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Conservatories, The Quick and Easy Guide For First Time Buyers
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 Buying a conservatory can be a daunting task especially if you are a first time
buyer. They say that knowledge is power and it is certainly helpful to know something
about conservatories before you buy one (as with most financial endeavors). This
guide is aimed for first time buyers. Hopefully after reading this you will be
able to obtain a conservatory with confidence. The project will most certainly
take time and effort but can pay off very nicely with a new room to enjoy and
a rise in the value of your home.
You will have to take time to research and think about what you really want,
remember YOU have to live with this and you can't afford to make mistakes.
Questions, questions, always questions.
In your quest to be an informed buyer you will have to
ask questions. You should always be informed in what's going on.
This can put your
mind at ease
and make sure that no hidden costs or problems arise. So to start of
with you need to think about what you want. Ask yourself these questions…
- What will I use my conservatory for? - This will have a significant
difference in the type of conservatory you will need. Will it be a sunroom?
or a dining room? a play room? a study? a children's room? a breakfast room?
What type of safety glass should you use? Toughened or laminated glass? What
are the advantages and disadvantages of these types of glasses?
-
When will I use my conservatory? - All year round
or perhaps only in the summer? If to be used only in the summer then
we
recommend full height/fully
glazed models - usually in a lean-to style. This would allow you to
maximize the space internally and with the full height version give
you the best
view of your garden. A lot of people will put their conservatory down
directly
on their existing patio. There isn't anything wrong with this but do
remember that you do not have a damp course installed with this method
- so do be
prepared for some damp. If at all possible lay the conservatory in
a slightly raised position (perhaps on a single course of brickwork)
so
as to minimize
the effects of "standing water" [that's the water that accumulates
on your patio during rain] and therefore reduce water/damp penetration.
All Year round conservatories are the hardest to cater for. This depends
on how much money you are willing to spend on the project. With a cheaper
route it is almost always best to specify cavity dwarf walls, double glazed
frames with a minimum of 16 mm polycarbonate in the roof. You can also
add various heating methods and perhaps cavity wall insulation. This specification
has a couple of disadvantages such as it may be pretty cold in the winter
evenings and also more prone to damp and condensation. This is especially
so if you are north facing. By all means have this specification but do
please
understand that it can have some problems. With the more expensive version
you should use a Low E type of glazing such as Pilkington "K" glass
in your double glazing (this is important!). You may also like to add Argon
filled units to the specification for even better insulation. In the roof
we always recommend glass for the glazing material - with Pilkington "K" glass
off course, this gives you a great view of the sky and can be very
beautiful at night. As an alternative to glass in the roof you can
use 25 mm or
32 mm polycarbonate. This product has the advantage of being less expensive
and easier to handle than a glass roof whilst being a very good insulator.
- What material do I wish my conservatory to be made out of? - The
three most common used materials are PVCu, Hardwood and Aluminum. PVCu is an
excellent; highly insulate material, which benefits from little or no external
maintenance. It is readily available and well tested and the lowest cost option
of all three materials. It is mainly seen in white but also available in Mahogany
and Cherry Oak woodgrain styles. PVCu is by far the most popular material for
conservatories today. The only downside would be that for some the PVCu lacks
authenticity when it comes to the more traditional designs. It is not acceptable
to planners for use on listed buildings and not popular with planners in conservation
areas. Hardwood is used for a truly traditional design with an authentic look.
Just about any traditional design or feature can be recreated - incorporating
the contemporary benefit of double-glazing. Use this as a material for listed
buildings. While it will require some periodic maintenance, modern paint finishes
and stains ensure that this is increasingly less of an issue and it is available
in a variety of stains. Lastly Aluminum's features are very similar to PVCu,
although it is more expensive and not quite such a good insulator. It is a
good choice for commercial locations and any situation where strength is a
major issue.
- What Size? - Quite easy to understand this, what size do you wish
your conservatory to be? This is linked with what you wish your conservatory
to be used for and so may need to be fairly large if it is to be a dining room
for your family and guests.
- Where is it located? - Will your conservatory to be south facing
or north facing, how much light will it get? Will it need blinds?
Image
courtesy of Quantal Conservatory Roof Systems .
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