Conservatories latest news

Cool conservatories 04/05/10

If you have been put off buying a conservatory because you think it will be to hot in the summer, think again. This was true a few years ago and to help to keep conservatories cool roof ventilators were installed, which worked to some degree, but now you can have a glass which is manufactured by Pilkington call Activ-blue its blue tinted and reflects the solar heat away from the roof and windows of south facing conservatories plus a added bonus that it’s also a self cleaning glass.
I know personally of a person who purchased a house in Kent with a large Anglian conservatory on the rear, he noted that no roof ventilators had been built-in and was quite concerned however he noted that the  glass had a blue tint, as this was in the winter he could not monitor the effect of any solar gain until the spring on a warm spring day with the sun full on the conservatory temperatures in the low 70 the conservatory was cool and the anti-sun blue tint kept the suns glare to an adequate level, therefore no blinds were required
This can save you money by not having roof ventilators or blinds which you have to fiddle with according to the weather.
So now we have a glass that all singing and dancing, it keeps the conservatory cool when its warm and no more cleaning conservatory roofs or windows the self cleaning glass is great for conservatories or any windows that are hard to get to, it works when it rains and the glass gets wet. The coating allows the rain water to remove any organic dirt from the glass but not grease.

 

How to keep the price of your conservatory within budget 10/04/10

Firstly try to keep to a straight forward design such as a sun lounge or Victorian as the style gets more lavish so does the price.
The size obviously makes a big difference, when conservatories are priced they will dependent on roof sizes and are priced in increments, so if you request a conservatory of a size of 3100 x 3100 mm and ask for a price then compare it to a conservatory of 3000 x 3000 mm you will see how much you can save.
Glass to floor helps plus the added benefit it makes your conservatory appear to be larger as you have no walls to gauge any depth plus it brings the garden into the conservatory.
Windows opening windows are very important in any conservatory to give good ventilation, but you will not need an opener in every panel, one roof vent plus 3 opening windows will be adequate in a conservatory of dimensions 3000 x 3000 mm. anymore and you will be wasting money. The most cost effective will be a tilt and turn.
Entrance doors are best if you go for a pair of French doors but the most cost effective would be a set of patio doors.
The roof material also makes a big difference so if you are over budget and you have a glass roof why not get a price for polycarbonate you will be surprised

 

Decoration of conservatories 08/04/10

The build quality of conservatories today is very high, they are like any other room in the house but with a few more windows, in view of that they should be treated the same when it comes to decoration.
Conservatories be it large or small can to be decorated to look fabulous with a little bit of imagination. Firstly the floor, once it was fishable to have a stone or tiles floor which can feel cold to the touch, so have a vinyl finish such as Amtico or Cardene, the finish can be in stone or wood and the product  is second to none.
Next is the conservatory walls skirting will give that finished look, the walls plastered and painted in eggshell, but be careful with the colours keep to neutral colours and you will be safe.
Conservatory lighting can be a bit of a tough one, due to the structure being built of glass. When you switch your light on in your lounge at night the light will reflect off the surface of the ceiling walls and floor so you can see all the colours of the surfaces, but in a conservatory its glass, no reflection you just look out into a sheet of black and light up the sky at night. Ok so what options have you?

Heating you will need in the colder months; a Dimplex 3 KW wall mounted heater with a programmer for around £100 will work very well.
At the end of the day you will make the choice you think best, but we hope we have given you some ideas.  

 

Under floor heating in conservatories.31/03/10

When you go to any conservatory outlet you will always see under floor heating as a choice for the heating, but is it a gimmick or a good idea.

The choice is yours, as this tends to be a personal choice they both give you heat but in a different ways.

