What do I need to know about Conservatories

[MrsOCD]

Soon, we'll be getting a conservatory added to the back of the house to provide a playroom/dining room. It won't be huge but just big enough as we don't want to eat into the garden which isn't huge. The lounge is at the back (rather than the kitchen). I don't know where to start. Where to get one from, how to heat them, where to get blinds and how much to budget for one. Can you help?

I read that as "Conservatives" ... Sorry, no advice! No conservatives or conservatories in this house

Ha!

No but interested to know how a playroom/dining room combo will work. Will you have a table that folds away to give floor space?

in my experience, too hot in summer, too cold in winter. would love to know how you keep them at a useable temperature.

Blinds and central heating

How about Sunroom, easier to heat I would imagine

I too read this as conservatives - a sign of the time I think !!

We have a conservatory going off our lounge at the back. It was here when we bought our house. We have used it mainly as a play room and an extra dining place.

But, we don't use it much in winter - that said, it has radiators but they ar eon the end of the system so get silted up. We had them sorted out one winter and we could use it with the heating on. So, decent heating a must. Also, decent keeping the heat out in the summer. We can use ours most of the time in the summer. Its best this time of year though - lovely to eat in the spring/summer. Ours is probably about 15 years old and I think newer ones are better in terms of keeping heat in and out. My parents recently had a new one and they have been able to use it all year.

That said, we are in the process of getting rid of it and extending the lounge into that space as we think this will make better use of that space.

we had one added recently- had a large lounge/dining room running across the width of the back, so we divided the lounge/diner in half and knocked down the kitchen wall- ended up with a big kitchen/diner opening into the conservatory.

it faces north- would be unbearable in summer if south facing. we had floor ports installed so have plenty of electrical sockets- the windows are floor to ceiling rather than with a dwarf wall so electrics would have been tricky else.

we had a decent electric heater installed. the conservatory guy suggested this rather than extending the heating on the basis that the temperature in the rest of the house would never be the same as the conservatory. the electric heater has a frost setting. In the coldest weather we stick the heater on high, shut the doors and wait half an hour and it is then ok temperature.

we put karndean on the floor

paid £10k

ermmm thats it! oh, and find a local firm through recommendation- much cheaper than the big boys.

Very useful. The conservatory wouldn't be south-facing. It would get full sun (when it shines..)in the morning for a couple of hours. Do however appreciate that blinds and heating should be carefully considered.

With regard to how NappyAddict - maybe dining room/playroom sounds a bit grand considering it's not going to be that big -but yes, was thinking an extendable table in it's smallest state for kids to play at and their toy boxes/bookshelves out there and when we have friends over, we can hide toys in some storage chests and extend table out.
It wouldn't be used as a dining room often as mealtimes for just us would be in the kitchen.

i read that as conservatives too going politics mad here

Hey!
We added ours last year, and I love it!! It can get cold in the winter, but nothing a little radiator can't fix. And the wonderful warmth you get during the spring/summer months is divine!

Try www.doubleglazingontheweb.co.uk/conservatories/conservatories.aspx

very resonable prices!!! And a good amount of selection. We be well pleased with this company

Hello MommaDude, very helpful and good to hear something positive about them

Make sure the company you employ have a insurance guarantee (10 years)...and see it! Try Trustmark through your trading standards to avoid any cowboys. Find out about different qualities of plastic some are not very stable in sun. Cheap is not an investment.

You need planning. Watch the heating, if poss see about underfloor great under tiles. Been to friends houses and these rooms are absolutely freezing.

I'd rather a solid extention with huge velux windows or steel framed windows. and huge windows and stong aluminium patio doors.