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AluK vs TOSTEM: the connection, the channels and how to compare quotations

The two names are linked by a January 2019 agreement between LIXIL and AluK, yet they are sold through different channels. Here are the published facts and a checklist that keeps the comparison honest.

THE SHORT ANSWER

Connected by a 2019 agreement, but check which system is on your quote

TOSTEM is the aluminium window brand of the Japanese group LIXIL. AluK is a European aluminium systems company. In January 2019 LIXIL announced an agreement with AluK to serve the Indian windows and doors market, with AluK products offered alongside TOSTEM under the TOSTEM brand. The two names therefore overlap in India, which is why buyers ask whether they are the same thing.
Verdict: do not assume that a TOSTEM quote and an AluK Home quote describe the same product. Ask which system, series and fabricator are named, and compare on the written specification. We are an AluK Home partner and sell AluK systems directly through our own showroom, so we write this page using only what has been published and make no performance claim about either brand.

What has been published

According to its Wikipedia entry, TOSTEM has roots going back to 1949, was renamed Tostem in 1992 and is part of LIXIL Corporation. AluK describes itself as a global aluminium window and door systems company with over 70 years of experience.
The trade publication AL Circle reported on 10 January 2019 that LIXIL and AluK had agreed to offer AluK products in India alongside TOSTEM. The report said that AluK’s high-performance folding doors would be introduced in India, that products would be built and glazed at a 150,000 sq ft plant in Manesar and distributed through channel partners, and that the companies described the combination as European design with Japanese manufacturing.
We have not verified how that arrangement stands today, and we do not describe its current terms. If it matters to your purchase, ask the supplier in writing which company manufactures the profile and the window, and who stands behind the warranty.

Two different routes to the same customer

AluK Home in India is sold through authorised fabrication and installation partners, and showrooms such as ours act as AluK Home experience centres. Our Belagavi showroom is listed on the AluK Home site. See our AluK Home partner page for what we do and what AluK provides.
TOSTEM in India is sold through LIXIL’s own channel partners, and the 2019 report describes windows being fabricated and glazed at a LIXIL plant rather than at each partner’s workshop. That is a manufacturing model difference rather than a quality ranking, and it affects lead time, customisation and who you call for service. In our Goa research we could not confirm a TOSTEM partner for Goa, so check availability for your town directly.

WHAT TO ASK

Three questions that cut through the branding

Which system and series is quoted?

Joint branding can hide which profile you are buying. Ask for the series name and the datasheet, then compare the sash size, sightline, glazing options and thermal break for your opening against the other quote.

Who manufactures and who installs?

Ask where the window is fabricated and glazed, and who measures, installs and returns for service. A factory-built window and a partner-built window can both be sound. The question is who is accountable for your result.

What do the warranty and aftercare documents say?

Request the written manufacturer and workmanship terms, including what voids them and how to claim. Do not accept a verbal assurance, and do not assume that one brand’s warranty carries over to the other.

A comparison checklist that works across brands

Give each supplier the same drawing and specification, then compare their answers on these lines:
  • Profile series, thermally broken or not, and sightline widths
  • Maximum panel size and weight for your opening, from the datasheet
  • Written air, water and wind test classes with the standard named
  • Finish class and certificate, including dual colour options
  • Glass build-up in writing, with coating and safety glass type
  • Hardware brand, locking and drainage detail for sliding doors
  • Scope of site measurement, installation and sealing
  • Lead time stated for your project, not a generic number
  • Warranty terms and the route for service calls

Two assumptions that mislead buyers

Assuming the partnership means identical products

A commercial agreement does not make two sales channels interchangeable. The ranges offered, the partners authorised and the terms can differ. Treat each quotation as its own offer and read what it names.

Assuming a brand answers the weather question

Rain, salt and heat are handled by tightness ratings, finish class, drainage and installation. Our guides on monsoon rain and Goa’s climate list what to ask whichever brand you choose.

OUR POSITION

What we sell and how we would help you compare

We sell AluK Home systems through our showroom in Tilakwadi, with fabrication by certified AluK Home partners, and we publish only AluK figures taken from AluK’s own pages on our AluK systems pages. We have no basis for comparing TOSTEM’s performance and will not try.
If you hold a TOSTEM quotation, send it with your opening sizes through the request a quote page. We will give you a written AluK specification on the same terms, and you can set them side by side. You can also read AluK vs Schueco for the same approach applied to another brand.

FAQ

AluK and TOSTEM questions

Answers limited to what has been published.
Yes. In January 2019 LIXIL announced an agreement with AluK to serve the Indian windows and doors market under the TOSTEM brand, per AL Circle. AluK Home partners such as Gruns Fenster sell AluK systems separately through the AluK Home network.
No. TOSTEM is LIXIL’s brand and channel. AluK Home is AluK’s consumer-facing network of experience centres and authorised partners. Ask which one is named on the quotation and who will service the window.
No independent head-to-head test has been published, so we do not rank them. Compare the specific series, test documents, fabricator and warranty for your opening using the checklist above.
The 2019 report said AluK and TOSTEM products would be built and glazed at a 150,000 sq ft plant in Manesar. A 2020 trade interview with a LIXIL India executive described TOSTEM windows as manufactured in-house. Ask the supplier for current details.
Yes. Our showroom in Tilakwadi, Belagavi has full-size sliding, folding and casement units, and is listed on the AluK Home site. We do not display other brands.
We arrange Goa projects per project through certified AluK Home partners. Confirm coverage for your location when you contact us. We have no showroom in Goa.

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