Australian Outdoor Living Questions & Answers (page 2 of 3)

Hello Daz,

(Hi also to you Rino! Thank you for offering your assistance in the meantime.)

Happy new year! Thank you for the query and we're sorry for the delayed response.

Over the Christmas/new year period our offices were closed (15/12 - 2/1) so to allow the Australian Outdoor Living team some much deserved time off to enjoy with family and friends. This was advertised on our website and Facebook page. This may explain some of the difficulties you had in contacting us and we're sorry for any confusion this may have caused.

We do partner with a phone answering company during this time, so we can field inquiries and so that messages can be taken, ready for our return. Did you try calling?

Most of the team are back on deck as of today. Please feel free to give us a call on 9930 7600 at your earliest convenience.

Again, we would like to apologise for delayed communication during this time and we look forward to hearing from you to discuss your order.

Kindest Regards,
The team at Australian Outdoor Living

Hello Daphney,

Thank you for getting in touch with us. We would love to help answer your question and will do our best with the information you have provided.

What you're describing sounds like it could be the result of the sun's rays hitting one side of the glass and intensifying the heat through the other side - having a magnifying effect.

Unfortunately Australia's hot weather conditions can make things a little uncomfortable in Summer - we are known as being "the sunburnt country" after all. We find that when temperatures soar, and on the same types of days that artificial lawn does get hot, most people tend to stay indoors to avoid the hot sun anyway.

If you are planning on braving the heat and sitting on the lawn though, we recommend you sprinkle the lawn with the hose beforehand as this will help it to cool it down quite quickly. (Laying down a picnic rug, also helps.) On days like this, to avoid the heat underfoot, we also suggest you simply pop on some thongs or flip flips; just like you would in hot weather when walking on outdoor bricks, cement, paving etc.

For a more permanent solution, you might like to look into frosting or tinting the glass panels?

For now, without knowing more, this is all we can really suggest and advise. We have a few questions for you ourselves (What exactly are you experiencing? Is the patch of artificial grass which is causing you concern, directly alongside your pool fence? Was your artificial lawn purchased through Australian Outdoor Living? When did you purchase the Artificial Lawn and when did you purchase the glass fence?) If you would like to contact us directly, we welcome you to email us at [email protected] and we can discuss this in more detail.

Kindest Regards,
The team at Australian Outdoor Living

Hello daljit,

Thank you for your question.

Whilst it's very encouraging to hear that our products are in demand internationally, I am sorry to say that at this point in time we only service the Australian market.

We would love to invite you to please stay in touch. You may like to follow our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/australianoutdoorliving/) to keep up with all Australian Outdoor Living news. Who knows, international expansion plans may be on the horizon and a local office in India may not be too far away - if and when that happens, our Facebook fans will be among the first to know!

Kindest Regards,
The team at Australian Outdoor Living

Hi Brisbane, thank you for your question. Hello also to you, sandhr. We appreciate you joining the conversation - you beat us to it!

Brisbane, to answer your question simply... No, we do not offer incentives to our customer to come to Product Review and give us “a good review”.

Feedback is hugely important to us - ‘positive’ or ‘negative’. It provides us with valuable customer insights and, regardless of the nature of the review, we take all feedback very seriously. We regularly ask our clients to provide us with candid, honest feedback so that we can learn from past experiences and ensure we’re providing the best experience we know how - from the products themselves, right through to the installation and our team’s service.

Point of sale, is one of the opportunities we take to discuss feedback and this is what sandhr is referring to. In most cases, we find that it’s really as simple as “ask and you shall receive!” We are very open about this and are more than happy to negotiate potential incentives, in exchange for some extra effort from our clients e.g. offering a price reduction to our customers for a review of their experience with us. We do what we can to ensure this is unbiased and that platforms like this offer a true reflection of the average Australian Outdoor Living customer’s experience. As you may have seen online, we do receive 1 and 2-star reviews on the odd occasion and these reviews are just as important to us as the 4 and 5-star posts. We are a company that pride ourselves on doing a great job and honest customer feedback helps us to maintain accountability and instigate changes where required for our current and future customers, as well as our own longevity.

We hope this answers your question.

Kindest Regards,
The team at Australian Outdoor Living

Good Morning Sarah,

Firstly, thank you for for choosing Australian Outdoor Living and for getting in touch with your question.

