Archive for the ‘Advice’ Category
5 Reasons To Invest In A Conservatory
If you have ever been to someone’s home and seen a conservatory attached to their house or bungalow, you may looking into having one installed for yourself.
Here are five ways to add a conservatory to your home –
To Relax – A conservatory is an excellent want to enjoy the sunshine from your garden without having to sit outdoors. Having a range of plants or small water features can easily enhance the relaxation you can achieve by sitting in a conservatory. Relaxing in your newly built conservatory can be great for the blood pressure, relieve headaches or just give you peace and quiet to enjoy a good book and a cup of coffee.
Grow Plants – The warmth and sun that enters a conservatory can be ideal for growing and displaying a large variety of plants or place waterfalls for a soothing effect to the already calm atmosphere. Plants can look great so look to rotate the kinds of plants in your conservatory depending on their bloom to make the full effect of the colours available. The aroma of the pollen can add to the already calming atmosphere a newly built conservatory can give.
Entertaining – If you have a small to medium dining room and enjoy entertaining family and friends for dinner, then a conservatory can be an ideal way to introduce a larger dining room into your home. Being able to have a large table with chairs and space around them to walk past, can add to the experience of not feeling cramped so a more enjoyable evening.
Extra Space – A main reason many families invest in a new conservatory is to add more living space to their home. As with the options above, relaxing, dining or just an area for children to play can make a conservatory a very much worthwhile investment as well as adding value to your home if you come to sell at a later date.
Adding Value To Your Home – As mentioned above, adding a conservatory to your home will easily add to the resell value of your home. Even if the price of your home does drop a little, the value of a conservatory is easily something a potential new buyer can see as added benefits over homes they have looked at, that do not have a conservatory.
Why choose an uPVC Conservatory
A conservatory is one of the most popular ways to increase space within your home without costing a fortune. It also adds various benefits like being able to enjoy the garden even when the weather is bad allowing you to grow plants and vegetables inside. In fact a conservatory has a number of benefits which is why they are so popular. A uPVC conservatory is particularly impressive. It is a cost effective way to add space giving you a conservatory that adds a look to your home while adding the space your family need. It will last you for many years and will prove to be a great long term investment.
Conservatories have traditionally been made from wood but the introduction of uPVC has given people a new improved option. It offers a cheaper and longer lasting option which is why it is proving to be very popular. UPVC conservatories or Unplasticised Poly Vinyl Chloride conservatories do not use softening agents known as plasticisers within the frame which makes the material perfect for conservatories. As a result the cost effective solution is one of the reasons for the conservatories rise in popularity.
While uPVC are the most popular you can still get the traditional conservatories which are made from wood. There are a number of down sides to these though with the need to treat the wood. Wood needs to be painted and varnished with various other diy jobs needing to be done. UPVC conservatories require virtually no maintenance. Maybe a quick wipe over once in a while but because of its material it will be a simple process. The sun can also take its toll on a wooden conservatory fading the wood. The uPVC alternative is much more durable and will last you for years. They will not rot like the older wooden version.
Another major advantage of the uPVC conservatory over the wooden conservatory is that it offers a much higher level of security. Security is obviously important. We all want our families to be safe which is something that the uPVC Conservatory can offer with its strong frame and even stronger double glazed windows. It is hard if not impossible to get through a uPVC Conservatory. You do not get the same level of security with a wooden one although they are still better than conventional windows.
There are also environmental benefits to a conservatory with the ability to control the temperature. With conservatory blinds you can control the heat efficiently. This goes for the whole home of you have uPVC throughout the home. A good conservatory will help lower heating bills. While uPVC is a plastic material it can be recycled making it a plus when it comes to the environmental issues we have today.
While there are a number of different styles available a uPVC conservatory offers the very best solution. They have become the most popular conservatory in the UK for a very good reason. They offer a good looking, safe and environmentally friendly solution. If you are looking for a new conservatory then look closely at the uPVC Conservatory as it really offers you the best at the most affordable price.
Keeping Your Conservatory Clean
When you have your conservatory installed you can stand back with pride on your new investment that maynot be cheap but will last you many years of pleasure. It can be a good idea at first to wipe down any surfaces with a damn cloth to remove any dust that may reside from the installation.
The good thing about most conservatories is that they come made from a uPVC material which is very easy to clean and very robust. As uPVC is usually white, when clean it enhances the light in your conservatory as well as the sunshine coming through the window. Keeping the glass clean is also very beneficial as the grime can easily build up overtime which can cause your conservatory blinds to become grim ridden to.
