Extending Your Home, When to Consider a Conservatory

People extend their homes for many reasons, it may be for space, lifestyle or simply an extra room to enjoy the garden. The four basic options are a traditional extension, a sun-room, a conservatory or now the very fashionable Orangery. It is not our intention here to suggest that a conservatory meets all requirements, it has a specific purpose and will suit many but not all situations.

A conservatory built today is very different from one built ten years ago. Like all construction methods the focus is now on insulation and energy efficiency. While older conservatories suffered from extremes of temperature, being too cold in the winter and too hot in the summer, a modern well built conservatory will have easily regulated temperatures, a modern heating system and will be usable all year around.

A conservatory is most suited to those who enjoy natural daylight and warmth and who are keen to preserve the natural light already enjoyed in the existing living spaces in the home. The conservatories we currently build are used for a variety of uses including dining rooms, sitting rooms, home offices, playrooms for kids or just a nice retreat to enjoy the garden. For those who enjoy a warm room it is possible to bask in the sunshine with temperatures in the mid 20’s on a January day.

Conservatories are also a very cost efficient way of extending your home, cheaper than the traditional building methods and with a normal on-site requirement of 10-15 working days, there is very little disruption to the home. A conservatory will also insulate your home and draw heat from the sun into your home making the inside rooms cosier and will reduce the heating costs.

When should a conservatory not be considered? There are certain situations where we would not recommend a conservatory; the most common is where the room is also required as a spare bedroom with pullout sofa and the reasons are obvious, too bright early in the morning and no privacy. Those who do not like sunlight or who have privacy issues should also consider a sunroom or extension. A conservatory will cost more to heat than a traditional extension so for those considering a large extension open plan to the house, it may be more practical to add an extension. For all other situations we feel there is no better solution to creating a bright, ambient, warm and cost effective extension to your home.