Conservatory tips for Easter home improvement

Easter, the country's frantic fortnight of home improvements, is hurtling out of the calendar weeks earlier in 2008 - so now's the time to plan.

And this year, as more and more homeowners duck out of the currently risky house move market and invest in home improvements and more living space, conservatories are topping the priority list.

"Unsurprisingly, the vast majority of people ordering a conservatory go for looks and price rather than function and purpose of use," said Tony Wooderson of Poynton, Cheshire-based Crystal Windows, which specialises in premium and exclusive conservatory design.

"But it's worth taking a few minutes to think beyond the traditional boxy perception of a conservatory. It should be designed and specified according to its planned location and use, but the design can have a massive impact upon usability.

"For instance, how many homeowners would know to specify glass according to which direction the conservatory was facing?

"The glass required for north and south facing conservatories is completely different: glass in north facing conservatories does not need to be over specified in terms of deflecting sunlight, while south-facing does.

"What you save in glass costs on, say, a north facing conservatory you can invest in a better or different style or design."

Tony has a number of tips for those people eschewing house sale and instead investing in a conservatory.

1. Confirm the direction your planned conservatory will face - that can determine some huge fundamentals relating to design and specification.

2. Check that your designer is specifying glass suitable to the direction the conservatory is facing. South facing needs to deflect heat, north facing needs to contain heat.

3. A conservatory that is mainly in the shade will need heating - you need to decide whether to extend your central heating, or go for specifically-designed under-floor heating.


4. Does the roof need self-cleaning glass? That's right: self cleaning glass. Some big or complex designs will mean be difficult-to-clean roofs. "We've seen conservatories that need scaffolding erecting to be cleaned…" said Tony.

5. What's it going to be used for? "We'll even mark out the layout of a proposed conservatory on a garden and then place the customer's likely furnishings in it to confirm the space requirement… and at that stage the design is usually increased in size," said Tony.

6. Carefully consider colour and materials - classic and inoffensive colours and finishes. What's a fad today may not be tomorrow.

"Conservatories rarely need planning permission - if they do, then we deal with it - and the modern generation of conservatories have incredibly efficient insulation. What's more, by investing in premium materials such as self-cleaning glass or special paint and finishes, they stay in top condition both day-to-day and longer term," said Tony.

Crystal Windows is based in Poynton, Cheshire. For more information, visit Crystal-windows.co.uk.