Hot tubs and swim spas have been the ultimate garden accessory during the 2020 lockdown period. With overseas holidays off-limits, people have maximised the use of their gardens and outdoor spaces. Whether being used for health and wellbeing, to de-stress, or just relaxing with the family, they provide a tonic for everyone.
But now that winter is here, what happens to them?
Case study: The Hockley Project
In August 2020, Caribbean Blinds installed one of their award-winning Outdoor Living Pods™ (the Deluxe model) to protect a six-metre swim spa and hot tub, not just from the ensuing winter elements but so that it can be used all year round.
The client selected the Deluxe model as one single structure can cover up to seven metres in a single module. As the maximum width of the side screens on this model is 6 metres, the area for the back and front screens of the structure has been split so that a central upright allows for two x 3.5 metre screens to span the 7 metres. 2 smaller screens in place of one large one also allows for more flexibility of use.
When was the project started/completed?
The hot tub and swim spa had been installed in 2019. The client contacted Caribbean Blinds in June 2020 and the project was completed eight weeks later in August, ready for the colder, wetter months ahead.
What was the original customer brief?
As a family with a focus on health and wellbeing, the client wanted to use their hot tub/swim spa comfortably all year round. They wanted a fully enclosed structure so that even on the coldest and wettest days they could be in their hot tub in fundamentally, an outdoor room. They had previously installed intricate design trellising around the side, not only for aesthetics but also as a form of windbreak, but it didn’t do the full job.
One of the family wanted the product and the functionality, the other wanted the aesthetics and how it integrated with the current surrounding trellis frame so that it looked as if it had been there from day one, and not as an afterthought.
How did Caribbean Blinds work with the customer to achieve this?
Caribbean Blinds carried out a full site survey, ran through the size and positioning of the structure, then provided a set of drawings to give the clients peace of mind. They were presented with different options as to how the structure could be positioned around the tub, where the electrics and drainage would go and where the posts would fall so as not to obscure the view. The client was then given a formal quotation for sign off. The installation process took three days to complete.
This Deluxe model Outdoor Living Pod™ has screens on all sides so they can close the space in, shutting the roof and dropping the sides down for full protection. If it is a hot sunny day, the roof can be opened up and the sides rolled up or down to protect from the low sun by positioning the blinds accordingly. Everything on the structure is individually controlled so the user has complete flexibility.
On this project, the hot tub was sunk into the ground and the decking raised around the tub. This meant that the structure drainage contained inside the post uprights, could drain beneath the decking, ensuring no surface water and the power feed to the structure could also be concealed. The decking was reinforced in the locations of the post upright, with the posts finishing flush, so it looks as if the structure is naturally placed and not just perched on the top.
Customer testimonial:
"The Outdoor Living Pod has transformed this area completely. We are now able to use both the hot tub and the swim spa all year round. With the automated louvered roof and blinds, it has provided us with so many options to accommodate the typical British weather." Wylsie - Hockley, Essex
The award-winning Outdoor Living Pod™ explained:
As the exclusive brand name for the original louvered roof pergola canopy, the Caribbean Blinds Outdoor Living Pod™ provides the ultimate luxury, all-weather, outdoor living space that gives the customer complete, year-round control of the elements.
Ingeniously designed for those who want to live life outdoors, the innovative rotating louvered roof permits the user to play with light and shade, offering an open-air alfresco feel when left fully open, and ensuring a completely water, wind and even snow-tight roof when closed. Optional windproof screens, ambient LED perimeter lighting and instant infra-red heaters mean a cosy and pleasant environment can be achieved whatever the weather.
Built for durability and longevity, the low maintenance Outdoor Living Pod™ is constructed from super strong, corrosion-resistant, powder-coated aluminium and adapts to any outdoor lounging or dining space, especially complementing hot tubs, swim spas, outdoor kitchens and even gyms.
About Caribbean Blinds:
For over 30 years, Caribbean Blinds has been exclusively designing, manufacturing and supplying the very finest external shading systems that transform the use, functionality, and enjoyment of all types of spaces.
The multi-award-winning family-run business prides itself on offering truly superior and innovative products that will outperform and outlast. Finishing touches and attention to detail set their products apart, whilst their expert advice and knowledge ensures the right external shading system for your application, requirements and budget.
Written by Stuart Dantzic, Managing Director – Caribbean Blinds
https://www.cbsolarshading.co.uk/louvered-roofs/deluxe/
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