Eurocell, the UK’s leading manufacturer, distributor and recycler of PVC-U building products, has announced a raft of updates to its market-leading Equinox solid conservatory roof.
Launched in 2013 as an alternative to replacement and new conservatory polycarbonate and glass roofs, Equinox offers the excellent thermal performance and ventilation that allows conservatories to be used all year round. Its accurate prefabrication and easy-to-make and fit system design make it a firm favourite with fabricators and installers.
Now Eurocell have made a series of updates and improvements to ensure it continues to meet the evolving needs of the trade and homeowners.
To meet end users’ desire for natural light as well as a comfortable living environment, Eurocell engineers have designed full height glazing panels to feature in the system. Individual panels up to one metre wide and three metres high of clear glass allow lighter, sunlit conservatories and several panels can be accommodated that give an impression of even more space. The new glazed version is known as Equinox Vega, named after one of the brightest stars in the northern hemisphere.
In terms of system design, the aluminium rafters in the lightweight roof have been separated from the deck, enlarging the air gap. This means that Equinox is currently the only fully ventilated solid roof solution available in the UK. A new fixed pitch option increases installer choice and helps make common pitch angles even easier to fit, while the variable pitch option remains for more complex roofs.
Other changes include the use of battens to create the air gap necessary for better ventilation; a switch from Polyisocyanurate (PIR) insulation to Styrene, which is 100% recyclable and contains no harmful CFCs or HCFCs; and upgraded 18mm OSB3 boarding to increase structural strength in line with regulations for flat roofs with a pitch of 10 degrees or less. OSB is also a more sustainable choice than plywood because it is produced from younger, faster growing trees.
The innovative SlateSkin sheet tile system now features a mechanism that provides a neater vertical joint between 6m strips of tiles, resulting in a seamless finish for roofs over 6m long. And a new method for fitting the front row of tiles means all fixing screws are completely hidden, providing a neater look and better sightlines. Eurocell has increased customer tile choice further with the introduction of slate-effect envirotile composite tiles as an option. Available in Grey, Brown, Terracotta and Black and made from 75% recycled materials, multiple tiles can be fitted together, making envirotile more attractive to installers than single-tile fit composite products.
Commenting on the updates to Equinox, Conservatory Roofs Manager Sean Bunyan said: “The latest version of our Equinox conservatory roof shows how committed we are to continually improving and developing our products. As styles change, new regulations emerge and materials technology evolves, installers know they can rely on Eurocell to give them the products they need to adapt and compete.”
What hasn’t changed, Eurocell are quick to point out, are the quality assurance and service support they have always provided. The complete Equinox system is guaranteed for 10 years and carries Local Authority Building Control (LABC) and LABSS certification.
Kit quotation requests are turned around within an hour, roofs are delivered in 6 working days, and a dedicated technical support team means help is always at hand. All components needed to install a complete roof come as part of the Equinox ‘one-box’ kit solution, including tile sheets, hip end caps, ridge and hip top caps and all fixings.
