Flexiroof Light FAQ

Flexiroof Light will cost you ~50% of Flexiroof Premium

They are both great offerings and each has merit! Simply put Light is ideal for DIY, and Premium more suited to larger installations, and those requiring complicated house connection!

In the following comparison list Flexiroof Light is referenced first, followed by Flexiroof Premium in (italics and brackets).

• DIY installation (Flexiroof agent only)
• Maximum span: 3.2m (5m)
• Maximum roof unit size: 4.875m x 4.050m (6.475m x 5.650m)
• Powder-coat colours: 3 (more than 80)
• Posts: 50 x 50mm (75 x 75mm)
• Rafters and caps: these are the same!
• Spacing between rafters: also the same at 800mm between rafter centres.
• Dedicated gutter: no - just a mini notional gutter (full size)
• Polycarbonate sheet: 2mm premium (3mm premium)
• Brackets available; no (yes)
• Integrated LED light option: no (yes)
• Warranty: 10 years (15 years)

Yes! Flexiroof Light is lighter - by design - but it is absolutely ideal for you to create beautiful shelter for your family, at a much lower cost, and can be used in three general ways: 

1. Free-standing on 4 posts.
2. Attached to an adjacent building and on 2 posts.
3. Assembled as a complete roof frame unit on your own post and timber elements, or an existing timber pergola structure.

We use high tensile aluminium (70% stronger than normal aluminium), premium 2mm polycarbonate sheet, and stainless steel fasteners.

We only use polycarbonate sheet because it is 15x stronger than the cheaper acrylic or perspex alternative many other companies use.

Our sheet is made in Australia because the Aussies know about shelter!

We are a Kiwi company more than a decade old!

1. Design is in New Zealand.
2. Aluminium is extruded in New Plymouth, from recycled aluminium.
3. Polycarbonate sheet is from Australia.

Yes, and up to 1m. in any direction!

• This is because we use stronger aluminium than our competition and more of it = stronger
• Cantilever looks fantastic, and is very handy if you wish to use an existing "post and beam" structure - commonly found, but sadly usually giving no shelter 
• • Most people keep the posts and 1 or 2 horizontal beams and trash the rest

Flexiroof Light is a DIY kit designed to give you a beautiful shelter option at a much lower cost. 

One of the ways we have achieved this is by using the main structural beam as a mini-gutter, and the smaller posts as mini-downpipes, both of which are perfectly fine for light rain, or clearing morning dew ... which makes beautiful patterns on out tiny arch sheet:

Of course a little rain on your deck or patio will do no harm. (After all that is what happens without a beautiful Flexiroof shelter overhead)

However, if you do want a full size gutter, and down pipe, or a very large Flexiroof Premium shelter, available only via Flexiroof agent installation, you can self quote for a full installation estimate via this link

Flexiroof shelters not only look great, but they are also designed to last, even in New Zealand’s wildest weather situations.

Snow

Under snow load, some sag will occur, but as the melt occurs, our strong and elastic materials will return to their original forms.

Normal window aluminium has an ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of 150 MPa. Our rafters have internal bracing ribs are made from higher tensile 6016 T6 aluminium (UTS 235 MPa.) and all our other extrusions are made from the even stronger 6061 T6 aluminium (UTS 260 MPa.)

High-wind

To ensure Flexiroof handles high-wind we use:

1. Polycarbonate sheet and trap it with geometry video so there are no holes in the sheet (corrugated polycarbonate is only 0.9mm thick)
2. 10mm stainless fasteners as our structural connection.

In exposed places, during storms there may be sheet noise (in keeping with noises from the rest of the house!)

Salt-water

Flexiroof uses powder coated aluminium and polycarbonate sheet which are inherently very corrosion resistant, stainless steel fasteners.

• A note regarding galvanic corrosion: “battery corrosion effect” can occur with dissimilar metals (such as stainless and aluminium) but for it to occur it needs moisture, salt, and a lot of time. 
• If you are putting aluminium windows (or a Flexiroof shelter) on a fishing trawler you will definitely have a problem. Otherwise, here at Flexiroof we are certain we are using the best system possible.
  

Not at this time, but you can use your credit card of course.

Included

1. All aluminium extrusions (powder-coated) for the complete roof unit kit.
2. All stainless steel fasteners for assembling the roof unit.
3. 2mm premium polycarbonate sheets in medium grey.
4. If you choose posts the fasteners for the top of the posts – but not the bottom - see our recommendations below.

