Clearview National April 2018 - Issue 197 | Page 54

Outdoor Living
If you can dream it, we can make it
Roof Maker is a world leader in the design, manufacture and supply of high
performance rooflights, skylights and bifold doors. Clearview visited the
company’s factory near Leicester for a tour to see the products first hand.
» » WHEN ROOF MAKER FIRST STARTED
out, it primarily sold direct to consumers who
were undertaking home improvements and
renovations. Products were designed using
direct customer feedback, which led to the
creation of some of the best looking and most
durable products available.
Roof Maker now also sells to trade and
building companies, many referred to the
company by their home-owning customers.
This increase in trade sales has continued
over the years and Roof Maker now has
regular transactions with installers, fabricators
and trade counters. It is a global company,
employing 72 people, serving the UK,
Europe, Australia, Dubai and beyond.
Over the years, the company has built a
customer care team which takes the time to
explain everything, from the basics to the
highly technical. The expert team is on hand
to provide customers with all the impartial
advice they need in order to choose the very
best solution for their project.
Paul Mildenstein, Chief Executive Officer,
said: “For trade customers, the ability to get
the product to site when it is needed is a basic
requirement, as well as the guarantee that
each unit will be quick and easy to install. The
assurance that Roof Maker has a high-level of
industry expertise and will deliver the correct
product when it is needed is how this business
has grown.
“We continue to research into
understanding more about our
customers, who are generally
very confident in selecting
their own product whether
via a specifier, architect
or builder. We especially
want to get feedback from
installers and have a two-way
conversation about what they
may find difficult about installations.
For example, I’ve never understood why
different components of rooflights are delivered
on different days. At Roof Maker, our aim is to
have quality products that are delivered on the
same days and installers can easily fit.”
Paul believes that the strong trend
of rooflights will continue with more
inspirational developments in the future. He
said: “There is not generally a huge choice
of rooflights and skylights, and many people
don’t know there is an alternative. There is
a need to educate people about the options.
Some are not even aware of the benefits of
triple glazing.
“Also, people are working more from home
now and there is evidence that more natural light
has health benefits. From an aesthetic point of
view, there are all sorts of exciting things you can
do with rooflights. We have worked on some
great case studies, all of which are detailed on
our website – one for example is a property in
Devon, which has lots of rooflights installed
next to each other creating a massive vista.
If consumers can dream it, Roof Maker can
manufacture a rooflight that will fit.”
HAND-CRAFTED MANUFACTURING
All Roof Maker products are hand-
crafted in its own on-site factory. The two-
acre manufacturing facility has a 30-metre
automated glass manufacturing production
line, capable of producing argon-filled glass
units up to 3000mm x 1200mm in size.
Roof Maker enjoys welcoming visitors to its
showroom and factory, so they can see how
exacting the standards are in creating the very
best products, designed specifically to meet the
needs of individual customers.
54 » A PR 2018 » CL EARVI E W- UK . C O M
Sabahudin Medic, Head of
Engineering and Quality,
guided us around the factory.
He explained: “People are
continuing to stay put in their
homes rather than moving, but
they want more usable living
space and natural light. Our
products enable them to have that,
especially in properties, for example,
like a top floor London flat. They can also
improve the value of their property.”
Roof Maker’s LUXLITE roof window
enables homeowners to get up to 49% more
light than traditional roof windows, as well as
more views, particularly in loft conversions.
The products have been developed specifically
to help maximise light flow and create
dramatic improvements for otherwise dark or
even previously unusable spaces.
We saw in the factory the variety of Roof
Maker’s award-winning range of rooflights.
The company offers fixed flat rooflights,
Slimline rooflights, pyramid rooflights,
opening rooflights, walk-on rooflights and
the spectacular new product, the O-Lite
rooflight. This circular rooflight provides an
eye-catching pool of daylight.
Various glass options are also available,
including Satinova (frosted glass), laminated
glass for security and blue or bronze tinted
glass. Sabahudin said: “Our Solar Control glass
allows maximum natural daylight into homes,
whilst reducing the harmful effect of ultraviolet
and infrared rays. Our subtle blue-tint glass is a
popular option for both rooflights and bi-fold
doors, es