Conservatory prices are based on a number of key factors. With consumers now extremely price conscious we have outlined the key items for you to consider: Conservatories are not all the same, here are the key specifications you MUST have in your conservatory, leaving these out to reduce cost will be regretted in the long term.

1. 70mm frame: Many companies in an effort to reduce prices offer a house window specification in the conservatory. Remember a house window does not need any strength, it does not hold up the house, your conservatory frames however do hold up the house or the roof to be precise. I am not suggesting the conservatory will fall down but it will be more susceptible to movement, particularly during high winds and during snowfalls. You can guess what happens to a structure if it constantly shaken over a period of 10 years…yes you will get cracks and maybe even seals breaking.
2. Conservatory frames should be fully reinforced. Did you know there is a difference between reinforced and fully reinforced? A reinforced conservatory section has any section over 600mm long reinforced, sections under 600mm there is no reinforcing. A FULLY reinforced conservatory section will have reinforcing throughout the complete framework. There is a significant difference in price! At Conservatory Designs you don’t have to ask, everything is fully reinforced, but don’t just take our word for it, look at the show conservatories, bang the walls and you will see the difference.
3. The thickness of polycarbonate if this is your choice of roof. There are three main thicknesses available, 3 ply 16mm (rare now except in the real cheapies), 5 ply 25mm (seems to be the industry standard) and 7 ply 35mm which is what we use and recommend, yes it is dearer but there is a significant difference in the insulation values. Our conservatory roof sheeting offers double the insulation of the older traditional double glazed units.
4. Double glazed units should have a U value of 1.1 as a minimum. Conservatory Designs uses the brand leader in the field: Vista Therm and Irish made.
5. Proper foundations for the conservatory or Sunroom. Our conservatories are proper home extensions and as such are built using traditional building methods and insulated to modern building standards. There are still contractors who are pouring a concrete slab on the lawn onto which to build a conservatory, this contravenes every building regulation; however will you know if you are at work while this work is going on in your garden. At the end of the day it is all about trust, you cant be there all the time so you need to be able to trust the company you are dealing with 100%.

Last but not least remember you can buy the best conservatory on the market but at the end of the day the the quality of the job depends on the calibre of fitters who erect the conservatory. At Conservatory Designs we charge enough to be able to employ the top trades people in the business, people who we have worked with and know for years. Remember also that dirty word profit, every company is in business to make a profit, conservatory companies that make a profit will survive and will be around to honour guarantees and deal with any service issues, those that don’t make a profit will not be around. At Conservatory Designs we have a very lean business model which allows us to offer the top specifications and a very competitive price and still make a profit. This is a win win.

We suggest you take the time to visit our showrooms and see for yourself, we can arrange a home visit then if you require. Please note we do not engage in any pressure selling or sales gimmicks.

Here are some interesting links for further research

Ultrafame Conservatory Roofs- www.ultraframe-conservatories.co.uk/

Veka plastics- http://www.vekauk.com/

Network Veka- http://www.networkveka.co.uk/

Vista Therm- http://www.careyglass.com

Peter Fox blinds-http:// www.peterfoxblinds.ie

Johnstown Garden Centre- www.johnstowngardencentre.ie/

This is a very common question and one I have first hand experience of. I installed under-floor heating in my last conservatory and it was an unqualified success however there is always a BUT and the BUT here is that it must be plumbed directly to the boiler with its own thermostat and isolating valve to isolate it from the rest of the heating system in the house. There is a simple reason for this; under-floor heating works by using the concrete floor as a giant radiator, heating up the concrete slab which then slowly releases the heat again. However it takes time for the slab to heat, several hours and similarly several hours to cool down. It is therefore necessary for the heating system to be able to switch on for the under-floor heating pipes in the conservatory several hours before any heat is supplied to the main heating system of the house, I had mine timed to start at 5.00 a.m. The second reason for separating the system is that it operates at a much lower temperature than the typical home central heating system using radiators, the water in the under-floor heating typically circulates at about 50 degrees while that of the radiators can be up to 70 degrees.

This was all very easy for me to organise as I was building the house but can be tricky enough when trying to retro-fit, the boiler may need to be up sized, there needs to a location for the manifold which basically links together all the loops of heating pipes and often this is not feasible or economic to heat just a sunroom or conservatory. But if you are building a new house I would definitely consider it. If you would like further advice on heating systems for sunrooms or conservatories please phone the office on 045 844002 or use the contact button on the home page.

KFM at Conservatory Designs

Conservatory Designs sponsored the KFM outside broadcast on the bank holiday Sunday as the team made their way to Croke Park. The three hour broadcast from the premises included an interview with Peter Clarke, managing director, to discuss the new showrooms and chat in general about sunrooms and conservatories. Supporters on the way to the game offered their support by tooting their horns and calling in for requests. Conservatory Designs Ltd is an important employer in the area and is delighted to able to support the local team.