Conservatories For All

In recent years it has become very popular for homeowners to add a conservatory onto their home. The main advantage to building on a conservatory is that it gives you extra space. In better economic times many property owners would have been tempted to sell their existing home and to buy a larger residence if they had a need for extra living space due to the fact that their family had got bigger for example. However now that the property market is suffering somewhat, it is important that homeowners have the option of increasing the square footage of their existing properties.

To this end conservatories are an excellent extension option. This is because they are the best value for money per square foot extension that you can get. They also are very different to traditional extensions in many ways. Most conservatories comprise three or possibly four glazed walls and a glazed roof and this means that a conservatory will be a very bright room which has attractions for the inhabitants of the home throughout the year.

Not only are conservatories good value if you purchase them from a manufacturer and have them built on your property, you can even go one better than this. If you are a home improvement buff or have any experience with regard to DIY or building projects, you can purchase one of the many DIY conservatories that are on the market and in this way cut your building costs to the absolute minimum.

Getting a builder in to build your conservatory for you means obviously that you are going to have to pay his costs and also his profit. By cutting out the middleman and building your own conservatory you will not only be able to keep costs down, but you will also have the knowledge that the job has been completed to a high standard. It is a fact that much of the work that goes on with regard to constructing a conservatory is invisible to the naked eye. Foundations have to be of good quality and there should be a good base under the conservatory. In addition to this it is important that any drainage pipes that need to be laid are done so properly. What better way to ensure that all of these jobs are carried out to a high standard than by doing them yourself.

In addition to saving money there is a lot of pride in being able to carry out a project such as building your own conservatory. It will not be easy, but then nothing that is worthwhile is ever going to be easy. If you have very little knowledge of building yourself, there is nothing to stop you obtaining the help of some friends who have knowledge in this field. You could also decide to hire a neighbor or associate who possibly has retired from building and would be able to oversee the work while you do the manual labour.

With regard to your money, it is a very attractive option to have control over the amount you spend on your conservatory and also to have control over the speed at which you spend it. By taking on the project of erecting your own DIY conservatory you can dictate how quickly or slowly you want the project to proceed. You could decide for example to dig out the site, lay the drainage pipes and put in the foundations this year and then wait until next year and until you have replenished your funds before you finish the project.

If you build your own conservatory there are various advantages to be had. However you would either need to have some knowledge of the building process yourself, or be willing to take advice from someone who does before embarking on such a project. The worst-case scenario would be for you to commence building your own DIY sunroom and then find you have not this skills nor the assistance to be able to finish it properly.

If you are thinking about building a conservatory onto your property, whether you intend to build your own conservatory , purchase a sunroom in a conservatories sale, or get in a builder to do the work, then there are many factors that you will need to consider.  It’s not that you have a difficult decision to make as to whether you want a conservatory or not – you probably have done that already.  However you will want to think about whether you would prefer a uPVC conservatory or a wooden conservatory for example, what size you would like your conservatory to be and perhaps what style of structure you would prefer.

Here are a few useful ideas that may help you with your decisions.
1. Think about what you intend to use the sunroom for: This may sound like a strange task to put to a homeowner when they are thinking about extending their home.  However, if they know what they want the sunroom for then many answers to the other decisions that they have to make will flow freely.

Depending on whether you want the conservatory as an office or a dining area or even as a humble lean to greenhouse for example, will have a large bearing on the size, the furnishings you will select and possible the shape you want it to be.

2. Make a decision on the size of the structure: You can build a conservatory as big as your budget allows, but making it bigger than it needs to be means that you are spending more than you need to and also that you are using up more of your valuable garden space than you might want to.

An office will need less floor space than a family living area one would suppose, so plan out the size you think that you comfortably might want for the activities that you foresee taking place in your new room.  One point to note is that a lot of suppliers of conservatories will quote you external measurements for their products, so you need to be aware that the internal measurements (or floor area ) of the room will not be quite so big.

3. Decide which material that you would like the conservatory to be made from: The three most popular types are aluminum, uPVC and timber conservatories.  All three of these choices have advantages that make them attractive to different people.  For instance aluminum structures are very strong in the frame, uPVC double glazing conservatories are quite maintenance free and very cost competitive, while conservatories made from timber have a beauty that is hard to match because timber is a natural product.

