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Original poster

What is it like in your conservatory summer and winter?

77 replies

Berrie · 13/09/2007 17:03

We need some extra room and we could stretch to a conservatory but I'm wondering whether we should wait until we can afford an extension.
Will it be too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter to use and is there anything that can be done about these problems. It would be west facing or we could have a north facing one but I don't think that's such a good idea.

OP posts:
LadyTophamHatt · 13/09/2007 17:04

In summer its so hot we can't sit in it.

In winter its so cold we can't sit in it.

TBH i hate the bloody thing.

Original poster
Berrie · 13/09/2007 17:05

Ah

OP posts:
Pixiefish · 13/09/2007 17:05

same as lady topham.

Handy for drying clothes on nice days though.

Mind you ours is very old and is all glass. You can get them with blinds and heated and all sorts now- Yorkiegirl's is very nice

FluffyMummy123 · 13/09/2007 17:06

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southutsire · 13/09/2007 17:07

I had a thread about this a while ago and had some advice about solar inserts... do a search on my name and it'll be there somewhere.

FluffyMummy123 · 13/09/2007 17:07

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FluffyMummy123 · 13/09/2007 17:07

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becklespeckle · 13/09/2007 17:08

Ditto what LTH said.
We have put heavy curtains up at its entrance so we don't freeze in the rest of the house in winter too although have 2 radiators in there (plug in ones) which do help.
In the summer we leave doors/windows open and have a fan in there but TBH we only use it for a dining room as not great as a 'living space'.

myalias · 13/09/2007 17:09

Ditto Ladytophamhat.
We have a radiator and blinds and the only time you can sit in there is spring and autumn.

FluffyMummy123 · 13/09/2007 17:09

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Original poster
Berrie · 13/09/2007 17:15

Thanks. Maybe not then...

OP posts:
LadyTophamHatt · 13/09/2007 17:19

one day last year it was 103 degree in mine.

it felt like i was in hell.

FluffyMummy123 · 13/09/2007 17:20

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Jojay · 13/09/2007 17:25

They're not all that bad. My Mum has a lovely one - it has underfloor heating and we all happily had Xmas dinner in it last year. It's fine on hot days too.

I think the aspect is important - I think hers is west facing.

We've just had one built so can't really comment yet, only to say that so far it seems a couple of degrees colder than the rest of the house first thing in the morning, and a little bit warmer in full sun.

We've had some fairly hot days in the last month, but it's never been too hot.

Ours is north facing, so heating it in the winter may be the issue. We'll have to wait and see!!

LadyTophamHatt · 13/09/2007 17:32

That was with all doors and windows open AND a fan.

I was PG too.

oh and blinds were down.

Original poster
Berrie · 13/09/2007 17:34

Oh dear...

OP posts:
newgirl · 13/09/2007 21:18

we are changing ours for an extension

it is not just the heat it is dazzling bright so we have to wear sunglasses! blinds would cost over a thousand pounds so we are just going to get it done properly once and for all!

Original poster
Berrie · 14/09/2007 07:39

Thanks newgirl, I guess that's what I needed to hear. Are you getting an upstairs as part of the extension?

OP posts:
chenin · 14/09/2007 08:19

Berrie.... I lurrrrve my conservatory!

It is SW facing... yes it is boiling hot on a boiling hot day but I wouldnt't be sat in there on a boiling hot day anyway. We have blinds on the roof part of it and the windoes (admittedly they cost a fortune) but they are the best you can get, and well worth it.

In the winter, we use it ALL the time. We have two radiators in there so it is really warm. When we have friends over, we pull the blinds down and light candles and it just looks fab.

Don't be put off. Conservatories especially come into their own in spring and autumn. When it is cold outside, but the sun is shining, it is just fab and warm in there without heating. I only have to sit in there to fall asleep....! It just feels like I am sat in part of the garden in the sun, but it is a cold winters day.

brimfull · 14/09/2007 08:23

we never used ours basically because it was either too hot ,too cold ,too bright .
We replaced with an extension ,wish we'd done it years ago.

tissy · 14/09/2007 08:34

we replaced our old, falling down conservatory with a "sun room"- with a slate roof. There is still plenty of light, and we have under floor heating for winter, though as it's only just gone in, we haven't tried it yet.

Original poster
Berrie · 14/09/2007 08:54

How much tissy?

OP posts:
Original poster
Berrie · 14/09/2007 08:55

Helliebean, but what should I do no one agrees!

OP posts:
tissy · 14/09/2007 08:59

difficult to say, accurately, as we also had two other rooms re-roofed, and working on a 300 yr old house, we came across several other major problems that were VERY expensive to sort out.

All in all, including architect/ project manager, it has taken 5 months and cost the best part of £80,000. So, at a rough guess, the sun-room part of it probably cost about £30,000.

Sounds a lot, but the work on our house has increased the value from £215,000 to over £300,000, so a good investment, we think, and our house is a much nicer place to live in.

brimfull · 14/09/2007 09:00

I think if you have the dosh get an extension instead,if a sunroom is more feasible get that.I proper roof will render the room much more useful.
If none of those get conservatory but pay for decent blinds,heating and ventilation.