…as long as it’s black
June 2018

Colour may be booming in PVC-U frames but gaskets are still way behind, with black taking 92% of the market, according to figures from manufacturer EXTRUDASEAL, which says opportunities to upsell aluminium with matching gaskets is not being exploited.

White was the next biggest seller, slipping from 4.5% in 2016 to 4.2% last year, while grey took 2% and brown 1%
Metallic gasket accounted for 0.2% of sales in 2016 and 0.1% in 2017, with the remainder in both years, (0.3 to 0.7%) made up by special orders. 

Sales director Paul James said: “Perhaps slightly disappointingly demand for colour gasket stood still last year, despite an overall increase in volumes.

“Of the colour gaskets we supply anthracite grey is singularly the most popular – which is a direct reflection of popularity the colour is enjoying across the board, but fundamentally, the opportunity to upsell aluminium product overall by colour matching gaskets to frames by both fabricators and installers, isn’t being exploited.”

The company, which manufactures for systems including Smarts, Aluk, Metaltech, Senior and Ikon, adds that its range range is available in more than 1,000 RAL colours.

He continued: “The irony is that product differentiation in window and door manufacture and retail is very difficult to come by. We know colour gasket works for those customers who are using it because they’re telling us.

“Matching gasket into the frame colour, whether that’s grey, white or something else, delivers an effect which lowers the sightline so that it disappears into the frame creating a genuine point of differentiation for very marginal cost.

 “The figures are clear - black remains what most of our customers buy from us. This also means that there is an opportunity that’s going untapped. That’s a very real USP in a crowded market place.”

www.extrudaseal.com