Gilkicker Ltd
We have worked together for almost thirty years and since 2007 we have run our own business called Gilkicker Ltd when we installed our first Light ‘n’ Shade louvreroof on a private dwelling on the Hampshire coast. Prior to establishing Gilkicker Ltd. we both worked for a major international roofing materials group and spent a great deal of time managing parts of that groups operations in the UK and across Europe. The motivation to set up our own business was driven by time and lifestyle. We both knew that we were not getting any younger and that if we didn`t take the step to start our own business by the time we were past our late 40`s and early 50`s then we probably wouldn`t do it. We also felt that the corporate lifestyle that senior management positions within a large international group demand had lost a lot of its appeal. We had been in the corporate world for a long time and it was time for a change.
Our knowledge and experience is in roofing and roofing materials, so it was inevitable that our business venture would be in this area. We wanted to steer clear of our former employer’s direct areas of activity as we still have many friends there, so we established a name and solid reputation in the area of bespoke roofing materials for outdoor areas.
Over the years we had seen the trend of people and businesses developing areas outside their homes and properties for outdoor pursuits or outdoor lifestyles increase rapidly in popularity.
Covering and weatherproofing these areas was often a DIY project or an awning was purchased to give protection. Pubs and restaurants started to provide more permanent solutions such as large umbrellas or again utilise awnings.
However, the rise in outdoor living gained momentum and people’s expectations were that they would like to spend more time outdoors whenever they could. Decking started to become very popular and the next logical step was to have something built over the deck or patio to give the area a more permanent appearance and provide shelter.
Popular television programmes such as BBC`s Ground Force helped keep the growth and interest in spending time outdoors moving and many of their projects involved installing decks, patios and pergolas for people to sit and relax in their gardens.
Within the roofing industry some products started to be used regularly on outside areas such as single or multiwall polycarbonate sheets or solid roofs of metal, shingles or tiles. However, these products can have some disadvantages for outdoor areas as they either let in too much light and heat making the area underneath uncomfortably hot or they do not let in enough light making any adjoining building interiors too dark at certain times of the year.
Adjustable outdoor roofs are becoming an essential item for most outdoor kitchen and dining areas and increasingly we are being asked to fit them with a whole range of accessories such as lights, heating, sound systems and home cinema equipment.
We are often asked why we don’t offer standard options or standard solutions with our products and services. Our answer is simple and is reinforced on almost every job we get involved with and it is this….
These additional requirements for an outdoor roof sound fairly simple, however, it is not quite as simple as it at first seems. We all know that the Earth orbits the Sun and it takes a year for it to do so. At the same time the Earth is spinning on its (tilted) axis making one complete turn every 24 hours. That means that on any particular spot on the Earth’s surface during daylight no two days will be exactly the same as far as light and shade is concerned. That makes maximising the functionality of an outdoor roof something which requires some thought, planning and discussion.
There are no magic products on the market which can solve all the issues and challenges that each job presents. But there are materials which we have brought together and fabricated to build solutions for projects which have had specific light, shade and shelter requirements brought about by their unique position and orientation.
Thank you very much for supplying the Light ‘n’ Shade roof system for our patio. We are very pleased with it, as it had given us a nice dry covered area to access our garage during the winter months. Having a south facing garden we are looking forward to the warmer weather when we can use it to its full potential, as our patio gets very hot during the summer, it will be very practical being able to open the louvers when needed, but still have some shade.
