As the cold winter weather starts to set in, you may have noticed a significant decrease in the overall temperature of your conservatory. If this is the case, and your conservatory doesn’t seem to be retaining heat effectively, then there are a few methods that you can put in place to improve the thermal efficiency of your home. From updating the flooring to replacing your roofing system, here is our guide to the most effective cold conservatory solutions.
The Most Effective Cold Conservatory Solutions
In the Summer, your conservatory provides the ideal sanctuary and transitional room, connecting the inside of your house with the summery outdoors. However, during the winter months, your conservatory can quickly transform into a cold and uninviting space within your home. As soon as the winter chill sets in, conservatories all across the UK are abandoned. Nevertheless, we have thought of several ways you can improve the temperature in your conservatory. The ideas and advice we have thought of, are available at both ends of the financial spectrum; there are several significant monetary investment ideas and also, some cheaper alternatives. Keep reading to find out more.
Change Your Flooring
If your conservatory features either tiled or hardwood flooring, then it is more than likely that this is having a significant impact on the temperature of the room. Wooden flooring is unable to retain much heat – any heat it does hold is unlikely to stick around for more than a few hours. Along with the inability to stay warm, tiled and wooden flooring also removes any heat from your feet, making the surface feel colder than usual. As we all know, as soon as your feet feel cold, it’s not long before your entire body temperature begins to drop.
The most effective way to create a cosier conservatory is to replace your flooring with warmer alternatives such as carpet. Carpet is designed with millions of individual fibres which are able to trap air, ultimately, providing the material with fantastic thermal insulating properties.
While carpet is a great way to boost your conservatories ability to trap heat, it may not prove practical all-year-round. Conservatories are ideal for creating a seamless transition between home and garden, meaning that they are likely to be filled with mucky footprints during the Summer. With tiled or wooden flooring, this can be removed with soapy water and a little elbow grease. Carpet, on the other hand, takes the help of a professional to thoroughly clean. With this in mind, to ensure that you can reap the benefits of both easy-to-maintain flooring and a cosy conservatory, we suggest opting for adding rugs. During the colder months, you can cover your flooring with a large rug; whether this may be a stylish faux fur or durable cotton alternative. In doing this, you can avoid cold feet in the Winter but maintain a cool surface when temperatures begin to rise. For a generous selection of rug designs ranging in colours and sizes, head over to Modern Rugs!
Draught-Proof The Room
There is nothing more frustrating than feeling a cold draught, but not being entirely sure the source of the problem. While it can be easy to disregard draughts as something you cannot control, it is likely to be making it considerably harder for your conservatory to hold heat. It also means that you are forced to continuously increase your central heating by a few degrees to make up for the lost heat, causing a spike in energy bills.
While it may be a little tedious, draught-proofing your conservatory is actually a super easy and relatively inexpensive process. It is your choice as to whether you enlist the help of a professional to identify draughts or use DIY alternatives. To determine the source of draughts through DIY methods, simply light a candle and carefully walk towards any windows and doors. Slowly move the candle around the perimeter of each window and door, if the flame begins to flicker, then this is a good indication of the draught location.
Draught-proofing both windows and doors takes a matter of minutes. To fill any gaps around the window frames, invest in self-adhesive foam strips, which can be placed between the frame and glazing. Doors, in contrast, come alongside many draught opportunities. We suggest considering installing a keyhole cover, along with a hinged flap draught excluder to fill any gaps around the bottom. If there are any gaps around the edges of your conservatory door, then the foam strips used for windows would solve the issue. For more top tips on how to draught-proof the remainder of your home, take a look at Energy Saving Trust.
Replace The Roofing
If your conservatory is built entirely from glass, then this could be where you are losing a significant amount of heat. Nowadays, many conservatories are built with tiled roofs to help make them more energy-efficient, ensuring you are cool in the Summer and warm in the Winter. The initial cost of the conservatory roof replacement will be expensive, but the amount of money it will save on your annual energy bills makes the expense a worthwhile investment, in the long run. The tiles help to retain heat in the room, far more effectively than PVC and glass does. Moreover, you can have the option to insulate your conservatory with cavity wall insulation to further improve its ability at preserving heat. The addition of a tiled roof will also make your conservatory look more like an extension rather than a Summer room. Unlike a glass or uPVC roof, tiled roofing is far less maintenance and doesn’t require regular cleaning, again, making it an incredibly worthwhile investment.
