Tag: louvre roof

Creating an outdoor space to suit all seasons

Posted on by Andrea Grimmond

Creating an outdoor space to suit all seasons

Does your outdoor space suit all seasons.

Evenings and weekends spent with family and friends… eating, drinking and laughing or just relaxing. Sound familiar?

If so, you probably have an outdoor space. Outdoor spaces come in many forms. Yours might be a patio, pergola, gazebo, or deck. You might even have an Ultimate Alfresco outdoor space.

The question is – do you use your outdoor space all year around?

Traditionally, outdoor areas are used more during the temperate months of the year – early summer and early autumn are usually the favourite months for alfresco use here and around Albury Wodonga.

However, designing your outdoor area with a little imagination makes it possible to enjoy your space all year around.

Here are three tips on how to create an outdoor space to suit all seasons.

1.      Create a versatile space

The key to making sure you can use your outdoor area throughout the year is to install some form of shelter. Depending on your preferences, you can choose a range of roofing options, for example, Louvrtec opening roofs can be opened and closed to create shade or let the sun shine through.

You can also create versatile walls using shutters, louvre panels, outdoor blinds or sliding doors to provide you with screening and ventilation options.

Whatever your choice, creating a sheltered alfresco area will help you to get the most of your outdoor space throughout the year.

2.      Install climate control

Australia is a land of extreme temperatures. We regularly get40+º temperatures in Summer and minus temperatures in Winter. And, no-one really wants to be outside in those temperatures…unless you have a climate-controlled outdoor space.

Installing heating and cooling is the best way to counteract these extremes and improve the liveability of your alfresco area.

You have a number of options from electric heating and cooling to fireplaces and misting fans, and more. The choice is up to you.

3.      Have appropriate lighting

You shouldn’t have to head back indoors once the sun goes down. Not when it can be as simple as switching the lights on to keep the party going.

Investing in lighting is not only practical but also a great way to create ambiance. Outdoor lighting comes in many different forms and can be both functional and beautiful. Think about what you’d like your alfresco area to feel like. Warm and cosy with a low lighting, or bright and modern with clean bright lights. When it comes to lighting ideas consider what would be most appropriate for your outdoor space. And, if you need help, talk to us.

Bonus fourth tip – Choose your furniture carefully. Read more about this here.

If you need help creating your dream alfresco to suit all seasons, feel free to contact our Alfresco Specialist, Letitia Awdjew.

Letitia’s Tips – Four Favourite Roofing Options

Posted on by Andrea Grimmond

Four Favourite Roofing Options

When you are deciding on the roofing for your patio, pergola, deck or alfresco, it is important to choose the type of roofing that’s going to best suit your home, and how you use your outdoor area.

Obviously, you want to protect what’s underneath your roof from the cold frosts and rain in Winter and the hot sun of Summer. Therefore your roofing needs to be good quality and installed professionally to provide the right cover for you and your home.

There are a variety of roofing options you can choose. Here are four of our favourites.

1. Louvre roofs – our most popular!

One of our favourite types of roof is the louvred roof. And it comes with various options that can be designed to provide the type of cover you want.

We can work with you to design a roof that integrates with your home seamlessly, allowing you to climate control the sun as you need.

Louvre roofs also offer a range of colour options. We work with the high quality and design options of Louvretec Louvres, who have shared the most popular colour choices in Australia, here 

The Project of the Month features a louvre roof. 

Lourvre Roof

2. Retractable roofs

Retractable roofs ensure you can get the most out of your alfresco area. They offer not just the flexibility of opening or closing the louvres, but also the functionality of opening the whole sky to your outdoor area. With the technology to slide the entire roof open to one side, the sky really is the limit – with an uninterrupted view.

What that means for you is even more versatility to suit the weather conditions. So when the sun is shining on a winter’s day, simply slide the complete roof open and enjoy the blue skies and joyous winter weather.

3. Insulated panels

A popular option in alfresco design to help create an indoor-outdoor feeling and help manage temperatures are insulated ceilings. If you want your alfresco to feel like it is part of your home and create a natural flow from your indoor space to outdoors, having an insulated ceiling can help achieve that. Read more about insulated panels here.

