What the Victorians did for us – Conservatories

When the Victorians first dreamt of growing exotic plants in glass houses they could hardly have imagined that they were starting a lifestyle trend that continues to this day as conservatories.

 

Today, the immensely elegant glass buildings of yesteryear are designed from state of the art materials to create living spaces that are used for everything from dining rooms to kitchens, from playrooms to gyms and kitchens to offices. 

 

Homeowners have conservatories that are separated by doors from the rest of the house whilst others create vast openings that allow the conservatory extension to blend seamlessly with the home’s interior. Replica Victorian, Georgian and Edwardian models finished with detailed architectural features compete for popularity with stunningly contemporary glass rooms where the emphasis is on creating impact from clean, simple forms.

 

But how exactly do you make the leap from the building of your dreams to the reality you can live in every day? Speak to any homeowner that has embarked on a building project and they will almost certainly be able to regale you with enough horror stories of when things have gone wrong to put you off for good. Certainly building a conservatory is a major building project which is why you need to find a company that has a proven track record in what they do, shares your vision, your enthusiasm and, most importantly, appreciates your budget and is prepared to work with you to minimise any possible disruption.

 

Hazlemere Conservatories is a High Wycombe based conservatory specialist with a penchant for helping their customers create distinctive conservatories and so know that the dream doesn’t always match the reality.  â€ŔDuring the 80’s and a large part of the 90’s conservatories were being stuck on to what seemed like just about everyone’s houses. Looking at many of the conservatories that were built during this era, you could perhaps be forgiven for thinking they’ve been there far longer. However building materials evolve, and in the last 10 years there has been a considerable step-change in the quality of conservatories that are available. Today’s buildings should look good well into the future as long as they are designed and built with modern materials as an integral part of your home.”  (Graham Kiddle, Senior Conservatory Consultant at Hazlemere Conservatories)

 

According to Hazlemere, one of the crucial keys to a successful conservatory build is about determining from the outset if you expect to use the room all year round. If you do then heating it needs to be as big a consideration as keeping it cool in the summer. With advances in glass and framing technology it is indeed possible for your conservatory to provide a snug retreat in the winter and a cool haven in the summer but the specification has to be right. The only way for a company to determine what your conservatory’s exact specification needs to be is to conduct a detailed site survey which will take into account the position of the conservatory in relation to both your home and the direction of the sun upon it.

 

Glass is available that reflects the sun’s heat and is particularly useful in South facing conservatories. Tinted glass is also an important consideration if you want to use your conservatory to watch television or use a computer. Effective opening vents in the ceiling of the conservatory will allow hot air in the summer months to escape quickly. These essential vents can be manually or electrically operated and some companies offer automatic rain detectors to ensure vents close as soon as it begins to rain.

 

Installing electrics for a fan will help to disperse warm air upwards in the summer but can also be reversed in the winter to keep the warm air down rather than letting it escape upwards.

 

Heat extractors are a highly effective way of removing warm air at the hottest times of the year and help to control humidity. Air exchange systems work in a similar way  but with the added benefit of bringing warm air back into the building as well. Opting for air conditioning is always an option although it can be expensive to run and will require more on-going maintenance.

 

One very important consideration for any conservatory is the need for roof blinds. They provide a very effective barrier to solar gain and heat loss but to look good and work simply they need to be made and installed professionally. Don’t underestimate the cost of these blinds because they are essential and should be considered as an integral part of your conservatory and not an optional ‘add-on’.

 

The experienced professionals at Hazlemere Conservatories advise that although with so much glass in a conservatory, heat loss is inevitable, it can be minimised to ensure that you can use the room all year round. Just as glass can be specified to reflect the sun’s heat, there are also reflective coatings that keep the heat inside a conservatory which is invaluable in colder north facing buildings.

 

You need to consider how you will heat your conservatory before you begin to ensure relevant works are carried out as the building work progresses. To heat your conservatory you can opt to extend your existing central heating system or you can install an independent heating system just for the new area.  If you do plan to extend your existing central heating then you should install individual room thermostats to ensure that you can increase the heat in the cooler conservatory area when you need it without affecting the heating in the rest of the house. If you opt for an independent heating source then consider low level wall mounted radiators or underfloor heating for the best aesthetic effect, both of which are easily installed as part of the main build programme.

 

Whilst the choices to be made are undoubtedly complex, an experienced conservatory company will be able to guide you through the best combination of options for your particular conservatory and ensure that the cost of making it useable all year round is built in to your quote from outset and thus avoid adding ‘extras’ in at a later stage.

 

By taking the time to ensure that you have considered all of the available options you stand a good chance of having your dream conservatory and enjoying the glass house legacy the Victorians left us.