Conservatory Interest Increasing in the UK

September 8, 2010

The number of consumers thinking of investing in a conservatory in the UK appears to be on the increase.

Five years ago, the UK conservatory market was booming, and conservatories where the most popular and desired home improvement and it’s not hard to see why.

Adding a conservatory is the cheapest, easiest and quickest way of creating that much needed extra room and typically at around a third of the cost of a traditional brick built extension.

However around three years ago, the global recession really started to kick in and the market started steadily declining, but fortunately due to the growing popularity of glass roofs (as opposed to polycarbonate) and bigger conservatories, the average order values actually started increasing. Although this wasn’t enough to compensate for lower sales figures, it certainly helped.

In the last three months, interest seems to have risen which may have happened sooner if it wasn’t for the distractions we’ve had this year, i.e. the severe weather conditions in January, the general election and the world cup. All this takes the minds of consumers off purchasing certain products, particularly luxury items such as a conservatory.

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Posted by David Bingham

A quick guide to conservatories

August 18, 2009

conservatory guideWelcome to this quick guide all about conservatories .

I have been in the conservatory industry for over 20 years now and have decided to create this blog to offer my expert views and insights in to the world of conservatories, as well as providing many useful resources for home owners looking for ways to add space to their homes, therefore here’s a quick guide.

Let’s start with furnishing your conservatory.

Conservatory furniture is one of the most practical and effective ways of enhancing any conservatory and after dealing with many suppliers over the years, I can confidently recommend Haddon House.

With over 20 years experience and a range of over 30 cane and wicker furniture products, I have always found Haddon House to be the most helpful and the most competitively priced suppliers of conservatory furniture that I have ever had dealings with and you can see their website at www.haddonhouse.co.uk and request a free brochure there.

Conservatory heating is without doubt one of the most important things that should be considered when planning conservatories as it will make your new room far more comfortable and usable all year round.

One of the most effective ways of heating a conservatory is electric underfloor heating. I have installed this in my own conservatory at home and can honestly say that it is one of the best decisions I have made, it really is very efficient and reasonably economical to run.

The company I used for my own conservatory is actually called Floor Heating and you can see their website at www.floorheating.com.

Again, this is a company that I can strongly recommend as their prices are the lowest I have ever come across and the staff there are very knowledgeable and helpful.

Flooring for conservatories is really a matter of personal taste, although tiles are most suited to electric underfloor heating which performs extremely well in my own conservatory.

Finally, most people eventually install conservatory blinds to reduce the heat build up and glare which occurs through the large areas of glass that conservatories typically consist of.

To be honest, I have dealt with several suppliers of conservatory blinds, all of which have provided me with a very efficient service and quality products.

I would say my favourite supplier is Thomas Sanderson as they always seem to be bringing out great new products and have a massive range of blinds to choose from.

Thomas Sanderson also offers a free brochure which can be requested at their website, www.thomas-sanderson.co.uk.

I you find hope this article useful and that you enjoy reading the advice I am able to offer from my long experience in all aspects of the conservatory industry.

I will be offering further valuable advice in future posts but in the meantime, anyone needing advice or having questions about any of the subjects I cover are most welcome to contact me.

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Posted by David Bingham

Are Conservatories Changing?

April 13, 2009

It’s a sure fact that conservatories are indeed changing.

The typical modern PVCu conservatory is changing in many ways according to David Bingham, Director of ConservatoryLand. David goes on to say -

We have been selling conservatories for many years now and current levels are at over eight hundred per year, the majority of which are DIY conservatories in which we specialise.  

Back in 2001 when we first started selling conservatories in meaningful volumes, most where specified at around nine to twelve square metres in area and the industry standard specifications included sixteen millimetre thick polycarbonate roof glazing and standard toughened safety glass for the frames and doors, and that was about it.

Conservatory with Glass Roof

Conservatory with Glass Roof

Conservatories are getting bigger too. The average size is now sixteen to twenty square metres in area, sixteen millimetre thick polycarbonate roof glazing is now virtually unheard of and has been replaced with a minimum of twenty five millimetre or 32mm thick material.There are now more polycarbonate options to choose from, including solar control foil inserts such as the brand Tec-Sun which reflects up to eighty percent of the sun’s heat and glare, keeping the conservatory cooler in summer and lowers the thermal U value keeping the conservatory warmer in winter.

Polycarbonate with Solar Control Inserts

Polycarbonate with Solar Control Foil Inserts

Back in 2001, glass conservatory roofs were virtually non-existent, whereas now at least one in five conservatories are fitted with a glass roof with various options available such as Pilkington Activ Blue which is a true self cleaning glass with solar control properties and low thermal U values to help keep the conservatory more comfortable all year round.

It is likely that more changes in homeowner’s conservatory preferences will continue as new products and designs hit the market and further changes may be influenced by government legislation regarding building regulations and energy efficiency standards.

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Posted by David Bingham

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