Thank you for all your comments. I considered bi-fold windows but there are several problems associated with them: - when closed you would get several panels therefore several frames to "ruin" the view - when open they would cause a "hazard" as they would be roughly the height of my children's head and i could see one of them crashing into it! I had a look at NorDan, many thanks for recommending the company. That's a good start but from the website it doesn't look as though the windows would open all the way up. I am definitely going to look into Sweedish website. If you have any recommendations for brands that would be great. Many thanks for all the comments.

ease of use is important as weather is a constant and will make the product unusable quickly

Suzanna C. There is no need to buy surplus boxes to sift through the planks simply to then throw away those that you don't like. If you buy an AB (Natural) grade floor it will already have been done for you by the manufacturer. When buying a floor you should get the supplier to clarify what the flooring grade is and what you should expect by way of Knots, live or dead (live knots are still in place, dead knots have fallen out and have been filled). The sizes and number of knots allowed per board, the amount of sapwood (blond wood), and the board dimensions(maximum and minimum lengths). The finest grade is A (Select) grade which is virtually knot & Sapwood free. Personally I think this grade is too bland. Frequently I see A,B,C,D grade flooring with very short planks being sold online which I would describe as firewood. As part of the purchasing process you should ensure you understand the grading of floor you are buying and the plank dimensions. Packs of flooring with a board lengths between 1.2m - 300mm will typically be awful. You really do get what you pay for when you buy cheap wood floor. I would look at AB Grade and then maybe ABC Grade but never ABCD Grade. Not all online flooring retailers are bad and not all are good. You should be able to get a feel for what they know by how they answer questions about the grades as described above, and what they are prepared to put in writing about the flooring if asked to do so. Below is a piece I found on a UK website that I thought might be useful HERE ARE OUR TIPS TO MAKE SURE YOU GET THE FLOORING YOU EXPECT: 1. Don't make your choice of flooring from a small sample, as these can be misleading. 2. Ask your supplier to furnish you with the grading rules for their products. 3. Ask to see pictures of installations using the timber you're interested in, and finally... 5. Remember wood is a natural material and there will be variation from batch to batch. This is part of its beauty.

can I jump on this thread please? Can you get LVT with a textured surface? we loved our incredibly natural looking textured wood effect laminate in previous house......but hated that it wasn't waterproof! are wood effect LVT just printed pattern or do they have a natural feel texture also? thanks