Problems With Conservatories In The Winter

The flaws of conservatories in the summer are well known - they are often too hot to be used comfortably, instead being more akin to a permanent sauna.

But are you finding that there are also issues in the winter? Are you thinking of buying a conservatory, but worried about what they might be like throughout the year? Maybe you're just keen for a bit of advice.

Here, we take a look at the problems and try to offer up a solution or two.

Hard to heat

Thermally inefficient conservatory roof

The main flaw in winter is essentially the opposite of the summer's flaw, rather than being too hot, they are often too cold.

The issue derives from the same design error - namely the roof being unfit for purpose. Most conservatories have either a glass or polycarbonate roof, neither of which is able to regulate the temperature effectively.

In the summer, the heat pours in, in the winter any heat escapes. The heating can be on almost continually and yet the conservatory remains uncomfortably cold.

Expensive

Being hard to heat has an obvious side effect - it ramps up heating bills. Often the conservatory owner has to use extra heaters placed in the room, yet as well all know these are not cheap to run.

This means that often the conservatory goes unused. The owner has a stark choice, either keep it heated throughout the day for the odd hour when it's going to be used, or simply write it off for the winter. The problem is, it's already been written off for chunks of the summer, so that doesn't leave much use.

Use as extra storage?

Who doesn't like a bit more storage? For many, this is what their conservatory becomes - simply somewhere to keep a bit more stuff.

It's a solution that gets some use out of a bad situation, though it does mean that you've essentially purchased some of the world's most expensive storage.

The benefits of blinds and thicker carpet

A relatively low cost solution some try is to use thicker carpet and also dark blinds it an attempt to keep as much heat in as possible.

This can have some success, but often not enough to make a significant difference - the conservatory might stay a degree warmer but still be too cold to comfortably use. Also, it does nothing to solve the summer problem, the conservatory remains uncomfortably hot.

Tackling the root of the problem

It is now possible to replace the roof, out goes the glass or polycarb roof and in its place come a solid, lightweight, tiled replacement.

This change, which can typically be carried out inside three days, turns the conservatory into a room which will stay more naturally within comfortable temperature ranges. It also helps the homeowner save a sizeable amount on fuel too - the typical savings being around £200 per year on a typical property based on independent research by the independent AECON.

With a solid, tiled roof you can also choose from a range of styles and colours, and so the roof will blend in with the rest of the property. What was a flawed conservatory becoming a sympathetic extension.

Guardian Warm Roof

At Guardian Warm Roof, making those solid, tiled replacement roofs is what we do, but we will spare you the hard sell (though we'd like to point out that only Guardian Roofs among replacement roof providers have Local Area Building Control approval).

If a replacement roof sounds like it might be of interest, or a Guardian Warm Roof on  new build please have a look round this site as there is a wealth of information.

And, whatever you decide to do, we hope you get the most out of conservatory and can make it into a space that works for you.

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