Find a Conservatory Installer you can trust in Ascot.

In 2002 the Government amended Building Regulations governing the replacement and installation of glazing units. For the first time, windows had to meet energy efficiency standards and tough thermal performance levels. For new window units you must have efficiency ratings of at least a level C.

If you’ve ever looked into different types of conservatories, you’ll see that wooden conservatories are not the cheapest. However, that’s not a reason to dismiss them as an option for your home.

Wooden conservatories can cost anywhere between £15,000 to £60,000. While this may seem expensive, they are often a much classier option for your home and are ideal for period homes and those in a conservation area where uPVC might not be permitted.

If you choose a hardwood conservatory, you could see your conservatory last over 15 years. Most uPVC conservatories will only last around this time, and as they get old they can look shabby; it’s common for the frames to discolour in the sun. With good maintenance, wooden conservatories can look fabulous for years. Wood naturally retains heat too, so ensure that you use low-e internal glass which reflects heat back into the room and you’ll have as warm a conservatory as any.

When you weigh up all of the pros and cons of uPVC conservatories compared with wooden ones, you might come to the conclusion that wooden conservatories aren’t that expensive when it boils down to it. Although the initial cost is higher, you’ll get a better-looking conservatory that works with both modern and period properties and will look elegant and tasteful for years to come.

There are several reasons why an aluminium conservatory installation is a great way to expand your home.

Firstly, it’s strong and durable. This means that as well as providing you with a conservatory that’s more secure, this frame material will also last longer and cope with harsher weathering that wooden or uPVC conservatories.

Aluminium also offers more design possibilities. It can be bent into custom shapes, making it ideal if you want to create a unique, stylish home extension. It comes in a wide range of colours, so you can coordinate it with your existing property.

An aluminium conservatory installation can also help you maximise light in your home. They have very thin frames compared to wood and uPVC, so they’re a great choice if you want to let in as much daylight as possible.

The roof is the place that your conservatory is most likely to get grubby, but cleaning it is easy. You shouldn’t need to use any powerful cleaners – just warm water and a mild detergent.

The best tool to use to access your conservatory roof is a telescopic brush. This will help you get into corners and high areas without needing to work from height. You can use a ladder to help you clean your conservatory roof, but you should be very careful to avoid leaning it against any glazing

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Consider investing in a telescopic cleaner with squeegee, brush and mop attachments to help you achieve a great finish on your aluminium conservatory.

Lean-to conservatories are often known as Mediterranean conservatories or sunrooms and are a great way to add more living space when you’ve only got a small amount of room to work with. They usually have clean lines, a rectangular shape and attach to the side or rear of your home, which makes them one of the easiest conservatory types to build yourself.

So how do you build a wooden lean-to conservatory? The first step is to decide what you want it to look like. Most lean-to conservatories are constructed of glass and the wood frame, but you can choose to have dwarf walls too. Dwarf walls are low brick walls that are useful if you’re planning to plumb in radiators, have air conditioning installed or put plug sockets in the conservatory.

When you’ve decided what your wooden lean-to conservatory is going to look like, you’ll need to get the materials. You’ll need to choose a hardy wood – oak is the most expensive but also the most durable – and source glass for the windows. You’ll also need to decide on a roof material and work out the correct pitch.

The first step to building your wooden lean-to conservatory is to dig the foundations. You’ll then need to level the earth, then add concrete to the correct height, which should be lower than your property’s existing damp course. Then, you’ll build up to the damp course, which will be your conservatory’s floor level. Don’t forget to make sure it’s even.

If you’re building a dwarf wall, start it from the base and build up to no more than 1 metre high. Once the cement is dry, place external sills on top of the dwarf wall. You’ll then need to secure the frames; start with the one that secures to your property, then do the same for the rest, connecting outwards until they meet from the two sides. Then put up your doors.

Now it’s time to build the roof. This should be simple if you’ve bought your own custom-made kit. Place the roof ridge on top of the frames, then add the roof rafters between the roof ridge and hip bars. Fit your glazing sheets and guttering – it’s important that your wooden conservatory roof has guttering just like your house, otherwise your conservatory roof won’t last very long and could even cause rainwater to rot your wooden frames.

Once you’ve built your wooden lean-to conservatory, all that’s left is to decide on how you want to decorate it. But if this all sounds like too much, get in touch with specialist wooden conservatory installers who will be able to give you a quote for building you a lean-to conservatory.

What Is The Best Material For A Conservatory Roof?

In the past, conservatories normally have just a single roof material option - polycarbonate. However, there are a number of problems that was faced by some of the older models such as overheating, leaking roof, cold spots as well as poor sound insulation. With the great improvement in conservatory roof technology, better models have been developed which have completely eradicated these issues.

In recent times, we now have a wider varieties of materials that are incorporated to make conservatory roofs which are able to perform much better for a longer period of time. While tiled roof are incredibly useful to minimize heat loss, glass roof make use of clever reflective coating to keep the space at a comfortable temperature and modern polycarbonate roofs are now more energy efficient than it has ever been. So picking the best material for your conservatory roof is now a matter of preference.

✓ Glass conservatory roofs. This type of conservatory roof material is the perfect choice if you want a sleek, architectural finish for your conservatory. Not only are they available indifferent shapes and sizes, but you can also choose a large atrium style roof. They are made using solid aluminium frames that works to support the glass units which are thermally efficient and designed to retain natural heat while reflecting the sun’s glare.

✓ Tiled conservatory roof. Tiles roof are able to fit both the shape and size of your conservatory which provides you with a sloping or vaulted ceiling. They come in varying tiled finishes to match any style home like Marley clay, slate grey, pale shingles amongst others. Tiled roof are also called “warm roofs due to their particularly high levels of thermal insulation. They can also be installed quite easily and as quickly as any other conservatory roof options.

How To Put A Tiled Roof On A Conservatory

The roof is a vital part of any structure as it protects it from the elements such as snow, rain and lots more. When you have a conservatory built, the roof is just as important as that of the rest of the house. After all, both you and your loved ones will spend a lot of time there over several years, so you can as well give it a proper protection from the elements. So if you’re thinking about installing a tiled roof on your conservatory by yourself, you’ve come to the right place! However, it must be said that this is no easy task and should not be attempted as a DIY task if you do not have a proper training or the confidence needed to pull it off.

✓ Due to the fact that there are a wide range of tiled roofs to choose from, you have to think about the type of tiled roof you need before you proceed. The basic ones include composite panels, slate, synthetic tiles as well as concrete tiles.

✓ Examine the framework. It’s important to make sure that the framework possesses the right structure before adding theroof

✓ Remove the old roof panels. There’s the need to remove the poorly insulated glazed conservatory roof before installing the new tiled roof for a great efficiency.

✓ Change the existing roof frame. Apparently, there’s also a need to detach the older roof frame in order to install the new tiled roof. You have to change the old frame to one that’s suitable for the new tiles to be attached to.

✓ Add the tiles. To add the tiles. Simply lay them out across the roof and clipped on. This shouldn’t take that much time since a conservation isn’t a usually a big structure.