Home Blog FAQs General Faqs

  • Who makes the best aluminium louvre pergolas?

    There are so many rebranded louvre pergolas in the UK now it is difficult to work out the differences and performance expectations. Like many products now with AI and CGI they tend to all look the same sometimes on a screen.

    The best pergola systems using rotating aluminum blades will generally be ones which are used in larger commercial applications, as well as domestic. The best systems are inevitably the more expensive ones and this is simply because the louvre pergola has multiple moving mechanical parts and the pergola framework also needs to be totally stable in all weather conditions in order to work every time.

    Cheaper, smaller support legs and roof structures will move around in high winds, or even if a person happens to lean or fall onto a support post. Lower quality aluminium blades on the roof using cheaper mechanisms for the rotation, whether manual or electric, can rattle in the wind and fail if the structure moves around too much.

    Put simply, for a reliable and long lasting louvre pergola systems, especially freestanding models, you need the system to be robust and developed for larger sizes and commercial use if possible. Yes, it will cost more, but last you a very long time compared to a cheaper system always battling our ever more aggressive climate and high wind speeds.

    Some higher end manufacturers for louvre pergolas which can be used in commercial and domestic applications include:

    • KE – The Kedry range offers 5 models to cover various sizes and specifications, with all systems made to order for the perfect final results.
    • Weinor Artares – German manufactured louvre pergola with excellent options for add on and enclosure, with their own highly developed glass doors, vertical electric blinds and LED lighting.
    • Morvelle – UK manufactured louvre pergola offering beautiful colour finishes which have been developed specifically for the UK market and property. Bespoke shapes and sizes offered

  • What are the benefits of a glass veranda?

    The glass veranda is possibly one the very best all round outdoor weather protection systems for use in the UK, both for domestic and commercial applications.

    The standard wall mounted glass veranda offers a total 100% waterproof roof, but also maintains the highest natural light levels at all times, a major benefit often not thought about by customers. As a basic glass roof you will be able to sit outside for so many more months of the year when it may be warm or even hot, but also raining. You don’t need to worry about the wind and can also block in one or more sides to prevent prevailing winds with any number of optional fixed or retractable enclosure systems such as vertical blinds, sliding glass or louvre bladed walls.

    The ultimate glass veranda is always purchased with a built in retractable fabric roof blind as this will give you protection from the intense heat and light of the midday sun in the summer. The current best system for this is the Lewens Murano Integrale.

    With all glass verandas rainwater is taken off the roof via a built in front guttering profile and directed down to low level via the front support posts. No splashing or flooding of water.

    With a glass veranda you define an outdoor space and build around it to create your perfect protected space for all kinds of activities and general living or entertaining. In most cases, depending on the direction your veranda faces and other influences on the wind and rain, it is thought a glass veranda will give you 4 full extra months outside in the spring and autumn, plus all the rainy days in the summertime..

    Invest in the best you can afford and you have a quality and robust product to give you so many years of pleasure and enjoyable, healthy outdoor living….

  • How much do louvered roof pergolas cost?

    Like so many outdoor weather protection and sun shading products the prices vary a lot and mainly depending if it is a simple, lightweight DIY system or a bespoke, heavy duty, commercial specification system capable of larger sizes, bespoke shapes and carrying additional products to enhance the weather protection on the sides.

    Cheap, DIY systems with questionable stability and suitability for high winds and heavy rain are supplied by many online suppliers and garden centres between around £2,000 and £6,000 in limited colours and sizes.

    A mid price range, electric, louvre roof, aluminium pergola, with some essential LED lighting included and which is also free standing at around 4m x 4m would be about £15,000 inc. VAT. This would be a suitable system for domestic and commercial and have multiple colour choices. A higher specification louvre pergola with LED lighting, 3 sides infilled with a choice of sliding glass or retractable electric blinds could be around £20,000 – 25,000 for a 4m x 4m size.

