Add extra space, make the most of precious sunshine and bring the garden into your house with a conservatory. Katherine Sorrell looks at what you should consider when planning a new addition to your home
Kit or bespoke?
Kits tend to be cheap and DIY-friendly, as most of the parts (usually a PVCu frame and polycarbonate roofing) are pre-cut and pre-drilled ready for installation. If you choose a bespoke design you’ll pay a great deal more, but you’ll have something tailored to your individual requirements. Remember that unless a conservatory is well finished and appropriate to your property, it may detract from rather than add to its value.
Size, siting and aspect
A simple plant room or occasional-use home office can be squeezed into quite a small space, but for a useable room such as a sitting room, dining room or playroom, allow at least eight to ten metres of floor area. Overall, ensure that the proportions of your conservatory suit how you’re going to live in it and complement your property and garden.
How will your conservatory adjoin the house? Is there a large enough exterior wall, and will you have to avoid obstructions such as trees or outbuildings? If possible, try to place it facing east or west, as north-facing conservatories tend to be cold, while south-facing ones can overheat.
Walls and frames
Traditionally, conservatories are built onto a 600mm high ‘dwarf’ wall made of brick or stone, in a colour and style that matches or complements that of the main house. More recently, however, fully-glazed structures have become fashionable, offering a contemporary look and even more light.
The most popular choice for the wall framework is PVCu, a material that is light, strong, requires little maintenance and is often made to stock lengths so it can be system-built quickly and easily. It isn’t an environmentally friendly choice, however, and its modern look can be inappropriate for a period property. Bespoke conservatories are generally made in hardwood, which can be carved into slender, intricate designs and suits older properties, though it is more expensive and requires regular maintenance.
Lighting
Getting the lighting right is important in a conservatory as there are fewer reflective surfaces to cast light back into the room in the evenings. Spot lighting works well as it can highlight certain areas whilst avoiding glare when the light hits the windows. A wire system across the ceiling also allows you to highlight a table or central area. You want a warm, relaxed feel at night, so that the conservatory feels like a second living room, rather than just an extension. Include table lamps to create ambiance.
Glazing
Double or triple glazing is essential to reduce heat loss from a conservatory at any time other than mid-summer. The best glazing combines a low-emissivity coating that reflects heat back inside, and argon-gas filled units for maximum insulation. In a bespoke conservatory, you can specify tinted, etched, obscured, anti-sun, fire-resistant, self-cleaning or other specialist glass at a price. For roofs, choose from glass or polycarbonate panels. The latter are light and strong, cheap, and quick and easy to fit, but tend to obscure light, particularly at thicknesses that achieve the same thermal performance as double glazing. Near trees, they may also suffer from algae growth.
Heating
Heating is essential if you plan to use your conservatory in winter and, to comply with building regulations, it must be independent from your main system. You may wish to place radiators against the dwarf walls or install under-floor heating, either of the warm-water pipe or electric cable variety, or you may consider electric trench heaters, hidden under grilles around the edges of the floor. Where there’s room for a chimney or flue it is perfectly possible to install an open fire on the wall that was the outside of the original house.
Ventilation
In the height of summer you’ll need to be able to provide a cool waft of air in your conservatory. Roof vents may be opened manually (with long-armed winding gear) or electrically, or may even be thermostatically controlled to open at the necessary time, with a sensor to close them if it starts to rain. Trickle vents in the roof or side windows are useful, allowing warm air to flow out as necessary. You may also wish to add a central ceiling fan.
Shading
Not just necessary for privacy, blinds also provide shade from direct sunlight and reduce the build-up of heat. If the latter is a problem, your best bet is solar-reflective roller blinds. Otherwise, the options include pleated fabric, pinoleum Roman blinds and slatted Venetian blinds. The blinds you choose will have an enormous impact on the style of the room as a whole, so take your time choosing a look that’s right for you. Remember to ask how easy it is to clean your chosen blinds, and consider whether you want to open and close them with pull-cords, rods or via remote control.
Do I need permission?
Many small, domestic conservatories don’t need planning permission, but there are conditions. For further information, look at www.planningportal.gov.uk and consult your local planning authority.
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