Korniche lantern now available

When Made For Trade unveiled the Korniche lantern roof at the FIT Show in April, the company were blown away with the interest and response, with visitors complimenting its contemporary, slim aesthetics, innovative design and fast installation process.

The Korniche’s long-awaited launch towards the end of last year has seen the high-end aluminium product enter the market where it has not only held its own, but the feedback received confirms the lantern’s speed of fit, strength, and slim appearance is truly unique to others’ on sale. Designed from the ground up, the Korniche features parts that have never been used in any other roof systems.

Managing Director Bradley Gaunt, who designed and engineered the Korniche alongside his sports car designer brother Ashley, has created a lantern roof where all the parts click together or fix with a single bolt. This allows long fitting times to be eliminated and to allow installers to move on to other jobs quickly.

Bradley explained: “From the outset, our intention was always to design a complete system that could be ordered to a bespoke size and be delivered to site with every part colour coded, complete with a comprehensive installation guide that is easy to follow.”

He added: “We wanted a lantern that is faster, stronger, slimmer, and warmer. Fixings are invisible to give you a sleek, contemporary finish. The lantern is fully thermally broken to give the lowest U-values and also features an innovative secure all-in-one glazing lock and retainer.”

The creation of the Korniche came about as Bradley searched for a suitable system when the market started to move towards brick-built extensions with lantern roofs or skylights, away from traditional UPVC conservatories.

“The more we looked, the more we realised we could do better,” said Bradley. “Lantern roofs tend to be fiddly, with silicone and bits of plastic that you have to cut on site, meaning installation can take hours and hours. The Korniche can be assembled in a fraction of the time, without the need to trim any of the profile.”

He continued: “One of the main criteria was to use just one 5mm hex key to build the lantern and not use silicone in the construction – the only sealant required will be to attach it to the roof, none is needed on the lantern structure itself.”

The design and development process for the Korniche has been ongoing from 15 months prior to the FIT Show right up until its subsequent launch in late-2016, with Bradley making adjustments to make the construction even simpler for installers.

He commented: “As an engineer, I like to visualise the potential for problems that may arise and provide a solution. Therefore, I have ensured the Korniche is absolutely fit for purpose and we are following all relevant Eurocodes to get BBA approval.”

To ensure high standards were maintained and the right team were employed to fabricate the Korniche, Made For Trade decided to do a gradual roll out since its launch last year.

This has allowed the company to adapt its processes, advice and support, as well as gain feedback on the system, before the lantern went into full manufacturing mode.

Prior to the launch, Made For Trade invested in a new 10,000ft² factory complete with CNC machinery to house the production of the Korniche and the head office, adding to the other three premises the company operate from in Stockton-on-Tees.

The company now employ over 80 members of staff and have recently added experienced home improvements and glazing professional Trevor Hopper to their team as a Trade Sales Manager.

Trevor’s role is primarily to visit companies to demonstrate the Korniche lantern as well as Made For Trade’s existing products, the Visofold bi-folding door and Global conservatory roof.

 “I can’t wait to get behind the company’s new Korniche lantern roof - it is a fabulous, innovative creation and just what the market is looking for right now,” said Trevor.

“I am looking forward to getting out and meeting customers to demonstrate this new and unique product to them. Anyone involved in the lantern roof market really owes it to themselves to see what all the excitement is about!”