What “two people and an afternoon” actually means
We say it on every page. Here is the unglamorous version: what turns up, what you need, where people get stuck, and when to let us do it instead.
Self-fitting is the main reason this system costs what it does, so it is worth being specific about what you are taking on rather than leaving it at a cheerful phrase.
What arrives
- Tracks cut to your opening, one box per track.
- Aluminium guides, with the fixings.
- The drive, already fitted inside the tube.
- The remote, paired at the workshop.
- A printed drawing with your own measurements on it.
Nothing has to be cut on site and nothing has to be wired. The drive runs at 12 V off a rechargeable wand, so there is no electrician and no cable crossing the roof.
What you need
- A cordless drill and the right bit for your rafters.
- A spirit level — a short one is better than a long one up a ladder.
- A stepladder tall enough to work comfortably, not just reach.
- Someone to hold the other end. This is the non-negotiable one.
Where people get stuck
Three things account for nearly every call we get during a fit, and all three are avoidable.
- The guides are not parallel. Set both ends of the first guide before you touch the second, and measure between them at the front and the back. A millimetre of splay at the top is several at the bottom.
- The fixings are wrong for the rafter. Timber, aluminium and steel all want something different. Check what yours are before the day, not during it.
- Working alone. The track is light but it is long, and holding one end while levelling the other is how a guide ends up fixed out of true.
Everything else really is an afternoon. The guides screw to the rafters, the track drops into the guides, and the drive is already in the tube. There is a measuring video and a printable guide if you want to watch it done first.