Margin pressure in aluminium isn’t new – but it is intensifying.
Energy standards are tightening. Specifiers are asking more detailed performance questions. Installers are comparing prices faster than ever. And fabricators are being squeezed between rising input costs and competitive quoting.
In that environment, turnover alone isn’t enough. The businesses that will thrive are those that protect margin structurally, not just tactically.
For Deceuninck Aluminium, that starts with a simple principle: intelligent optimisation.
Performance without unnecessary cost
Thermal performance has become central to specification. However, the race to ever-lower U-values has, in some cases, driven over-specification – particularly through blanket reliance on triple glazing.
“Triple glazing isn’t automatically the smart answer,” says Terence Ledwith-Lyons, Head of Strategic Sales at Deceuninck. “If you can achieve the required performance in double glazing, you immediately remove cost, weight and complexity from the equation.”
The Decalu platform has been engineered to deliver strong thermal performance in double glazing, reducing reliance on triple glazing to meet current and upcoming standards.
For example, the Decalu88 Flush Casement can achieve U-values as low as 1.2 W/m²K with standard double glazing – comfortably meeting many current regulatory requirements without pushing fabricators to use heavier, more expensive sealed units.
“That’s where margin protection starts,” Terry explains. “Glass is one of your biggest variable costs. If you don’t need triple glazing on every job, you’re controlling cost at source.”
The hidden cost of weight and complexity
The commercial impact of over-specification goes beyond glass price.
Heavier triple-glazed units increase handling time in the factory, require more care in transport, and can slow installation on site. Over time, that affects productivity, labour efficiency and callback risk.
“When you’re constantly lifting heavier units, you’re adding pressure to your team,” says Terry. “That has an operational cost. Optimised systems help reduce that burden.”
By focusing on thermal efficiency built into the profile design, rather than relying solely on thicker glass, Decalu offers a more balanced approach.
This philosophy reflects Deceuninck’s wider strategic positioning: delivering future-ready performance without unnecessary over-engineering or cost
“It’s about being future-ready in a commercially sensible way,” Terry adds. “You shouldn’t have to over-complicate your production model just to stay compliant.”
Margin is also about positioning
Protecting margin isn’t just a technical issue – it’s a commercial one.
In a crowded aluminium marketplace, fabricators offering identical mainstream systems are frequently forced into direct price comparison. The result is margin erosion driven by like-for-like quoting.
“Competing on exactly the same system as everyone else makes it very hard to defend your price,” says Terry. “If there’s no clear difference, the decision often comes down to who’s cheapest.”
That’s why premium, thermally optimised systems play a strategic role in margin protection. They create differentiation.
Decalu’s modular platform spans flush casements, tilt-and-turn windows, entrance doors, bi-folds and lift-and-slide doors, enabling fabricators to target higher-end residential, architect-led and thermally demanding projects with a more distinctive specification.
“When you’re offering something less crowded, you’re not automatically benchmarked against the lowest quote,” Terry explains. “That changes the commercial dynamic.”
A smarter route to sustainable growth
Ultimately, protecting margin in aluminium isn’t about cutting corners or chasing short-term savings.
“We talk a lot about performance,” Terry concludes. “But performance has to work commercially. If it doesn’t protect margin, it’s not sustainable.”
In a market where price transparency is increasing and regulatory pressure is mounting, fabricators need systems that support profitability at every stage – from glass specification to installation.
Because in 2026 and beyond, the strongest aluminium businesses won’t just be the busiest.
They’ll be the most commercially resilient.
For more information about Deceuninck’s aluminium and PVC-U product and service offer, please call 01249 816 969, email deceuninck.ltd@deceuninck.com, or visit www.deceuninckaluminium.co.uk.