Conservatories - Improve your home
Conservatories are becoming an increasingly popular solution to extend your home. The advantages are obvious:
- For a lot of conservatories you don't need planning permission.
- You don't need to move home to get a bigger living area.
- A conservatory adds value to your home.
- A conservatory is a very versatile extra space, as you can use it for almost anything you like, from a breakfast room to an evening entertaining area.
 To get the most from your new conservatory, it is important to think before construction about what you will use it for the most. This will not only help establishing the shape and size of your conservatory, but, more importantly, will help you choose which materials to use for construction. For example, if you would use it as a breakfast room, you would like it to be nice and comfortable in the morning, in summer and winter. This would mean that you would want to keep the conservatory warm in winter, but need protection from the early morning sun in the summer.
You can do a lot about temperature control in your conservatory by heating and using blinds, but have you ever thought about how much your choice of construction materials can help you? Here we will give you an overview on the materials best suited for insulation and construction of your conservatory.
Choosing your materials
As more and more people want to use their conservatory as an all year round, comfortable room, it is imperative to insulate and ventilate your conservatory properly to reach the desired temperature level. And as most of your conservatory will be of glass, it is very important to choose the right type.
 Low E glass or Pilkington "K" Glass varies from normal clear glass in that one side of the glass has a special metal coating, technically known as a low emission, or Low E coating. This microscopic metal coating (which is almost indistinguishable from normal clear glass) allows through short-wave radiation, like sunlight, but reflects long-wave radiation, such as heat from fires and radiators, back into your conservatory making it easier to keep warm. As the Low E. coating on the glass actually makes the surface warmer to the touch, condensation is also reduced. The Pilkington K glass has been proven to give up to 30% better insulation than other double-glazed windows. Pilkington K Glass is a brand name for a type of Low E glass.
Argon filled units are the ultimate in glass-insulated units. Argon combined with Pilkington "K" or Low E glass is just about as good as it gets in terms of insulation. We are now talking as good as or better than most brick built extensions in terms of insulation. Not particularly expensive (only £10 -£15 per sealed unit in the UK) and well worth the extra expense. Please note that Argon filled units combined with "K" or Low E glass will give the best results. On its own the benefits are only marginal.
25 mm Polycarbonate provides perhaps the best insulating roof option for conservatories today. Most standard conservatories come with 16mm polycarbonate (a few only come with 10-mm polycarbonate). For a little extra you can upgrade to the better insulating option of 25-mm polycarbonate. With its six skins and reinforcing webbing, it has an approximate "U" value of 1.6 as opposed to 2.3 for 16-mm polycarbonate. It is available in clear, bronze tint and opal options.
Glass Roofs are an essential for those of us who like to see the stars at night! It is, however, a fair amount more expensive and much heavier than polycarbonate. You will also almost certainly need some form of shading. That said, it is no doubt one of the best options - very classy and inspiring. But as with all glass in your conservatory, Low E Glass or Pilkington "K" is recommended. It is also possible to get tinted/anti-sun glass.
To request a brochure on conservatories click here
For even more comprehensive information on conservatories - visit our associate web site - www.conservatoriesonline.com
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