conservatories

I wanted it off the kitchen, just open, but it became too difficult (moving drains etc), and was also advised the house insurers would not be happy if there was no dividing door..

So it is off the sitting room and we left the patio door in situ, a bifold door would have been nice but we thought it would take up valuable space

Also the floor heating is set to cut in if the temperature drops below 10C. DH thinks electricity has not gone up vastly since we had it he thinks floor and oil filled radiator are both very efficient.

Sorry I haven't read all the posts (grovel) but just quick comment on energy efficiency. In some cases they are hugely expensive to run because heat from the house goes out through a big gap (no separating door) into the conservatory which is not insulated at all (even a double glazed one, if a centrally heated space, would lose heat very rapidly when it is cold outside.)
If you have a conservatory that is, basically a greenhouse on the side of the house with a good quality door between the centrally heated house and the conservatory, this does not apply. Of course if you then put in an electric heater to warm up the conservatory to sit in during the winter, then that too would cost a lot.
Ask your suppliers about the eco rating of the glass and go for the best.
Good luck.

A lot depends on the direction you are facing, obviously South will get a lot of heat from the sun. Even in winter if it's sunny we can go there. Facing North you will want heating.

High Society!

Yes like everyone else I LOVE ours - just in the middle of choosing material to re-upholster the chairs as ours have got mucky. I was watching - Oh Blimey senior moment can't remember the name of the film - but it had Grace Kelly in it and Frank and Bing - anyway outdoor chairs there were lovely - green seats cushions and white chairs so hope to copy them

Ps when the sun shines it warms up without the radiator of course but not very often these days.

I think it depends on what flooring you choose roses, as my friend has underfloor heating with a ceramic floor, which extend s right through into the kitchen and it seemed very effective when I stood on it. However, we chose a wooden floor, although I kept saying I thought I remembered from physics lessons that wood is a bad conductor of heat. I just don't thimk our underfloor heating is the most effective, the flooring firm who installed it worked jn conjunction with the large wellknown company who installed the conservatory. However, DC can sit and play on a warm floor even in the depths of winter. The oil filled radiator is quite economical I think and we have sat in the conservatory with snow outside, at a toasty 23C, not putting the heat on in the rest of the house until later in the day.

Hope this helps, we did think the u/f heating would be enough, but not in ours in the depths of winter unfortunately, but then I don't think it would be enough in the rest of the house either

Thanks mrsmopp and margaret. We intend having glass roof as heard it's better than perspex, but am alarmed by the underfloor heating AND a radiator being needed, as hoped underfloor heating would do the job.We are in the process of contacting builders for quotes, have left it a while as we don't want anything doing until the Summer, but so far have only one builder lined up, the others haven't got back to us.Here in the Thames Valley looks like builders are going to be kept busy with all the storm and flood damage for the foreeable future, so we may need to wait awhile; if and when this conservatory does go ahead I will post details on here, and thank you all for the responses, it's really been appreciated.I still have a few reservations about going ahead [but that's just me!]

We opted for a glass roof rather than Perspex which doesn't wear so well. You can have the glass coated to reduce glare in the summer.
Do let us know how you get on. We are so pleased with ours. It has so many uses - relaxing in the warmth, drying the washing, growing tomatoes, planting seeds, drying the wet dog before she goes into the house, etc etc.
We haven't any heating in it as it faces south so even on a sunny day in winter we can use it.
Good luck!

Ps ours faces west/s.west

We spend so much time in ours which was built about 2.5 years ago. We decided to have underfloor heating put in, which is lovely although it would not be enough on its own, so we have a de lunghi oil filled radiator as well. The roof has some special glass to prevent solar glare, it is half brick a bit expensive but we have spent so much time in there and have saved on heating the rest of the house until later in the day.

eeeek!Thought this thread had gone dormant?However, as we are just about to get quotes for conservatory, if any G'netters want to jump back in with their thoughts and experiences, I am listening! Or rather, watching.