    A fully retracting electric louvre blade roof with adaptable sides, LED lighting and heaters would be around £30,000 – £35,000 in a 5m x 4m size for comparison.

    Our bespoke electric pergolas can be coupled for much larger sizes and have the largest of rainwater guttering and support post dimensions to provide the strength required to add other products like sliding glass doors or electric vertical blinds and further enhance the pergola and its yearly use.

  • What are the disadvantages of a louvered pergola roof?

    A common disadvantage reported, which is possibly obvious, but not to everyone, is that a bladed aluminium louvre roof protects from the rainfall only when the blades are totally closed up. With the blades closed you will block out most natural light and it can be very dark underneath such a system, even in the daytime. A better alternative is a glass veranda roof, which not only protects with 100% waterproof guarantee, you also get all the natural light all the time. Fitted with a retractable fabric blind and you have sun and rain control sorted.

    Many cheaper louvre roof bladed roof pergolas will only rotate less or to 90 degrees, where more expensive and generally electric operated systems can rotate up to 140 degrees to give fresh air flow in 2 directions and also more sunlight control. Most louvre pergolas have fixed position blades, so you can only ever get partial light ingress, but there are retractable systems available where the roof rotates the blades to a vertical position and then the blades slide along to provide up to 80% complete open air space.

    You may always feel a little oppressed under a bladed pergola roof if there isn’t full sunlight. The louvre blade system originated in far sunnier climates compared to the UK, where we actually want to get more sunlight generally when it appears and not less…

    A proper specified and usually electric operated, louvre pergola, with the ability to add sliding glass doors or other systems to the side can create a great outdoor space, but we would always recommend you have good LED lighting built in and they are actually often better for evening use generally, although never insulated in any way… A louvre pergola roof system which is bespoke, retractable and manufactured for both commercial and domestic applications will be your best option if this is the product for you and your home or business. Expect to pay £10-15,000 plus for anything decent which will last in all weathers.

  • Are louvre roof pergolas totally waterproof?

    The straight answer is NO. Many brands claim to be, but very few outdoor pergola systems are 100% waterproof. They can be very good when manufactured to commercial grade before they are more waterproof guaranteed.

    The biggest area for potential failure with a louvre blade pergola system is the rainwater guttering and drainage system used. The rainwater is meant to run off the slightly sloped angle of the aluminium blades when closed and into an internal rainwater guttering system around the perimeter of the roof structure on all 4 sides. The guttering is internal and if the rainfall is ever so heavy that it overwhelms the gutters, then the rainwater will spill over and out inside the pergola.

    Different pergolas have different size guttering and this is usually down to price level scaling, with commercial systems having the largest guttering and DIY garden centre systems having the smallest guttering.

    Many cheap louvre pergolas, many of which have flooded the UK market since Covid hit the UK, are quite flimsy in their profiles and would struggle in both high winds or heavy rainfall to provide weather protection and also remain stable. Any movement in a pergola with rotating aluminium blades can easily lead to the blades getting jammed. It can also lead to gaps and potential leak areas too.

    Quite simply the more you pay for a louvre pergola the more material content you will get and the heavier duty the system will be, along with larger rainwater guttering and more robust blades and mechanisms. A good judge of the quality can also be if the pergola is built with the ability to take additional sliding glass doors or other robust side infills either at the time of purchase or further down the line.. Vertical fabric blinds will also vary massively in quality and performance in windy conditions.

    All louvre pergolas are built as outdoor living rooms and as such you should not expect to ever be 100% rain protected in reality..

    Any brands claiming 100% waterproof are very brave…

  • Why would you have a glass veranda at your home?

