Adding a conservatory to your home is one of the most simple and pleasurable ways of extending your home. Not only does it provide extra space but also it creates a distinctive room to the house that is characterized by its glass and light.
However, there are a vast array of options to choose from and most homeowners require conservatory advice from an expert who will take them through the all the steps necessary to ensure that they get the conservatory of their dreams.
The first thing to check is whether your require conservatory planning permission or building regulations. Planning permission will depend on a number of different criteria such as: Is the property a listed building? Is the property in a conservation area?: Is the property in an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty?. In most of these instances planning will be required from a local authority such as London County Council.
Where you position your conservatory and what the conservatory is used for is also an important consideration. If the conservatory is south facing you will get the heat of the sun around Midday which is ideal for a Kitchen conservatory where you wish to combine the chores of the kitchen with a light airy room to relax and have coffee with Friends. A north facing conservatory is much cooler and with more people working from home a north facing conservatory can provide and excellent home office. If you are however using a conservatory for a home office, it is wise to install air conditioning or to use special heat reflective glass.
There are many different styles of
conservatory to choose from. The Queen Anne conservatory is a favourite although
the style of this differs in
Once you have chosen the style, there are many, many different things to consider. Do you want to go for a traditional hardwood conservatory or opt for a maintenance free PVCu conservatory? Or, if you have an ultra modern building you may wish to go for a contemporary Aluminium design? In addition to selecting a conservatory company you may need to choose a builder separately. Choosing a builder who has experience of conservatories is essential as a conservatory is more specialist than a house extension. Options for glass are now quite dazzling however the overriding change in conservatory design is that conservatories are now being used for all seasons. Glass has had a big role to play in making them warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Celsius glass (a form of heat reflective glass) which has low U values and prevents heat from both entering a leaving a conservatory is a prime example of this.
Then don’t forget that you may want to have under floor heating and select tiles for the floor and the window boards; Select roof vents in order to allow hot air to leave the conservatory, choose blinds to keep away the suns rays at the heat of summer.
Choosing a conservatory may seem a simple exercise, but it is all down to planning. There are many different areas you need to consider.