It's great to hear that after just a few short days you are already able to recognise the quality of our Bella Vista Outdoor Shade Blinds and we hope that you got the chance to enjoy (and maybe even show off!) your new blinds over the weekend.

Unfortunately without seeing the job, it is difficult to understand exactly what you are describing and we couldn't explain for certain why this may be. Of course we would be more than happy to look into this, and a quick site visit - or maybe even photos - could help us to answer this for you.

I'd like to welcome you to please contact me at [email protected] with your surname, suburb, state, contact number, and ideally, some photos of what you've described above.

Looking forward to hearing back from you.

Kindest Regards,
Alexandra Kuchel

Hi Russell & Theresa,

Thank you for getting in touch.

Due to the distance between our office and your location, at present, Australian Outdoor Living does not typically service the Emerald area i.e. offer our free measure and quote service. However, if it is Outdoor Blinds you are interested in, we may be able to offer a supply-only service providing you are able to share the measurements you are after. (We recently sent our Outdoor Blinds up to Cairns!)

If this is something you are interested in pursuing, I would like to welcome you to make contact with us at [email protected] or call our QLD branch directly on 3380 3700 to chat further.

Kindest Regards,
The team at Australian Outdoor Living

Hello Lita,

Thank you for making contact and expressing your interest in our pergolas.

Our NSW branch is located in Minchinbury. There is no display centre but there is a small showroom with samples. You can contact them directly on 8602 1200 and they will be able to answer any more questions you have in detail.

I hope this has helped!

Kindest Regards,
The team at Australian Outdoor Living

Hello Tracy,

Thank you for your question and your interest in our Outdoor Blinds!

Australian Outdoor Living has an extensive range of outdoor blinds all made right here in Australia from high quality and durable materials. Our Bella Vista Outdoor Blinds certainly do offer protection for you and your furniture against the elements and they are 95% water resistant. If you are looking for further protection, our Bella Opaque Outdoor Blinds are 97% water resistant and their special 2×2 weave even blocks 99% of UV rays.

Please be aware that Australian Outdoor Living advises in our Caring For Your Blinds brochure that "...it is important that in times of gusting or high winds, you roll the blinds up or damage may be caused to the blinds and possibly your house, which is not covered under the warranty... It is the responsibility of the customer to retract fabric products in windy conditions.”

We have received plenty of positive feedback from our customers who have noticed how our Outdoor Blinds have helped protect their outdoor area (as you may have noticed from the lovely people who helped respond to your question!) You are welcome to read an example of this here: /r/australian-outdoor-living/1344933.html

I hope this has helped! If you have any more questions, you are welcome to send them directly to [email protected]

Kindest Regards,
The team at Australian Outdoor Living

Hi Sam,

Happy to help out.

Without knowing your state, we're unable to give you the direct local number, but if you call 1300 13 13 49, your call will be directed to your local office.

Please let us know if you have any further questions.

Kindest Regards,
The team at Australian Outdoor Living

Hello Lorena,

Thank you for your question and interest in Australian Outdoor Living's Roller Shutters. We certainly would love the opportunity to be involved with your outdoor project!

At Australian Outdoor Living, every one of our projects is entirely custom designed. As every job is different, it is difficult to give you an exact timeframe. Furthermore, the timeframe may also vary depending on which state you live in. In regards to providing you with a price estimate, again, every job is different and we have many options available which can alter the cost.

It is for this reason that I unfortunately cannot provide you with a rough price as requested.

However, as mentioned above, we would absolutely love the opportunity to be involved with your outdoor project. If you are interested in finding out more or receiving a free, no obligation measure and quote, please visit our website or call your local office. /

Thank you very much.

Kindest Regards,
The team at Australian Outdoor Living

Good Morning,

Thank you for your question. We apologise for the delay in getting back to you.

At Australian Outdoor Living, all of our outdoor projects are custom built to order. For this reason, some challenges exist regarding setting exact timelines. Furthermore, the variations in our customers interpretation of “small” varies greatly and could impact upon the time it would take to build.

I'll do my best to give you an idea of what to expect when it comes to the process of building a Verandah/Patio with Australian Outdoor Living in Victoria.

The BUILD time of your structure will depend on the scale of the project, therefore I unfortunately cannot provide you with an accurate timeline for this process. However, before this can be started, we need to obtain official approvals and permits. While we try our best to submit plans as quickly as possible, the actual approval time is out of our hands and is subject to local government lead times for consideration of applications.