Inside your conservatory, keep good habits in cleaning will prevent your carpet or flooring from wear and tear longer whereas dirt can cause a surface to wear away quicker than if it was looked after properly. When placing furniture in your conservatory, try not to have the furniture in direct sunlight if possible. The easiest way to achieve this is with conservatory blinds as sunlight onto many surfaces can cause fading over a very short period of time.
Bifold Conservatory Doors
With the ability to provide wider unobstructed door openings as opposed to French double doors or sliding patio doors the Bifold Conservatory doors are gaining in popularity. Fully opened they provide a seamless merging of your garden with your conservatory and in one move the outside moves in and the inside moves out!
When you decide on a Bifold door bear in mind that you must provide adequate structural support. This stops the possibility of deflection in the conservatory roof at any time you have open the doors fully. You will find that the majority of conservatory roof systems have now been specially designed and constructed to use when bifolding doors are to be fitted. There are other concerns about the maximum width of any door aperture and you should read the details thoroughly before you purchase or get the professional guidance from a reputable builder or expert in the field. Bringing in someone like a structural engineer for example will of course increase the overall costs somewhat.
You will find that bifolding doors come in a choice of materials to complement the new conservatory and amongst the most popular are powder coated aluminium and UPVC’s. These doors can be sprayed to virtually any colour you might require. As for the choice of glass this can include self cleaning solar control glass. This glass is specifically made in order to reflect the direct heat from the sun so that control of the conservatory temperature can be made easier.
Choosing what style of door to have is also important. Most of them have a hinged door that enables you to have access through a single door into your garden. This is a boon in the cold months when there is no need for the complete door to be opened.
By adding bifold doors to your conservatory you will open up a new living space with the outside.
DIY Self Building Conservatories
Even though your DIY skills may be on the low side designing and building a conservatory has never been easier. With the aid of a couple of friends of the human variety and one of the computer variety you should be able to cope with everything required. There is no need for you to sit for what seems hours listening to a salesman telling you why his Company is the greatest thing since sliced bread then producing an estimate that bears a strong resemblance to a telephone number.
You have the internet to guide you and you can take control as manager of your own project. And the resultant cost will be insignificant against Mr Salesman’s. Some of the on-line self building conservatories are every bit as good as those obtainable from the standard conservatory companies. By working through a firm on the internet you can be reassured that nobody will call at your door except to deliver the goods when they have been ordered. All correspondence can be achieved through the email or phone systems.
Your primary choice is the material you are going to use. uPVC, Hardwood or perhaps Aluminium. On a DIY self build basis the uPVC is highly recommended as the Hardwood needs expert carpentry skills and the Aluminium requires skilled tradesmen. Obviously if your assistants as it were are experts in these fields then your choice is widened, if not uPVC is an excellent choice anyway.
Other important things to consider are Security, Roofing, Window Frames, Flooring etc. It is not an easy job doing it your self but the end result if done properly will give you such a great feeling especially after all the hard work and thought that has gone into it. It will also have added value to your home far in excess of the price of the conservatory.
Whatever purpose you use the conservatory for that warm glow of satisfaction at what you have achieved will never leave you
Your Conservatory Floor
The Conservatory or Orangery may have been built for a specific reason and will therefore need a floor that keeps in line with its intended purpose. For example if the conservatory is an extension of the kitchen then the floor will need to be moisture resistant.
There are numerous different materials designed for the flooring of a conservatory such as Cork, Natural Stone, Laminate, Wood, Ceramic Tiles etc etc. Let us consider each one briefly.
Cork floors are without doubt tough and are resistant to any water spilt accidentally. They are natural insulators and pleasant beneath the feet. If the conservatory or orangery was built with the kids playing in it in mind then Cork is ideal.
Laminate resembles a traditional wooden floor but is simpler where installation is concerned. It is also cheaper to purchase and is available in a wide range of natural stone look-a-like tiles.
Natural Stone itself produces a number of different products for your conservatory floor. Tiles made from Granite, Marble, Slate and Limestone are readily available from most stockists. All of them have their own advantages.
Ceramic Tiles have four basic types being Terracotta, Quarry, Glazed and Ceramic. All of these are fairly cold so absolutely ideal for the summer but not so funny in bare feet in the winter. Under floor heating might be an option with Ceramic floor tiling.
With wooden conservatory or orangery flooring you can have Natural Hardwood, Engineered Hardwood or perhaps Parquet flooring. The first is not really recommended if there is any area where there is a wet area (for plants and their watering) as the wood is liable to shrink or warp. Engineered Hardwood is ideal and can withstand moisture and heat. Parquet floorings are less prone to splitting than planks of wood like engineered hardwood. However thin parquet floors are not so suitable.
With such an important feature as the floor professional guidance is a must if you have any doubts.
