We have tried to make our website as easy to use and understand as possible. However, as in any specialised areas, there are terms and names we use which may not be familiar to you. The following explanations may be of help:

Fenestration	Fenestration is the generic term for glazed building products e.g. doors, windows and conservatories
Finishing	Finishing is the process applied to the base (framing) material for decorative and protective purposes. In the case of Wessex’s fenestration products it includes powder-coating and sublimation for aluminium, foil for PVCu and staining or oiling for timber
Powder coating	Powder coating is a finishing painting process commonly applied to metals, whereby paint in powder form is electrostatically attracted to the metal before being baked on to form a long-lasting coloured protective surface finish. Wessex offers this finish on its aluminium range and uses its strategic partner, Barley Chalu Limited, one of the leading coaters for fenestration products in the UK.
Sublimation	Sublimation is a two stage finishing process applied to the framing profiles. In the first stage the framing profiles are powder coated using specially developed polyurethane powders. In the second stage the coated profiles are enveloped in a printed film which is held in place under a vacuum, and when heated the ink graining from the film ‘sublimes’ into the powder coating to form a textured, coloured, long-lasting protective and decorative finish. The process has been used in Europe for many years, and Wessex holds the exclusive UK rights for its application to fenestration products.
Thermal improvement	Recent government building regulations have specified thermal performance levels for different building products in a measure to combat global warming. Wessex’s products have been designed to comply with the regulations by incorporating thermal insulation in the frames and glazing
PVCu	PVCu, sometimes also called by its previous name uPVC, stands for unplasticised polyvinyl chloride and is used as a frame material for fenestration products. It usually requires reinforcement with internal aluminium or steel bars giving it a bulkier look than aluminium framing. It is produced in solid brown or white coloured form.
Trade	Trade is used to refer to fabricators, retailers and/or installers in the fenestration market. Wessex supplies the trade with fenestration systems or fabricated fenestration products
IT	Wessex uses integrated computer IT systems for its sales and manufacturing operations, and IT is used extensively for the company’s communications and in its marketing.