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Why Buy a Lean to Conservatory?

26 August 2013

A lean-to conservatory, as the name suggests, is constructed against an existing wall of a house, typically on a rear or side elevation, and the lean-to style is usually what first comes to mind for most people when conservatories are mentioned. A lean-to design is often easy to integrate with the overall appearance and architectural style of the house, and it's often not very long before it looks as though it was part of the house from new.

Many householders choose to place the conservatory over an existing entry door or patio doors, thus allowing a walk-in access point to the conservatory without the need for extensive removal of existing walls or for installation of new lintels over a newly-formed door space. An alternative approach is to build over an existing window, and in this case, the window lintel may still be suitable once the window wall is opened up to form a door. The conservatory therefore becomes a natural extension of the existing floorspace within the house, something which can't be said for a separate, standalone conservatory.

Many differing styles are available, allowing the householder to pick that which best matches the existing architectural style of the house. Conservatory wall styles can be formed in full-height glazed panels, or built with a brick or stone lower course, and half-height glazing above. Depending on design and location, the guttering and downpipes from the conservatory could be arranged to link in with existing rainwater fittings, something which would be difficult to achieve with a standalone conservatory.

Whilst a conservatory would normally be placed on the sunny side of a house, the householder should bear in mind that measures may need to be taken to control the temperature. This could include the specification of solar control glass as part of the design. This recent innovation acts to reflect the sun's heat away from the conservatory, thus moderating the temperature inside. The position of the conservatory's external doors, where fitted, should also be considered with regard to prevailing winds, perhaps siting them on the leeward side of the conservatory.

To see some more examples of DIY lean to conservatories from Centurion click here.