Well, after finally get ourselves and everything else organised, we now have a stunning Loggia freshly installed on our outdoor show site!

Throughout the process I have taken pictures from start to finish. So here are the images of the build, then at the end there will be my thoughts on the whole thing. If this is your cup of tea, then enjoy!

Look at this sorry thing! It served us well but it was very much the time to get it taken down to make room for the future! Bye bye Rosewood conny!

Look at this sorry thing! It served us well but it was very much the time to get it taken down to make room for the future! Bye bye Rosewood conny!

If you had seen it in the ‘flesh’ you wouldn’t have thought it was a decade old. We do take very good care of our outdoor show site as there aren’t many about and this takes pride of place within our business. It was regularly cleaned inside and out. But the market has changed and our show site has to reflect this. You can see a couple of our guys dismantling it.

We were all very sad at this site! We couldn't wait to get started on the Loggia!

We were all very sad at this site! We couldn’t wait to get started on the Loggia!

A very sad looking foundation…

The lads and the 'boss' on site overseeing the proceedings. Didn't look much at first, but our lads got well stuck in!

The lads and the ‘boss’ on site overseeing the proceedings. Didn’t look much at first, but our lads got well stuck in!

At this point I would like to give credit to Simon Tennant, Ultraframe’s technical guru, otherwise known as site support manager. His knowledge of the product is fantastic, he was helpful during the initial fitting process and put right immediately some of the teething problems you can expect with a brand new product. He traveled a fair distance for quite a few days to make sure everything went smoothly. This was the first time our lads had seen and fitted the Loggia so it was important to have someone like Simon on site to help guide the first install. He was very complimentary of our lads…

The first columns start to go up.

The first columns start to go up.

It was a cold old day, but the lads and Simon carried on through…

Columns up! Eaves beam and frames can be put in place, big moment for the Loggia.

Columns up! Eaves beam and frames can be put in place, big moment for the Loggia.

Thankfully for Ross (our rep), my boss and our surveyor, everything fitted well! With the Loggia you have to be pretty accurate.

As you can now tell, we opted for black. It was a very popular colour for us last year, so we thought black would make a good colour for the show site.

As you can now tell, we opted for black. It was a very popular colour for us last year, so we thought black would make a good colour for the show site.

The roof was a snug fit. The lads found it easy going and liked the idea of the ball ends as you will see in the next few images…

The roof on its way in...

The roof on its way in…

The roof almost glazed...

The roof almost glazed…

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From another angle…

All windows and doors were now glazed at this point. The roof is glazed and the cladding can start to go on. As with anything new, it wasn’t all perfect but Ultraframe are pretty good with the customer service side of things and replacements were ordered…

A good view of the Loggia roof from the inside, pre-box and pre-plaster.

A good view of the Loggia roof from the inside, pre-box and pre-plaster.

Simon was great at this point in explaining how the new roofing system worked. We have a good set of lads are are all ears when it comes to learning something new and took on board all of Simon’s tips and advice when it came to installing.

Almost finished...

Almost finished…

All claddings on, roof complete. All boxed, lined and plastered inside. Brand spanking new floor in. All that was needed was some furniture and we were all set to go, bar the new panel heaters that were due to go in.

A panoramic of the finished inside. Looking absolutely splendid!

A panoramic of the finished inside. Looking absolutely splendid!

We chose to go for a column at one and fully glazed at the other, so we could show our clients that different options are available. We think it looks great like this ourselves, but what do we know?!

Column end...

Column end…

 

Glazed end...

Glazed end…

 

A corner view...

A corner view…

Looking sexy at night!

Looking sexy at night!

It’s looking great with the spotlights! Overall it has taken a while to complete the job. We started pre-Christmas, we were held up with one or two dented cladding panels which have now been resolved, the weather hasn’t helped and we have had to fit it in between the fitting schedules. But we’re there now, and we are so pleased with the result! It’s nice to be one of few installers to have what we think will be the future of the conservatory market.

The help we have had from Ultraframe has also been fantastic. Everyone involved with us from the company in the process has been more than helpful, informative and easy to deal with. I know Ultraframe haven’t always had the best reputation in terms of customer relations, but I think they really have put that all behind them and are on a pretty good path towards better times.

We fully believe in the Loggia. We don’t think it will be difficult to sell it versus the standard conservatory. There are far too many selling points for customers to ignore the advantages and the fantastic looks of the product. It still within the conservatory price range, but cheaper than an extension which is going to be key. And I’ll mention this, we are yet to put the panel heaters in. But the heat that is retained by the Loggia is staggering. I stepped inside it tonight, without any heat source, and it wasn’t even chilly! These really are efficient and will take no time to heat at all!

I think Ultraframe are on to a winner with this one. It won’t be a product that will suit every house, and it has to be designed correctly. But if you come across a customer who is able to put another couple of thousand pounds towards a home improvement, I just cannot see them choosing a standard conservatory over this. It is just far too quality a product to ignore. Job well done Ultraframe!