    Although the term ‘veranda’ in widely adopted now for either polycarbonate or glass structures providing protection from the rain the general reason for having one at al remains the same… A veranda provides an extension of your main home where you can sit, relax, entertain, eat, drink and generally be healthier and hopefully happier by just being outside.. You define an outdoor space with a veranda, a place to have outdoor furniture, various forms of heating for outside, maybe a cooking facility next to or nearby and so on. A veranda is a weather protection system to be used all year round if you really want to. It protects from the rain perfectly, it doesn’t make the space underneath darker because of the natural light coming through the roof and it gives you the basis for additional weather protection systems to the front or sides if required to enable more control over the sun or wind.. It is one of the most perfect UK weather solutions systems, especially as it is generally seen now the climate here is going towards a more tropical behavior. Warmer overall with very hot spells, but also a lot wetter too. Protection from rainfall will become a bigger topic in the coming years for sure…

  • Does an aluminium glass veranda add value to your UK home?

    As with many home improvements and upgrades if you select the right designs, colours and specification then definitely a veranda can add real value to your home and attract other buyers who appreciate outdoor spaces and gardens. The right size, colour and shape, along with options to enhance its use all year round will definitely return value as invested initially. The highest quality aluminium verandas will last very many years beyond their 10 year guarantees, to be a permanent addition to your home. Recent UK press articles have openly discussed the devaluing of homes with cheap Upvc conservatories, simply because a cheap conservatory is almost useless in many cases and some conclusions were you are better off removing them. An aluminum glass veranda is nothing like a conservatory and more represents the future of British weather, as we are seemingly moving fast towards a more tropical climate here. Wetter and hotter.. Protect yourself from the rain, but also know it is definitely warm enough to sit outside if properly protected…

  • Are aluminium verandas waterproof?

    The glass or polycarbonate roof for an aluminium veranda is 100% waterproof and is a solid impervious roof to rain. Obviously it is only the roof which is waterproof and rain falling with a reasonable wind as well will inevitably blow in at an angle. We suggest various options for the prevailing wind open sides from sliding glass doors, vertical zip blinds, solid glass and louvred bladed walling amongst the most popular options. The rainfall which blows in will all depend on your veranda position and whether it sits in a corner of a house or is fully exposed with one side to the West. We never recommend glass verandas for North facing aspects, as in reality these are not areas where you would generally want to sit. The rain protection for an aluminum glass veranda is far more guaranteed than any louvre bladed system and also has an external guttering system. If the rainfall was ever torrential and

  • Is a Glass Veranda best made from aluminium?

    In the UK and further developed in Northern Europe, the use of aluminium framework glass verandas is growing fast. They offer great protection from rain and provide maximum natural light underneath with 100% waterproof protection… Aluminium is generally one of the best materials to construct medium to larger structures used externally. It resists corrosion well and is light, but strong. The original concept of a veranda goes back hundreds of years and in many hotter countries they are part of the basic design for the house, although not the case here in the UK. The aluminium constructed veranda will provide excellent strength and stability in all weathers whilst being the best material for longevity, especially when it has to deal with the ferocious and very changeable climate of the UK.

    We may think our weather is mild, but it is subject to very large fluctuations in air moisture content, which challenges many outdoor fitted building materials throughout the year. Going from hot a dry to cold and wet so quickly challenges other materials fitted outside to the limits. Aluminium verandas will only get more popular as the weather changes and is more unpredictable. We all like being outdoors far more and need to protect where we can without building extensions and conservatories, which simply don’t give that same outdoor to indoor integration and freedom of fresh air flow..

  • How do I choose the right Glass Veranda style for my property?

    Many of the various styles and models of glass veranda available will be best suited depending on the size of system you are after. Some models with large profile roof bars won’t suit smaller sizes and verandas with smaller profiles won’t look so good in larger sizes. It is often a matter of proportion, but there are also some obvious differences when it comes to a sloping or flat roof veranda style.

    We offer verandas with curved rounded front profiles, flat square profiles and Victorian styles with decorative inserts and support posts with decorative bases. The roof bars vary from almost flat to raised and profiled in varying shapes and sizes.

    We hope to offer a veranda for almost every style of home and every size option ever required with almost no limits on the width possible. The projections are normally limited to a maximum of 6 metres.

    Speak to our experts if you want choices to match your taste and house style..