Pioneer in innovative patio covers

With the summer months approaching, it is time for many hospitality businesses - from café to hotel - to transform their outdoor terrace into a lovely place for customers and visitors. With a professionally installed terrace roof, you let them enjoy the beautiful summer weather to the full. Are the weather gods a bit more fickle? Then such a canopy provides the necessary shelter. Welcome to Brustor in West Flanders, a pioneer in the sun protection market.

In 1965, Louis Brutsaert started his own business in tarpaulins and home awnings in Gullegem. The company built up a solid base under the name L. Brutsaert. With all the knowledge and experience in-house, the Brustor brand was launched in 1997. Today, the family business has its own production facility, warehouse and office building. 

Sales manager Maxim Devos cites an important asset of the company: "With a range of articulated screens, veranda blinds, screens and terrace coverings, Brustor is pioneering the field of outdoor living. With its own powder coating, sawmill, confection, assembly and inspection department, the entire production process is done in-house. This one hundred per cent Belgian design and manufacture is unique in our sector."

"In our company, a team of some 15 engineers is constantly working to improve existing solutions and develop new applications," indicates Maxim. "In 2009, we completed the development of our patio covers with tiltable and/or retractable slats. Due to their flexible application options and solid structure, these canopies are very popular in the hospitality sector. They offer customers and visitors the chance to enjoy the outdoors all year round, four seasons long, on a hotel, restaurant or café terrace."

Why do hospitality professionals choose a patio canopy with slats? Maxim explains: "A Brustor patio awning transforms the terrace into an extra comfortable outdoor space where customers like to linger, regardless of the weather conditions. Brustor's aluminium patio covers not only protect against the sun or rain, but also create a more pleasant indoor temperature when built against the façade. Moreover, they are easy to operate remotely and require little maintenance or technical knowledge from staff."

Brustor offers both patio covers with tilting/sliding slats and folding roofs that dose the sun's rays to size. As a closed roof, they provide a safe haven from the rain. A slat roof consists of tilting and/or retractable slats. By tilting the slats, you dose the desired amount of sunlight or shade, and thus the temperature, for your patio visitors. This way, they enjoy your terrace and the outdoors carefree. "Good to know is that slats offer natural ventilation, so you can keep cool under your canopy," Maxim adds. "Via additional options, such as atmospheric LED lighting, integrated screens and patio heating, you also give your customers the chance to spend time outside in the evening or during cooler days."

In the wide Brustor range of patio covers, Maxim cites two toppers that are a real crowd pleaser in hotels, among other places. "The Brustor B200XL canopy is ideally suited for hospitality applications. It is a versatile canopy that is available in large sizes and can be placed in the most diverse combinations. Stand-alone, attached, with a double roof, as a built-in roof, ... The possibilities are endless. Both the frame and slats can be painted in any available RAL colour." 

Another topper in the range is the Brustor B250XL. This recently launched patio canopy was developed on the basis of the B200XL. The perfect sealing of the slats on the gutters makes the roof splash-proof and windproof. "Another asset of this model is the RTS control, provided as standard, which allows you to operate this canopy very easily via smartphone or tablet. This can even be done with a voice assistant such as Google Home or Amazon Alexa."

Curious about what a professionally installed slatted terrace roof looks like in practice? For that, we head to the Van der Valk Hotel in Oostkamp. "There, our Brustor team installed seven linked B200 modules, with a total facade width of 26.6 metres and a depth of 7 metres," Maxim outlines. "Through screens around the canopy, lighting and heating, the hotel offers its guests and visitors a pleasant and cosy outdoor environment in all seasons."■