Case · Roofing manufacturer
Two brands, one codebase
For IKO Metals Europe we took over the maintenance and further development of the Metrotile and Tilcor websites: modernisation of both sites and a move to Umbraco Cloud, one shared codebase for both brands, much better performance and ongoing care.
- 1
codebase for two brands instead of two separate repositories
- 16
site versions: 8 per brand, an international version and 7 national ones
- < 5 GB
of media per site after cleaning up the libraries
- 96.6
average Lighthouse performance score on desktop, 10 key pages
On this page
Let’s talkThe challenge
In 2025 the European IKO Metals team took over responsibility for the European Metrotile and Tilcor websites and was looking for a new Umbraco partner. After talking to several agencies, it chose Idea Makers. We took over the maintenance and further development of both sites, and the modernisation turned out to be more demanding than usual.
- [01]
An older platform version
Both sites ran on a version of Umbraco that was nearing the end of its support.
- [02]
Modernisation in progress
A new version of the sites was in preparation: parts of the backoffice and some features still needed finishing, and the content had yet to be moved over.
- [03]
Poor performance
In pre-launch tests, pages on the new version weighed 8–28 MB, and on a simulated mobile connection the main content appeared after 20–60 seconds, compared with about 7 seconds on the old site.
- [04]
Two repositories, the same code
Each brand had a separate repository with the same code. Every fix had to be made and deployed separately for both brands.
- [05]
Getting to know the projects
The takeover meant learning both projects, their integrations and dependencies on our own.
- [06]
Mixed and duplicated media
Each brand had its own library, but both contained duplicated Metrotile and Tilcor files and plenty of unused media. In total, the media took up almost 16 GB. Cleaning up the libraries helped reduce storage use and hosting costs in Umbraco Cloud.
- [07]
Two live businesses
Each site has an international version and 7 national ones. Metrotile: Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Slovakia, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan. Tilcor: Poland, Ukraine, Slovenia, Slovakia, Romania, Lithuania, Kazakhstan. Sales teams use them every day, so the switchover had to happen without downtime.
What we did
- 01
A foundation under our control
To start, we took over and organised the code of both sites, moved it to Umbraco Cloud and automated deployments. Meanwhile, the existing sites kept running unchanged.
- 02
Migration with Umbraco tools
We moved the content with Umbraco Deploy, using our own connectors and converters, with no manual re-entry and no risk of data loss.
- 03
Separated media
We checked which files each brand uses, organised separate Metrotile and Tilcor libraries and removed unused media. After the cleanup each site takes up less than 5 GB, which reduces storage needs and hosting costs in Umbraco Cloud.
- 04
Completed features
We finished what was missing from the new version, fixed what did not work and worked through the issues from acceptance testing. We also put the technical SEO basics in place.
- 05
Performance
Two weeks after the first brand went live, we optimised the shared code: images and assets, loading, rendering and the application. The average page weight dropped from 10.8 MB to 0.9 MB.
- 06
Switchover without downtime
We only launched the new versions once they were fully ready. Metrotile went live in October 2025, Tilcor in February 2026.
One codebase, two brands
Umbraco Cloud offers shared code across sites as part of an extra subscription. We achieved the same result without additional licence costs.
- One shared codebase for both sites, each with its own brand’s look and settings.
- We prepare fixes and new features once, and both brands benefit.
- Each brand has its own content, media and backoffice.
Before
Two repositories
The same code in a separate repository for each brand.
- Every fix made twice
Now
One repository
Shared code, with each brand’s content, media and data kept separate.
- A change prepared once for both brands
- Reaches both brands with the next deployment
- Automated deployments
The IKO Metals team still decides for each brand separately whether and when a change goes live, and the brands never share content or data.
Before and after
| Area | At takeover | Today | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platform updated regularly | Older version | Current version | supported |
| Hosting moved to the cloud | Own server | Umbraco Cloud | cloud |
| Code repositories the same code for both brands | 2 | 1 | change made once |
| Media separate libraries with duplicates → organised for each brand | ~16 GB | < 5 GB | per site |
Performance
We did not start with a clean slate. The new version prepared earlier did score better on desktop than the existing site, but it was heavier, and on phones the main content appeared after 30 seconds on average instead of 7. After our optimisation the site is faster than both versions. Both brands run on the same code and templates, so the results apply to both sites.
| Lighthouse | Existing site | After our optimisation |
|---|---|---|
| Performance, desktop | 68 | 97 |
| Performance, mobile | 63 | 80 |
Step 1 · the existing site vs the new version before optimisation
| Metric | Existing site | New version before optimisation | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Performance score desktop, average | 67.5 | 84.8 | ↑ +17.3 pt |
| Performance score mobile, average | 63.3 | 63.9 | ↑ +0.6 pt |
| Average page weight desktop | 7.4 MB | 11.9 MB | ↓ +61% · worse |
| Largest Contentful Paint mobile, average | 6.8 s | 30.5 s | ↓ +349% · worse |
Step 2 · the new version vs our optimisation
| Metric | New version before optimisation | After optimisation | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pages scoring 90+ desktop, out of 10 pages | 3 | 9 | ↑ +6 |
| Average page weight | 10.8 MB | 0.9 MB | ↓ −92% |
| Largest Contentful Paint desktop, average | 3.00 s | 1.15 s | ↓ −62% |
| Largest Contentful Paint mobile, average | 43.4 s | 4.7 s | ↓ −89% |
The home page and “Why Metrotile” reached a score of 100 on desktop. The heaviest page, Inspiration, went from 28.5 MB to under 1 MB, and its load time on a phone from about two minutes to 4 seconds.
How we worked
- Spring 2025
Start of the partnership
First conversations, offer accepted and a service agreement signed.
- July 2025
Metrotile migration
Content freeze, migration and start of acceptance testing.
- August–September 2025
Fixes and shared code
Fixes from testing and one repository for both brands.
- October 2025
New metrotile.eu goes live
Switchover without downtime, followed two weeks later by performance optimisation.
- November 2025 – January 2026
Tilcor migration
Content migration and fixes.
- February 2026
New tilcor.eu goes live
The second brand on the shared code, without downtime.
- Since February 2026
Ongoing care
Support and hosting, Umbraco updates, new features.
Why it worked
Stabilise first, then change
First we organised and secured the code we took over, and only then started developing it. The existing sites kept running until the new ones were ready.
Supported tools only
For the migration we used Umbraco Deploy, which is included in the Umbraco Cloud licence. We built our own connectors and converters to move the content, then verified the results. This let us repeat the migration and rehearse it before launch.
One brand at a time
Metrotile went first. Everything we learned there, from content mapping to performance fixes, was already in the shared code when it was Tilcor’s turn.
Measure first, then optimise
Before launch we compared the new version with the existing site, so the client could see exactly what had changed and why.
Client quote
What started with a simple phone call has grown into a partnership that is genuinely transforming the digital presence of IKO Metals. […] Working with Idea Makers feels like working with an extension of our own team. They take every challenge seriously, whether big or small, communicate openly, deliver on their promises, and often bring that little something extra that makes a real difference.
What’s next
After the migration, the work moved from fixing to developing. The next step is upgrading both sites to the latest version of Umbraco, which we are already working on with the client. Thanks to the shared codebase, it is one upgrade for both brands. We are also working with the IKO Metals team on new tools for visitors.
Want to move to Umbraco Cloud or upgrade Umbraco to 17?
Briefly describe which Umbraco version your site runs on and how many language versions it has. We will suggest where to start and how long it will take.