4. Consider how you plan to construct your conservatory: There are different approaches that you can take to building one of these structures onto your home.  You can purchase a conservatory for a supplier and they will bring the materials to your property and assemble the entire structure.  This means a totally hands off approach on your behalf and this is the most costly option.

Another option that home improvement enthusiasts prefer is to purchase uPVC sunroom kits or DIY wooden conservatories and to assemble them themselves.  In this way a homeowner can save a considerable amount of money on assembly costs, site works and foundation laying.

There are other options with regard to types of conservatories for sale that lay somewhere in between these two extremes.  The owner could for instance undertake to prepare the site and to lay the foundation for the structure and leave the assembly of the structure to professionals.  If you are flexible as to what type of sunroom you might consider waiting to see what kind of prices a manufacturer might be offering in a conservatory sale.

As you can see there are various options that are open to you as a purchaser and not least the kind of conservatory prices that you feel you are willing to pay for a sunroom.  You will also have to make decisions as to what furnishings you wish to have in your new extension and whether you might prefer drapes or wooden conservatory blinds for example.  However these decisions will make themselves apparent further down the road.

Many of the decisions that you have to make, such as whether you would prefer a wooden conservatory or a sunroom made from uPVC, and also the kind of conservatories prices that you can budget for,  can be quite difficult to make.  However if you do plenty of research into the subject, you will find that many of the answers present themselves.  If for example you type in phrases such as ‘Conservatory styles Ireland’ or ‘Wooden Conservatories UK’, you will be able to narrow down the results you get to a geographical area that is suitable to your needs.

When homeowners decide to build a conservatory onto their home, they are left with a variety of decisions.  They should in advance plan the use they intend to make of the additional space, because this will have a bearing on the size, location and possibly the style of the structure.  In addition they will have to decide on which materials to use in the construction.  We will look here at the benefits of a hardwood conservatory, as against the other two main types of conservatories that are on the market, uPVC and aluminium conservatories.

Wooden conservatories are very attractive and given the individual nature of wood, no two conservatories that are made from timber will be the same.    Bespoke hardwood conservatories are usually top of the range products, but conventional timber conservatories can be individualised by the introduction of wood panelling and carvings, etc.

If a homeowner has experience in construction matters, DIY hardwood conservatories are available to purchase and by constructing your own conservatory you could save a lot of the money it would cost you to get a company to erect the structure on your property.

Hardwood timber is an excellent structural material for a wooden conservatory.  The most common types of hardwood timber that are used are mahogany, sapele and mahogany, but there are others that are used also such as idigbo and iroko.

Some hardwood timbers such as beech are not suitable for external construction work and so are not used in conservatories.  One of the main reasons that some wood is more suitable than others is the oil content of the specific timbers.  A higher oil content will provide protection to the wood from the elements.  Further oiling of these timbers is acceptable for decorative purposes, but the frequency of the application will depend on whether you want a fresh or a bleached look in the timber.

Cheaper timbers can be used in the construction of a conservatory, but these timbers will need additional protection from wet and damp weather.  With the improvements in technology, many wood stains provide excellent protection if applied every 5 – 6 years to timber.  Micro porous paints and stains will protect timbers from rotting also.

It is important to consider the environment when you are purchasing a conservatory and hardwood conservatories should be sourced from manufacturers that use wood from managed forests.  In this way the harvesting of the timber is monitored and followed by tree planting and the overall effect on the forests of the world is positive.

In some instances, a conservatory made from hardwood may not suit the environment in which it is being placed.  With a more modern residence, a uPVC or aluminium structure might fit in better whereas timber structures work well with older buildings.  In fact if your residence is a protected structure, or listed due to its architectural prominence, timber will most likely be the preferred choice of the planning officials you will be dealing with in order to get permission to build a conservatory onto your home.

Before you committ to any particular type of conservatory it will pay you to research timber conservatories online.  If you wish to narrow down the search somewhat, you can enter such terms as ‘hardwood conservatories UK’ or ‘Hardwood conservatories Ireland’, depending on your location.

A hardwood conservatory will be less hard on the environment to produce than conservatories made from uPVC or aluminium, will be actually beneficial to forestry planting if sourced properly and will give you and your family many years of comfort and spacious living.

Conservatories can be constructed from quite a range of materials, ranging from uPVC and timber conservatories, aluminium solariums and right down to homemade conservatories, that can be produced with a mixture of materials.

