Avoiding Mistakes When Building New Conservatory
A New conservatory can be a lovely addition to your home and provide a comfortable living space all year round. However, there are a few common mistakes that you should avoid in order to get the most out of your investment. These include making it too small, finding that it’s too cold to use during winter and discovering that furniture doesn’t fit because of a restrictive layout.
Firstly, it’s important to think about how the new conservatory will fit in with your existing house. You don’t want it to feel like an add-on, but rather a natural extension of the house and garden. If you have a more traditional house, for example, then it might be worth choosing a hipped or gabled style of conservatory that will fit with the rest of the property. A more modern style, on the other hand, could be well served by something sleeker and simpler.
Also, it’s worth remembering that any work you do on a building is subject to strict planning laws. It’s important to find an experienced company that can advise on regulations and obtain the required consents for you. Failure to do so can result in having to remove your new conservatory, not to mention the cost of any work you’ve done that doesn’t comply with the rules.
It’s also worth considering how the conservatory will be used throughout the year, as this can help determine what sort of material you should choose. For example, if you’re going to be using the space for dining, then it’s a good idea to opt for more durable materials such as PVC or hardwood. If you’re going to be using the space as a lounge, then it might be worth investing in more luxurious materials such as marble or limestone.
You should also consider how the conservatory will be heated and ventilated. If you’re building a larger conservatory, it’s likely that you will need to have ventilation systems installed including background ventilators for windows and purge ventilation to remove excess heat. Similarly, condensation can be an issue in glazed rooms and may be improved by installing dehumidifiers.
One of the most common mistakes people make is not thinking about the internal layout before they go ahead and build their new conservatory. It’s worth sitting down and drawing up a floor plan to help you decide where doors, electrical sockets and TV aerial sockets should be located. You’ll also need to plan where to position any furniture you want to put in there.
It’s also a good idea to think about how the conservatory will link with the rest of the ground floor of the house, especially given the current trend for open-plan living. It’s not always possible to achieve a completely seamless transition, but you should at least aim to create a connection that doesn’t make the glazed area seem like a separate zone from the rest of the home. This can be achieved by choosing a design that links the room to your existing kitchen or by opting for an open-plan layout (although this would mean your conservatory would need to be signed off under Building Regulations). New conservatories