Specialist trade fabricator Mercury Glazing is one of the UK’s biggest fabricators of the Spectus vertical slider so it means the company’s sales are a good indication of trends in the VS market. Chris Reeks, Mercury’s Sales and Marketing Director, says: “Coloured profiles account for 25% of our VS sales in the past six months and we expect this percentage to increase in the coming months as colour continues its growth in popularity.”
Chris says the most popular colour choice is white woodgrain foil, which emulates the look of the traditional timber VS. Mercury carries stocks of this finish, as well as other white foils and cream. “This allows us to provide a quick turnaround of just 15 working days on the majority of foil finishes, a schedule that I know our customers appreciate,” says Chris.
The Spectus colour range features 22 colour foil choices and includes standard foil finishes such as rosewood and cherrywood as well as three shades of grey in “smooth” foil finishes, which Chris says are becoming popular choices with customers especially as alternatives to aluminium for commercial properties.
As well as single colour finishes, Mercury also offers mixed finishes. Chris comments: “We’ve taken the foil on white effect on our VS a step further and none of the white profile is visible from the outside.” One advantage of a mixed finish is that it achieves a more personalised effect for the homeowner, as one order demonstrated: “We recently fabricated vertical sliders with a walnut foil effect exterior and a cream interior that would complement the homeowner’s property perfectly.”
Whichever finish a customer chooses, it can be further enhanced with a selection of hardware choices as well as a range of glazing options. Astragal bar combinations are colour co-ordinated to the foil finish, adding to the status of a window that’s a true timber alternative.
While the colour finishes on Mercury’s Spectus VS make an impressive offering, it should not be forgotten why the Spectus VS is one of the bestselling timber alternatives on the
market. The window has a WER of A+ as standard. It has Secured by Design options that mean it can be specified in new build properties while child restrictor options for additional peace of mind. And deep bottom rail, run-through or plant-on horns and extended cill options all add to a window with authentic period looks.
Mercury recently signed a three year supply deal with Spectus, cementing a relationship that stretches back to 2002 when Mercury was founded. Chris concludes: “Our relationship with Spectus is an important factor in our plan to grow by 35% in the next three years.” And with such a strong VS offering in place, it’s a plan that seems destined for success.
