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Guide
Aluminium Fabricator or Installer: Which One Do You Actually Need?
A fabricator designs, builds and glazes the units and selects the right system for the project. An installer surveys the opening, fits the units and signs them off on site. The fabricator choice fixes your sightlines, U-values and the bulk of the price before anyone lifts a tool. Trade buyers come to us direct; homeowners are routed to a vetted installer.
Trade direct, homeowners routedInstallers, builders, architects and joiners buy from us; homeowners go to a vetted installer.
Spec set at fabricationSightlines, glass and whole-unit Uw are fixed when the unit is built, not when it is fitted.
Right system per projectTell us the opening and the target and we quote the system that hits it.
What does an aluminium fabricator actually do?
A fabricator turns a drawing into a finished unit. We take the opening sizes, the performance target and the look you want, then select the system, cut the profiles, build the frames, glaze them and prep them for site. The fabricator decides which extrusion, gasket and reinforcement go into the job, so the fabricator decides what the unit can do.
That is where spec is won or lost. Sightline width, glass make-up, thermal break depth and the whole-unit Uw are all fixed at fabrication. An installer cannot improve a frame that was built thin, glazed for the wrong target or specified for the wrong system. Get the build right and the rest is fitting.
We fabricate and supply across bifolds, sliders, casements, tilt-turn, entrance doors, heritage and curtain walling. You tell us what you need and we quote the right system, rather than forcing one range onto every opening.
Request current product evidence for the selected route, size, glazing, hardware and project before relying on the specification.
What does an installer do, and where do they fit in?
An installer works on site. They survey the opening, check it is square and weathertight, fit the fabricated units, seal and finish them, then sign off the install. A good installer protects the spec you paid for: correct fixings, packing, perimeter sealing and a clean handover.
Installers do not design the unit or pick the system. They fit what the fabricator built. So the order matters: spec first at fabrication, then a competent fit on site. A sharp install on a weak unit still underperforms; a strong unit fitted badly leaks.
For homeowners, the install is the part that needs hands on site and a warranty you can call. That is why we route homeowners to vetted installers through find an installer rather than selling direct.
Fabricator vs installer: which choice drives spec and price?
The fabricator choice drives spec, sightlines, U-values and the bulk of the price. The system selected at fabrication sets the glass area, the frame depth and the thermal performance. A slimmer sightline, a heavier sash or a lower Uw is a fabrication decision, costed into the unit.
The installer choice drives the quality of the fit and the after-sales on site, not the underlying performance of the glass and frame. Both matter, but they are not interchangeable. The cheapest unit and the best installer still leaves you with a window fitted well and specified short.
The numbers come from the build, where specified: bifold whole-unit Uw from 0.9, leaves to 1.2 x 3.0m and 130kg, up to 14 leaves, around 90% clear opening; slider Uw from 1.0, sashes to 2.2 x 2.87m and 420kg, 35mm interlock; casement and window Uw from 0.85; entrance from 1.1; curtain walling Ucw from 0.6 with a 66mm sightline. Those are fabrication outcomes. The exact spec varies by system and whole-unit Uw is confirmed at quote. Get a number on your job at request a quote.
When does a trade buyer come direct to VitrineAlu?
If you fit, build or specify for a living, you come to us direct. Installers, builders, main contractors, architects and joiners buy fabricated aluminium from us and handle the site work themselves. You bring the sizes and the performance target; we fabricate and supply the units.
The model is simple: tell us what you need and we quote the right system. No forcing one range onto every job, no homeowner mark-up in the middle. You get the unit, the spec sheet and the lead time, and you control the install.
Trade terms, capabilities and how to open an account sit at trade terms. Security and energy detail for spec-led jobs is at security and energy efficiency.
When is a homeowner routed to a vetted installer instead?
If you are a homeowner buying for your own house, you are routed to a vetted installer, not sold direct. The installer surveys your opening, orders the fabricated units to the right spec, fits them and stands behind the install with a warranty you can call on.
This is deliberate. Domestic jobs need a single accountable party on site for survey, fit and after-sales, and that is the installer, not the fabricator. We keep the fabrication standard high so the installer has a strong unit to fit.
Start at find an installer to be matched with a vetted installer in the North West of England. If you want the system specified correctly first, send the brief through request a quote.
How do you make sure the right system is specified?
You tell us the opening sizes, the look and the performance you are chasing, and we quote the system that hits it. Wide unbroken glass, a low Uw, a heavy single sash, acoustic to Rw 46 dB, PAS 24 security routes including PAS 24:2025, weather sealing to Class 4 air and Class 9A watertightness: each points to a different system, and we match it rather than guess.
Because we fabricate across multiple systems, we are not tied to one range. That is the whole point of spec-led fabrication. The right answer for a slim heritage screen is not the right answer for a 14-leaf bifold or a curtain wall, and we quote accordingly.
Whole-unit Uw and the final spec are confirmed at quote, where specified. Send the job to request a quote and we will tell you what hits the target and what it costs.
Common questions
Is a fabricator the same as an installer?
No. A fabricator designs, cuts, builds and glazes the aluminium units and selects the system for the project. An installer surveys the opening, fits those units on site and signs them off. The fabricator sets the spec; the installer delivers the fit.
Should I go to a fabricator or an installer?
If you are trade (installer, builder, architect, joiner or contractor) you come to a fabricator direct and handle the site work. If you are a homeowner, you go to a vetted installer who orders the fabricated units and fits them. VitrineAlu supplies fabricated units to trade and routes homeowners to a vetted installer at find an installer.
Why does the fabricator choice affect my U-values and sightlines?
Because sightline width, glass make-up, frame depth and whole-unit Uw are all fixed when the unit is fabricated, not when it is fitted. The system the fabricator selects decides what the unit can achieve. An installer cannot improve a frame built to the wrong spec, so the fabricator choice sets the performance ceiling.
Can VitrineAlu both fabricate and arrange installation?
VitrineAlu fabricates and supplies the units. For homeowners we route you to a vetted installer who handles survey, fit and sign-off. Trade buyers take the fabricated units and manage their own install. Either way, tell us what you need and we quote the right system at request a quote.
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