of the new partnership, Dutemänn will begin manufacture of its own uniquely designed variant of the easy-fit Decalu88 Bi-folding Door, which will be branded as Elän; and the Decalu 163 Lift-and-Slide, which will be sold under Dutemänn Glide product range.
Dutemänn will also begin manufacture of the complete Decalu window range including tilt-and-turn, fully reversible and new flush casement options, which will be supplied under its Schärpe brand.
“We’re taking the bi-fold, the sliding door because we have established markets for them. The tilt-and-turn, and fully reversible give us a flexible window range which covers different applications.
“The Flush Casement is particularly exciting. It delivers such impressive u-values and that is where the architectural market is today, our customers are being asked for more and more advanced thermal performance.
“That’s where we and a lot of our customers are focussed. The higher-end self-build thermal performance and the u-value is critical to their success. Whatever the outcome, the Future Homes Standard has raised awareness and people want to engage on the strength of thermal performance.
“If you’re specifying a building fabric to say a Passivhaus standard, by definition you also want windows and doors that work with it.”
The Decalu88 Flush Casement was launched by Deceuninck Aluminium in March last year [2023] with headline u-values as low as 0.8W/m2k – a Passivhaus equivalent level of performance.
It also achieves u-values as low as – 1.2W/m2k with a standard unit – which means it meets current new build regs without the uplift in cost or complexity of going to triple-glazing, and future-proofs the system in home improvement and retro-fit markets.
It’s built around a patented thermal break which helps to deliver its advanced thermal performance. In common with the wider Decalu range, it also features a knock-in glazing bead with a flush finish pre-inserted gasket.
With a flush finish internally as well as externally, the Decalu88 Flush Casement is available from Deceuninck Aluminium in dual-colour and metallic finishes, and marine grade, as standard.
“It [the Decalu88], offers an advanced level of performance”, continues Martin, “that’s the beauty of what we’re bringing to the market through the Schärpe window offer.
“Installers working in that architectural space have had to source product from Europe to achieve the u-values that they’re looking for.
“Now they can buy that window from a manufacturer here. It cuts out logistics, miles on the road and it brings them a more flexible service.”
Dutemänn will also manufacture the Decalu88 Bi-folding Door, which has been specially adapted to its own design with a sightline of just 108mm, to give customers a unique proposition. “The bi-fold door market is still exceptionally strong but maturing”, Martin says.
“The core Decalu88 Bi-fold is a great product but we wanted to give our customers slightly more flexibility so worked with Deceuninck Aluminium to develop an alternate option with a slimmer sightline. That’s one of the reasons that we opted to partner with Deceuninck Aluminium, that flexibility and that willingness to work with us.”
Deceuninck Aluminium’s launch product back in 2020, the Decalu88 Bi-folding door ticks a lot of boxes. U-Values are as low as 0.68W/m2k triple-glazed or 1.4W/m2k double-glazed. Sightlines are minimal, giving the Decalu88 a contemporary premium aesthetic.
With each sash able to accommodate weights of 200kg and up to 3m in height, the Decalu88 Bi-folding Door, also offers impressive design flexibility, while guaranteeing ultra-smooth running.
The system has also been designed to significantly lower stock-holding through the use of a single outer frame and sash with identical middle section and slim sightline profiles; fully integrated thermal insulation; and most significantly, the use of a co-extruded, pre-assembled gasket.
This means that as a fabricator you have less cash tied up in stock, if you’re an installer the Decalu knock-in glazing bead cuts installation times to as little as 5-minutes per sash.
“Our customers’ fitters really like the knock in bead”, continues Martin. “They think that works exceptionally well.
“There was a little bit of bad press on some of the fitter forums more generally about knock-in beads because they struggled to get them out easily.
“We’ve got a tool to remove them which works exceptionally well. So that kind of takes that worry away, and the feedback so far has been very, very positive.
“It’s a really quick product to glaze and de-glaze if you have to.”
For more information call 01249 816 969, email info@deceuninck.co.uk or visit www.deceuninckaluminium.co.uk
