This is a very common question and the answer I’m afraid is not a simple yes or no. Every client has a different reason for adding a sunroom or conservatory to their home. For many it is an escape area from a growing family. The sunroom or conservatory offers a peaceful haven away from the T.V. and teenagers, or maybe it is used as a home office and in these cases leaving the room open plan is not a good idea.

If it is room that will be used all day every day and you want it as an integral part of the home then removing the doors and creating a larger open living space can be very successful. On the other hand if the conservatory or sunroom will only be used in the evening or Sunday morning then by creating an open plan area you are increasing your future heating costs as it will have to be heated whether or not it is being used.

Security is also an important consideration, while all our conservatory and sunroom doors have seven security locks and all the glass is internally glazed, these specifications are not industry standards. We do not recommend removing the house doors until you are sure you have adequate security with your new conservatory doors.

I have found that the question is often asked by clients who have existing doors which are unsuitable for the job. These generally fall into two categories; the first being Patio sliding doors of which only one half opens. The second pane of the door is a fixed section and therefore creates a fixed glass screen between two rooms, so a 6ft door opening will leave an open area of less than 3ft when you allow for handles etc. The second problem is where there are two doors opening out but they only open out 90 degrees eating into the floor space and using up valuable space for furniture n the conservatory or sunroom.

Neither of these options are perfect and in this climate people understandably do not want to throw out good doors.

One solution if the client wants to retain their doors is we can remove their existing hinged doors and move them to the outside of the wall reveal which will then allow the existing doors to fold back fully on the house wall and not use up as much room.

At our Conservatory Designs showroom we have a sample of internal doors we offer, these are typically 6ft wide but we put in a fixed window on each side and then put a set of doors in the centre opening out, by using the screens on each side the doors have a smaller sweep when they open out, they will be able to fold back on the house wall fully so no valuable floor space is wasted, in fact they can be left open all day and only shut at night if required. With seven locks as with all our conservatory and sunroom doors, you benefit from an extra level of security.

At Conservatory Designs Ltd. we use two principles methods for constructing sunrooms. The first is more like a solid roof conservatory with the main structure consisting of the Upvc windows, just like a conservatory with a steel superstructure of 100mm by 100mm box steel to carry the weight of the concrete tiles or slates. This method maximises the amount of light in the Sunroom and into the interior room of the house.

Alternatively we can build the Sunroom using the “traditional build” method which is to build the structure using a traditional block walls but with a large amount of openings in the wall for windows. This gives the effect of a bright room rather than a conservatory.
It is worth noting that while we can make the sunroom as bright as possible it often darkens down the room, over which the Sunroom is constructed, significantly. While this can be mitigated using Velux roof lights it will not fully compensate for the loss of light. Anyone considering a Sunroom should expect the need the additional lighting inside during the winter months.

At Conservatory Designs, we build every conservatory twice, once in the factory and once in the garden. This process adds some cost to the process so why do we do it? Firstly we get a better finish in the factory, there is no cutting in the garden everything is cut by machine so no human error and when there is a human error we catch it at the factory. Our roof glazing is also cut in the factory and checked for size before being carefully wrapped for dispatch. For you the customer this means no delays and “coming and going” at your home, a quicker installation time so less disruption at your home and finally a better finish than any other job, something Peter Clarke and his team are renowned for. If you like we can take a photo of your job on the factory floor as a momentum, great for the “before and after” shot.

I get shivers down my back when I read adverts for companies trying to persuade consumers to buy conservatories DIY. I have been in the business for over 20 years and have built literally thousands of conservatories and sunrooms, trust me these are not a DIY item. I know they may look easy but when dealing with glass it is all about precision, you can build the conservatory and be ready to finish it off with the last pane of glass and find that you are slightly off square and it doesn’t fit, what do you do then, it not just a case of taking it down and starting again…doing this means breaking all the seals…will they be as good the second time around. We had a rule that a fitter was never left on his own to do ANYTHING until he had completed 2 years fitting and only then would he be allowed do even the simplest of tasks. Remember this is not a wardrobe or shelf unit that you are assembling that can be thrown out, this structure means making significant changes to the fabric of your house. Adding a conservatory to your home means cutting into the masonry of the house to fit lead flashing, moving drains, drylining the back wall of your house, all this affects the future value of your home. Do you think a future buyer or surveyor appraising your home will know the difference between a DIY conservatory and a properly designed and built conservatory or sunroom, I think they will. If you were buying a new house, would you like to buy someone elses DIY work? I think not.

this blog is not an attempt to run down the competition, it is to advise people that they are making a mistake buying a DIY conservatory, the few thousand you might save will be eaten up in tears, frustration and in the future value of your home. I have no problem losing business to other companies who do a good job for their clients, thats the nature of competition, but have a serious think before you consider spending your hard earned money on a conservatory that arrives in a box with an instruction booklet.

You will note from our planning section that you do not require planning permission for a conservatory or sunroom if it is to the rear of the development, you have not already added to the house which together with the conservatory would increase the original footprint of your home by 40sqm and you are not planning on having glass within 1M of the boundary fence/wall. While the planning process is seen as a two month process beware you really need to allow a minimum of 4 months. Why is this? Firstly you will need to get the drawings completed, the application prepared and the newspaper notice placed, so allow two weeks for this process. The planning process itself will take 2 months, then you have to wait for a month for objections. Assuming that there are no objections upheld you then have to wait for your “decision to grant” notice to be posted out, when this is received you then have to lodge a commencement notice giving at least 14 days notice before the work can start. When you add it up it’s a minimum of 4 months. This is important at this time of the year for those planning to eat their christmas dinner in their conservatory, we really need to be getting the process moving now to ensure everything is place to complete the work in time for the festivities. Conservatory Designs offer a complete planning service, we look after all the paperwork, drawings and form filling for you. For further information please give the office a call on 045 844002

June has been a warm month which might explain the increase in sales of our Heat Guard Polycarbonate roof. Heat Guard was our most popular roof for the month of June. The roof which is seven layers thick has three outer layers of a reflective material, this basically reflects a lot of heat back off the roof, in fact the outer surface has a silver colour which almost looks like a mirror. This creates a cooler environment inside on a hot day. Its excellent insulation properties still ensure any heat generated from within is maintained within the conservatory. It has also been a good month to demonstrate out Pilkington Active Blue roof glazing. It certainly is very effective at reducing the glare maximising the light into the existing living area. The great thing about our showcentre is that you can visit in all weathers and “test drive” your conservatory before you make the final choices all in a no pressure sales environment.