Australian Outdoor Living will handle this for you including preparation and lodgment of drawings. We allow approximately 1 - 2 weeks. Once we've lodged all the required paperwork with our Certifier, they are generally approved within 2 to 3 weeks or up to 4 in some instances. From time to time special permission is sought to build close to a boundary - it can take up to 4 - 5 weeks to receive this approval.

Once approved (by Certifier/Council if required), the materials are ordered. Within approximately 1 week the materials are delivered direct to site, ready for the building works to commence.

With a "small" structure, from start to finish, best-case scenario, we'd estimate an APPROXIMATE turn around time of 4 - 5 weeks.

We understand that a project like this is very exciting, but due to the nature of these jobs it can be hard to make promises and advise of exact timelines. We do however aim to keep our customers informed at each stage of the process.

Hope this helps!

Kindest Regards,
The team at Australian Outdoor Living

Hi Tim,

Thank you for your question - it's a very good one!

As you will know, all of our projects are custom. This means that they're a bit more involved than a standard 'kit' job and so it's a bit more tricky to provide exact timelines. I'll do my best to give you an idea of what to expect though...

TYPICALLY a structure of approximately that size, dependent on design (whether a Flat Skillion, Fly-Over or Gable etc) can be BUILT in a day for the first two types and we usually estimate approx. 2 to 2½ days for a Gable patio design. (Gable designs are a little more labour intensive.) Of course, this is the build itself only. Before we can begin this, we need to obtain official approvals and permits. This step is out of our control and can be unpredictable. Council approval can cause delays and is a big part of the reason it's difficult to predict estimated completion timelines.

Before we can lodge the drawings and plans to our Certifier we need to obtain Site Plans from our customers. If not available, our team will draw these up. This can take approx. 1½ weeks. Once we've lodged all the required paperwork with our Certifier, they are generally approved within 2 to 3 weeks. Sometimes this can take closer to 4 weeks if the structure is close to boundaries - e.g. a carport to the front boundary of a property. This is because we then need to obtain 'Relaxation', and the Certifier sends the application to the local council to gain their approval. On average, this can take approx. 4 to 5 weeks to receive Relaxation approval.

Once approved (by Certifier/Council if required), the materials are ordered. Within approximately 1 week the materials are delivered direct to site, ready for the building works to commence.

That said, the structure you describe (4.8 x 2.6) would generally fall into the 'Small Entertainment Type'. From start to finish, best case scenario, we'd estimate an APPROXIMATE turn around of 4-5 weeks.

We understand that a project like this is very exciting, but due to the nature of these jobs it can be hard to make promises and advise of exact timelines. We endeavor to keep our clients informed at each step of the process.

I hope this helps!

Kindest Regards,
The team at Australian Outdoor Living

Hello Peter,

Firstly, thank you for choosing Australian Outdoor Living (AOL) recently for your outdoor project. We appreciate the opportunity to have worked with you and hope that you are enjoying your new patio. Great timing to have it all completed - Summer's not far away now!

This is an easy one! Sounds like there is some confusion around this though and I'm sorry to hear that this is the case.

Along with a few documents that are sent out with answers to your above queries, our Production Managers/Production Assistants, are in touch multiple times throughout the project and are available to answer any queries you have at any stage. I am surprised your queries weren't answered earlier but am more than happy to clear things up for you.

As you may remember, we send out a Payment Schedule, along with your plans when they are submitted to council. We email and post both of these documents. The Payment Schedule clarifies the payments due: what they are for, who to pay them to and when. This is signed and then sent back to the office.

Also sent out, is a Guarantee Card. Please know that it's important to us that our clients have peace of mind. We certainly don't try to "avoid responsibility" and as such AOL takes full responsibility for the guarantee of works undertaken. This document details the guarantee we provide on the paint, materials, workmanship etc. After completion of the project, if there are any issues or concerns, our clients are to contact us directly to arrange site visits and rectification works. Without knowing details of your project - whether steel/timber etc. - it is tricky for me to explain exactly what's available to your specific project. (Copies of our Guarantee Cards are also available on our website and if you call your local office on 1300 13 13 49 we'll be able to discuss your particular guarantee in more detail.)