In fact there is very little ( apart from the necessity to have planning permission), to inhibit the home improvement enthusiast from constructing a conservatory on his or her property with a range of begged stolen or borrowed materials of all shapes and sizes.

However in this article we will assume that as the potential purchaser of a new conservatory, you will want a structure that gives you all of the benefits that a quality conservatory will bring you in terms of allowing in sunlight and giving your family living comfort.  Many homemade wooden conservatories will not have the advanced level of craftsmanship that necessary to make a conservatory the energy efficient and properly insulated structure that it needs to be if the inhabitants of the home are to be able to live in year round, in comfort and safety.

A Timber hardwood conservatory have various advantages over uPVC and aluminium conservatories, these being the three main types of quality conservatories that are on the market today.

A wooden conservatory is an object of more natural beauty that the other two types, given the fact that timber is an organic material that never looks the same in any two structures and all timber or timber framed conservatories have a unique feel.

Added to this is the fact that each timber conservatory can be personalised with different mouldings, wooden panels and other ornamental carvings such as cornices, it is quite easy to make even a mass produced wooden conservatory look like it is a bespoke design.

As a resource, timber is renewable and you as a purchaser can insist that you only buy a timber frame conservatory that is produced with timber cut from a managed source.  The processing involved in producing timber for building is less intensive and damaging to the environment that it would be for producing materials such as uPVC and aluminium.  Properly managed forests used for timber production actually assist the rejuvenation of the environment.

Examples of timbers which are used in the production of conservatories are oak and sapele, both exquisite hardwood timbers which look beautiful and which are durable and long lasting.  Many other types of hardwood timbers are also suitable.

It is to be expected that conservatories made of wood will require some more maintenance than their uPVC or aluminium counterparts, which are more maintenance free.  However improved technology involved in the making of paints and stains for these structures often means that they do not need to be applied as often as before.

Timber conservatories with quality double or triple glazing are always going to be preferred over uPVC windows or uPVC conservatories in a situation where a property is listed or protected by a planning authority. This is mainly because timber fits in better with the architectural style of such buildings.

If you are considering building a conservatory, you should research your project well, consider the conservatories prices for different options and take your time making a decision.  If you wish to find out more about timber conservatories, then you could go online, where you will find many websites of manufacturers that specialise in all kinds of conservatories made from timber.

If you wish to narrow down your search a bit, you could search under ‘timber conservatories UK’, or ‘timber conservatories Ireland’ or any other term that will help specify the location you are living in.

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!

If you are wanting to build your own conservatory onto your residence then you are probably already aware of some of the advantages of having a conservatory, or solarium added to your residence.  Homeowners have been enjoying conservatories as part of their living area for many years, and these days, given the huge range of styles and quality conservatories that are available to homeowners, this trend seems set to become even more popular.  The following are some of the benefits that homeowners gain by having a conservatory built on to their residence.

· Most of us would like more accommodation in our home.  Whether it is because there are more family members living in the home, or because you would like extra space for entertaining, an extra room is usually very welcome.  Some homeowners want to use their conservatory as a place for minding their plants, like a mini greenhouse.  Building a conservatory is probably the most affordable and best value method of increasing the floor space in your residence.  Even top-quality lean to conservatories for example, will come in costing less money than regular extensions.  You can even save more money by constructing what is called a DIY conservatory, but you would need some building experience before you decide to take on this challenge.
· In these present times, when we are all becoming more environmentally aware, a conservatory offers you the chance to increase the energy efficiency of your residence.  A quality conservatory will act as a buffer between your existing residence and the weather and because it will be newly constructed to modern building standards, it will probably have better insulating properties than your existing house.
· Added to the fact that your home will be warmer and more comfortable for you and your family, your increased insulation will mean lower fuel bills and extra money in your pocket.
· Quality built uPVC conservatories, with toughened glazing and multi-point locking systems in the uPVC doors, will improve the security of a home and therefore the safety of the home dwellers.
· If you are living in a quiet, rural setting then you may not be bothered by noise pollution. However, many urban dwellers appreciate the fact that a well-built conservatory suppresses external noise, thereby making your home a more tranquil place to live.
· Given the present market conditions, anything that adds value to your property, in the event of you putting it on the market, is welcome.  Conservatories are guaranteed to attract the attention of home buyers and a well-appointed conservatory will definitely help you market your property.  There are many different types of conservatories for sale and no doubt there is a type and style out there to suit you.