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Conservatories are one of the best options to create more living space in your home. If you thinking about building a hardwood conservatory in your home, then you’d probably like to know exactly how much it’s going to cost you. The truth is, just like many other home improvement efforts, the cost of constructing a hardwood conservatory is dependent on a wide array of elements. While it is crucial to budget for your extension, it is also quite important to note the immense value a top quality hardwood conservatory can add to your home.

Hardwood conservatories look a lot elegant and luxurious, and is surely a necessity for all homes with character ( or a period property). With relative ease and effortlessly, they appear far more superior to any other materials you can think of, even using similar styles. However, a drawback to hardwood is the high maintenance requirements and the fact that they must be treated and painted every couple of years in order to maintain their aesthetic appearance. No one likes a flaking and weathered frame sitting in their compound. Despite this drawback, hardwood offers a wide range of styles and options. If you are building your own then you can bespoke the joinery styles for the carved frames, multiple colour options and lots more.

Amongst the best hardwood types for building conservatories are elms and beeches. They are very common due to their ability to increase the stability and durability of conservatories. An average hardwood conservatory kit will cost within the range of £10,000 to £20,000.

Apart from the good looks of hardwood conservatories, it also brings about a plethora of benefits which the owner can enjoy. Not only does it add more living space to your home and beautifies it, but also goes a long way to add great value to your home. It's a big task doing a DIY conservatory so make sure you are fully prepared before you start.

It always an exciting decision to extend your home, be it adding to an existing room or building a new one all together. However, the problem starts when you realize there are so many options giving you a tricky challenge of knowing which to choose or where to start. There are great differences in renovations between homes, but a common question that remains is whether to go for a conservatory or an orangery.

There are large array of differences between the styles and knowing a thing or two about the special attributes is definitely a great way to get started. Let’s have a look!

• Orangeries are generally best suited to traditional-styled homes or with older property making use of matching stone or brick in construction. Meanwhile for a more recent or modern property, a conservatory will be the better option to add the flair to your property.

• Conservatories tend to be larger than orangeries, therefore if you want a smaller extension, an orangery would be your best bet.

• Orangeries are typically rectangular in shape and is traditionally a more regular building meanwhile a conservatory can be shaped to suit your needs. With an conservatory, you can get a T-shaped, L-shaped, curved, double ended and lean-to extensions to suit your preference.

• An orangery usually possess a flat roof at the edges with a glazed lantern section right at the centre. You can also find more luxurious orangeries having two or more lantern sections. However, when it comes to the roofing, conservatories generally have more options. Some are gabled or pitched, others are lean-to with a plethora of choice to finish off the roof.

• Due to the fact that orangeries are made of more brick than glass when compared to conservatories, they usually provide more insulation than their counterpart. If your goal is to use the extension during the winter months, then constructing an orangery is the best bet.

Conservatories and orangeries look very similar, so it can be hard to tell what their differences are. The main thing that distinguishes the two is the amount of glazing they have.

Conservatories usually have a roof that is made up of at least 75% glass. Orangeries, on the other hand, have roofs that are generally less than 75% glass.

Conservatories also tend to have walls that are made up of at least 50% glass. However, orangeries have glass on less than 50% of the wall area.

Orangeries were originally developed to grow oranges in large stately homes. Their mixture of brick and glazing gave the oranges a combination of plenty of sunlight and shelter.

Getting its name from it’s original use and commonly mistaken for conservatories, orangeries were developed about four hundred years ago to help protect citrus fruits from the winter frosts. An orangery is basically a room extension featuring a flat perimeter roof, brick base as well as a central roof lantern including doors and windows. Even though it originates from Italy and made more modern by Holland’s architectural development, orangeries have grown to become an ubiquitous phenomenon within the British society with thousands of the extension being built every year. They’re built in a similar way to conservatories, however, orangeries are typically developed from a brick base and usually making use of a stone or brick pillars to provide support to a flat roof perimeter. Also, the common choice for an orangery is a central roof lantern including glass panels or vent windows. Unlike conservatories which usually make use of patio doors, orangeries are more likely to have more complex bi-folding door system - enhancing the visual appeal of the extension in a more unique and stylish way.

Orangeries typically incorporates less glass when compared to a conservatory - thereby, allowing a moderate amount of natural light into the space. This way, you would not have to go outdoors to enjoy the sunlight during the summer months. Generally, the extension also offers a atrium-style ceiling height while also protecting your space from excessive sunlight and adding character to your home.

In conclusion, orangeries are an excellent choice when it comes to extending your home - be it to make a room larger or adding a new room all together. Ultimately, they go a long way to add incredible value to your home for resale purposes. Orangeries are best installed by seasoned professionals in order to ensure the best outcome.

What Is The Best Material For A Conservatory Roof?

In the past, conservatories normally have just a single roof material option - polycarbonate. However, there are a number of problems that was faced by some of the older models such as overheating, leaking roof, cold spots as well as poor sound insulation. With the great improvement in conservatory roof technology, better models have been developed which have completely eradicated these issues.

