Professional Builder visits TuffX, a Merseyside firm with a well-deserved reputation for being a ‘glass’ act.
There are some manufacturers that simply make products and then there are those that are experts in the field and, when it comes to glazing, TuffX is very much in the latter category. With more than 20 years of experience and counting, the company has become a master in the art of glass and has utilised that knowledge to diversify and develop an extensive range of products successfully.
Thanks to an R&D department that collaborates with the world’s largest glass makers, TuffX enjoys an established position as one of the industry’s leading innovators. That’s illustrated in its contribution to the conservatory sector, where the Merseyside-based firm found a gap in the market in offering glass as an alternative to the polycarbonate that had hitherto been fitted in conservatory roofs. As a plastic, it’s noisy when it rains, too hot in the summer, cold in the winter and far from aesthetically pleasing.
“We introduced solar control glass that reflects heat,” explains TuffX Commercial Director, Paul Higgins. “It was a first in conservatories and it made the space more liveable in the warmer months. By also adding a low emissivity coating to keep the heat in, and self-cleaning properties, we eliminated many of the problems that were associated with a conservatory.”
Since then, the development of different glass coatings has resulted in a range of tints and colours, whilst TuffX is the only manufacturer that supplies panes of up to 4 metres, which eliminates the need for a potentially leaky muntin bar. These advances in modern glazing technology have made it possible to construct conservatories with less reliance on dwarf walls and hybrid property extensions are growing in popularity, which combine elements of a conservatory with those of a traditional brick-built extension.
“Rather than rely on the fabrication market the brief for the Infinity concept from the outset was to produce a finished product that’s simplicity itself to fit,” continues Paul. “Instead of a frame supplied from one manufacturer, the glass from another and then a separate box of components, ours is a fully encapsulated solution. Builders love it because it’s basically a 15-minute instal. There is, in fact, just four steps and one of them is taking off the packaging.”
Indeed, Infinity has won so many fans in the trades precisely because of that versatility. Uniquely, from just one profile multiple variants can be supplied. Whether it’s a choice of double or triple glazing, fire rated roof lights, walk-on units – or virtually any other type of glass – a builder can specify the Infinity rooflight for them. “It’s effectively a hybrid system,” Paul enthuses, “where framed, frameless, opening or fixed, are joined by further options that allow a rooflight to be customised for the space, the project and the client. We allow the builder and homeowner to think more about the glass, and what they actually need, because that is the majority of what you will see in the finished job.”
As a result, TuffX has been able to enter the world of the local jobbing builder and their merchant suppliers – and the growth has been prodigious. “For the merchant it’s a great opportunity because the builder can order through them and we’ll then deliver direct to site, so they don’t even have to stock the product. We’re effectively delivering nationwide on their behalf.”
A walk around the manufacturer’s substantial production facility provides some insight into the distance TuffX has travelled in a short space of time. Three giant furnaces produce the enhanced properties of toughened glass, where the material is heated to over 700°C, and then rapidly cooled. Once it has been exposed to those stresses, if it does break, the glass will do so in small pieces rather than sharp shards, reducing the chance of injury to anyone in the vicinity. Giant 6x5m sheets of glass are manoeuvred, cut and polished by expert operatives whilst the Infinity roof lights and lanterns are fabricated by hand.
“We have the capacity to get really technical with glass,” Paul explains as he provides a guided tour of a production plant that operates 24/7. “We’re involved in developing advanced coatings. We make solar control glass that’s as clear as its conventional counterpart, but absorbs 70% of solar gain. Tuffx was also the first manufacturer in the world to introduce low-carbon glass, which has been expertly designed without any compromises regarding quality and performance. Offering exactly the same aesthetics as regular clear glass, the products contain 64% recycled content and are manufactured using renewable electricity throughout the production process.
“For a builder that’s quoting for an extension these are the quality features that they can educate their own homeowner clients on, whilst SME developers can introduce that added value into their new builds.”
“At the same time, everything is made to order so, if the opening made in the roof is not a standard size, we can provide a rooflight to match, and we can deliver it with greatly reduced lead times. Beautiful bespoke effects can also be created with high-definition images screen printed onto glass.”
The TuffX fixed rooflights are manufactured with Clear Toughened Safety Glass as standard with a U-Value 1.2 w/m2. The roof window glass is glazed into an Anthracite Grey (RAL 7016) powder coated aluminium thermally broken frame.
The Infinity roof lantern is equally installer friendly. There’s no cutting or silicone required, and the 24mm double glazing can be fitted in seconds. The result is a thermally efficient end-product with no cold bridging and U-Values from 1.2w/m2K.
One of the most recent products to be added to the TuffX portfolio is a genuinely unique technology. GLOW is a thermostatically controlled heated glass that provides warmth in the room and is a sustainable alternative to traditional radiator or underfloor heating systems. Heated glass also dramatically reduces condensation, preserving uninterrupted views and potentially contributing to a healthier indoor environment. This innovative solution works on the basis of invisible and intelligent coatings that prevent heat from escaping.
Glass has been with us for thousands of years, and the northwest of England has long been synonymous with its manufacturing. It is a testament to TuffX that it is still finding new applications for the material, and techniques and technologies that will enhance it properties.
For further information about Tuffx, visit tuffxglass.co.uk.