4. Open arbours

An open arbour can provide shelter, or shade, and serve as an accent to your home. It can blend in with the landscape or be a focus point. Usually, the walls and roof consist of open framework, and they are great for growing vines over creating shade in Summer and allowing the sun through in Winter.

At Ultimate Alfresco, we specialise in a range of different roofing options for your home. These include:

  • Retractable roofs
  • Fully openable louvered roofs
  • Fixed end louvered roofs
  • Open arbours
  • Engineered glass roofs
  • Aluminium shade slats
  • Insulated panels
  • Colorbond steel
  • Tiles or any other product to match with existing.
  • And more..

To discuss your patio, pergola or alfresco design options, contact Ultimate Alfresco today.

Project of the Month – June 2018

Posted on by Andrea Grimmond

Project of the Month – June 2018

Before

Our client had tried many options to cover in a courtyard of their newly renovated home.

The products they had tried in the past were either not operable or perishable and unsafe in high winds.

They wanted flexible roofing that would allow them to create shade in Summer and let the sun through in Winter. Of key importance was a quality product would cope easily with strong winds.

After

The beautiful aluminium louvres that we replaced the structure with give full control of weather and sunlight and will stand up to heavy winds.

The value in using a quality builder and product has made the clients ecstatic with their new space and they can’t recommend Ultimate Alfresco more highly.

 To discuss your patio, pergola or alfresco design options, contact Ultimate Alfresco today.

Louvre opening roofs

Posted on by Andrea Grimmond

Louvre opening roofs

Creating flexible alfresco’s

Louvre opening roofs, are not necessarily “new” in alfresco design, but they are becoming increasingly very popular. Why? Because more people are seeking flexibility with weather and light control in their alfresco areas.

So, what do louvre opening roofs offer you?

Here are three reasons:

1.   You control your alfresco environment

When you love being outside in summer, but the glare and heat from the sun is just too much, having an opening roof allows you to create shade, yet still let a breeze through (if there is one).

In winter, simply open up your louvre roof and angle it to allow the winter sun in but without the glare in your eyes.

2.   Reduce your energy consumption

Having the flexibility to better control your alfresco area means that you can reduce the summer heat. And that means you don’t need constant air conditioning.

In winter the reverse applies. Maximising the winter sun and creating a heat bank in your alfresco area reduces the energy required to heat your alfresco area

Therefore, no matter what time of year you are using your alfresco area, a louvre opening roof helps to reduce your energy consumption and therefore your electricity bill.

3.   A custom design to meet your alfresco needs

If you have an existing deck or pool area, a louvre opening roof can be designed to be “retro-fitted” and provide the type of cover you want. 

Alternatively, if you are building an alfresco area for your home, have a custom designed louvre opening roof included to create extra flexibility in how you use your alfresco.

No matter what size your alfresco area is, big or small, your louvre opening roof can be designed to maximise use – all year around

Want to know the technical details?

At Ultimate Alfresco, we have been using Louvretec opening roofs for a number of years and highly recommend them. 

Why Louvretec?

Louvretec offer a number of different opening roofs options, all with exceptional quality and capabilities.

  • Louvretec opening roofs are fully engineered and manufactured to the highest engineering standards and backed by an extensive warranty.
  • All aluminium louvres and extrusions used in Louvretec’s systems are manufactured in an ISO9002 quality assured environment to AS1866 & AS3902 standards.
  • Marine grade T316 stainless steel is used for the drive axles, with stainless steel componentry fixings being standard.
  • Plastic injected moulded componentry is all UV stabilised.
  • All Louvretec motorised systems are powered by leading brand Tubular motors. Both motors and controls are supported with five to seven-year warranties depending on the motor type.

You get an added design bonus as all the drive systems, motors and gearboxes are fully hidden. This creates clean lines for your alfresco area.

  • The Louvretec opening roofs use a spiral pivot system. This enables full 180º louvre rotation, which means you literally control the amount of sun or shade for your alfresco.

If you want the flexibility and benefits of a louvre opening roof for your alfresco area, contact Letitia, our alfresco design specialist.