What to Look for in a Retractable Roof Solutions Company

Are you a restaurant owner? Or are you in the entertainment industry and do you need to accommodate guests throughout the year, regardless of the weather conditions? The ability to offer an indoor and an outdoor entertainment or restaurant venue means your facility appeals to events of all shapes and sizes. Retractable roofs continue to bring impressive growth to restaurants/event spaces around the globe. With a retractable roof, you can increase profits, as well as improve your reputation as a leader in the industry. If you are looking for a company that specializes in retractable roof solutions, it’s essential to choose a company that offers not only the best product; built to withstand all climates and geographies, but who also has an outstanding service record and warranty. We have all the info you need!

Why Choose Retractable Roof?

• Revenue

A retractable enclosure allows for an increase in revenue since second-floors or outdoor patios are turned into a year-round indoor/outdoor spaces with telescoping roofs and operable walls. The beautiful design and stable atmosphere can lead to tremendous growth in visitors because it can be heated or cooled or neither (when its open)! No matter what the weather outside, retractable roofs offer an inviting, outdoor-style experience to guests. Most importantly, it lets places such as restaurants keep their patio seating open year-round, effectively doubling their capacity during the winter or colder months.

• Modern Design

Retractable roofs turn normal spaces into unique environments that complement the architecture and design style of the restaurant brand, its owners, operators, developers, and architects. They provide cozy, covered seating during inclement weather and can completely retract to create a outdoor sophisticated environment whenever the weather is good. The design appeal not only leaves a lasting impression on guests, but also invites potential customers and investors into the restaurant.

• Better Lighting and Atmosphere

A translucent or transparent retractable roof not only provides a sense of openness, but also brings in natural light to the interior. Feeling part of the outside world is critical to humans well being, so being able to work in or spend time in a space that offers a natural ambiance is appealing on many levels. The roof lets in optimal natural light and fresh air so any vegetation that weaves throughout the interior can thrive, which creates a healthy, vibrant space. The improved quality of light and the addition of fresh air creates a positive environment for the both guests and staff which encourages people to want to stay in the space or return to it.

• Energy Cost Savings

Clients find a retractable roof can actually help them save money on energy bills because they don’t have to use as much artificial lighting or cooling. When the roof is open the air conditioning can be turned off in the retractable roof space. By designing an HVAC system that allows for portions of the space (ie under the retractable roof) to be operated independently, operators can just turn off the AC in the open space and keep in on in other cooled or heated as needed. This allows for the ultimate in flexibility in operations and can help with yearly energy costs depending on how much you open the roof. It can also save on electricity bills for lighting as the roof will let in abundant natural light. This allows for year-round savings with minimum efforts and maximum profit.

A retractable roof enclosure offers many benefits to any environment:

• • It shields the patio and restaurant against the elements (enabling you to appreciate and utilize your entire space all-year-around),
  • It is eye-catching and attractive (making your restaurant stand out from its competitors), and
  • It is maintenance free, our full warranty ensures the roof is the last item in your space you need to worry about.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Retractable Roof Company

• Good Quality Standards

To ensure consistent, quality skylights, a retractable roofing company should meet the stringent production standards of both the country that where the units are manufactured and where it is being installed. For example, with the Canadian Welding Bureau (CWB) certified manufacturing facility and/or the American Welding Society (AWS). For CWB & AWS, each welder is trained and tested to ensure that the exacting standards of the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) and American Welding Society (AWS) are met. The welding supervisors are also trained and certified to oversee and monitor ongoing performance.

It’s also important that third party independent welding consultants provide their engineering services in accordance with the CSA and the AWS, including but not limited to inspection of design, quality control and production procedures, training, audits, and project-specific weld inspections. They undertake and perform inspections of the manufacturing process throughout the design and fabrication to ensure that construction meets all the required specifications.

• Up-to-Date Global Building and Design Codes

Retractable roofs, by OpenAire, are made with lightweight, maintenance-free, extruded aluminum. They are manufactured using certified welders and overseen by quality-control professionals. The manufacturing must pass rigorous third-party inspections, and must also comply with local building and design codes.

