In this post we look at some of the key considerations when positioning the Conservatory or Sunroom doors. At Conservatory Designs we recommend you consider the following issues before deciding on the best location for the doors.

a) Conservatory doors are glazed fully to the floor and as such, direct your attention when you enter the room. Position the doors facing the longest point of the garden if possible, this gives the effect that the garden is bigger than it actually is.

b) Try to have the doors facing a feature in the garden, something that is easy on the eye rather than say a wall. Remember your first focus of attention will be through the doors.

c) The location of the conservatory doors will also affect the layout of the furniture and this can be important if the room is not particularly large. Do you need to keep a long wall for a couch, if so then maybe position the doors to the front of the conservatory? Remember if you are putting a T.V. into the conservatory or sunroom then the back of the TV should face the sun so not to have glare on the screen, will this affect the location of both the furniture and the doors?

d) It is also advisable to try to have the shortest distance from the house to the garden, this will ensure the minimum amount of floor space is wasted and also minimise traffic through the room.

e) If using French doors then consider the direction of the wind, if the doors face into the wind, then make sure that the leading door opens against the wind not with it. This will ensure that if there is a gust of wind that the door will be closed by the wind not opened where it might get damaged.

f) If considering new doors from the house into the Conservatory or Sunroom the remember to fit the doors to the outside of the reveal so that they can fold back onto the house wall 180 degrees and use up valuable floor space. Doors fitted to the middle of an opening can only open 90 degrees which will obstruct furniture and usable space when left opened.

If you need any advice when designing your new Conservatory or Sunroom then contact our office at 045 844002 or at www.conservatorydesigns.ie

Bungalows have height restrictions for conservatories except of course when adding on to the gable end. There are two simple and very effective solutions; construct a false dormer/gable in the house roof or create a conservatory design which will link to the bungalow using a boxgutter.

Creating a false dormer in the bungalow roof conjures up images of stripping off the house roof, wet rainy days and hosts of structural issues, in fact it is a very simple job which we complete in two days. We do not cut any of the rafters in the house roof, we are simply adding rafters onto the existing roof. We first construct a template from the conservatory roof in the factory and then complete the false gable before the conservatory arrives on site, the conservatory is then just another straightforward installation with the house roof already fully sealed.

The second method involves designing the conservatory so that the eave of the conservatory attaches to the eave of the house using a structural gutter. Depending on the measurments of the house the conservatory will either be joined to the fascia of the house or to the wall under the fascia board.

So is there a “best” method? Not really it is a matter of taste, structural and other limitations. Some conservatories are more suited to one design than others, for example if you aspire to a conservatory measuring say 20ft along the house then it will not be possible to construct a false dormer 20 ft wide. Older houses may also be unsuitable for dormers if for example the existing roof tiles/slates are no longer available or if the existing house roof felt is compromised.

To discuss this issue and any other conservatory design issues contact our office and arrange a free design consultation with one of our consultants. We have built thousands of conservatories and have the experience to deliver the right design on budget on time for your home.