Building problems with conservatories 29/03/10

Around 26% of conservatories built will have problems that show up some time after the conservatory has been built, although conservatory companies will not admit to it.
One of the most common is during the construction of the base; the reason is that the majority of small conservatory companies do not have a good building background therefore this is where the problems could start.
Its common practice to some extent that they rely on their builder to build the bases for their conservatories, this is ok but if his knowledge of ground work is limited he may not recognise a problem such as made up ground (this is where soil is laid on existing ground to bring up levels) even if this has occurred 100 years ago it’s still a problem which cause serious movement to the building. When conservatories are built on this type of ground without the correct type of foundation it is sure to be a problem. Common myths I hear by some builders is that conservatories are not as heavy as houses, therefore do not require a deep foundations, wrong. It’s in part about load bearing properties of the soil and this is where a structural engineer gets involved.
Another problem which is hard to distinguish is soil which has poor loading properties such as fuller’s earth or river beads these areas will need the assistance of an engineer who will take soil samples to ascertain if there is a problem and how to overcome it. These are only a few of the problems which a builder can come across. When house builders develop a site they will always call upon the assistance of a structural engineer to test the soil and design the foundation for the houses.
At present conservatories less than 30 m2 are not subject to building control, in other words no one is interested in them and this is why they’re so many problems, it has been rumored for some time now that this will end and all conservatories will be subject to building control by local authorities.

 

Stealth council tax on conservatories 22/03/10

Many homes are now paying hundreds of pounds to their council after their homes were revalued by stealth it has been revealed.
Local authorities planning officers have pushed 102,407 properties into an upper band since Labour came into control 13 years ago.
Conservatories, Porches, extensions, and other minor home improvements have cost home owners an extra £200 extra a year.
Due to the current economic climate families cannot afford to move so they are forced to stay put and improve their homes by having conservatories or extensions which is within their budget then they have to pay additional tax on this home improvement of which they would have paid 17.5% VAT.
The way we see it is if this council tax system is put in place nationally the revenue will be high and therefore will not be removed. Families will have an extra burden put on them every time they look to improve their home.
We spoke to a medium size home improvement company who retails conservatories and double glazing they say that they are concerned  as they believe it could affect sales in the home improvement industry, due the current down turn in the economical climate we have seen a drop off  in enquires for conservatories this can only slow it down more.

Ultra Installers are the top 11/03/10

Conservatories, but who do you trust to install yours? 5 years ago Ultraframe one of the UK's largest conservatory companies launched a scheme which enables consumers to be put in contact with registered installers of conservatories.
At present it has around 98 members/branches, the system offers customers a national selection of BBA approved and audited conservatory retailers The approval of such companies is undertaken by BBA inspectors who are knowledgeable in designs of conservatories, specifications and fitting
All members must comply to a Code of Good Practice, agree to training every 12 months and comply to the GGF’s Code of Good Practice in fitting of conservatories.
The flip side is,, the system promotes members on the Ultraframe-conservatories website, where consumers can find Ultraframe Installers in their postcode area.
The first month of this year in access of 500 leads were received and delivered to the relevant 98 members/branch, leads were up by 77% on the same month last year, confirmation once again that consumers are in the market for quality conservatories.
If you own a conservatory company and wish to become a member, firstly you must have a unblemished track record and pass a one day office/site based appraisal and to have customer references checked and pass credit checks.

Buying your first conservatory 09/03/10

Conservatories are a bit like buying a new house or a new car. They not cheap, so you need to make sure you have a good idea of what you like before you start signing that cheque. i.e. what you need a conservatory for, where is it to be built, material to be used ,conservatories are normally manufactured in uPVC or hardwood, and lastly your budget, make your you know these before investing your time, money into buying one

If you are thinking about having an extra room to your home by having a conservatory first think what you need the room for as this will make a difference to the design and size lets explain.

Dining room.
Conservatories suitable for a dining room ideally should be wide enough to enable you to position a table across the conservatory so you can arrange the chairs to look into the garden and allow room to walk around the conservatory.
Agree with your partner where the conservatory is going to be built, then with the aid of a bricklayer’s line and some timber pegs mark out the footprint of the conservatory. Then place your patio table and chairs inside of the string lines, now’s the time to try out your template, just sit down on your patio chairs now you can see what the conservatory will look like from the inside you can now decide where to have the French doors and how high you would like the dwarf wall.
An ideal design is the Victorian stretch as illustrated.

