How a launch was inspired by a finish
In a somewhat unorthodox product development cycle, Apeer has launched a range of slimline aluminium casement windows under its Silka brand, the name under which the company originally introduced its top-selling range of GRP-faced residential doors.
The move comes, says the firm, following demand from homeowners after being impressed with the surface coating to be found on all Silka residential doors and who asked if it could be matched on a range of windows. Extending the unusual product development protocols still further, the name Silka originally referred to the special coating developed by the company to catch the eye of homeowners looking for a residential door that looked good with their new aluminium windows, but who were unable to find an attractive or reasonably priced solution.
Since then, Silka has been developed into a significant sub-brand of Apeer, with a wide range of door styles, its own dedicated factory space and now, a complementary range of Silka aluminium casements and a Lift ‘n’ Slide garden door, to offer a suite of matching windows and doors in the unique Silka finish.
The Silka window brings a number of design elements in addition to its super smooth yet distinctive Silka finish: at 50 mm, the Silka window is set to offer one of the slimmest sightlines on the market for a double-glazed sash, but the designers believe it is the slimmest to offer triple glazing.
Profile thickness is 66mm with the aluminium foam-filled profiles powder coated in the 60-micron thick, fine textured ‘Silka’ finish as standard; marine grade power coating is an option. Thermal performance will improve upon Building Regulations for double glazed whilst comfortably achieving an ‘A’ rating with triple glazed units. Colour will be anthracite grey or black and with white internally as an option. A wide colour palette is available but with longer lead times.
The Silka Lift ‘n’ Slide door comes with the package: 144mm Aluminium profile thickness, standard or 25mm extension cill, 5-point locking, and high security Siegenia hardware, and heavy-duty rollers good for 300 kgs are the key numbers, with thermal performance matching the Silka window.
Apeer’s managing director Asa McGillian says that the success of Silka has been a surprising but welcome addition to his company’s door and window offering: “When we developed the Silka finish it was for one or two door styles that would become part of our larger range,” said Asa, “but it was so popular immediately with all door buyers, not just those with aluminium windows, that we had to ramp up production and add new styles.” Enquiries for a complementary casement window style soon followed, adding irony to the original premise for developing Silka: to create a door that emulated aluminium. “It’s not lost on me of course, the irony that we developed Silka to emulate aluminium and now we have a range of aluminium windows of our own,” added Asa. “But this comes from demand, from significant numbers of homeowners that are asking if we supply aluminium windows to match Silka doors. So, we have obliged them.”
Further information from: https://www.apeer.co.uk/door-ranges/silka-windows/