Need Space? Try a Lean-to
It is sad but true that in today’s economic climate more and more people are finding that moving house is a definite no go situation. More space is needed yet building a full blown Conservatory or Orangery is also out of the question. So what do you do? Well, one ready solution will be to build a Lean-to.
These items are a cost effective way of adding additional living space and their versatility can mean they can be virtually any size you want. They have the added bonus of being light and airy as nowhere else in the house.
The addition of a lean-to to the kitchen area will help maintain an airy feel to the kitchen as well as giving you the extra space so often needed in what is usually the smallest but at the same time the most used room in the home. If the kitchen is adequate then you can turn your attention perhaps to the children and utilise the Lean-to as additional space for them to play in.
Alternatively how about an office space because the lean-to will become a suntrap and help to create a wonderful working environment. The options are never ending.
Speaking of heat, unlike olden type conservatories or lean-to’s which were too hot half the year round and too cold for the rest of the year, today’s creations are much more energy efficient. Undoubtedly built with double glazing they can now be used every day of the year whatever elements the weather throws up.
If you are seeking professional help to build your extension or lean-to then make sure you get a good designer to help with your preliminary thoughts and issues and remember this is your lean-to and you are paying for it. Make sure you include any features you desire. If you want a door to the garden then make sure you get it.
A lean to conservatory is a blend of functional living space and with the natural light through the glass will provide you with a special place to live.
Radiator Heating for the Conservatory
It never seemed to matter years ago that the Conservatories in those days were never heated and consequently they were used in the winter months purely as storage facilities. Heating is now available in all new ones if required, old ones can have it added and the Conservatory can be utilised all the year round.
However if you feel that the Conservatory will only be used on an infrequent basis then Radiators for heating are an excellent investment. It is possible to obtain Radiators that do not run on the main house system and require absolutely no plumbing. The heat from the radiators called radiant heat can provide almost instant warmth and their convenience is easy to understand. Radiant heat is cost effective and energy efficient.
Radiant heat can be obtained from sleek and up-to-date easy to install radiators that look attractive. There is no plumbing required and no hot water is used. Free standing radiant heaters are ideal if you require just a small amount of warmth on perhaps a spring morning just to take the chill off without full radiant heat being required. They are also ideal if there is one specific area of the Conservatory or Orangery that needs warming up say if you are sitting reading and do not need to heat the entire place. Even more advantageous is their ability to be carried around and placed where you want. They are available for use as soon as they have been delivered so no waiting for workmen to arrive or Dad to find free time at the weekend to install them.
These radiators are without doubt the most ideal solution for heating your Conservatory. There are of course many other ways to heat your Conservatory but for simplicity and easiness you will find it hared to better Radiators.
Replacing Your Conservatory Roof With Glass
If you already have a conservatory which came installed with a polycarbonate roof then you can upgrade to a glass roof but there can be complications to this process. The main reason this can be complicated is that when a conservatory is designed, it is designed to withstand the structure itself as well as the material used for the windows and roof. This means a conservatory which has been designed with a polycarbonate roof may not be strong enough on the roof bars to hold panes of glass as they are significantly heavier than polycarbonate.
The polycarbonate used on your current conservatory may also be a different thickness to the glass you are looking to switch to. It is possible to replace the roof while leaving the uPVC frame structure but this can be very tricky. Many companies can offer a free site survey so contact your local conservatory company of click here to visit our homepage to fill in our quote for, and someone will be in touch from our recommended list of conservatory companies in your local area.
The other aspect would be to replace your conservatory as the prices you can now find for a conservatory could be significantly lower than when you have your conservatory previously installed.
Conservatory Protective Netting
Well it’s the start of July and in the United Kingdom summer has been here for a few weeks so many of us have been enjoying our conservatories or maybe you have been looking into investing in a new conservatory for your home or maybe replacing a current construction.
I have personally found that the issue of insects coming in through my conservatory door is a real nuisance. Not only do they cause a feeling or uncleanness but many can bite and leave you with a very sore bite mark. This is also an issue with any food which maybe left on your kitchen worktop which is usually accessible via your conservatory.
A good way we have found in our home to prevent any unwanted guests into our home is to purchase a large piece of netting material. With some minor DIY applications, a piece of netting material can easily be attached or hung over the conservatory door or conservatory to kitchen if you do not mind guests in your conservatory.
My fiancé has applied this to our door with Velcro across the top with a series of beads at the bottom of the netting material to prevent the breeze moving the netting and causing gaps to occur. This may seem a bodge job as it were to many but when you think about how many flies, wasps, bee’s and even the odd bird that may mistakenly fly into your conservatory, a simply barrier that still lets the air in can be a great option.