Conservatories For All

When a homeowner decides to construct a conservatory and goes in search of keen conservatory prices from manufacturers and installers for the project, he or she will find that there is a huge variation of conservatory prices available.  As with many products however, this should not be all that surprising, as there is also a large variation in the production quality of conservatories, between the materials being used and the craftsmanship employed in construction.

There are various differences between timber conservatories and uPVC and aluminium structures in terms of pricing of materials, maintenance required, etc and these factors should all be considered before you make any decisions.

Treat bargain conservatory prices with caution – the price you are being quoted could be an excellent price, but before you accept it consider the following points to see if the conservatory you are considering is up to standard.

1. Material Quality

Some homeowners consider a conservatory to be an add-on to the home that can be made of light or inferior products.  This is a mistake and you have to consider that as it is connected to the residence, any heat loss from the conservatory will affect the main residence also.  A properly insulated structure will actually help improve the insulation of the entire residence.  Selecting a conservatory with a light window frame could well lead to problems in time, as these window frames are actually operating as walls also and are therefore subject to pressure during times of high wind and other inclement weather conditions.  If you are considering a timber conservatory, be prepared to pay for a hardwood conservatory, as the quality of the timber has to be good if your structure is to last a long time.

Added to this is the fact conservatories can be reinforced or fully reinforced depending on the quality of the structure.  A reinforced conservatory has sections that are over 600mm long strengthened, whereas a fully reinforced conservatory has the entire frame strengthened.  A Conservatory price will obviously vary depending on the quality and strength of the framework of the structure.

2. Security

Once again you have to bear in mind that if your sunroom is going to be adjoining your residence, then factors such as security are as relevant to the extension as to the rest of the home.  Ensure that the locks that will be used in the frames and doors are of good quality.  It is difficult to put a price on good security for your home.  Quality uPVC frames and doors will have multi-point locking systems set into the frames and these, along with double glazing, should offer excellent security for your extension.

3. Foundations

Purchasing the sunroom from the manufacturer is separate from site preparation and the construction of the foundations.  Again, some people consider a conservatory to be a light structure and decide to save some money by putting in very light foundations.  Again be aware it is going to be part of your home and that any future structural difficulties will affect the entire residence.  You should employ the traditional types of foundations that you would use if you were building a proper extension.

4. Temperature Control

A properly insulated sunroom or solarium will help to keep the temperature within the structure regulated, and that applies to keeping heat out as well as helping to retain heat.  If you are using a roof made of polycarbonate it is important to select one that is of reasonable thickness.  Again a conservatories price can be kept down if you choose a polycarbonate roof with a thickness of say 16 mm, but as the standard thickness is 25mm, you would do better to have a roof of at least this thickness.  This will mean that your sunroom will be in a better position to retain heat in the colder months and reflect heat in the summer.  In the long term this should save you money on the excessive usage of heating and cooling systems in order to maintain temperature control.

5. Conservatory Style

There can be offers on conservatories for sale at various times, especially if a company is trying to offload a conservatory style that has not sold very well.  In order to save money you might be tempted to purchase on of these structures in a conservatory sale.  However you should study the details of this offer closely and consider the impactof the conservatory on your residence when it is constructed.

If you want to look up conservatories prices for your particular country online, you can narrow down the search results by inserting your country into the search – search under ‘conservatories Ireland price’ for example.

One of the best ways to get an extension for your home without having to outlay too much money is to invest build your own conservatory.  As the name suggests, this is a structure that you either construct completely yourself, or at least erect pre-constructed components on your own.

There are various ways of looking at this option.  We would recommend it as a very viable way of getting an extension for your home if you are used to home improvement / DIY work and have some skill and ability in this area.  There is tremendous satisfaction to be obtained from building your own conservatory and as conservatory prices can be expensive, you could save quite a bit of money .  However, if you have not done this sort of work before you will have to learn how to build a conservatory,  employ someone with this sort of experience to help you, or simply not get involved in constructing your own sunroom and have a professional do the work for you.

If you are considering constructing your own extension and not purchasing one of the conservatories for sale from a manufacturer, do not take the attitude that not only should you save money on construction costs, but that you should save money by using inferior materials also.  DIY conservatories can be of an even higher quality than those you get constructed by someone else, because you can take the opportunity that you are constructing the structure yourself to design and construct a bespoke structure that is perfectly matched to your needs and desires.  Find a manufacturing company that is interested in discussing what type of sunroom you desire and is willing to give you what you want.

One of the first tasks you will face is deciding which type will compliment your home – a traditional design type such as a Victorian or Edwardian conservatory, a more general type such as you get with lean-to conservatories, or if you have a modern home, a contemporary style may suit best.  Take care in making this decision, as a well chosen and complimentary style will enhance your existing residence and will add to the value of your home, whereas an extension that does not blend in with your home can do the opposite.

In deciding what size you want your DIY conservatory to be, you need to decide firstly what use you intend to make of the space and secondly, how large a structure you can afford.  By building yourself, you may be able to spend more on making the structure larger, but do not go for a very large extension simply because you can afford to.  Many homeowners actually make their sunroom larger than they need.  Use an existing room in your home to judge a size that would be suitable for your needs and base your measurements on this.

Before you get involved in ordering or committing to purchasing any materials for your DIY conservatory, you need to ensure that you do not need planning permission for what you intend to build.  Different planning laws apply in different localities and whereas in many locations you can build an extension under a certain size without requiring planning permission, it is always best to check.  Other factors to take into account is the possibility that your home is a protected structure, that you may be building your new solarium over an existing sewage pipe, or that your planning department has some issues with uPVC glazing or any other issues.  In such cases timber conservatories are often a more accepted option, with a hardwood conservatory being a quality choice that will last many years, but you need to check out these details before commencing any work.

Constructing a DIY conservatory involves more than simply building the structure, unless you simply want something like a lean to greenhouse.  You will want to get a double glazing quote and will have to carry out plenty of research to get the best galzing for your budget. You will also have to consider which type of heating system you intend to use to heat the space.  Do you want a stand alone system, or do you hope to integrate the heating with your existing home system?  Electrical and plumbing work will probably also have to be integrated, so you will have to employ trained tradesmen for these parts of the project.

As you can gather from what we have outlined above, learning how to build your own conservatory is not a project to be undertaken lightly.  There are many issues that you have to consider before you commence work and while construction is underway.  If you employ a reputable builder with proper insurance cover to build your conservatory for you, you are covered if something goes wrong.  With a self-made sunroom unfortunately, you are on your own.

However homeowners that have run with the ‘build your own conservatories‘ challange and have succeeded in erecting attractive and useful extensions to their home are always immensely proud of their achievements.  The choice is yours!