Equinox makes it a triple at pub.
White Hart landlady Liz Haines has happier diners, increased takings and lower heating bills since replacing an aged glass roof on her pub conservatory with an Equinox tiled roof system
from Eurocell.
Liz is now rejoicing in the fact that this winter she will be able to seat diners in her conservatory for the first time ever, which virtually doubles the number of covers she can take.
Located in Margaretting Tye, near Chelmsford in Essex, The White Hart Inn dates back 250 years. The pub has a number of extensions that have been added over the years, the latest of which was the conservatory.
At approximately 16ft by 11ft and having a poorly performing glass roof, customers had frequently commented about how cold the conservatory felt in winter. Even in summer, it became unbearable hot and uncomfortable, all of which resulted in it being unusable for much of the year. Many of the regulars opted to sit in the main pub area where the temperature remained fairly constant.
Looking for a solution that would allow the conservatory to be used for all year round dining, Mrs Haines contacted Mark Shaw of Oakdene Windows for help. After carrying out a survey, he suggested an Equinox tiled roofing system from Eurocell because it has solid insulation panels integrated in the structure that gives exceptional thermal performance – 10 times better than an A-rated window.
That made it a very easy purchase decision for Mrs Haines because she knew that this would create a warmer, more comfortable dining area in winter and a cooler internal environment in summer. As a result of fitting Equinox she has noticed savings on the pub’s heating bills of around 5-10 percent.
Equinox is an advanced tiled roof system that can be used for both new or refurbishment projects, including extensions, pitched roof replacements or conservatories. When it comes to conservatories, the kits, which are available from all 130-plus Eurocell branches, can be installed on Edwardian, Victorian and P-shaped designs.
For customers that want to retain high levels of light passage into their home, pub or any other kind of building looking to maximise natural light without compromising on energy efficiency, Eurocell has designed the system to allow its Building Regulation Part L compliant roof windows to be fitted.
Mrs Haines said: “When I first started looking at options, my fear was that it would mean replacing the entire conservatory, which would have been disruptive to trade and expensive. I was delighted when I realised that Equinox meant that I only needed to replace the roof – it’s saved us a small fortune and the improvements have been outstanding!”
She added: “Not being able to use the conservatory in the winter was having a real effect on our takings. So, the new roof hasn’t just increased the amount of useable space, it’s increased the pub’s revenue – I only wish I’d had Equinox fitted sooner!”
With a traditional exterior to the pub, it was important for Mrs Haines to retain the appealing aesthetics and she chose premium composite slate tiles in Pewter Grey because they complemented the existing roofs at the White Hart Inn. Equinox tiles are manufactured from a recyclable blend of slate and polypropylene, which means, unlike natural slate, they do not shatter, fade, warp or crack.
“I think the Equinox roof looks fabulous and has made the conservatory more in keeping with the rest of the pub,” said Mrs Haines. “Our regulars have been really positive too – they’re much warmer and happier. Plus, they can still enjoy the light and airy feel of the room because of the high ceiling and the rooflights that we had fitted with Equinox.”
Essex-based Oakdene Windows found the Equinox tiled roof quick and easy to install. It usually only takes a three-person team 48 hours, which means that The White Hart Inn was soon back to normal trading. There was minimal disruption to customers during the work, too, as Eurocell supplies Equinox in kits with all components cut to size ready for installation.