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Housekeeping

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Original poster

Conservatory tips

20 replies

MissJanuary · 01/08/2011 20:05

Hi, we're having a guy round tomorrow night to measure up for a conservatory, to be used off the kitchen as a dining room. We live on the continent and have very hot summers, very cold winters. Am going to ask for the quote to include underfloor heating and the special roof stuff that reflects the solar rays, so we can use it all year round.

Is there anything else to consider before he comes? We're thinking walls up to about knee height and then the glass from there up.

Does anyone else use a conservatory off the kitchen as a dining room? Any regrets, or is it money well spent, all comments welcome please.
Thanks

OP posts:

KatyMac · 01/08/2011 20:09

Have a proper roof

I have a 42ft conservatory & I say have a proper roof; it's hell in the British summer and I pay to heat the world in the winter

Have dwarf wall, have underfloor heating but have a real roof

Original poster

MissJanuary · 01/08/2011 20:12

Do you have just the glass just now Katy?

OP posts:

KatyMac · 01/08/2011 22:14

No I have umm.....polycarbonate - 4 inches of it

It's very noisy

ChasingSquirrels · 01/08/2011 22:18

don't do it, get a proper extension with lots of glass, but not a conservatory.

We have one open to the kitchen that we have a table in, we have dwarf walls, underfloor heating, glass roof, it is lovely.

But if I could do it again, I would have an extension as above instead.

KatyMac · 01/08/2011 22:25

Get a price with a roof you won't regret it I promise

If nothing else you will be able to hang Christmas decorations up properly

You don't need full height walls just a roof

trixymalixy · 01/08/2011 22:35

Proper extension IMHO too. Our conservatory is used as an extra fridge in the winter and a greenhouse for growing tomatoes in in the summer.

kellestar · 02/08/2011 09:57

We've recently had the conservatory that came with the house converted into a tiled roof, builders reused the windows and added in a velux window.

We are in SW england, not particularly sunny spot but it was the worst decision the previous owners made. It gets the sun all day. In the summer it's too hot, in the winter too cold. Useable march through may, then October is usually not too bad. In the winter it actually sucks the heat out if the house even through draught excluded door with a curtain both sides. Fracking freezing out there.

The conversion was done October and was great, Gas bill greatly reduced from previous years. 7 years of a room that was never used, we had a double radiator to heat it, and blinds on all windows and in the rafters (as such). So glad we cinverted it, the room is now useable. It's great for DD as a play room and is a brilliant dining room. 8 years ago it was ibstalled at the cost of £12k, it's the company that advertise in the National Trust magazines, very posh and fancy, but useless, it cost us £3k to convert, as they had to take it right down and build it back up. If they'd just gone with an extension it would have been cheaper.

IMO and experience go for a tiled roof and lots of windows rather than a conservatory.

kellestar · 02/08/2011 10:00

Ours was wooden framed, double glazed windows with polycarbonate panels in the roof, designed to limit the amount of heat. Room size 4m x 10m with 5 roof vents. Double doors onto patio.

Original poster

MissJanuary · 02/08/2011 12:44

Ok I am now terrified!

Are they really that bad for the heat loss in winter?

I will ask about a tiled roof tonight.

All my visions of lovely family meals in a nice new space with a view are being slowly crushed.

: (

OP posts:

KatyMac · 03/08/2011 05:43

You can still have "lovely family meals in a nice new space" but I'd have it with a solid roof

The only difference really is foundations & planning permission, oh & resale value - a room is worth more (IMO)

gemma4d · 05/08/2011 20:41

My conserv is also boiling in Summer, freezing in winter. Its only use is drying washing. 10k for a "tumbledryer extroadinaire"!!!!

Lilyloo · 05/08/2011 20:45

yup another who pays a bomb to heat it in the winter , although we do use it with doors open in the summer

lagrandissima · 05/08/2011 20:46

Our British conservatory gets up to 50c on hot afternoons, and is unusable in the winter (from Nov - March), although I have to admit that we have no heating out there - the one year I tried to use an electric radiator thingy, our fuel bill went up 200%! I'd concur with the other posters who say fork out the extra for a proper extension - it'll be a false economy to get a conservatory.

valiumredhead · 06/08/2011 15:45

Don't bother with the stick on solar panel thingies - go for the proper solar glass - costs a lot but I am SO glad we got it as it would make the room unuseable ( is that a word?! )

valiumredhead · 06/08/2011 15:46

If I had my time again I wouldn't have a conservatory at all , I'd go for an extension.

feckwit · 06/08/2011 15:49

I love our conservatory.

Definitely have a glass roof not polycarbonate.

We use ours all year round but we open the doors early in the day in summer and have a fan, in the winter we have a heater.

Fluffycloudland77 · 06/08/2011 16:09

We have our dining table in the conservatory because its 7ft by 3 and wont fit in the kitchen diner.

Its cracked down the middle, not major but I can see it.

We keep the doors open all summer but it still happened.

I hate mine its a huge fly graveyard/spider home.

If you can have a proper extension, if any of the neighbours have had an extension it adds weight to your application and will add more value to the house.

confusedperson · 07/08/2011 19:35

I love my new conservatory, which is dwarf walls, double glazed windows and polycarbonate roof. Agree there is a point of too hot in summer, too cold in winter, but because we are not using it as a full function room (more like playroom, drying clothes in winter, storage, utility and occasional coffee drinking in summer evenings), it serves us well and I have no regrets. A proper roof costs+heating costs so much more and not everyone needs it and can afford it. I love mine even if the roof gets noisy during rain.

Conservatory · 11/06/2012 23:22

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Message deleted by Mumsnet for breaking our Talk Guidelines. Replies may also be deleted.

Some0ne · 14/06/2012 11:44

We've a polycarbonate roof and it's unusable for a lot of the year. Great for drying washing, or chucking stuff in that's on its way to the shed, but that's really all.

Get a proper roof.

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