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Keep up to date with all the latest AluFold and industry news on our dedicated blog. 

 website takes an installer through the assembly and fixing of the lantern step-by-step and, on the way, demonstrates many of its industry changing safety features and fast fit technologies.

It’s easy to see, for example, just how light and manoeuvrable 

 is and how that removes the risks that come with handling more cumbersome lanterns when working at height.

It also illustrates how easily the ring beam can be put together using pre-inserted cleats, how quick it is to fix the ridge and rafters within that ring beam, and how simply the thermal break is clipped into the rafters and the top caps just snap fit on top.

What’s key though is the video demo of the 

 lantern’s brand-new glass retention system, which means that the beads on the DGUs lock smoothly and securely onto the ring beam all the way round with a reassuring click every time and there is no danger of the glass falling through at any point.

Russell Yates, AluFold Direct’s Managing Director, and the person leading the design team, said: “We know that XENLITE will appeal to homeowners with its ultra-slim 38mm sightlines and contemporary aesthetic, but one of the key drivers in the design process was to make it the lantern of choice for installers as well.

“We’ve addressed all the worries that installers have about other lanterns on the market and made sure XENLITE is much more fitter-friendly. That extends beyond just the safety aspects and into business profitability because they can fit XENLITE single-handedly and in a super fast time.”

All the details on XENLITE, including colours, sizes and lead times are at: 

 aluminium roof lantern to be safe, simple, and quick to fit by a single installer, and has just released a video showing exactly how easy the process is.

Strong, slim, safe, and competitively priced, Xenlite gives installers everything they need in terms of sales appeal for homeowners and developers and incorporates lots of clever design and engineering features which make it safer, simpler, and quicker to install, with no worries about callbacks.

When it comes to sightlines, Xenlite is amongst the slimmest lanterns on the market with a 38mm frame, but there are no compromises being made on strength or performance. With thermally broken hip beams, it meets the requirements of the new Part L which comes into force in June, and it has been designed with high performance seals to ensure optimum air and weather performance.

What really sets Xenlite apart though is the ease of installation. It has been designed so that the glazing clicks into the flange on one side of the ring beam as soon as it is placed into position, with no danger of the glass slipping while the other three sides are secured. A pressure plate with integrated cover caps then makes it easy for one person to clip in the glazing all the way round so there is no need to reach across or around the roof to screw in the fixings. Neat, fast-fit end caps are simply screwed on to complete the installation.

The lantern comes with a fixed 25° pitch regardless of size so there is never any obstruction to the outlook from the floor above. This ensures that it fits perfectly into the mainstream home extension and orangery market and gives customers already fitting aluminium bifolds, sliders or windows an exciting opportunity to upsell.

Xenlite is the first brand new product to be launched by AluFold Direct since Managing Director Russell Yates joined our team from AluK. Russell led the design team responsible for all of AluK’s most familiar products, including the iconic BSF70 bifold, and he has ensured that the new lantern is just as fitter and fabricator friendly.

Russell said: “Xenlite is made the way that we believe roof lanterns should be and addresses all the things that installers told us they don’t like about the competition. Everything, from the four-sided glass retention to the profile-shaped cover caps, has been designed to suit the needs of the installer. It’s not just about making the product easy to fit, it’s about protecting installer margins by minimising time on site and eliminating costly call backs.”

Xenlite is supplied in kit form, with standard stock sizes available on a fast 5-day lead time and bespoke sizes available to order in around 2 weeks. It is being manufactured on a dedicated assembly line at our state of the art, highly automated factory in Blackburn using brand new machinery which delivers a consistent, precision output every single time.

For installers who already buy bifolds or sliders from us, it represents a great opportunity to source more of their aluminium products from one proven supplier. Russell Yates added: “Xenlite is the first opportunity we’ve had to really show our customers the benefits of our investments in industrialised fabrication and in-house design. Essentially, we’ve been able to develop a truly innovative product manufactured to precision quality standards but with a competitive price tag – and that is all down to the scale and efficiency of our factory.”

More details on Xenlite, including sizes, colours and ordering options, are available at: 

When our experienced team set out to design a brand-new contemporary aluminium roof lantern, they knew it had to be better than the best already out there in the market in order to make an impact. With the launch of Xenlite, we are confident they have achieved that.

During the pandemic lots of UK households saved more than ever. So, don't wait for the holiday season to kick in! Fill your order books, and wallets now by fitting our desirable, all 

, 47% of those on the highest incomes saved at least 10% more during the pandemic than they would normally and 17% saved at least 25% more. The end result is a £266bn savings mountain, largely concentrated in the bank accounts of the better off.

"We have seen huge increase in household savings —around £150 billion"

 that we supply are aspirational purchases, virtually guaranteed to add value to the home and very much in the eyeline of those who will still have money to spend.

And, the massive investments we made in our operation over the past two years are paying dividends for us and for installers who buy from us. We have massively increased capacity and now have an industrial scale manufacturing facility in Blackburn, capable of delivering the same kind of speed and service in aluminium that installers have been used to in PVC-U.

We have separate dedicated high-speed production lines for 

, in contrast with most of our competitors who push all their products down the same line and are limited in terms of speed and volume as a result.

Each of our lines has its own top of the range cutting and machining centres and fully automated four head crimpers and that enables us to offer consistent and highly repeatable precision outputs at any scale.

Our focus at AluFold Direct is on quality, efficiency, and value – installers who choose to partner with us can relax knowing they will get all the support they need to make the most of the opportunities which will still exist and to mitigate the obstacles which the market will undoubtedly face.

