| Shutters set to shine as UK replicates the US |
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Money is more readily available to existing homeowners than to people looking for a new mortgage and Paul Jayne, managing director of Everwhite, believes the potential market for home improvements such as internal shutters has never been stronger. Blind and shutter companies are looking for alternative revenue streams. Internal PVC-UE shutters, now the fashionable and durable alternative to curtains, present many advantages to the trade. Everwhite has developed a product which will appeal to blind and shutter companies with its streamlined process.
In the USA shutter sales have increased dramatically over the last four years and now account for more than 20 per cent of the market in window coverings. Working in partnership with leading American distribution companies Everwhite has designed and supplied a product which represents a significant improvement on previous versions available in the US market. American sales are proving us right, and the trend is going the same way in the UK. Everwhite says its internal louvred PVC-UE shutters have several valuable advantages over the original wooden or plastic versions. Developed over 18 months, the company says its product looks better and lasts longer. The finished louvres are fully-skinned and have improved colourfastness, with tougher impact resistance and increased rigidity. There is no risk of warping, making them suitable for use in bathrooms and kitchens. Everwhite says they will not discolour and there is no need for metal fasteners. We have also developed the manufacturing machinery to encompass a new design of extruder screw configuration, alongside bespoke tools and downstream equipment so the extrusions are good quality and efficient in manufacture. Fabricators and installers can be confident that the product is reliable, durable and easy to sell.
Interior design is moving towards clean lines and fresh, light colours. Prime time television property programmes tend to show almost clinical restraint - windows are seldom curtained and French doors are always left bare. It looks great, but in the real world it’s necessary to be able to shut out the elements. Bedrooms with huge windows and spectacular views are fine, but unless you want to wake up at 4am in the summer, there has to be a way of keeping the light out and letting the air in. Everwhite says its Internal Plantation Shutters are a stylish solution to the problem. They don’t detract from the simplicity of the overall look, and they are practical and attractive in their own right. With climate change we can expect more extremes of heat and cold. Shutters allow ventilation while shading the room from the heat of the sun, and in cold weather they increase the thermal insulation of windows. In ‘green’ houses where energy efficiency is a priority they are becoming standard specification. They also contribute to security. Open windows in summer are bread and butter to the sneak thief. Shutters allow owners to let in the fresh air without risking unwanted visitors. For blind and shutter companies Everwhite says this is the perfect time to take advantage of its latest development. Technology, economy, climate change and fashion are all working to make shutters a very profitable trend in the UK.
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Everwhite managing director Paul Jayne says PVC-UE Internal Plantation Shutters are ideal for today’s market. Innovations in manufacture and design mean blind and shutter companies can benefit from the growing trend for stylish and efficient window coverings
Everwhite has designed an easy to fabricate, easy to fit, PVC-UE Internal Plantation Shutter System which is selling well in the USA and UK. No specialist equipment is required to fabricate the shutters as we designed the process to fit in with existing timber shutter production. Installation of the finished shutter is simple and efficient – completion is easy as there is no need to remove any existing product. Everwhite stockist, Ian Entwhistle of CK Plastics is enthusiastic about the opportunities offered: “They’re a great new addition to the PVC-UE building products we sell now and should help us break into the retail market.”
But Everwhite says it is the attractiveness for the customer which is perhaps most significant. UPVC-UE shutters appeal on several levels. The company says they are secure, they are easy to install and easy to maintain. They are hygienic – they can be wiped clean – and they don’t have to be painted. The shutters come in three shades of white at the moment, but of course it is possible to paint them if the customer wants to match a specific colour. There are no problems with allergies – no place for dust mites or mould spores to hide. And, acknowledging increasing concern for the environment, the manufacturing material can be fully re-cycled at the end of its useful life, many years from now.