Not Included

1. Fasteners for connection to a concrete patio, timber pergola, timber beams, any adjacent shelter, or an adjacent wall or house:
2. Recommended for connecting post castings to timber decks: http://tinyurl.com/mpp47atu
3. Recommended for connecting post castings to concrete patios: http://tinyurl.com/38737j24
4. You may choose similar fastener products of course – your call and responsibility – but only stainless steel fasteners should be used.
5. Downpipes or a large gutter. Flexiroof Light only has a mini-gutter, and the posts act as mini-downpipes.
6. Any brackets or connector elements or flashings are not detailed or provided,  and we give no designs or advice here.
7. Any BSP fittings you may wish to fit to the bottom of the posts, or to block off the BSP holes in the main beam.

Things you will need

1. Your time, and this will depend a lot on you!, but we have done everything to make this more straightforward. Having supplied kitsets (generally larger) shelter kits to our agents for a decade we are pretty good at designing for kitset assembly!
2. At least one assistant is ideal
3. A trailer to collect your kit from your nearest Mainfreight depot.
4. Basic tools, including at least: an 18V drill, HSS drill bits, level, set square, metric allen key set, rubber mallet (or hammer with timber block), and a step ladder.
5. If you wish to drill holes in the mini-gutter you will need a 25mm to 35mm hole saw.
6. Note also: If you are modifying parts you will need an aluminium blade in a drop saw, and if you are modifying the sheet you will need a circular saw with a 100 tooth blade.

Delivery is free to your nearest Mainfreight depot, and you will be prompted to select this at checkout

Only if you are in Taranaki! 

Otherwise, to keep costs down we have simplified and as a Flexiroof Light kit is aimed at competent DIY installation, we assume you have access to a tow bar and trailer. 

When you purchase a kit at checkout just select your nearest Mainfreight depot. Sorted!

Notes on Mainfreight:

1. They are a great (and friendly) team, but will charge storage to you if you do not pick the kit up within a couple of days.
2. Some branches can deliver, for a cost, but we will leave you to enquire, arrange and pay for this.

If you have built a garage, carport, house or outbuilding you should be fine, but it you have only put together a shelf unit you will most likely be challenged, and take longer! 

In creating Flexiroof Light as a DIY kit we have focused on three things: 

1. Reducing costs to you, so we have simplified and removed. 
2. Making installation really easy, so for example the end-caps are welded on, and all roof frame unit holes are pre-drilled, and deliberately over-sized, and all associated frame fasteners included. 
3. Creating a durable but beautiful shelter and we are experts here as Flexiroof has been making New Zealand's best outdoor shelter for a decade. Indeed we have 18,000 fans on Facebook - far more than any other company in our space. 

A little history: We created and sold a dozen Flexiroof Light prototype shelters 5 years ago, and have had no issues with them since, so recently with the Kiwi economy quieter we decided to refine and market Flexiroof Light as a fully developed DIY offering.

No 

Flexiroof Light is a DIY kit which is much lower cost, because we have (1) simplified the design, and (2) we have limited options which lowers inventory, and makes for a much more efficient business.

The following options are therefore not available: 

1. Custom length or width.
2. Custom colours - so we just have black grey and cream. 
3. Custom post lengths - so if you want to concrete in you will have to source your own longer 50 x 50 x 3 mm aluminium posts, and get them powder coated.
4. Any other sheet materials, colours or thicknesses other than our standard 2mm grey polycarbonate.
5. Posts other than 50x 50mm posts.
6. Brackets of any sort. Please note that it is true, we do have a number of brackets for Flexiroof Premium, but will never supply these other than to our agents. 
7. Gutters and downpipes.
8. LED lights.

Assistance by us with installation is not available, but feel free to phone us if you have a question: 0800 400 000

It is true that both aluminium and polycarbonate are materials well suited to cutting, but ONLY people experienced in doing so should modify a Flexiroof Light kit. If in doubt change nothing and consult a builder or accredited Flexiroof Agent to quote on a paid installation for you.

Flexiroof Light is of course a DIY kit, so naturally if you change the kit the responsibility lies with you entirely. 

Perhaps the easiest thing to do is shorten a post and the diagram below shows the holes you should recreate at the top of the shortened post.

At checkout you will see the check box for terms and conditions, but for transparency we include a link to them here 

Flexiroof Light is a DIY kit so you need to be a very competent and confident DIYer, but of course we are happy to help if you get stuck.

Phone 0800 400 000 to chat, or alternatively send some images in an email to info@flexiroof.com and we can help via email or alternatively we will call you back ASAP.

We recommend using 30 Second Roof & Awning Cleaner every 6-18 months (depending on your roof’s location).

1. Clean it after rain so the things on the roof have had time to soak in water and soften. 
2. Test cleaning whatever is on the roof off in an area less seen just to see how it comes off first before doing a larger area.
3. Don't get too aggressive with cleaning if everything is not coming off. Put some more product on it and give it some more time to do its job 
4. To use a microfibre head on your cleaning implement