Con roof completed !

[kwikfitfitter]

I love them, dont enjoy selling them as we are overpriced as usual, but measuring and fitting is a doddle, if its over £2000 I'll book a whole day

[BlindWizard]

I like them but find as not doing many don't build up enough experience and get out of practice.

I agree that only trained conserv guys should get leads. I find referrals I get from other advisors are usually quoted wrong and often just quotes not orders.

Heard that we are getting new system next year.

[nonails]

Re Conservtory leads only going to Conservatory roof trained fitters !! Bunkum!!

Conservatory leads have always gone to "!conservatory trained agents!" however I am not and never will be a trained roof fitter---too awkward, too hot, too high, dodgy product, iffy fittings and relatively average money.

What those who live in Ivory Towers and who are born with the cranium positioned rectally do not know, realize or comprehend, is that when I go on a call and am shown a conservatory by the client I will happily sell the rollers, venetians or verticals or whatever they fancy for the walls.
If they want the roof doing I suggest they get the walls done first, and then if they still feel they want the roof doing I pass it over to a specialist agent--leaving him space to fit whatever pleateds he wants to do.
NO WAY am I walking out of a lead that turns out to be a full conservatory just because I do not have roof training, or because Central Leads did not suss it was a conservatory . Get a life!! By NOT selling the roof upfont and offering the option to buy it later I cement the wall product sale.

NoNails

[BlindWizard]

I think you have a point nonails.

We are more likely to get the sides, have the range compared to sandersons and they undercut us on the roofs nowadays. As you say once they've dealt with us for sides would probably automatically come to us for roof. Only thing is need to make sure enough space left for roof blinds later.

[pyramid]

Just got my first order for conservatory walls in pleated . I will need 30mm clearance for the handles on two sides , any advice on what bracket / bracket extensions I should use for the headrails and cord guides. ( tab controls )

[desmorse]

I find some of the comments on roof blind prices strange. I've never been undercut by Sandersons and I rarely sell 25mm. A very high proportion of what I do sell is powercrank, especially on lean to conservatories. There is a lot of work involved, esp. on shapes, so why discount? If it's a large shaped order, I'll work with a local colleague and split the commission, mainly because at 54, I don't want to do a 12 hour stint up a ladder. It's also nice to have someone to work with when doing this sort fit. Drops the money down, but money isn't everything.

Sandersons are based 4 miles from my home, so they look on this as their territory

[desmorse]

Pyramid,
use UEBs, but only the back half. Screw top fix bracket into front hole. Don't forget to allow for depth of blind when measuring in to corners. Tab bottom shoes will need to be screwed in to sill.
Personally, I avoid tab blinds unless on doors or into window beads. Fitting top to bottom and clearing handles means you have the side cords protruding. Any small children will play with these, and if they manage to knock a cord out of the shoe, the blind comes down at a hell of a rate. If it catches head or arms, it hurts. I speak from personal painful experience.
I've done this style 3 times, but ensured customer is aware of cord positions and no children will be left playing in there. Too late for this job, but if customer really wants tab, try and do it in to window beading. It doubles the number of blinds and can be quite expensive, but looks very neat and is much safer. If extra price becomes an issue, suggest doing just the bottom windows, often customers are happy as this gives them privacy but allows ventilation. If they really want top doing but baulk at extra cost, I just split the difference between the 2 prices. Small tab blinds are a stupid price.

[gloryboy]

GVM,
i'm often asked about fitting into window beads but am hesitant about fitting to molded ones as am not sure whether brackets will rock.
also do you use roof system for them or tab with poxy shoes at bottom?
where do you measure widths to for corners of frames as well?
appreciate you experience.
training just said yeah its ok to fit to beading!

[desmorse]

gloryboy, I always use tab blinds on windows, including tilt&turn. Only use roof style on Velux type windows.
There are 4 types of beading I've fitted in to: flat, 45 deg mitre, convex and concave.

Hate to sound like a Hillarys trainer, but use a sample headrail.
Flat and mitre are easy, lay your sample rail in, if you can get the bracket and shoe screws in, even if the rail protrudes slightly, go for it. For flat, measure glass, knock off 2mm and order exact. For mitre, I measure glass, add 3mm and order exact. Don't know why, but it works for me.
Convex and concave are more tricky, suggest you don't start with these. For concave (radius's in) I lay sample rail in to get best compromise between maximum coverage and rail not protruding. Measure 1 in relation to glass, if say 2mm each side, measure all windows glass size and add 4mm to each.
Convex (radius coming out) measure is same as concave but when fitting you must make sure each top screw goes in at same angle, otherwise brackets and headrails are at different angles and levels.
Obviously when screwing in, ensure screw goes at such an angle it doesn't hit the glass. I've done 32 of these in 1 conservatory, and numerous others. The @rse 'ole twitches a bit on the first few, but now it's like shelling peas and good money. It's actually quicker than surface mounting as you don't need to assemble the bottom bracket, the shoe screws straight in to the bead.

[BlindWizard]

gvm
Found your post very informative. Done flat and 45 deg mitre but stayed away from convex and concave. Agree with you they look great but you do worry on your first fit., my first was over 30 blinds and could not get any info from anyone except a few advisors who said don't do it !!

Be nice to have some spaces in shape of convex and concave beading. Sandersons have rail at bottom instead of shoes, must make it even quicker to fit.

Thanks for info, will be brave and try the shaped
beading now.

[greenpesto]

Pyramid!!!
Try using a standard 3 1/2" verticals f/fix bracket if selling 25mm system. Works for me every time!

For those fitting pleated walls ... I always sell 'freehangs'. If you are to fit fixed pleated into glass area I thought we had the 'Strap' bracket for that? This should overcome the angled fit regardless of 'beading' & keep the rails straight. You can front drill into the pvc-u & secure with the short 'self-tappers' we get with all roof orders. You can turn the 'strap' bracket to be closer to the glass or fit forward of the frame. The 'downside' is those stupid 'donut washers' which I hate.
Would rather we switched to M4 'machine type nut & bolts'. I might even sell 20mm roof if they did this!

I like selling & fitting roofs, but since the change over to CLG I don't get the number of leads I used to. I am surrounded by Advisers that seem to 'spu*k these leads up the wall!!!!!'

[gloryboy]

GVM,
do you use standard issue screws into beading? or buy shorter?
GB

[gloryboy]

fitted 3 rectangle 20mm roof today,
all 3 packaged differently.
1 had the thumb grip centred 1 had it off centre 3cm the other 6cm off!

Hillarys expect us to treat each customer uniformly whether they are an oap wanting 3 for £99 in cornwall or Rafa Benitez wanting his conservatories fitted out in Liverpool. why can't they make and pack 3 blinds for one order exactly the same?

[russell]

you all must be MAD not too sell roofs i won 2 red letter days last year doing what i do anyway dont you want to earn average 450pounds a day i sell and fit alone and have sold loads of roof blinds 20 25m some are problems but who do you know that earns 450 a day cant belive your turning money down wish my agencie was next to yours i would clean up ;D ;D ;D

[desmorse]

gloryboy,
I use the standard 3/4" screws for top brackets and the standard issue screws for the shoes. To begin with, I used the donut screws for the top brackets, but they didn't always give a secure fix, so use the 3/4" ones and screw vertically.
Occasionally the beading has been so thin these haven't gripped either, so have used the 1,1/4" no. 6 issued with wood blinds to go through beading and into door frame. This has only happened on a couple of jobs, generally the bead is quite secure.