A few months ago we wrote a blog on some of the most common questions that we get asked by our customers – typically homeowners, architects and builders. This latest piece expands on this with a few additional questions.
Probably the most common enquiry we get is ‘Do you offer standard sizes?’ and the simple answer to that is ‘no’. Stella is a bespoke rooflight manufacturer. We don’t produce standard sized, off the shelf products and each one of our rooflights is made to the exact size and specification required by each individual customer.
We understand that this will make us a more expensive option, however, our customers appreciate that when they purchase a Stella rooflight, they are getting something special – a rooflight that is unrivalled in quality and performance, and something very unique to their home.
As all of our rooflights are bespoke made, we are often asked ‘What are your delivery times?’ It is important to note that we design, manufacture and assemble every rooflight right here in the UK. This helps us keep better control of the supply chain and monitor for quality assurance at every stage of the process, while keeping production times to an absolute minimum. As such we are currently working to an 8-9 week timeframe. This period begins once the customer signs off their bespoke technical drawings, which we typically supply within a few days of the order being placed.
We always try and improve our delivery times and will often deliver our rooflights quicker than the period quoted, but we never quote unachievable times simply to get a job. At the time of writing this blog the entire construction industry and associated supply chains are experiencing unprecedented high demand at present, so 8-9 weeks is a realistic timeframe in which to expect your bespoke rooflight to be delivered.
We appreciate that timing is often of the essence. That’s why when we get asked ‘When can you get a quote across to me’ the answer is, the same day – usually within a few hours. We closely monitor all enquiries to our inbox and have a live chat facility on our website, which means most people get an instant response to their questions.
While we are a bespoke manufacturer there are limitations to what is possible, and we often get asked ‘What is the smallest size you can produce?’ We can manufacture some very narrow sized rooflights, which is particularly useful for period properties where the rafters cannot be altered. We can offer bespoke fixed conservation rooflights with a rafter size width as narrow as 250mm. This would provide a clear viewable width of 138mm. It is worth noting that the glass length cannot be greater than ten times that of the width.
Many of our customers also ask ‘Can you produce shaped rooflights?’ to which the reply is, Yes! We are most commonly asked for trapezoidal shapes which are in a fixed design, but as stainless steel is an extremely versatile material, we can usually accommodate most shapes and sizes of rooflight. Please speak to our team for further details.
For those requiring a conservation rooflight, we are frequently asked ‘Are your glazing bars genuine or stuck on?’ This might seem a strange question, but it’s actually very important. The glazing bars on our Stella conservation rooflight are genuine bars which are manufactured from the same 316 stainless steel as the rest of the frame. We do not offer stick on bars because they will only last as long as the adhesive used to put them on and a large percentage of double-sided tapes are not suitable for external applications.
Furthermore, all Stella rooflights are supplied with BioClean Natura, self-clean glass and it is not recommended that tapes or glues are used on this glass as it will damage the glass. Our rooflight glazing bars are only around 40mm wide internally and provide both strength and an original appearance that stuck on bars cannot.
While tiled or slate roofs are the most common type of roof installation, we do get asked ‘Can your rooflights be used on a zinc roof?’ Yes, our rooflights are suitable for a metal roof application. Depending on the design and materials of your roof, it might be possible to use our standard flush fitting rooflight. However, for more corrugated profiles with larger undulating sections, we have a metal roof rooflight which sits on top of a small site built kerb. The outer frame detail of this rooflight turns downwards to allow water to run off the rooflight and onto the roof.
Stella only ever manufacture rooflights using 316 Marine Grade Stainless Steel. The reason for this is justified every time we get asked ‘I need to replace rusting steel rooflights from another manufacturer, can you match their sizes?’ Stella rooflights are regularly used to replace old rusting frames and because we only manufacture from 316 stainless steel our customers do not have the concerns about rusting, even in coastal locations. With each Stella rooflight being designed and sized to meet our customers’ individual requirements, this means that we have the ability to match sizes from other rooflight manufacturers.
Finally, the question we face on a regular basis is ‘Do you offer an installation service?’ We focus all our attention into rooflight manufacturing, so we do not offer an installation service. We can provide advice and guidance and even supply preformed lead flashing kits to assist with the installation of our rooflights.
Our rooflights are reasonably simple to fit, although if you are using our conservation design on a Listed building we would recommend that you use a specialist contractor who understands the requirements of such buildings.
Hopefully this has answered some of the questions you may have about Stella rooflights, however, we are always available to help and advise on your individual project, so please do get in touch with our friendly, knowledgeable team on 01794 745445 or info@stellarooflight.co.uk
