Makeitstop

Andy.... that's good to hear / read. How long ago did you get these installed? As I mentioned above, these would be electric powered, and as you pointed out, the fact they are out of easy reach makes that seem like a sound choice. I also like the idea of the rain sensor. They do sound like a great solution, but a pricey one, granted. Is that right the blinds cost approx £100 per panel? Can you share what size these are? The ones I am considering are likely to be 1000mm by 1200mm per panel, in a bank of several of the same dimension in a longer run.

@ Ferdinand... I'm not so concerned about the u value gain, although I'd be happy to have it, along with the increased soundproofing and reduction in condensation risk. Also, on the modular system, the openers are electric, so no need for manual effort at all.

These are great replies. Thanks folks. As Tony T says, it's the sound deadening benefit I am considering most, but as Prodvae says, the extra protection against condensation would be handy too, especially on glazing stuck in a kitchen ceiling. @ Roundtuit, for what I'm looking at, the diff for 3g over 2g only works out at maybe £300, on a product costing a few £k, so I think maybe it may be worth it. Dudda, this is for a kitchen extension, and while I appreciate the thinking behind using 3g, the rest of my house is 2g PVC. Going 3g in that space alone would be arguably an odd choice I feel. I dont intend using 3g for a sliding door I plan using, so my thinking is heat insulation comes lower on the list than soundproofing (and condensation perhaps as mentioned above) It's a fairly new house and doesn't suffer cold / damp like many older houses, heat / sound insulation can always be better I know

Hi all, Can those with either 2g or 3g velux products share their opinions of them, good and bad. I am looking to use their modular skylights for a kitchen extension and am wondering if there is significant enough gain in 3g. I'm not seeking super u value performance as much as feeling curious on the noise from rain / hail. Happy to have the better u vale too of course, but it's not my primary consideration Any opinions welcome

Fair enough. Not quite the same pain as doing it ground up obviously.

Is your figure based on a more diy approach or contractor?

My views on it are as was suggested in the few posts above this one, plus, the fact that "you" may adjust your thinking on what you'd like. Having said that, if you can lock in a price, but with the scope to adjust at no penalty, then go fo it. Whether anyone would offer that I'm not sure.

It's also risky to commit to something like glazing so far out. Unfortunately, it's the picture were having to deal with at the moment. No one knows whether prices will stabilise, increase or go backwards. Sadly, when a business knows the buying public will tolerate higher prices, they are usually reluctant to bring them down again.

How do you know the plan is +/- 100m?

Real world experiences like these, both good and bad, of systems and companies that supply / fit, is how people can make informed decisions about where to look and aim their money. Keep em coming I say.

To get back on topic for Calvinhobbs.... What are folks views of alternatives to the internorm products?....... Simple aluminium / aluminium clad / whatever What have you installed and are you still happy with your choices, and if not, why not?

Yes, that was my thinking.. "something wrong". As I mentioned previously, the Reynaers product I tried, of a similar size (maybe slightly larger in fact) moved with virtually no effort at all. It was incredibly light to shift and felt like really good solid quality. This is what I am considering using for an upcoming project, although it's not cast in stone. The internorm door however felt difficult to the point of being irritating, even after moving it back and forth less than half a dozen times. It too felt like a really substantial quality product, but shot itself in the foot for feeling borderline unusable. On the subject of customers wanting quality as cheaply as we can get, well yes, I guess that's nearly always true for most of us. However, most of us realise that to obtain "quality" in any product, that we usually have to pay for it. On my own choices, while I'm happy to seek discounts, or drive a deal, I'll suck it up and will pay for things I deem critical for the long term performance of essential elements of a house. Having said that, I'd not really be expecting to have to purchase any kind of service package for a window or door. I've owned enough windows and doors over the last 35+ years to know that in the main, they function perfectly well for years in end. If I am paying for a more premium product, then I'd expect at least the same kind of reliability, and wouldn't be too pleased if things stopped working after 12 months. But yes, customers can be a pain, as I'm sure many of us will know.

Also, this was a PVC door and not wood.

Maybe your correct on that Thorfun, but surely, if they are using a show to promote a product, youd expect a business to ensure the product is showcased in pristine order, to gain as much positive exposure as possible. I found it disappointingly difficult and no matter how efficient it may be, it would drive me nuts if I had it in my own home.

While in Birmingham recently, I called into the grand designs live thingy in the NEC. Saw internorm 3g lift and slide door on display there, which I felt was really rather heavy and unpleasant to move. Beautiful looking quality, but not nice to use. Door must have been maybe 3.8 / 4 metres wide, simple 2 panel slider. Now in comparison, I tried a Reynaers CP130 in a showroom maybe a year ago that was the same kind of size, but 2g. That was totally effortless to operate and was lovely to use. Can anyone tell me... does 3g really make "that much" of a diff to operation?

Yeh, it would be Foxtrot Oscar from me I'm afraid. Tried being reasonable and considerate, but it was always a wasted effort on these numpties. Just to add..... you did the right thing and should be commended for that, but stop it now and avoid / ignore the fools.

I had numerous samples of various cladding earlier this year and liked a product called Millboard shadow line. The burnt cedar looks really good and is very difficult to tell apart from real timber. It has a fantastic textured finish. I decided not to use cladding though.

Ah I see. I note that you mentioned that but was confused by the orientation of the image in your link. It may be worth a call to Velux to ask whether they are able to produce some kind of solution to your preferred scheme. For the modular system of the sort of size you require, they are significantly cheaper than the roofmaker product. That's crazy money.

Cowsgomoo..... Can I just clarify that you do "not" want the window configured to the same orientation as your link displays in your first post (landscape) but that you're looking for something that would be turned, so it sits in portrait?

Jeepers, that's not great value. I'm looking at using Velux Modular skylights for a job. May have a slim bar that breaks each section, but it's so slim it's almost not there. Allows for fixed and opening on same assembly. Here..... https://www.velux.co.uk/products/modular_skylight_domestic/packages_sizes_prices Download brochure and prices and dimensions are shown at bottom.

That's a fair point yes. Cleaning turn controls can be a pain, and I'm a cleaning freak.

Yeh I agree, laminate does the job well, lasts years and can look good enough in a kitchen of many styles. Trouble is, many of us get seduced by the apparent superiority (and beauty) of stones, which although in reality are better in many ways, have their own "issues".

It's one thing that annoys me to a level I cant even put into words. Fiddly God damn touch controls on hobs. May be visibly unattractive, but give me simple turn controls any day

Before on mine

I guess you have soft ground at depth, whereas I have soft / hard / soft / hard / rock, with frequent cobbles and boulder suspected. On your beam costs, for the apparent scale of it, it doesn't look overly horrible, but any saving is worth having isnt it.