Reported.
It's amazing who follows GN isn't it then rushes in with an advert or a request for follow up. It's also a reminder that this is a public forum and we are being watched! (hmm)

Message deleted by Gransnet for breaking our forum guidelines. Replies may also be deleted.

Dear old IPAD and it's predictive text. Yes roof not food. Sorry all, I should proof read prior to posting.

solid food Brenda?Is this a typo? Yes, everyone says that the noise the rain makes if you haven't got a glass roof is awful. Surely a good builder could do this?

Has anyone had their conservatory roof replaced. Ours is tri wall plastic stuff and the noise when it rains is terrible. Thinking of replacing either with glass or the new solid food system. So has anyone had the solid roof put on and does it cut out a lot of light.

J52 we also had big bay window in the (small lounge) we took it out and built the conservatory onto it..it has approx. 8ft wide opening and no doors so it is a sort of straight through room with French doors at the end (think build regs may have change since we built this and you may now have! to have doors in between....I have photos at the as the house is on the market... if you need to look at any ideas also have pics some where of it being built,, it has a "framed floor" that being it has a metal girder frame work.....not the usual sold block concrete foundations....

Jendurham, I can't believe it, snow! So it must be really cold there now, still rainy and mild here in Oxfordshire. be careful on the steep hills in your car.
And, not too much of this.......

Roses, just read that Weardale had two inches of snow overnight on Bonfire night! That's the next dale along from us, 15 minutes drive away.
Need my snow tyres on soon.

I hadn't thought of sunpipes, tho I've seen them used on those home makeover programmes. I'll have a lok into it thanks.

I am quite tempted still by the conservatorty idea, as we have plenty of room outside, and beyong the lawn we have a large pond, so already we sit in the lounge watching the moorhens etc.

At present we don't find ourselves sitting on patio outside lounge much, as its a 2 storey house, and that area doesn't get much sun at all(patio slabs go bit green due to low light). But if it were a conservatory, I suppose that's different, You are warm but almost in the garden, and the light comes in from the conservatory roof too.

I certainly agree about underfloor heating to make it as cosy as possible, so we would use it a lot.

Sorry to hijack your thread Roses, but it seems everyone thinks its a great idea for you. Good luck with the quotes.

Jendurham - maybe you can find a new start in the village, and may even find a lovely place with a ready made conservatory. Sometimes it's good to move on.

When we moved to our current house, many moons ago, there was a conservatory off the kitchen. It was the best siting as far as the garden was concerned, but not in a useful place from an internal point of view. After a while it was demolished and several years of discussions took place regarding the size and siting of a new one. The ideal place took up too much garden and made access slightly awkward. Eventually we hit on what has become an ideal solution. We had a large bay window added to a garden facing stint ing room. It has a 9ft opening directly into the room, no need for separating doors, the parquet floor was matched, it is 5 sided glass, full length tilt and turn opening windows to four panes and a central opening door. The roof is glass, in a fan shape. The construction is special heat conserving glass with argon gas in between the glazing. It has opened up the room, which now feels twice as large and the full glazed roof lets in more light than the previous flat window. Hope this is a suggestion that might give others ideas. The firm putting it in had no problem with us stating exactly what we wanted. They took photos for their publicity! X

It sounds like a good idea for you to move Jendurham, what with the unhappy memories and being at the top of a hill [and in Durham too! very cold.]I'm sure you will be happier with a new start further down in the village, besides it's quite exciting to have a new start for anyone I think.Level ground will be better for your motobility car as well, it sounds very dangerous as it is?Hope that you mangae to sell your house, the current market is still not good[or is it in Durham?]
The sun pipes are a good idea, I have seen them on tv.

Sunflower, have you heard of sunpipes. It's a good way of bringing light into a dark room.
The cafe in my local Sainsbury's has sunpipes in the ceiling. When it is light enough the ceiling lights switch off automatically and the room is mainly lit by sunpipes.
I do not suggest you have the automatic light switch, just the sunpipe.
Just an idea for you to research.