Play Room

Conservatories cover a spectrum of uses another is a children’s play room. What better can you give your children a room that’s bright, light and warm to keep their toys and an area to play.
Conservatories for playrooms have no hard fix rules regarding size or what you should or shouldn’t have. One of the most popular designs of conservatories is a sun lounge or garden room. This design is economical to purchase and blends in with any design of property.
A conservatory of approximate dimensions 3000 mm x 2500 mm, 25mm, opal polycarbonate roof which would keep the sun’s harmful rays away from the children and the conservatory cool, full glass to floor panels with 4 No tilt and turn windows with a set of patio doors would be ideal, cost effective and a good size. If you wish you can plaster and colour wash the rear wall. Heating could be achieved with a 3 KW Dimplex wall heater with a guard, time switch and thermostat built into the heater for around £100. Lighting 2 x 60watt up lighters positioned onto the rear wall.
You can any size and design you wish as it all a matter of choice and cost.

Luxury Conservatories

If you have some disposal income you may wish to invest it in a luxury conservatory. Conservatories have never been as cheap as they are today, mainly due to the recession.
Companies who trade in conservatories and double glazing need volume sales to carry on trading so now’s the time to grab a bargain.
If you own a large house and are thinking of having a conservatory as a link between the house and the garden you will need to contact a company who specializes in conservatories, this will ensure you are speaking to designers who will design a conservatory for your specific needs, and lifestyle, so if you entertain, dinner parties and so on this may be ideal for you.
Some of the larger conservatories are crown tops, Edwardian, and gable ended, and with a little bit of cash can be made to look like a palace.
The specification you can have is endless, under floor heating, state of the art lighting systems that come on when you walk into the conservatory then can be set to whatever the mood you require at a touch of a button, self cleaning glass, automatic blinds, and so on.

Ideal Home Exhibition 07/03/10

This year’s Ideal Home Exhibition starts on the 20 March  and is set to be a great show this year Anglian home improvements are sponsoring 3 show houses so if you are looking for conservatories or other home improvement products come along and grab a bargain as there are some great bargains to be had. The show starts on the 20 march and will run until after Easter so you will have plenty of time to visit
The Ideal Home Exhibition has always been renowned as the place to go if you are improving your home as there so many retail outlets to see from window cleaning devices to conservatories it’s all here.

Around the 70’s &  80’s the show fascinated a vast amount of people looking to improve their homes double glazing and conservatories were coming on the market plus hundreds of other home improvement products and the people were buying with disposable income.
Today, we tell a very different story, now the public has less disposable income to buy extravagant items such as conservatories and the latest home improvements products. Many home improvement outlets  are hesitant to pay out large of amounts of money on this type of show  as they find its very not easy to get a return on their outlay, there is even talk that this may be its last year as the site may be sold to developers.

 

Self-Cleaning Glass 03/03/10

Conservatories, roof and window cleaning has now been made easer by the large quantity of glass cleaning chemicals available today. Nevertheless, glass cleaning agents still require plenty elbow grease to get the windows looking good; however, these cannot to begin to rival the effortlessness of self-cleaning glass on conservatories.

The Pilkington Activ™ Range: A Two Step Cleaning Process

If the thought of continuous cleaning windows put you off of conservatories, you now no longer have to be concerned.
After many years of research and development, Pilkington have developed the world's first self-cleaning glass for conservatories which uses a microscopic coating with an exceptional dual-action.
The first part of the cleaning procedure is called "photocatalytic". In this phase, the coating reacts with daylight and breaks down organic dirt.
The second phase is called "hydrophilic". When it rains the water hits the glass instead of forming droplets, it spreads evenly, running off in a "sheet" and removing any loosened dirt with it, also drying quickly without leaving streaks.

How to Buy Self-Cleaning Glass for Conservatories 03/03/10

It is vital that you take the following into consideration when choosing self-cleaning glass suppliers.
· Always get a least 3 quotes when selecting conservatory glass to make certain that you are getting the best price.
·  When thinking about  buying self-cleaning glass for conservatories make sure the supplier is reputable. Look for an accredited Pilkington supplier is usually a good choice. 
· Though the cost of self-cleaning glass is slightly higher than conventional glass costs remember the coating lasts for the lifetime of conservatories, by contacting a Pilkington glass supplier to install the double glazing to your conservatory, correctly, you will be not only be saving money on window cleaning bills but also adding value to your home and the joys of not having to clean your conservatory windows ever again.

