A Splash Of Colour

In the first of a series of articles from K2, sales director Charles Fox, suggests that those in the conservatory sector should consider offering the consumer something a little more special in the form of a coloured conservatory.

Henry Ford once suggested that: "Any customer can have a car painted any colour that he wants so long as it is black", he was of course referring to the Model ‘T’ Ford. While he may have brought the automobile to the masses it was a very standard product. However, in today’s consumer-led environment we seek to enrich and enhance our lives with goods that come in a wide variety of designs and colours. It may be argued that we as an industry should not restrict our own conservatory offerings to just a restrictive and limited range of white and a few foils.

Go into any car showroom or even log on to the internet and you can build your own car in real time based on a vast array of selections. When it comes to colours there are usually standard, metallic and pearlescent options, each at a different price point. So why not the conservatory? Paint specifications and application processes have moved forward significantly over recent years and as much as you can have powder coated options for aluminium components and extrusions, you can now have so for PVC extrusions and injection mouldings.

To date coloured pvc windows, doors and conservatories have been slow to be adopted by the industry though a few specialist companies have offered a painting service in a niche sector. Some fabricators have even had success in the commercial market, but it perhaps lends itself to a conservatory best of all, given the amount of visible profiles, crestings and finials.

PVC conservatories can now be made available in any standard RAL colour and given the developments in the acrylic-based paints, the latest products provide for a long-lasting and durable finish. There are several K2 fabricators offering the installer with such a coloured solution including Newtownards-based Blair Neill and Scarborough-based SWC Trade frames. Each has their own process and has invested in their own state-of-the-art paint facilities. Product quality for both companies is paramount and it is no coincidence that they have both been long-term customers of K2.

Coloured conservatories are not a new design opportunity as the timber market has been offering a wide range of colours for many years. Yet, they benefit from the fact that companies such as Sadolin, Ronseal etc offer a wide range of paint finishes that are very easy to apply, require no capital expenditure (apart from a brush) and are proven to last. But look at the cost of these hand crafted conservatories, orangeries, garden rooms etc and we can appreciate that they are for a very exclusive and affluent part of the market.

Paul Richings, managing director at SWC Trade Frames has recently invested in a paint application system including a spray bay and all the necessary equipment including extraction fans and applicators. It is not like a back street car repair garage, but part of a sophisticated manufacturing unit. Paul comments: “This is a big investment and commitment for us, but not necessarily speculative as the conversations we’ve had with our customers has shown that there is already demand for the product. What we’ll also be offering is a 2-3 week leadtime for a complete coloured conservatory and that will bring this product to the main market. As an industry we work on very tight deadlines and we’ll be one of the first to offer such a service.”

Similarly at Blair Neill they now offer Wymar’s Color-line process which provides a soft matt finish with a fine grain texture in any RAL finish. Peter Blair, managing director comments: “We have to be a little more innovative as an industry and this will provide our customers with something value added and that means a better margin and increased sales opportunities. We see it as a big future for our business and are glad to be a pioneer in this sector.”

Two of K2’s fabricators have made the investment in a little colour to their fabricated offerings. Perhaps now is the time for installers to look beyond the white conservatory and add a more individual solution for the consumer. All markets by and large are consumer-led and there is no reason why the conservatory market should be any different.