Colour has moved on from just being an alternative to white, to becoming a genuine specification choice for today’s window and door market, as Selecta Systems’ marketing manager Mark Walker explains.
For many years, white was the default choice for PVCU windows and doors. Today, colour is an important consideration for homeowners, architects and developers, creating new opportunities for fabricators and installers looking to offer greater choice and differentiate themselves in a competitive market.
The shift towards coloured PVCU profiles is part of a wider change in consumer expectations. Windows and doors are no longer viewed as functional components of a property; they are an important part of its overall appearance.
Homeowners are looking for products that complement the architectural style of their property, from contemporary newbuilds to traditional and heritage homes.
This means offering an attractive and versatile colour range can be an important part of winning business.
Broad colour palette
Grey has played a major role in the growth of coloured windows and doors, with shades such as Anthracite Grey becoming established as a popular choice. Today, the market is much more diverse.
Selecta Systems’ Colourfoil Collection reflects this evolution, offering 18 colour shades and woodgrain finishes across its Advance 70 Window and Door System. The collection includes contemporary shades such as Anthracite Grey, Slate Grey, Agate Grey and Hazy Grey, alongside traditional colours including Chartwell Green and Cream and authentic woodgrained finishes such as Irish Oak and Mountain Oak.
This demonstrates how quickly preferences are evolving. Ulti-Matt Black, for example, provides a modern, smooth finish designed to replicate the appearance of aluminium, while Agate Grey offers a softer alternative to darker grey tones. Pebble Grey provides another subtle option and is popular when paired with Advance 70 Flush Sash Windows.
Selecta continuously reviews the market for the latest trends in products and colour, and plans are already afoot for new colour shades to be added to the Colourfoil Collection.
This gives fabricators the opportunity to move beyond the traditional ‘white or woodgrain’ choice to offer customers something much more individual. You get even more scope if you pair this with any colour option from the Renolit colour swatch.
No compromise
The Advance 70 Window and Door System combines colour flexibility with a five-chambered profile designed to deliver strong thermal performance and excellent U-values – 0.8W/m²K when combined with a 40mm TGU, and 1.1W/m²K with a 28mm DGU.
Enhanced security options include PAS 24 and Secured by Design.
Selecta’s Colourfoil Collection incorporates both grained and smooth finishes. Grained foils are designed to recreate the texture and appearance of timber, while smooth finishes provide a cleaner, more contemporary appearance inspired by aluminium.
For installers, the ability to offer a comprehensive range of colours can help them respond to changing customer demands and provide a more personalised service. For fabricators, it provides another opportunity to add value, create differentiation, and target projects where colour is an important part of the specification.
Selecta laminates its coloured profiles at its Birmingham headquarters using modern foiling technology, with all of our standard colours produced to stock. Our efficient operations enable us to offer a faster turnaround on special colour orders.
These can be ready for delivery typically within one to three weeks depending on the section, and whether they are foiled on one or both sides.
As colour continues to move from being an optional alternative to white, to becoming an expected part of the window and door buying decision, fabricators and installers who embrace that change put themselves in a stronger position to meet the demands of today’s market. And with the Advance 70 System and Colourfoil Collection, there is now a palette of possibilities for fabricators and installers to explore and grow their business.