With the online world as it is these days, it’s perfectly possible to plan your entire renovation from the comfort of your own home. You can seek inspiration from stunning completed projects, hold Zoom meetings with potential architects, and source your materials.
But despite all this, we think nothing quite compares to getting up close and personal with the key finishes for your project. When it comes to investing in items such as flooring, cabinetry and glazing, there’s nothing like seeing it in the flesh. Especially when you’re trying to choose between seemingly similar products in a crowded online marketplace.
That’s why The National Self Build & Renovation Centre in Swindon, Wiltshire, it is the perfect place to visit when you’re in the planning stages of your extension or newbuild. Ultraline, the manufacturer of the UK’s leading frameless patio doors, has a permanent stand there alongside a wide range of other high-profile suppliers to the building industry.
With that in mind, we chatted to Ultraline’s Operations Director, Dan Smith, about what to expect when you visit the NSBRC.
It’s a brilliant one-stop shop for anyone embarking on a renovation project or self-build. With more than 200 permanent exhibitors at NSBRC, you’ve basically got everything you might need under one roof. From foundations to flooring to roofing, it’s all there at this huge, permanent exhibition space in Swindon – just 80 miles west of London.
I’d advise making a visit to the NSBRC early on in your renovation journey if you can, because there’s so much inspiration to take in. There are several full-size houses there as well as countless ideas for bathrooms, kitchens and bedrooms. A visit to the NSBRC is likely to really help shape your vision for your new home.
There’s also free parking and a nice coffee shop serving drinks and snacks. So you should be able to take your time and enjoy a leisurely visit as you start to make plans for your building project.
On the Ultraline stand, you’ll find a large set of our award-winning sliding doors for you to get a feel of, along with a touch screen console to view images and videos of our previous projects. If our staff aren’t there on the day you visit, you can request a virtual video call so we can talk you through the features of our frameless patio doors.
Well, the first thing to take on board is just how good our doors look! In addition to their exceptional quality, their appearance is one of the main reasons our customers choose us. And it’s also why many architects come back to us time and time again for their clients’ projects. Our award-winning frameless patio doors have a narrow profile with a frame size of just 20mm all the way around. This means you can maximise your view while enjoying a streamlined look without any visible handles.
Our doors are also known for how smoothly they run in our flush-to-the-floor track system. Sliding them open is effortless, but they still provide outstanding security. Our electronic locking mechanism adheres to the security standards of both PAS24 and Secured by Design, making our doors one of the most secure options on the market.
Pro Tip: Ask for samples of Ultraline’s door finishes so you can test out the colours against your brickwork or render before you make your decision
With us you’re dealing directly with the manufacturer because we ARE the manufacturer. All our doors are made in house to our exacting specifications. In fact, everything we do is carried out by our own, dedicated team. Our installation guys, for example, fit Ultraline doors all day every day. This means that they know what they’re doing, and if they do encounter any problems they can be ironed out quickly and efficiently.
We’re also really versatile with our sliding door products which means we can often say ‘Yes’ where other companies would say ‘No’. This might be because of the extra large pane sizes we offer or features such as pocket doors or floating corners. Other suppliers might struggle with this, but we can usually do it all.
We also really pride ourselves on how we look after customers, treating each project as if it were our own home. Attention to detail is everything and we go above and beyond to make sure our customers are happy with the end result.
The National Self Build & Renovation Centre is open 10am til 5.30pm Tuesday to Saturday, and 10am til 4.30pm on Sundays.
NSBRC, Lydiard Fields, Great Western Way, Swindon SN5 8UB
Interested in finding out more about our frameless patio doors? Contact us now to talk through your requirements.