Browse Forums Outdoor Living 1 Jan 16, 2015 12:46 am Hi All, We are planning on having a 4.2 m (N-S) x 5.8 m (E-W) alfresco which is north & west facing ... ... and have so far designed 3 skylights 600 x 1200 using translucent perspex at the south half of the alfresco roof. We would like to maximise the light into the house, but still have the option of having a closed alfresco roof (if hot, or raining), so one option would be to go for an openable louvre roof. Expensive, but appears to fit the bill. Would like to hear others experiences with skylights in the alfresco, or having a retractable louvre roof Would the north-west orientation anyway negate the benefits of having a louvre roof? Re: Alfresco - Retractable louvre roof ('vergola') Vs Skylig 2Jan 21, 2015 8:04 am Personally I wouldn't put those skylights in the alfresco roof. In summer they will let a lot of the hot summer sun into that area which would make it a bit uncomfortable. Vergolas are good but they are not a retractable roof - they are openable louvres only. The other thing about them is that they are not completely waterproof either, only in light rain. Friends of ours have one over their 8m x 8m deck and when the rain gets heavier the Vergola starts to let in light spray. Hardly ideal if you are having a dinner party out there. I think from memory this has to do with which way the louvres are orientated and which direction the rain is coming from. They also have a rain sensor for theirs which is a great idea. Stewie Re: Alfresco - Retractable louvre roof ('vergola') Vs Skylig 3Jan 29, 2015 11:01 am There is a new retractable roof system on the market called Libart which is a sliding stacking roof system Re: Alfresco - Retractable louvre roof ('vergola') Vs Skylig 4Feb 07, 2015 1:39 pm Also - look for "fly-overs". They are quite nice and can really suit a house. We used - http://www.apollopatios.com.au/site/product_decks.htm also - http://www.freedomscreens.com.au/freedo ... zipline/#3 We used the latter for our retractable screen for our cedar stacker doors. About 6 metres all up. BUT - they can go around the deck/patio/al fresco - ie enclosing it from insects but leaving it open for breeze etc. Not as expensive as I thought it might be. Re: Alfresco - Retractable louvre roof ('vergola') Vs Skylig 5Feb 07, 2015 1:42 pm Retractable louvers can be very expensive. Re: Alfresco - Retractable louvre roof ('vergola') Vs Skylig 6Feb 12, 2015 10:49 pm Thanks guys... leaning towards the adjustable louvres ... combination of light, ventilation and rain protection all in one, but pricey. Also, been told that when it rains the lighter coloured ones can look a little dirty, when open. Re: Alfresco - Retractable louvre roof ('vergola') Vs Skylig 7Sep 03, 2015 8:31 pm Flyovers like the ones here http://www.instylepatios.com.au/flyover-or-raised.html won't maximise the light but will give good ventilation. Have you considered the Stratco Sunroof like the one here http://www.instylepatios.com.au/sunroof ... -roof.html As someone mentioned they are not 100% waterproof and quite expensive Re: Alfresco - Retractable louvre roof ('vergola') Vs Skylig 8Sep 06, 2015 6:29 pm Probably a bit late to comment now but we had a Vergola approx 8 m x 5 m, yes it was expensive but worth every cent. As for rain spray coming in, this was very rare and the rain had to be very heavy and at a particular angle, certainly not something that would cause you not to get one. The only downside is that we choose paperbark for the colour which got quite dirty and it was a massive job to clean it. No doubt our open fire didn't help as there was a bit of black soot/ash, so maybe a darker colour would help. My build thread: Custom build on 40 acres viewtopic.php?f=31&t=75656 Re: Alfresco - Retractable louvre roof ('vergola') Vs Skylig 10Sep 22, 2015 8:43 pm It was a while ago now probably 7 years ago. It was a decent size with a gable, we were quoted supply & install $21k but my husband ended up installing it himself so materials were $16k My build thread: Custom build on 40 acres viewtopic.php?f=31&t=75656 It might be a bit darker in the mornings but the light is still light, so you should be getting it. Similar to what you see from your western windows 3 19987 Hello! I've alfresco pitch of 3 degrees sitting just below the highlight window. Need advice on below: 1. Will the 3 degree pitch be ok to drain the rain water? The roof… 0 4194 Hi everyone, Newbie renovator here, after some advice for combining our family room in the picture and the alfresco and make a larger family room. There is a flush sill… 0 4890 |