Louvred Roofs and Pergolas in Wollongong

A louvred roof for Wollongong's wet summers

Wollongong gets a lot of rain, and plenty of it lands in the warm months. The Bureau of Meteorology's long running weather station at the University of Wollongong recorded around a hundred rainy days a year on average, with March and February the wettest months.

That is exactly when you want to be outdoors. With the blades open you get the breeze and soft, dappled light. When a shower comes over, the blades turn, overlap and seal, and the water runs into a gutter hidden inside the frame and away through the downpipes. The sausages keep cooking and nobody has to move.

Add rain and wind sensors and the roof looks after itself while you are at work. One closes the blades at the first drops, the other shuts or sets them when a gusty change comes through, so you come home to a dry outdoor setting that is ready to use.

When a storm cell comes off the escarpment

In February 2017 a run of thunderstorms dropped hail near Mount Kembla and kept the Wollongong SES busy into the evening, mostly with damaged skylights in the southern suburbs, plus some overflowing gutters. Sudden heavy downpours are simply part of living between the mountain and the sea.

That is why we treat water and wind as part of the design, not an afterthought. At the measure we look at where the downpipes will run and where the water will end up, and the wind and coastal rating is worked out for your site. You get a roof planned around your block, not a one size kit.

Finishing the alfresco in West Dapto

Council estimates around 19,500 homes for the West Dapto release area over the coming decades, so a lot of families out that way are living in brand new houses. If you have built recently, the outdoor area may be the one part of the plan that still feels unfinished.

We are new build specialists, for homes and commercial buildings alike. A louvred pergola off the family room gives the kids shade at lunchtime and a dry spot for dinner when it drizzles, which means the yard you worked so hard for actually gets used through every season. If your estate has its own design rules, check them before you order, as well as Council's.

Attached to the house or standing on its own

An attached louvre roof fixes to your fascia or a wall, so the house carries one side of the structure. It is the usual choice for an alfresco or deck that sits right off the living area.

A freestanding pergola stands on its own posts and footings, so it can go where the house cannot reach, like beside the pool or down the yard where the escarpment view is. It needs more posts and footings, but it gives you far more freedom with placement.

For homes close to the beach we use corrosion resistant framing, hardware, fixings and motor housings rated for salt air, so the roof keeps working smoothly year after year.

Options that turn a pergola into an outdoor room

Every louvred roof is made to fit your space, and the extras are what make it feel like part of the house. The open sides are a great place for zip screens. We have a standard range plus a windproof range designed and engineered for high wind areas, so an exposed deck can be closed in against a cold southerly.

• Motorised blades on a remote or wall switch, or a simple manual crank
• Rain and wind sensors that close or set the blades by themselves
• Smart home or app control on motorised systems
• LED strip lighting run through the frame or blades
• Ceiling fans and outdoor heating strips for warm nights and cool ones
• Zip screens, cafe blinds or privacy screens on the open sides

What shapes the price, and your free measure

The price comes down to the size of the roof, manual or motorised blades, sensors, lighting, heating and screens, and whether it is attached or freestanding. Access to the site and the number of posts and footings also play a part.

Darren comes to you with samples and shows you how the blades move, so you can see and feel the system before you decide. Then we measure, talk through what you want from the space and give you a free quote. Our own team does the install.