You are completely correct in that we do ask our clients to pay our contractors directly and the only payment made to AOL is for materials. This is in an effort to avoid delays and save our clients money. Because AOL don't act as a middle-man, we make no profit on the labour component of projects. We feel that this offers our clients the 'best of both worlds' as they pay less, whilst also receiving a quality design and build, backed by AOL's guarantees.

I hope that this answers your questions and I welcome you to contact myself via email (Alex at [email protected]) or your local office on 1300 13 13 49 if there is anything more you'd like to discuss.

Kindest Regards,
Alexandra Kuchel

Hello Charmain,

Thank you for joining in - and great question!

This is tricky to answer though, because it really depends... our Bella Vista material is used on our Classic and Motion blind systems, therefore the result is different for each system.

Our Motion Series system, for example, has been tested under European standards to handle wind speeds of up to 49Km/Hr. Whilst this is the result of the wind resistance tests conducted, we request that our clients use this as a guide only and discourage our customers from pushing the limits and testing this themselves! Australian Outdoor Living advise in our Caring For Your Blinds brochure that "...it is important that in times of gusting or high winds, you roll the blinds up or damage may be caused to the blinds and possibly your house, which is not covered under the warranty... It is the responsibility of the customer to retract fabric products in windy conditions.”

Our Outdoor Blinds systems are strong and our material is durable. Because of this, we have been chosen again and again to be involved with homes exposed to particularly windy conditions - homes in the hills and by the sea. We have received plenty of feedback from happy customers who have made note that Outdoor Blinds have stood up to Mother Nature. You can read a review which references this, here: /r/australian-outdoor-living/921807.html

I hope this has helped. If you know which system you are interested in, I welcome you to email me directly at [email protected] and I'll do my best to better answer this, and any other questions you may have.

Kindest Regards,
Alexandra Kuchel

Hello Beth,

Thanks for getting in touch and for sharing your query,

Unfortunately, this is a tricky one to answer - a bit like "how long is a piece of string?"!

To start with, we have 3 different types of lawn that all have a different sqm rate. The final investment figure put forward also will depend on whether you would be requiring any prep work (dig out etc.) or extras (mini-skip hire etc.)

Another thing that may be worth considering is that currently we are offering a Free Premium Upgrade. If you're familiar with our range, this means that you can receive St Andrews Lawn at the price of the Fairway range or Augusta Lawn at the price of the St Andrews range. Further details are available on our website or we'd be happy to explain this offer in more detail over the phone/in person if you'd rather.

You mention that you also have a "lot to cover". Depending on the size of the area, you could possibly qualify for our wholesale/commercial rate. We most often are able to offer this to schools, clubs, day care centres etc.

As you can tell, there are quite a few variables involved which can affect pricing and without seeing the area and finding out more, it's quite difficult to offer a reliable quote. For this reason, we do offer a free measure and quote and for added convenience we also offer after-hours and weekend visits. This saves any frustration or disappointment if we try to offer an estimate.

If you'd like to discuss this further, or if you're interested in finding out more about a free measure and quote, please visit our website or call your local office. /

Thank you Beth.

Kindest Regards,
Alexandra Kuchel

Hello Singh,

Thanks for getting in touch.

We provide an initial free measure and quote so that we're able to chat with you to understand exactly what you're after, put together a quote based on your preferences and requirements and answer any questions you may have. We advise to set aside about an hour for this. It is lovely to hear that the design consultant who visited also took the time to point out AOL installations in your local area, too. For this reason, I am surprised that you're confused by the breakdown of price - perhaps you ran out of time or maybe you were distracted with other information during the visit?

I'd like to be able to provide some clarity around your quote and break it down for you so that you completely understand the investment price quoted. Unfortunately this is quite difficult based on the limited details that you have offered about your specific job. Also, being that your area is approx. 100sqm you might even qualify for our wholesale/commercial rates. We most often are able to offer this to schools, clubs, day care centres etc. If you'd like, I'd be happy to arrange for the design consultant who visited your home, or the manager to give you a call to discuss this further?

I welcome you to contact me on my personal work email address: [email protected] and to share with me your best contact details, so that we can look into this together.

In relation to your query around the warranty, we certainly back our product and offer a guarantee of up to 7 years on artificial lawn. Further details of our warranties on offer, are available on our website.

