Planning a Conservatory – What To Consider

Having a conservatory added to your home is a brilliant way to create extra space and can also increase the value of your home.  Unless you are in the trade, it is good to work with a company that offers conservatory creation as well as double glazing in Telford or wherever you live.  But what are the things to consider before you chat with them?  And what questions will they work through with you?

Design questions

Top of the list of things to consider is the size of the conservatory.  Under Permitted Development, you don’t need to have planning permission for conservatories in most cases although there are some rules and exceptions to be aware of.  The idea with a conservatory is to get it big enough to do the job you want while working within your budget.

You also want to consider how much sunlight it will receive and when.  By having an installation of double glazing with special coatings, you can reduce the impact of the sun a bit and blinds will also help but you want to consider this early in the process.

The materials

There are lots of options for the building material for your conservatory.  uPVC is a popular option while aluminium can work for some homes.  Having some brickwork involved will make it more of a garden room or orangery and might be better for some purposes.  Think about if you want some solid walls to help manage the sun as well.

Double glazing is an important part of making a conservatory energy efficient and will often be stipulated in the building regulations.  Solar control glass is ideal for roofs and sides that face the sun and you can even get metallic coated products to reflect some of the sun’s heat if this is an issue.

The roof can be either glass or polycarbonate.  Glass is clear and can be covered with solar control and even self-cleaning coating.  You can get laminated glass to protect against breakage from debris.  Polycarbonate offers a softer light and is very strong but can be noisier when it rains.

Other considerations

Ventilation is very important with conservatories to avoid condensation and damp problems.  This means having features such as built-in trickle ventilation.  Building regulations also say what area of windows should open based on the size of the room.  You can even get rain sensors to add to ventilation panels to avoid water getting in.

You will also want to consider heating for the space, so you can use it in the cooler months.  Extending the central heating from the house or having a separate heater are common options and you can even look at underfloor heating.  The same applies to the electricity supply and lights to allow you to have power in the room.

Finally, think about cleaning and maintenance.  Can someone get to the roof to clean it regularly?  Self-cleaning glass can ease this situation and is ideal for awkward spots that are hard to reach.  Also, many window cleaners have special pole systems to reach height, so this might not be too big an issue.