In recent times, we now have a wider varieties of materials that are incorporated to make conservatory roofs which are able to perform much better for a longer period of time. While tiled roof are incredibly useful to minimize heat loss, glass roof make use of clever reflective coating to keep the space at a comfortable temperature and modern polycarbonate roofs are now more energy efficient than it has ever been. So picking the best material for your conservatory roof is now a matter of preference.

✓ Glass conservatory roofs. This type of conservatory roof material is the perfect choice if you want a sleek, architectural finish for your conservatory. Not only are they available indifferent shapes and sizes, but you can also choose a large atrium style roof. They are made using solid aluminium frames that works to support the glass units which are thermally efficient and designed to retain natural heat while reflecting the sun’s glare.

✓ Tiled conservatory roof. Tiles roof are able to fit both the shape and size of your conservatory which provides you with a sloping or vaulted ceiling. They come in varying tiled finishes to match any style home like Marley clay, slate grey, pale shingles amongst others. Tiled roof are also called “warm roofs due to their particularly high levels of thermal insulation. They can also be installed quite easily and as quickly as any other conservatory roof options.

Do You Need A Building Reg For A Conservatory?

If you’re planning to build a conservatory in your home, it’s only logical to consider whether or not you require a building reg for such a structure. Generally, several conservatories, summer buildings, sheds as well as outbuildings do not require building regulation approval to erect. One of the applicable rules is the fact that if they’re ( small or less than 30m2) or constructed with non combustible material, or are differentiated from structures nearby or land and don’t feature sleeping accommodation or room, then they’re not required to submit a building regulations approval application. However, it’s strongly recommended to check with your local authority before you commence the project as only they can provide the most accurate information.

Generally, conservatories should be primarily built of translucent walls and roofs, while also possessing an external type door separating them from the main building within a property. What’s more? The foundations and floors, however, can be laid in a number of ways, but you’ll have to put into consideration the conditions of the ground, trees as well as the existing drains. It’s also a wise decision to include insulation which makes the structure a lot easier to heat especially during the cold months.

Overall, conservatories are usually exempt from building regulations if the following conditions are met:

✓ If the conservatory is erected at ground level and are not up to 30 square metres in floor area.

✓ If the structure is separated from the rest of the house with an external quality walls, windows or doors

✓ If the conservatory features an independent heating system with different temperature as well as on/off controls

✓ If the glazing and electrical installations are in total compliancewith the relevant regulatory requirements.

Is It Worth Replacing My Conservatory Roof?

Your conservatory is a very useful part of your home that can be incorporated for many different purposes. Whether you just wish to take advantage of the extra living space to sit and unwind or share memorable moments with your family and friends, the conservatory is always on hand to provide the perfect venue. Therefore, regardless of how you choose to use the structure, it’ll always be an important part of your home. It also features important rooms in your home such as kitchens and bedrooms, making it crucial to make them usable all year round. A common complaint of several homeowners is that their conservatory are usually unusable during the hot days in the summer months and the cold days in the winter months. These common problems can be solved with a single solution - a tiled roof. This type of roof can keep your conservatory insulated and super comfortable all year round. Below are some of benefits you get to derive from replacing your conservatory roof.

✓ It helps maintain temperature. Regular conservatory roofs are built with a material known as polycarbonate. This material is only able to deliver a small amount of insulation which is why your home feels super uncomfortable whenever the weather isn’t favourable. This can be replaced with tiled roofs which are known to be have super high levels of insulation that make your conservatory usable all throughout the year.

✓ It gives your conservatory the converted interior appearance. If you’re bored with the look and original design of your conservatory or perhaps you simply want it to look more like a part of your home. You can also consider replacing your conservatory roof which can give it the converted interior appearance.

✓ It makes for a quieter and more peaceful space in your home. With too much noise everywhere, installing a tiled roof can go a long way to keep the noise out.

Do You Need Planning Permission For A Conservatory?

Adding a conservatory to your home or property comes with a whole lot of benefits. It provides you with the much needed additional living space within your property, add value to your home and creates a link between your home and garden. As advantageous as it is, one of the major reasons why some homeowners decide against constructing a new conservatory is because of planning permission. If you don’t know what you’re doing the entire process can be very tedious and you definitely do not want to go through the stress of completing your remarkable new conservatory, only to be instructed to have it removed again.

Therefore, as a homeowner, you have the responsibility to seek planning permission before you undergo such construction project and that’s more than enough to make some people reconsider the whole project. In this article, we’ll let you know whether you’ll need to apply for a planning permission.

Generally, conservatories falls into the category of permitted development rights which allows you to complete home building projects without having to apply for a planning permission. However, there are some circumstances where you’ll require a planning permission. These includes:

✓ If the conservatory covers more than 50 percent of the land around the main house.

✓ If the conservatory will be placed on the side of the house that faces the road.

✓ If the conservatory will be higher than the highest point of the main building’s roof.

✓ If the main building is lower than the height of the eaves and ridge.

✓ If the conservatory will be constructed to the side of the house and more than a single storey or it goes higher than 4 metres.

✓ If the conservatory will be wider than the width of the main building, if it’s to be built beside it.

✓ If the conservatory will be constructed at the rear and higher than 4 metres.