Thinking about getting a conservatory? You might be toying with the idea – but the prospect of whether you can use it all year round may be playing on your mind. Is it too cold in the winter? And what happens if it’s too warm in the summer?
As long as you can properly insulate your conservatory in the chillier months and ventilate it in the summer season, you can use your conservatory all year round. Of course, this also depends on how you’ve furnished it and the quality of material that has been used to build your conservatory.
Can you use conservatories in winter?
Perhaps you’re wondering how to keep a conservatory warm in winter? The key here is ensure you are not letting heat escape. This can be done in the following ways:
- Flooring – firstly, this refers to installing the appropriate flooring initially. You can ultimately lose a lot of heat through conservatory flooring – so ensure that it’s of good quality, the floor tyres have a high PEI rating (meaning they’ll provide hard-wearing and insulative flooring) but also that they look aesthetically pleasing, too.
- Under floor heating – a great way to heat up your conservatory is through under floor heating. As heat can escape through flooring, don’t allow it the chance – and fight it at its cause!
- Heater – a portable heater that can be plugged into the walls is great to move about and heat up the conservatory when you need to. This doesn’t have to be your old-fashioned white radiator style heater – why not try a modern portable fireplace style heater? That way, it will adhere to the aesthetics of the room, too.
- Glass – similar to any property, single glazed windows can let out a lot of heat, so it’s important to ensure you have thick, high quality glass if you want to insulate your conservatory in the winter from the chill outside. Find out more about the benefits of double glazing from our helpful guide.
Can you use conservatories in summer
Next, just as importantly, we need to address how to keep a conservatory cool in summer. Ventilating your conservatory is vital to using it all year round – as, especially in the heat of summer, conservatories can sometimes become heat traps which makes them less bearable to relax in. Some handy tips include:
- Windows – so, do you keep them open or closed? If the outside temperature is warmer then keep your windows closed, but vice versa if the outside temperature is colder. Window vents allow you to control your ventilation – which is a great long-term solution to being able to use your conservatory all year round.
- Blinds – keeping the curtains closed (if you have curtains) or investing in some blinds will allow the conservatory to act less like a greenhouse, and prevent all the heat from getting in. And also, they’re a stylish addition if you’re going for a modern interior look!
- Fans – ceiling fans are a great way of ventilating the room in the warmer months, which can just be simply turned on when the temperatures rise. Of course, you can always bring in portable fans to keep the room cool, too.
- Plants – as plants absorb moisture, buying some plants for your conservatory will help keep the humidity levels down in your conservatory.
- Conservatory refurbishments – a long term fix to keeping your conservatory cool in summer is to have a conservatory refurbishment, such as a conservatory roof replacement. Having a modern revamp to your existing conservatory can help ventilate in the summer, as well as insulate in the winter.
Looking to create your own conservatory? Our bespoke conservatories and orangeries from Framemaster are the perfect way to add light into your home. Get in touch with a member of our team for more information on all year round conservatories.