Thin cladding is the simple and practical outer shell

Magnetic modernism reinvented

Things are still busy at Frager, according to general manager Franck De Munster. At Polyclose, the company introduced the Frager Facade cladding, which was very well received. "We notice that consumers are fearful. At the same time, our doors have the positive insulation effect people are looking for."

According to De Munster, Frager benefits from operating in two markets. "New construction may be on the back burner, but renovation remains topical. To make a house more energy efficient, the roof is most important, but in addition, windows and doors have a lot of impact on energy consumption. So there is still investment in this."

Greater possibilities than imagined

In addition to doors, Frager also recently started making the new Frager Facade facade system. "There was a lot of attention for this at Polyclose, both from our customers and architects. For the latter group, we don't see immediate results from this. Architects are interested, but the opportunity must arise to apply the product in a design." 

By now, Frager has gained a lot of experience with the system. "We are a few realizations further on and are learning all the time. Very recently, we used the facade system for wide doors that partly pivot outward and inward. In a wood imitation of up to 1.20 m wide, a pivoting door does not work. We are able to clad doors up to three meters wide with horizontal bands provided with wood texture. So we can make garage doors more beautiful, if desired with LED lighting. Actually, the possibilities are even greater than we imagined."

"There are new impulses every time," De Munster says. "You have a system and only then start discovering the possibilities of it. Geometry in architecture is coming back all over again, a kind of timeless modernism. This is where the Frager Facade system fits in very well. Architects therefore say that this is a product they have been waiting for for years. They did not dare to experiment with the facade in terms of form because it always had to be glued. Now that we have solved this practical problem with our patented magnetic system, a world of possibilities opens up for them." 

The positive responses from designers delight De Munster. "At Polyclose, everyone was very interested," he said. 

The facade one whole

Frager Facade itself has no insulating benefits, but is simply applied as an outer shell over the insulation material. "The thin cladding of Frager Facade leaves room for additional insulation, especially in renovations. The advantage of our system is that it is easy to check if there are any (moisture) problems with insulation, because boards are removable. This is reassuring for all parties." Modernism is all the way back in architecture. There is a lot of interest in Frager Facade from the Netherlands. "You are used to making the facade between windows and doors into a single unit in through-houses. In renovation and post-insulation, we are an obvious partner because the facade cladding can be easily installed. In addition, we offer (design) flexibility and the aluminum can match the window frames in terms of color, whether plastic or aluminum. It is also more maintenance-friendly than wood."

De Munster is positive about the future. "We don't do doom and gloom. The fact that Frager Facade offers complete design freedom is crucial, especially as modernism returns to architecture."