Here, Chris Coxon, Head of Marketing at Eurocell, explains how the company’s decision to develop a tiled roof system that transforms conservatories will help customers target the emerging replacement roof market.
“Following one of the coldest winters for over 40 years, a worrying number of homeowners are finding out that their conservatory is not the year-round habitable room that they had once hoped it would be. Even in summer, a conservatory can be unbearably hot to such an extent that it once again becomes uncomfortable just being in the space.
Research by Cranfield School of Management has shown that the vast majority of south-facing conservatories with glass or polycarbonate roofs reach a comfortable temperature for only two hours a day. Outside of these times, a large and expensive amount of energy is required for artificial heating or cooling.
Homeowners then have to face the fact that polycarbonate roofs normally have a life expectancy of around 10 years. Even glass roofs can suffer from issues in some exposed locations. Inevitably that means they may be faced with the problem of leaks and subsequent need for replacement.
The situation is compounded by the fact that replacing an existing aged polycarbonate or glass conservatory roof has, until now, been a difficult and time consuming process. That’s because most systems are not modular, which usually means they take several days just to create a weathertight seal – a prospect few installers or homeowners relish.
It was after listening to these kinds of issues that we have introduced Equinox.
Roof-to-go
Equinox is the latest addition to our range of kits and is a tiled roof system that creates a new replacement roofs market for installers by providing an effective method of making a conservatory comfortable all year-round.
The modular design of the system means that time on-site is dramatically reduced. An installation can be completed in just two working days by a typical fitting team, with the roof made watertight the same day! The system can be fitted on double hipped, gable, Edwardian, Victorian and P-shaped conservatories and tiles are available in a wide choice of colours and materials.
Our tiled roof system has solid insulation panels integrated in the structure to offer superb thermal efficiency. Not only does this create a warmer, more comfortable living area during winter, but also a cooler environment in summer, therefore reducing energy costs. The kits can achieve a U-value of 0.15, which comfortably exceeds current Building Regulations requirements, so can be used to create a new roof on a variety of flat roof structures.
In these situations it transforms the room below to provide a cosy year-round living space, minimise weather noise and enables an architectural interior finish to be created. Tiled roof systems can be used for new projects too, such as a house extension, and the fact that Equinox is available in kit form makes it a very convenient solution.
With service remaining a key consideration for customers, we have made our tiled roof system available through all of our 125-plus branches nationwide. An additional benefit of this is that installers can source colour-matched fascias, soffits and guttering at the same time.
We are confident that our tiled roof system will create market opportunities for installers with the increasing number of homeowners that want to make their new conservatory habitable without facing huge heating or cooling bills. And, with a continual stream of polycarbonate roofs reaching the end of their life, or older glazed roofs falling below modern thermal performance standards, Equinox ticks all the boxes within the replacement sector too.
Despite tough times, conservatories remain an aspirational investment for homeowners provided they create a practical and comfortable year-round habitable space. We recommend that you offer homeowners the option of a tiled roof. It’s definitely worth the initial investment and they will reap the benefits over the years in terms of savings on energy bills and enhanced lifestyles resulting from a better use of space.”
To find out how the 2013 Eurocell roofs range can help you come out on top, call the Eurocell Marketing Response Team on: 0300 333 6525, or visit our Equinox Conservatory Roof pages here.