In addition, the designs meet the standards required for the project including for example:

• • American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)
  • American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA)
  • Canadian Standards Association (CSA)
  • Aluminum Association Incorporated (AA): SAS-30 Specification for aluminum structures
  • American National Standards Institute (ANSI): Z 97.1 – 2004 Safety glazing materials used in buildings – Safety performance
    specification and methods of tests
  • Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC): 16 CFR 1201 – Architectural glazing standards related material
  • Flat Glass Manufacturers Association (FGMA): Glazing manual
    Insulating Glass Certification Council (IGCC): Classification of insulating glass unit

• Wide Range of Materials

Thanks to the use of durable materials, such as aluminum, the end product of the retractable roofing is brilliantly robust and highly resistant to outside weather conditions. The sliding panels can be made out of thermally broken insulated glass units, or other infill material (like polycarbonate or ETFE) and installed into OpenAires custom thermally broken extruded aluminum frames. To complement the all-aluminum framing system, a range of options for glazing materials suited to your building, the environment, and the design are available.

Possible infill panel materials include:

• • Polycarbonate

Polycarbonate panels are virtually unbreakable and are guaranteed to retain clarity and resist yellowing. They are more impact resistant than acrylic and glass materials. They also withstand temperature extremes and are ultraviolet (UV) stabilized.

• • Ethylene Tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE)

ETFE is a high-strength, light-weight material that can transmit up to 90% of sunlight. ETFE has a non-stick surface so dust and dirt don’t settle on it easily. And, if dust and dirt should settle, they can be cleaned off by a small amount of rain or water. ETFE can be made in a single layer for small applications, or in double or triple air filled (pillow) layers.

• • Photovoltaic

Photovoltaic allows for the entry of natural light while providing both thermal and sound insulation. Photovoltaic glazing also filters out harmful radiation, while producing clean, free energy through solar power.

• • Insulated Metal Panels

These metal panels can be custom-designed and insulated metal systems for areas of the roof that require an opaque ceiling. This can form either a part of or all of your retractable roof solution.

• Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certified Structures

If required, you can opt for a retractable roof company that whose products are energy efficient and even contribute to LEED accreditation.

OpenAire retractable roofs can contribute to LEED points for New Construction and Core and Shell rating systems. Our team of design experts and engineers work with owners, developers, architects, and civil engineers to understand their vision and their LEED goals, if any. Work with us from the planning stages of your project, and you’ll maximize points while improving overall building performance.

OpenAire – A Worthy Retractable Roof Company!

OpenAire was founded in 1989 with a mission to create beautiful custom structures that open up to the sun, air, and stars.  OpenAire has completed approaching 1,000 projects that are found in distinctive venues around the globe including shopping centers, aquatic facilities, health and community centers, waterparks, restaurants, hotels, and luxury residences. Whether it’s for a private facility or a commercial one, OpenAire can craft the custom retractable roof solution that is right for you. It may be a small addition to your roof or the entire roof of your space. Our retractable roofs are held to the same high standards as all our retractable manufacturing and installation projects. Our beautifully unique retractable roof solutions can dramatically change your venue. OpenAire’s state-of-the-art aluminum manufacturing process allows our team to design roofs and skylights on any sized venue. Our custom roofs aren’t just boxes or tubes that bring sunlight into a room – they are uniquely designed jewels and domes. They are unique, elegant windows to the sky that let in natural light, but stay airtight and dry.

OpenAire’s design experts work with developers, owners, architects, and engineers to bring unique building visions to life from initial design to installation. OpenAire operates a Canadian Welding Bureau (CWB) certified manufacturing facility. Each of our welders is trained and tested by the CWB to ensure we meet the exacting standards of the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) and the American Welding Society (AWS). What’s more, our welding supervisors are trained and certified by the CWB to oversee and monitor performance. We work with owners, operators, developers, architects, construction managers, general contractors, consultants, and other international clients throughout each stage of the design and construction process; from design inception to manufacturing and installation to project completion and handover. Once your project is completed, we continue to provide technical and service support as needed, based on our full warranty. Our professional team of experts is available for a consultation and to help you choose the retractable roof design that will suit your budget, building space, and any other unique requirements that you prefer.

No matter what type of retractable roof system you need, OpenAire can custom-design a solution to suit all of your project requirements, including unique, complicated, and specialized systems that no one can match. OpenAire develops custom systems for applications ranging from all-season restaurant and rooftop patios to large-scale waterparks and aquatic centers, with a range of options for you.

Book a consultation with us today for the best retractable roofs!