These all-new bifold doors offer installers, builders, architects and specifiers the chance to add an extra touch of luxury to any project, appealing to the tastes of customers with high-end residential properties.

With the mainstream home improvement market likely to come under pressure during 2022 as inflation rises and higher costs put a squeeze on household expenditure, there are still plenty of opportunities to be had at the higher end of the market.

 features an ultra-slim frame with sightlines of just 120mm and stylish, contemporary hardware which helps to differentiate it from our 'standard' bifold offering.

Managing Director Russell Yates explains: “The fact is that there’s nothing standard about the AluFold 

. It’s a great product with proven quality and performance and lots of customisation options and it remains central to our offering. However, this new Premium Bifold gives customers another string to their bow and means they can potentially upsell to homeowners and developers who want something different.

“The hardware in particular, available in a range of different finishes, is likely to appeal to homeowners who want their bifold to look and feel luxurious, and we are offering a full range of custom RAL colours so that they can match the doors and the hardware perfectly to their décor.”

Installers can be reassured that the new AluFold Direct Premium Bifold comes with PAS24 security accreditation, and market leading wind, water and air permeability performance ratings. (Class A3 for wind resistance, Class 9A for water tightness and Class 4 for air permeability.) It can also be used with triple glazing to achieve U-Values of 1.1 W/m2K, which means it complies with the upcoming changes to Part L of the Building Regs.

In terms of configuration, maximum panel width is 1200mm, height is 3000mm and weight is 120kg. Inward or outward opening can be from 1 to 14 sashes and there is the option of fully openable 90° corners without a mullion. There are also four different threshold heights, including an embedded low threshold for maximum accessibility.

Our new door is pre-assembled for even quicker installation and comes with a built-in adjustable jamb to save installers time and hassle onsite.

It also, of course, comes with all the other benefits of from buying from a Blackburn-based fabricator, including some of the quickest turnaround times in the industry and direct delivery to site in unbranded vehicles.

Russell Yates adds: “Back when I joined AluFold Direct in 2020, it was already amongst the most efficient fabricators in the UK. Since then though, we’ve transformed the entire operation, massively increasing capacity and guaranteeing consistent, highly repeatable precision outputs in doors, windows and rooflights.

“Unlike most aluminium fabricators who put multiple products down the same assembly lines and accept the limitations that puts on speed and volumes, we now have three dedicated high-speed lines, each with their own top of the range cutting and machining centres and fully automated four head crimpers.

“We are producing both our Standard and Premium Bifolds on our dedicated doors line and delivering the same efficiencies on both. What is also important for customers is that we are no longer reliant on a single systems supplier so we can guarantee product availability even when there are delays in our extended supply chain.”

To find out more and to request a quote, visit our 

Introducing our Premium Bifold Door – the highly customisable, premium-quality addition to our growing collection of high-performance aluminium products.

How developers can benefit from our dedicated Aluminium Glazing Project team

Designed for developers like you, our dedicated Projects team provides design support and essential project management services to keep you on track and in budget.

Essential support from your dedicated Aluminium Glazing Project team

By working directly alongside installers, architects, designers, specifiers and developers over the years, we have come to understand the ins and outs of delivering glazing projects along with challenges you may face.

You will have one single point of contact in the Projects team, who will support you every step of the way, from initial discussion and job specific design specification, to individual itemised products being delivered on a site specific, achievable delivery strategy.

The Projects team work directly with our fabrication team, ensuring that any unique requirements for your project are met and to eliminate any mis-measures or mis-fit errors.

When your aluminium glazing project reaches the installation stage, we co-ordinate a planned delivery strategy to ensure all products arrive on time, right-first time, every time. With on-site experience, our Projects team can identify any installation skills gaps and offer hands-on training for sub-contractors and installers at our Aluminium Glazing Installation Academy.

We have a full range of aluminium glazing solutions to assist with a variety of building projects of any size and complexity.

Suited to domestic and commercial applications, for refurbishments, renovations and new-builds, our range features bifolding doors, sliding doors, roof lanterns, flat roof lights and slimline windows.

Our range is manufactured in our state-of-the-art factory in Blackburn, using high quality, high performance slimline profiles, delivered in only 1 week for unglazed units and 2 weeks for glazed. We always deliver in a non-branded van directly to site, across the UK.

You can see our range at the AluFold Direct  Design Centre located at our HQ in Blackburn – it’s the only dedicated aluminium glazing showroom outside of London!

We have full-sized displays of our windows, doors and latest innovations, making it ideal to see how our aluminium glazing looks, get a feel for the product and understand how it functions in person. It’s a great place to come and meet the Aluminium Glazing Projects team, discuss the requirements for your project and get advice and guidance on the best products for the job.

A selection of our Aluminium Glazing Projects

If you’re wondering if we can help with your next project, see what can be achieved with help from our Projects team! Our Projects team have worked with customers on some amazing developments, including new-build homes and office block refurbishments.

We teamed with Italian designers Brown & Bancroft Interiors to deliver this £2.4m refurbishment project for Krones Group. Our slimline aluminium window units were used to add light and space throughout the property.

From office-block to luxury apartments, Bridgewater House was transformed in this multi-million-pound canal-side development near Manchester. We supplied our aluminium glazing to create 60 modern flats.

If you have a project that would benefit from our dedicated Aluminium Glazing Projects Service, or you would like to find out more information, get in touch with us! You can call us on 01706 260700, email 