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

Conservatory Designs Ltd specialise in building Energy Efficient Conservatories and Sunrooms.

 

There are four key elements to ensuring the best insulation for your conservatory

 

1. Glass
2. Conservatory framework
3. Wall and floor insulation
4. Roof glazing

 

Glass: Heat loss is measured by the U value, which in simple terms is the speed that heat can move through a material, so the lower the U value the slower the heat moves through the glass and the better the insulation. Traditional double glazed units and those used in most homes in the Ireland have a U value of 2.5, at Conservatory Designs we use Vista Therm Elite glazing which offers a U value of 1.1, over twice the insulation of normal double glazing, and this ensures that your conservatory will be warm and easy to heat in the winter.

 

Conservatory Framework: Little attention is paid by consumers to the actual structure of the conservatory. At Conservatory Designs we use the thickest and best insulated framework on the market. The rafters which hold the roof glazing have two chambers on the exterior which offer excellent insulation and minimises heat loss from the roof. The photos below show the comparison between our chambered rafter and the cheaper versions on the market, which although quiet similar from the outside, the single skin rafter capping is clearly inferior from both a structural and insulating point of view.

 

Our side framework is a full 70mm thick compared with the industry norms of 58mm. The photographs below show the comparison between a 58mm and 70mm frame.

 

 

The additional width and larger chambers of the 70mm frame offers much improved strength and insulation.

 

Wall and floor insulation: Conservatory Designs Ltd offer two services, a supply and fit on a prepared site or a full turnkey service where we carry out all the works to include the conservatory floor, walls and plastering etc. It is essential that the correct insulation is used in all external walls and the conservatory floor. A cold floor can act like a giant fridge in the conservatory sucking the heat from the room. We use and recommend Kingspan insulation products, these foil backed insulating boards provide long term thermal performance over the lifetime of the building and are CFC/HCFC-free with zero Ozone Depletion Potential. The foil backing on the sheets acts like a mirror reflecting heat back into the room.

 

Roof glazing: We offer two choices of roof glazing, 35mm seven ply polycarbonate and Pilkington Activ glass. Both materials offer U values of less than 1.2 and are available in choice of tints to suit the direction of the conservatory and the amount of sunlight required into the house. Again there are inferior products available which will appear similar and will cost less. Most roofs on the market offer 25mm Polycarbonate which only has 5 layers instead of seven and this compromises the insulation values of the roof.

 

Below you will find the links to each of the roof glazing options with their respective U values and properties

25mm Polycarbonate

http://www.brettmartin.com/roofing/polycarbonate/marlonst/range/fvw25mm.aspx

35mm Polycarbonate

http://www.brettmartin.com/roofing/polycarbonate/marlonst/range/35mm7wall.aspx

Pilkington Activ Roof Glass

http://www.pilkington.com/resources/activconservatoryliteratureaug08.pdf

The final consideration to ensuring a warm, cosy and economical conservatory is the form of heating used. The quickest, easiest and cheapest to install is a simple electric heater, however these are also the most expensive to run. It is our experience that people are reluctant to use the heaters due to the cost and therefore lose out being able to use the conservatory in the winter months. At Conservatory Designs Ltd we plumb radiators from the house system as standard, this may involve adding a stronger pump to the heating system but it ensures the most cost effective and comfortable heating and ensures that your conservatory is an all year around room.

For further information and Energy Efficient Conservatories contact our office at 045 844002 or info@conservatorydesigns.ie

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/