No need to fear four seasons in a day
It’s what the team at Louvretec do best – custom make opening louvre roofs in a range of styles to suit any area.
‘‘An opening roof can transform an unusable area into a comfortable and functional space day or night - which comes in handy in NZ where we can sometimes experience four seasons in one day,’’ says marketing manager Rebecca King.
‘‘In New Zealand our weather can change in a heartbeat, so these roofs really can open your home to the beauty of outdoor life while enjoying protection from the elements.’’
The opening louvre roofs come in seven different styles, with blade widths ranging from 180 to 200mm.
‘‘The type of roof system depends on location, if you’ve got a beautiful clifftop house you might need a Super Roof with 200mm blades designed for coastal living and windy conditions,’’ explains Rebecca.
Made from the highest grade aluminium, the louvres can be powder coated in many colour options.
While the home’s location will determine the style of roof required, homeowners will be able to control the wind, sun and rain automatically, says Rebecca.
‘‘When entertaining friends or family, you may wish to close the roof for atmosphere or intimacy – the panels form a smooth ceiling adding to the refined effect of the design.
‘‘Or on the perfect night, open the roof to create the perfect mood for a moonlit dinner by letting in the stars.’’
An opening roof can be a valuable addition to an existing home or part of a new build.
‘‘It’s got that whole functionality, but it also has that design aesthetic – you can put an opening roof on a beautiful glass box home, or a standard, plainlooking brick house and suddenly you’re giving it a beautiful facelift with that architectural design element to it.’’
Either way, it’s all about getting Kiwis outdoors regardless of weather.
‘‘You can arrange a barbecue in advance and if the weather is uncertain, you can still be outside – it’s about creating outdoor rooms.’’
Most opening roofs are put over existing or new decks, and usually adjacent to living areas.
‘‘That space automatically becomes a gathering place, people are naturally drawn to sitting outside underneath an opening roof.
‘‘It balances indoor/outdoor living, it creates flow, it increases functionality and it maximises every available bit of space if you want it to.’’
Rebecca says homeowners who have opted for opening roofs all comment on how it’s a subtle extension to their home.
‘‘They say it feels lighter and brighter, and what was an unused area becomes their new favourite room, a place to hang out.’’
One homeowner describes how their deck was unusable for much of the year as it is exposed to the full strength of the predominant cold, southwest wind and on sunny days it became too hot to be outside.
‘‘We were concerned that a wide roof over the deck would shade the living room too much, but our new opening roof resolved that issue, providing the shade in the summer and opening to let the sun into the living room in the winter, and it looks great too.’’
Another family wanted to maximise their living space and the opening roof has achieved this.
‘‘We use our outdoor area often, it’s a comfortable, functional space that we all enjoy, and it has given our home a seamless flow to the outside which is perfect for our three boys.’’
Most homeowners install opening roofs to connect the indoors with the outdoors and to gain extra space.
‘‘People in townhouses where every square metre is premium, often use them to create another room where they can relax or entertain friends.
‘‘Others use them for entertaining friends or family, or even to give the kids somewhere to play, when the weather is iffy – it’s how Kiwis like to live.’’
Auckland-based Louvretec has been in the business of aluminium louvres for 20 years now and while the opening roof is its most popular product, it has added to its range to enhance outdoor rooms.
There’s an all-glass sliding door system that encloses an outdoor room, there are mesh and clear outdoor blinds, as well as louvre shutters and sun louvres.
‘‘What we find is that most people will start with an opening roof and then the next step when they are ready is to close in the sides with outdoor blinds or glass or louvre shutters to create a complete outdoor room,’’ says Rebecca.
Sun louvres, either motorised or fixed, are often found at the ends of decks, or in spaces where homeowners need protection from the elements or privacy from neighbours, she says.
They are also installed over windows, for privacy, sun control or purely for design aesthetics.
‘‘You can use them as eyebrows, so they come out from a building and run horizontally, which can make a home look amazing and give sun control as well.’’
Glass sliding doors, made to New Zealand safety standards in terms of thickness, are becoming increasingly popular too.
‘‘Imagine glass panels, you pull the first one along, and the other panels follow so you end up with an empty space where the glass doors were,’’ says Rebecca.
‘‘Or you can get unconnected glass panels that can be opened over the entire frontage of a deck and parked as a narrow stack on the side.’’
As Rebecca says, creating additional rooms, especially outdoors, will retain and enhance the beauty and character of a property.
‘‘The benefits are huge – not only can you increase the value of your property, you can open up your home, throw open the doors and you’ve still got protection from the elements while also having more room to relax, entertain or just take in the moment.’’ If you have a patio, porch, balcony or deck that is unusable for much of the year then an opening roof might be the answer.