Everything you need to know about upgrading your conservatory or sunroom

Everything you need to know about upgrading your conservatory or sunroom

Conservatories are a great way to introduce a new room to your home and let in natural light. They have also grown in popularity over the past year, due to many spending increasingly more time at home, resulting in these spaces shifting to pivotal family rooms/home office spaces.

For this very reason, maximising natural light and making your conservatory/sunroom comfortable has become more important than ever before.

Here are some tips to have front of mind if you’re considering revamping your existing space, for extra function and comfort.

Revamping your existing structure

Revamping your existing structure can be well worth the investment and not only increase the value of your home, but improve energy efficiency, while effectively managing the temperature in the space to ensure it’s warm in the winter and cool in the summer. There’s also the opportunity to increase the existing natural light, which can be done by installing skylights in your sunroom or upgrading your conservatory’s roof.

When discussing roof options with your local installer, consider the following; elevation of the conservatory (is it north or south facing?), ultraviolet (UV) rays reduction, solar heat rejection, visible glare reduction, insulation and ventilation. All of these factors contribute to your overall comfort levels so that your conservatory can be used in all seasons.

Temperature control

From overheating in the summer to being too cold in the winter, there are options available to make these rooms more comfortable all year round. But, can replacing the glazing on the roof really help?

The build-up of heat in conservatories can be an issue in traditional styles. For instance, when polycarbonate or insulating glass units (IGUs) are used in the roof they generally do not have any solar control properties. Although the IGUs may contain low emissivity glass for thermal performance, they will not substantially reduce the heat entering the home through the glass which is a major factor in causing heat build-up. Changing your roof panels to specialised solar control IGUs will certainly reduce that problem. Dependent on your location and exposure to sunlight it may be necessary to supplement this with internal blinds or air conditioning.

Price and timing

Price of the project will depend on the size and the products chosen. While timing is very much contingent on the project size and type, as well as potential accessibility and planning issues.

Many also believe that changing the roof is a messy process, but like all renovations, there will be some mess in the removal of old products but nothing unusual.

Latest trends

One trend we’ve really seen grow in prominence in recent years and continues to be popular is Scandi style. Scandi style has become synonymous with positive wellbeing, thanks to the light and clean colours, natural light and minimalist, simplistic design which really form this look.

We’ve also seen a growing trend for bringing the outdoors in, which can be a great way to create an indoor relaxing oasis that can be used all year round. Again, natural light is essential here and bi-folding sliding doors can be a great way to seamlessly bring outdoor and indoor space together.

For wellbeing, lifestyle, health, energy savings and to increase the value of your home, upgrading an old conservatory/sunroom can certainly be well worth the investment.

We also have further advice on design, planning and key considerations here.