I'd also like to point out that whilst this review forum does list some negative reviews, twice as many are positive. This says a lot being that research shows that people are more likely to complain, than commend. Australian Outdoor Living has branches across Australia and are lucky enough to be chosen by thousands of families every year. We're proud to say that we leave most clients very happy with their decision to choose us and they let us know this over the phone, in person, on our Facebook page, via email etc. ... it is unfortunate that this star rating system isn't a truly accurate reflection of our entire customer's experience with us. In saying this, we recommend that you "take it with a pinch of salt".

I hope to hear from you again Singh, and would welcome the opportunity to help clear things up for you.

Kindest Regards,
Alexandra Kuchel

Hi Colin,

Thanks for making contact and expressing your interest in our artificial lawn. This product is certainly growing in popularity as Australians are discovering just how realistic it looks, and how much time and water they can save by making the switch. We would love the opportunity to help you out.

I can appreciate your concern after reading online reviews. Please keep in mind though, that unfortunately most people are only motivated to share their experience if it didn't go as smoothly as planned. I'd like to also point out that Australian Outdoor Living are involved with thousands of artificial lawn projects every year, and in most instances we leave our customers very happy and satisfied with the product, as well as the service we provided. You also make a good point in that due to the anonymity of review forums, it is sometimes difficult to confirm whether all reviews are genuine. We like to think that people "take it with a pinch of salt".

We're not too familiar with the company you mention and so we cannot, and wouldn't anyway, make comments or assumptions on their processes.

Colin, as I mentioned, we'd love the opportunity to help you out with the artificial lawn project you are considering. We do offer a free-of-charge measure and quote visit, and are currently able to to install within 5-7 working days. I have spoken with our Sales Manager in WA and he has expressed that he'd be happy to personally visit and look after you. If you're interested, I'd be more than happy to tee this up for you and welcome you to share your contact details with me, at [email protected].

Hope I've been able to help you keep an open-mind and I look forward to hopefully hearing from you via email.

Kindest Regards,
Alexandra Kuchel

Hello again Deano,

I have since responded to the unfavourable review you posted about Australian Outdoor Living. I welcome you to make contact on the address I provided if you would like to further discuss your concerns and frustrations.

Kindest Regards,
Alexandra Kuchel

Hi Jim,

Thanks for reaching out.

In the middle of an Australian summer, artificial lawns can get warm when you step on them bare foot. Of course, in comparison to concrete, decking or paving, artificial lawn is no doubt one of the better, more comfortable options. I am sorry if this wasn't communicated by the design consultant who visited your home.

For the sun to affect the temperature of the lawn though, it has to be a scorching hot, sunny day. On days like this, we find that most people tend to be indoors and away from the sun anyway. If you find the temperature of the lawn to be too uncomfortable and if you are going to be spending an extended period of time out on the lawn, we’d recommend monitoring young children or pets and maybe wearing shoes/sitting on a picnic rug.

Due to the anonymity of this forum, unfortunately it's difficult to find out more or chat further. If you'd like to though, please feel free to email me at [email protected] with your job details/specifics.

Kindest Regards,
Alexandra Kuchel

Hi Finn,

Thanks for your query. In short, we'd love to help you out.

I am not entirely sure what you are after - but that's why we offer a free measure and design service! We'll pop around, check out the area, have a chat and design a shade solution for you.

If you could please email me with your contact details (name, suburb and best contact number) at [email protected], I'd be happy to arrange this for you.

Kindest Regards,

Alex Kuchel

Hi there,

Thank you for your interest and great question!

Jennifer (above) is correct in that this unfortunately is a question that is best directed to your local council.

We've found that it really depends on the council that you fall under.

At Australian Outdoor Living we suggest that anybody interested in installing Artificial Lawn on their council verge/nature strip, request written confirmation from their council, approving their plans. Whilst you're in communications with your Council, you can also chat about finding out about anything below the ground eg. underground service pipes or internet cables and also discuss possible Council expectations for the prospective changes eg. pedestrian safety etc

We've installed artificial lawn on plenty of council verge and nature strips. Doing this really helps tie together front yards with the artificial lawn already installed and also improve the overall "curb appeal".

Hope this helps! If we can help you out with any Artificial Lawn in the future, please be sure to call 1300 884 690. We'd love to be involved with any possible future projects!

Kindest Regards,
Alex Kuchel