All you need to know about conservatories

Conservatories are a fabulous extension to your home, they come in all different shapes and sizes to brighten up and add value to your home.
Conservatories are bespoke and designed just they way you like, to offer you extra practical living or dining space allowing you to enjoy the views of your garden whatever the weather. We have put together all the relevant information we think you will need to know about conservatories.

What designs are available?

One of the great things about conservatories is the variety of styles they have to offer, there are many different styles from traditional to contemporary.

• Edwardian

These conservatories are also known as Georgian conservatories.
They sit on a rectangular or square foot print to maximise available space, which has led to them being the most popular choice of conservatory over recent years.

• Victorian

A traditional, curved conservatory which compliments almost all styles of property to suit available space, but are particularity suited to older period properties.

• Gable-end

This conservatory creates an exceptional feeling of height and space adding a real sense of presence to a home. A popular choice is the sunburst gable end window as part of the design.

• Lean-to

This type of conservatory can also be referred to as a sunroom or a gardenroom, they are rectangular in shape and run along the length of your property. They are versatile in size.

• P-Shaped

A more bespoke version with a mixture of the edwardian and victorian styles. The victorian style forms the circular part of the “P”.

• T-Shaped

A bespoke conservatory made up mainly of edwardian (square) styles. It can also feature the gable-end (or gable-front) style or a the “slanted-roof” style of the edwardian.

• L-Shaped or “Corner”

A bespoke conservatory made up of edwardian (square) styles. Can be use on the rear or side of a property but also as a corner conservatory going round two sides of a property.

• Lantern

A fantastic looking conservatory with a sloping roof and a lantern feature at the apex of the conservatory.

Conservatory Roofs

There are a number of choices for your conservatory roof, here we give a brief description of each one:

• Polycarbonate Roof

A polycarbonate roof is the cheapest of the conservatory roofing systems.
Pros – Cheap, Lightweight, Let’s plenty of light into the space
Cons – Not the easiest to maintain, Can be damaged more easily than glass and solid roofs, noisy in wet conditions, not as energy efficient as glass or solid roof.

• Glass Roof

The glass roof is the most popular choice for new conservatories.
Pros – Easier to maintain than polycarbonate, Lets in the most light of any of the roofing systems, Aesthetically more appealing than polycarbonate, Great views all round
Cons – Less energy efficient than a solid roof, Noisy in wet conditions, can be hot in summer and cold in winter, more costly than polycarbonate.

• Solid Roof

This system has a number of advantages of polycarbonate and glass and can be used on both new or existing conservatories.
Pros – Most energy efficient roofing system, Very easy to maintain, Can add value to your home, Noise from rainfall is greatly reduced, Interior is improved with finish and lighting
Cons – Doesn’t let as much light in as glass (although roof windows can be fitted), Slightly more expensive than glass, Restricted views compared to glass.

• Updating an old conservatory roof

If you already have a conservatory in place, you may want to upgrade its roof to make your conservatory more thermally efficient. The older, polycarbonate roofs do not reduce noise pollution from the outside nor do they help keep your conservatory insulated, an upgrade in roof style will help keep your energy bills down whilst making your conservatory usable throughout the year.
You can choose between a solid or a glass roof, depending on the look you are wanting to achieve.
Our solid roof tiles are available in 10 different colours to help keep in line with the current colours of your home and roof. If you are wanting more light in your conservatory you can also add a window into the roof to achieve this.

What Colours are available for conservatories?

Our conservatories are available in 17 different colours, our full range of finishes are guaranteed not to crack, peel or fade. Our colour range includes; White, Cream, Silver Grey, Basalt Grey, Slate Grey, Agate Grey, Anthracite Grey, Beck Brown, Siena PN, Rosewood, Cherry, Irish Oak, Wine Red, Dark Red, Dark Green, Moss Green, Chartwell Green and Steel Blue. (See below)

Do I need planning permission for a conservatory?

Every homeowner has a permitted development right. Normally your permitted development right for a detached home would be 4m projection from rear evleation of home and full width of home, and for a semi detatched, terrace or townhouse would be 3m projection once again by full width of home. A conservatory in general is considered to be a permitted development, in other words, it doesn’t need planning permission as long as it adheres to the limits below:

• No extension forward of the principal elevation or side elevation fronting a highway.
• No extension to be higher than the highest part of the roof.
• Maximum height of a single-storey rear extension of four metres.
• Side extensions to be single storey with maximum height of four metres and width no more than half that of the
• original house.
• No verandas, balconies or raised platforms.

There are other instances where planninng permission may be required, such as if your house is in a conservation area. The majority of reputable companies will be able to organise (on your behalf) any planning permission or building regulations that may be required for your conservatory or extension.

What’s the difference between a conservatory and an orangery?

Not sure what the differences are? Check out our article to view the main differences between a conservatory and an orangery HERE

Looking for conservatory inspiration?

Take a look below or have a look at our conservatory testimonials HERE or the conservatories in our Gallery HERE