If you are searching for a reputable provider of tiled roof replacement in Northampton, Bedford or the surrounding areas, please do not hesitate to contact Crown Windows. With over 15 years of experience, our experts can recommend the best style to complement your existing conservatory, guaranteeing seamless results.
Improve Glazing
Depending on the age of your conservatory, it may or may not be fitted with double glazing. If it is more than 20 years old, then it’s likely only to contain single-paned glass. This will be contributing massively to the heat loss in your conservatory. Investing in a double or triple glazed glass will significantly improve the room’s ability to retain the heat and prevent cold air from entering. Double glazing, designed with two panes of glass and triple, designed with three, trap air and gas between layers creating a barrier between your conservatory and the outside world. This not only reduces heat loss but also provides your conservatory with enhanced noise insulation. If you’re unsure whether you invest in double or triple glazing and in need of more information, take a look at our previous article titled ‘Double v Triple Glazing: Which Is Best?.’
Add Electrical Heating
There are now a plethora of different electrical heating options which couldn’t be easier to incorporate into your conservatory. Investing heaters is a fantastic option if you want to increase the temperature of your conservatory, but want to avoid any significant renovation works. The most popular electrical heater types for a conservatory include the following:
Portable Electric Heaters – If you’re in need of a quick and easy solution to temporarily heat your conservatory, then a portable electric heater would be the perfect route. All you’ll need to do is track down the most practical heater type to fit with your requirements and pick up a model from your favourite retailer. Expert Reviews has put together a useful guide to the best electric heaters of the year for some inspiration!
Radiators – While there is nothing wrong with freestanding heaters, if you want your conservatory to be used as living space all-year-round, then you will need to invest in a permanent source of heat. Radiators will be connected to your central heating system, which means that you can maintain a consistent temperature throughout your home. You will no longer have the issue of walking from your cosy living room to a freezing conservatory as each room will be set to the same temperature.
Underfloor Heating – While this may be a more luxurious suggestion, underfloor heating will undoubtedly solve your issue of a cold conservatory. Underfloor heating operates by distributing heat throughout a series of pipes which are installed just below your flooring; whether this may be wood, tiling or carpet. There are two main types of underfloor heating, electric and water, both of which come alongside their own benefits and drawbacks. If you’re interested in the idea of equipping your conservatory with underfloor heating, then take a look at Ideal Home for more information.
Install Blinds Or Curtains
Installing blinds or curtains in your conservatory will work towards your advantage in both the Winter and Summer. In the Winter, the barrier will reduce heat transfer, adding an extra layer between your cosy conservatory and the cold outdoor conditions. During the Summer, on the other hand, covering windows means that the heat from the sun will not enter your conservatory, keeping it cool. It also means that you will not have to be faced with a frustrating glare while sitting in the conservatory during brighter days.
Similarly to when adding rugs to your conservatory, there are hundreds of different colours, styles and designs of blinds and curtains. They can be used to add a touch of personality to your space, incorporating your interior design scheme. If you are converting your conservatory into a guest room, office or dining room, then you may want to consider blackout options to enhance privacy. Blinds2Go stock various blackout blinds, ranging in colours and patterns.
Cosy Finishing Touches
Last but not least, add a cosy finishing touch to your conservatory by investing in cushions, blankets and throws. There is nothing better than snuggling up during the Winter, so equipping your space with all things cosy means you’ll be able to enjoy your conservatory even on the coldest of days. To make sure that you can keep your room tidy and clutter-free, we suggest adding large wicker baskets, which can home your blankets and throws when they’re not in use.
The Perfect Temperature, All Year Round
Conservatories have most definitely built a reputation for an inability to maintain a constant temperature; whether this may be becoming unbearably hot in the Summer or colder than Antarctica during the Winter. However, this doesn’t have to be the case. Recognising that your conservatory needs a little extra TLC is the first step, then tracking down solutions couldn’t be easier.
If you are considering extending your living space through the addition of a conservatory or hope to revamp your existing space, the team at Crown Windows are always more than happy to help. Having provided conservatories in Woburn and all surrounding areas to hundreds of clients, we are dedicated to bringing your vision to life!
