I love my conservatory

This house had a large conservatory on it when we bought it but we had a proper roof fitted about four years ago. It has evened out the extremes of temperature very well, but it’s exceptionally cold here int’ frozen north at the moment so we are not rushing to sit and watch the birds and enjoy the space as we usually do throughout the year. It has underfloor heating which is next to useless.

Although I would quite like one, all of your descriptions with heating in them do contravene planning regulations. The amount of heat just flying out of the windows and roof is horrific, they are not supposed to be connected to central heating. I would however quite like one, but for intended purpose of growing plants, having somewhere to sit when it is lovely and sunny but cold outside. I would not heat it.

Gill I’m a bit puzzled by your reference to planning regs.
We had a conservatory/sunroom added to our house this year, fully compliant with planning law, building regs & inspected on completion.
It has a radiator connected to our central heating system.
It does have a solid roof with a velux window so maybe that’s the difference?

Like others I love it, wish we’d had it done years ago & it’s now my favourite room too.

When we had a house (10 years ago) we added a conservatory. It was only small but allowed 2 good sized rattan chairs with fat cushions, a small coffee table (for wine of course) and under floor heating. Absolute bliss! It was my most favourite _small space^.
❤️
Now we have moved it’s the only thing I miss from those days.

We gravitate to ours all the time, I think it is the light levels.

That's why I like the glass roof which is solar reflecting but lets in light and I like to watch watch the clouds scudding past.
We had to turn the heater off today as it got to 28C with the sun (we both nodded off!). It has underfloor heating.

Callistemon I really dislike the heat and bright sunlight, so no conservatory for me thanks. My dog sleeps on a day bed in my bedroom, but when we had three dogs there was a lot of stuff they needed so a separate space is ideal. Just getting used to only having one now.

all of your descriptions with heating in them do contravene planning regulations.

How can you possibly know what building regulations have been applied for and granted on individual applications GillT57? Even if heating has been installed some time after the conservatory has been erected, the addition of a heating system is within permitted development, providing the existing conservatory fulfilled all required local planning applications.

Yep, decidedly partial to mine too. It's lovingly called the sitooterie.

The firm which builds them deal with any planning regulations.

all of your descriptions with heating in them do contravene planning regulations.

GillT57, we had had to submit plans to our local council and I can assure you that we certainly haven't contravened planning permission regulations
When everything was completed to the Council's satisfaction, complete with two large central heating radiators. we received a building warrant.

I have a large Conservatory / Orangery that I had built in 2001 It was / is fully compliant with planning and has 2 large radiators connected to the house central heating and also has a balanced flue gas heater installed. I had it modified a couple of years ago with new windows, doors and glass roof. It's made a huge difference to the temperature throughout the year. Also it's virtually silent now when it rains which it never was before. Yes I love it and use it all year round.

We spend most of the time in ours it looks out to the garden and has central heating.My favourite room.

I love mine too having had one in our previous house we bought this one with space to build one again. A friend told me you get addicted to the light and you do . We made the mistake of not putting any heating in it and at the moment it is too cold to use . DH is reluctant to use an electric heater in it but given a really sunny day it does warm up . We live in it all summer.

We use ours all the time. It has a radiator and if it’s sunny, it soon warms up. Our main lounge is fairly dark, so having the conservatory with its light airy feel is a boon. DH sits in there evenings to watch his sport on tv. I think it’s a shame that people shut it off during cold weather. Just invest in a convector heater or similar , soon warms up a treat. ?

I do envy all you folk with conservatories. We would love to add a downstairs loo/shower and conservatory but don't think we could take all the hassle of digging foundations moving pipes etc. We would have to move the oil thingy as well.

DH is reluctant to use an electric heater in it but given a really sunny day it does warm up

Oil filled radiators are good and fairly economical.
We have underfloor heating too which would not be enough on a really cold day although we had to turn the heat off today as the sun was enough. I think having a room full of light is beneficial and mood-enhancing.

Even a little sunlight at any time of the day can increase your vitamin d level which is a bonus as well. I think being out in a conservatory can give you the best of both worlds, meaning...you can enjoy the sun but not get a chilly wind ,( and I hate wind)

We do not have a conservatory/ orangery. I would love one, but the garden is too small really.
I do have a favourite sitting out place, like a little courtyard, for the summer, that is tucked in at the back of the house.

What I would really love is a deep porch, at the front of the house, where I could sit and watch the world go by.
Ah well, we can dream.

We have verandas round our house upstairs and downstairs. Part of the back downstairs veranda is enclosed with those full length clear plastic zip up windows forming a small room where we have a coffee table, outdoor settee and a couple of cane chairs so I guess a bit like a conservatory. We just call it the plastic room and there are a few plants growing in there and a few fancy candles for night time. In the winter it is nice to sit there but a bit on the warm side in Summer.

Although it is cheerful and warm, I read that sunlight through glass will not help the body produce vitamin D.

I’d love to have one, but our garden’s too small - we’d lose too much of it.

Friends in N Devon had one installed - oh, what a difference it made to a small and rather dark sitting room! It was transformed. Her orchids evidently loved it, too - always flowering, whereas any of mine were invariably a dead loss.

Where do you live nanna8 ? Are you not in uk?

I meant to say that I envisage a house with verandah all round must be in a warmer country than here

I'm green with envy. I've always wanted a conservatory.
My sister in Scotland has one and it''s surrounded on three sides by their back garden. It's so lovely to sit in there and watch the birds. The only problem was that it got too hot in summer and too cold in winter. So they now have proper blinds right under the glass which helps, and a radiator for winter.
My friends in Germany have one and they call it their
winter-garden.

polomint

Where do you live nanna8 ? Are you not in uk?

I think nanna8 lives in Australia, polomint.