Conservatories & Orangeries.

The air surrounding us in our homes always contains water vapour, which is invisible. A typical example is the steam cloud from a kettle, which rapidly becomes invisible – it has in fact been absorbed into the atmosphere.

The warmer the air, the more water vapour it can hold – but there is a limit to the amount it can hold for a given temperature. When that limit is reached, the air is said to be ‘saturated’.

When saturated air comes into contact with a surface that is at a lower temperature than itself, the air is chilled at the point of contact and sheds its surplus water vapour on that surface – initially in the form of a mist and, if excessive, eventually in the form of droplets of moisture.

An example of this is when a person breathes onto a mirror: condensation occurs because the exhaled air is saturated and its temperature is higher than that of the mirror (which is at room temperature).

Provided they meet certain criteria (explained on the Government’s Planning Portal website), conservatories and orangeries don’t require planning permission.

It is important to check first, however, because if the proposed development does not meet the criteria the homeowner will need to seek planning permission.

Read more on the Government’s Planning Portal website.

A conservatory can be designed with varying degrees of thermal efficiency. When planning your conservatory, talk to your local GGF Member about the following:

– External quality double glazed doors between your home and the conservatory can provide added thermal performance and security

– Low-emissivity coatings on the inside face of double glazed windows can reduce heat loss from radiators inside the structure. This is strongly recommended for north-facing conservatories.

– Solar control layers can control glare and the amount of the sun’s energy that is transferred into the living space. This is specifically recommended for south-facing conservatories.

– Heating appliances with their own thermostatic controls will allow you to separately control the conservatory’s temperature.

– Designing in natural ventilation such as trickle ventilators, top opening windows or roof vents is far more economical (and environmentally friendly) than air conditioning.

The materials typically used to build a conservatory feature a large percentage of recycled material. In addition, the key materials used within your conservatory are all recyclable at the end of the conservatory’s life.

– Aluminium (this can be the conservatory itself or its structural elements) is recyclable with up to 95% being reused.

– PVC-U profiles used in the side frames are 100% recyclable and can be reused numerous times.

– Timber can be fully recycled, and must be responsibly sourced.

– Glass is 100% recyclable.