We love the sunshine in the UK and the summer of 2020 was one of the hottest on record. While this was great for enjoying lockdown in our gardens, how many UK homes suffered overheating? Standard UK properties are just not designed to cope with excessive heat and this is particularly the case with newbuild properties that have high levels of insulation and panoramic glazing incorporated.
A newbuild property in Saffron Walden which had large, south facing, bi-fold doors suffered from excessive overheating in their open plan kitchen/dining and living space during the heatwave of 2020, despite having so called ‘solar control’ interior blinds to their bi-fold doors. On a mission to ensure their property was adequately shaded for the summer ahead the owner contacted us early in February to explore the most effective shading options.As the bi-fold doors opened outwards onto the generous sized garden, the client did not want to prevent them from fully opening and therefore, a retractable awning was the preferred option. Like most of us in the UK, with travel restrictions still in place, the client was planning to holiday at home again and was therefore looking to extend the patio. This would mean that in terms of an awning, a large projection was required and subsequently our Cuba model awning was selected, with a vast 3.5m depth (arm size) and a width of 5m to fully span the doors and beyond.
As the pinnacle of our range, the Cuba awning features a modern rectangular full cassette design, making it ideal for contemporary (new) properties. The casing, which neatly conceals the awning when retracted and protects it from inclement weather on this project was finished in a durable powder coated White finish to match the doors. Installation of the awning was on spreader plates, which position the awning to the top of the single storey wall to ensure a sufficient pitch (angle) for rain water runoff when the awning is extended, whilst fixing lower down the façade, to ensure a safe and secure attachment.
An integral motor built within the awning fabric barrel is operated from an app on the clients phone, which allows for convenient operation from anywhere, allowing the client to see the exact position of the awning at any time and to adjust it to the exact desired position to suit their needs.
A wind sensor provides added peace of mind, retracting the awning automatically in the case of high winds. For added enjoyment and comfort, full width LED lighting was integrated into the underside of the cassette casing for ambience during darker evenings.
From site survey to installation was just 4 weeks, with the installation effortlessly completed in just under a day.
Like what you see? Why not browse through our website to explore the wonderful external shading options available to keep your home and garden cool this Summer or speak to one of our knowledgeable and friendly team on 0344 800 1947 to discuss your requirements.