What glass is best for conservatories? 01/03/10

Many owners of conservatories ask what glass is best for their conservatory; well this opens up a few questions. When designing a conservatory many factors must be taken into consideration to ensure the owner can use the conservatory all year round..

• What is the orientation of the conservatory? North or South.
• Is the conservatory in direct sun light or shade?
• What is the conservatory to be used for? Sitting area, dining room, or playroom.

As the UK is situated in the northern hemisphere, the sun is generally low in the sky in the winter and in the summer elevates to its zenith in the south. Therefore conservatories facing south will get warm in the summer and therefore benefit from solar control glass to the roof and windows together with good roof ventilation. Likewise conservatories facing north or are shaded by trees or buildings should be glazed with good light transmission glass only and have good thermal properties such as low E glass and argon gas filled sealed units to ensure the heat is retained within the conservatory  this energy efficient glass also applies to south facing conservatories. Polycarbonate roof sheeting is a cheaper option but will cut down on the amount of light that will pass into your conservatory and has poor thermal properties.lt to access
Another thought is how to clean your conservatory as many types of conservatories are difficult to gain access to the roof; if this is the case self cleaning glass is well worth considering. Pilkington glass have brought out such a glass that cleans it’s self. When it rains and the water hits the glass instead of forming droplets or river lets on the glass the water forms one sheet of water and removes any organic dirt from the glass.

 

Sir Cliff Richard fails conservatory appeal 27/10/10

SIR Cliff Richard has been ordered to demolish his conservatory at his home at Virginia Water after he unsuccessful appeal against a council order.
Sir Cliff was told last year to remove the building from his home on the Wentworth Estate, after applying to Runnymede Borough Council for retrospective planning permission.
He made a last bid to maintain the conservatory, which was built in 2006, but the application was dismissed by the Planning Inspectorate in December.
Runnymede Borough Council earlier said the conservatory contravened their green belt policy, which states that any extensions to properties must not exceed 30% of the original building’s floor space
Sir Cliff’s planning agent, Dave Farrell, said “It was only a conservatory and it didn't’t have any effect on the green belt, however the inspectorate came down on the side of it being a percentage increase over and above the 1986 development.

White woodgrain conservatories 25/01/10

It would appear that customers are now demanding for a white wood grain finish to their conservatories as opposed to a brown wood grain finish. Many homeowners say that the standard white uPVC is OK but it lacks the natural look and feel of wood
Quantal has now introduced a new white woodgrain to their range of coloured aluminium conservatory roofing systems, to meet with the increasing customer demand for enhanced finishes. These should be available from stock; the new foil alternative has been design to improve the decorative options in the range by Quantil. This has been brought about by home owners demanding better and varied finishes.
This option now allows homeowner to match their existing windows and doors to Quantils range of conservatories i.e. white woodgrain finish. Quantil say that this new product will help to push sales up this year.

Roofing systems for conservatories 22/02/2010

K2 a leading roofing company for conservatories has brought out a new aluminium roofing system with a contemporary theme, and is being used by many conservatory companies with some great results.
Over the many years that I have been designing conservatories I have often been asked by the customer “Do we have to have a cresting on the roof? Why cannot we have a plain white finish, well they can now.
The system is aluminium with a powder coated finish which is easy to keep clean; the system does not have any cresting (at last a company that’s listing to customers) and is finished with a neat slide-in track which finishes off  the roof  cap, and gives a clean finish to conservatories and gives a more modern design.
The system also allows for the installation of wide bi-fold doors thanks to K2 architectural systems structural goal posts and beam, giving conservatory companies more scope with designs.
Conservatories of all designs will new benefit from these new roofing systems e.g. Victorian stretch conservatories can now have a clean cut look to the roof with wide bi-fold doors to the front elevation, Edwardian conservatories can now have wide bi-fold doors below the gable without the problem of the weight from the gable.

 

 

 

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