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Bowing, cracking and warping are problems that have plagued wood-grained PVCU doors since they first became fashionable over 15 years ago. However, the replacement door market is being revolutionised by a range of wood-grained steel door panels that are not only completely resistant to these common problems, but also offer the added advantage of increased security and insulation. The Stradivarius range of steel door panels is manufactured by Dunfermline-based company Goldwood Limited from Stelvetite External Woodgrain pre-finished steel. Produced by Corus, this consists of a Galvatite steel substrate to which a PVC polymer film capped with a UV-resistant coating has been applied. This comes in a range of different colours including Golden Oak, Mahogany and Sepelia. The Stelvetite material is cut to blanks of the required size at the Corus Colors Service Centre at Oldbury in the West Midlands, prior to being delivered to Goldwood. These blanks are then bonded together with a Styrofoam core which is flame retardent, water resistant and has extremely good insulation and security properties. Goldwood's Managing Director, Paul Cruise, hit upon the idea for the unique, non-warping door after spending several years working for PVCU door panel suppliers. During this time, he was continually faced with the problem of wood-grained doors which had cracked, blistered and bowed. "White doors don't have this problem because they reflect sunlight and heat," explained Paul Cruise. "However, wood-grained door panels can expand by up to 50mm when exposed to sunlight. As there is only usually a 4mm range for movement, the panel ends up warping and cracking. Panel manufacturers have an obligation to replace these panels under guarantee, which not only proves costly but can ultimately result in damage to the companyapos;s reputation." The Stradivarius panels have been subjected to the most rigorous independent tests without showing any sign of bowing, blistering or delamination. These trials have included salt spray tests, and thermal cycle testing, when the panels were alternatively heated to 80°C and cooled to -20°C over a sustained period. A testimony to the productapos;s enduring qualities is that in almost two years of production, Goldwood has never had a panel returned. This factor alone has played a significant role in the company winning several large contracts to supply leading door panel companies, both in the UK and mainland Europe. In addition, it has recently become an Approved Supplier to Network VEKA members. Managing Director of Lochinvar Windows, David Hiddleston, said that his company now refused to install any other kind of wood-grain door following the success of the Stradivarius steel door panel in eliminating problems relating to warping and bowing. "It's just not worth the hassle and the company's reputation," he said. With the UK market for replacement doors currently standing in excess of 500,000 units per annum, the potential for the Stradivarius door panel range is huge. In recognition of this, Paul Cruise is now looking to significantly expand production at Goldwood. | |
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