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Don’t Move - Improve!

26 November 2009

In the current climate of debt and having to tightening our belts, don't flee the nest - improve what you have to maximise use of the space available. You would be surprised how much space, light and value a conservatory can bring to your home. Conservatories can be a great investment, adding value to your property and offering a luxurious living space for relaxing or entertaining.

The credit crunch may be putting a brake on house prices, but that's not much help if you need extra space in your current property. You can save even more money by buying a DIY Conservatory. They come in all shapes and sizes from a simple lean to style from less than £1500 with extravagant Gable style and P-Shape conservatories from as little as £3600.

A conservatory can be used as an all year round room, if the specification is right for your requirements and if you use the right materials in the roof and frames. Conservatories are now as versatile as a brick built extension, but they are only a fraction of the price. Pilkington K glass in the frames (the new eco glass) reflects man made heat back into the conservatory, giving 1.8 U values. Adding argon fill to K glass units improves the U Value even more to just 1.6, keeping the heating bills down for you in the cold months.

There is a great range of materials you can use in the roof. 32mm Polycarbonate provides great insulation, which will ensure that you stay warmer in winter. One benefit of choosing polycarbonate is that polycarbonate is less expensive than glass, and it also comes in a choice of colours - opal, clear, bronze and silver/opal. The silver/opal option is has a silver coating on the outside which reflects away the heat of the sun, preventing it coming into the conservatory, and keeping it cooler in the summer for you.

There are many glass options we can use in the conservatory roof. The best type of glass to use in the conservatory for comfort all year round is a blue tinted anti sun glass combined with good thermal properties. We recommend Pilkington Activ Blue K and Reflex glass as excellent options www.pilkingtonglass.com or www.reflexglass.com To use the conservatory all year round you need to have a best specification with K glass in the frames, to keep it nice and warm for you, to keep the price down the polycarbonate in the roof is an excellent choice as it is a great insulator. If you prefer glass the tinted anti-sun glass combined with K glass is a ideal choice as it will keep the heat in the conservatory longer in the winter and it will keep the heat out on them hot and sunny days. Anti-sun will reflect the heat out and the blue tint will reduce glare from the sun.

If you choose the right specification you can make the most out of your new space, using it as a living room, dining room, kitchen, playroom, music room or simply to relax.