The aluminium sliding door remains popular despite the desirability of the bifolding door. For homeowners looking for a large glazed wall without the visible mullions of a folding door set, sliding doors are a highly attractive proposition. So we are going to compare the aïr aluminium sliding door with the Dutemann equivalent.
Air vs Dutemann. The companies behind the brands.
There are a lot of sliding doors to choose from, and several aluminium fabricators have brought out their own sliding door brand. Two well-known products in the premium sliding door sector from independent manufacturers and trade suppliers are the Dutemann Glide-S from Kent-based Dutemann and the Air 500LS fabricated by Everglade Windows of Middlesex.
Both Everglade Windows behind aïr and Dutemann are prestige fabricators of aluminium systems.
Dutemann is an excellent trade fabricator making the outstanding Glide-S sliding door and also the FD85 bifolding door. You’ll also get a variety of Schuco products from the company too.
Everglade Windows are not only behind the aïr suite of bifolding and sliding doors but also one of the UK’s best known and established aluminium and PVCu trade suppliers. Everglade has a substantial operation in Middlesex with a massive investment in the biggest and best machining centres, a very impressive home improvement showroom as well as a separate showroom showcasing only air folding and sliding doors.
Everglade Windows has a strong presence in the commercial sector for housing and large scale contracts, the direct residential market and a well-established trade supply service to the home improvement industry.
Dutemann is very focused on their three key product groups of Bifolding Doors and Residential Front Doors based on Schuco. Sliding doors are based upon the Greek Alumil System. Dutemann is a smaller but nonetheless very competent aluminium business that is expanding. Credit also has to go to Dutemann for the Dutemann Haus entrance door. A very good aluminium front door that we think has contributed to the recent growth and new systems serving the premium aluminium front door market.
How are aïr and Dutemann products supplied?
An aïr door is provided through a network of accredited air dealers. These are established window companies some of which have been trading for over 30 years. Dutemann operates in a similar way with many specialist door and window installers offering the Glide-S, Dutemann Haus Residential and Bifolding Door.
Everglade operates what they call ‘aïrzones’; dedicated sliding door areas in a showroom dedicated to the aïr brand. Branding, literature and product placement are all consistent and strong.
The resellers of Dutemann sliding doors we know have sets of doors installed in their impressive showrooms but without the evident branding that air doors possess.
Both products are supplied directly by the fabricating companies exclusively; nobody else manufactures Dutemann or aïr doors. For an installer considering either of these two products, the marketing support and service offered by air does help sell the doors. This is not to say Dutemann doesn’t do a good job of helping their installers, far from it.
The advantage with Everglade for a potentially interested installer is that they also have access to the wider Everglade product range including PVCu windows, composite doors, Smarts aluminium and Reynaers products. Everglade also holds customer training days and seminars, provides the Valentis Installer Scheme, has retail facing websites, the point of sale materials and other benefits to installers.
The aïr aluminium sliding and Dutemann patio door range.
The sliding door products available from Everglades’ aïr brand is the aïr 500LS inline sliding door and the aïr 600 LS lift and slide door.
Dutemann offers lift and slide as well as inline sliding doors under the Glide-S branding
Both aïr and Dutemann sliding doors provide latest generation sliding doors providing:
- Inline or lift and slide contemporary sliding doors.
- A cornerless solution.
- Sliding doors that slide into a wall giving a full clear opening.
Both air and Dutemann sliding doors are premium products aimed at the quality-conscious and discerning homeowner. In our next article, we take a closer look at the technical specifications of the aïr and Dutemann sliding door offering.
Image courtesy of www.alumil.com
