Unveiling aluminium

By Trisha Harinath

Today aluminium can be used for many applications throughout the home. According to Lisa Botes, the marketing manager for AG Industries Limited (AGI), the easiest way to include aluminium products in the home is to install them when the house is originally built. “However, for an existing home, replacing steel windows and doors with aluminium products need not be as cumbersome as replacing steel windows with wood because the aluminium replacement option does not necessarily need to involve total outer-frame replacement and wet building works to install,” advises Lisa.

The installation process of aluminium is just one factor that increases this product’s popularity. Mark Hamilton-Payne, the owner of Inso Aluminium, says that nothing beats the durability and beauty of aluminium. He adds that patio doors, palace doors, sliding/folding doors, French doors, multi-track doors, top-hung windows, side-hung windows, sliding windows and showers are just some of the many products manufactured from aluminium that home owners can use in their homes.

Apart from these products, the use of aluminium in other items such as patio furniture is also growing in popularity. According to Niels Rudolph, from Holili SA, although aluminium is soft, durable and lightweight, it can be a very solid and strong material if the construction is done right. This and the fact that this material is easy to shape and rust-free makes it the perfect material for modern, outdoor patio furniture. Apart from the fact that aluminium can be used for various applications, other reasons as to why it is such a popular product to work with are the benefits that come with using it.

Hannes Snyman, the national sales manager for Wispeco Aluminium, says that one of the greatest things about aluminium is that it is 100% recyclable and it is also considered a “green” product when it comes to the mining and converting of the raw material into aluminium. Agreeing with this benefit is André van Heerden, of Mildo Projects, who says that since aluminium can be recycled and due to the fact that it does not disintegrate means that this material is extremely eco-friendly, making it perfect for today’s environmentally-conscious home owners.

“Using aluminium is the only way to build a home now and in the future. Its economic and environmental value is matched by its neutral simplicity, making it a timeless feature in the home,” concludes Glass Alliance’s Chris Slabbert.