How to make cold conservatory cosy

[coffeemugged]

I have a 3m x 3.5m conservatory probably at least 15 years old, it was here 8 years ago when we moved in.

Freezing in winter boiling in summer.

I've had a quote for a new roof for £5k and I can't justify it.

So I plan to take out the useless (and as it turns out against building regs) radiator and get a wall mounted electric panel heater.

It has a ceiling fan for summer.

Any ideas on how to make it warmer and cosier in winter without spending a fortune? I WFH a lot these days and would love to make it my office/snug.

Sorry, not what you really want to hear, but I don't think you can. Glass is not a material that is a good insulator. End of.

You could try hanging thick curtains, although I'm not sure what you would attach the poles / rails to but all heat you get in there will just leak out through the glass walls and roof.

This is the reason I'm never buying a house with a conservatory again unless I can afford to knock it down immediately. They are icy/boiling. If you spend a lot you can replace the glass with insulating glass, but I wouldn't, personally. I would spend the 5k if it means you effectively get a new room. It's a lot cheaper than building an extension.

Running an electric wall heater enough to heat a cold conservatory will cost a fortune.
Better to spend it on the £5k roof

Oh dear definitely not what I wanted to hear!

I'm just concerned that if I spend 5k on the roof the side windows will still be leaking the heat and that just more money I don't have.

I thought about blinds but they're expensive too!

Perhaps just a case of getting an electric blanket to wrap yourself in while you're there. To make a genuine difference, you'd probably need to re-build it as a properly insulated garden room.

I'm considering making us all fleece onesies for winter use of conservatory!

Based on my parents experiences it may be best to get a large pile of £20 notes and set fire to them when it’s cold.....sorry but it’s really hard. They rebuilt theirs. Sorry to be so pessimistic.

I had a large conservatory in my last house. We used it all year round. We had a radiator plus one of those electric stoves. Massive thick rug on the floor. That was enough to keep it warm. In summer, it was window opened and an air cooling fan.

I would definitely recommend a solid roof, a lot of people offer finance or you could take out a small loan. Ultimately that's your most cost effective way of keeping it warm.

These two articles may help:

www.ultraframe-conservatories.co.uk/news/conservatory-too-hot-in-summer-and-too-cold-in-winter

www.ultraframe-conservatories.co.uk/news/three-simple-ways-to-keep-your-conservatory-warm-this-winter

We have a solid roof, and also bricked up the side windows. It is a totally usable room now.
We did look into getting a patio type heater like you find in pub gardens. They do them suitable for interior spaces. Which is a much cheaper option.
We are very glad we went for the solid roof though. We have velux windows in it so still have plenty of light in the house.
We have a guardian roof fitted by a local company.

I've found getting a thick rug which covers most of the floor to.be a brilliant solution for us. Makes a huge difference. We have an oil filled plug in radiator which can keep it warm if on all day and we've used it all winter this year (even last week!) since getting the rug. If it's a sunny but cold day then we don't generally need the heater on or only for a bit, it is a south facing conservatory though. My parents north facing one doesn't stay as warm as ours and isn't used at all during winter.