Conservatory Insulation: Make it a Room to Use All Year Round
Breathe new life (and heat) into your conservatory with conservatory roof and window insulation
Many people invest in a conservatory, only to find that it’s a struggle to keep it warm in the winter and cool in summer. But it doesn’t have to be this way. In this blog we’ll show you how through simple steps like draught excluders, window and roof insulation you can transform your conservatory from ‘glorified greenhouse’ in summer or ‘fridge’ in winter to a comfortable space to enjoy all year round.
Conservatories - vision vs reality
Conservatories are popular because they’re relatively easy to build and generally don't need planning permission. The ideal vision is of a light, bright room to bask in on a warm summer’s day.
Then the reality is that when peak summer or winter falls and these rooms often become redundant. There’s two main reasons for this. The first is the structure. Essentially conservatories are made up of large panes of glass and a plastic frame and roof, so they lose far more heat than a brick structure with an insulated, tiled roof. They also need significantly more energy to heat than other rooms due to glass being far less insulating than walls - even if it's double or triple glazed. The second reason can be noise- if you’ve got a conservatory you may have experienced the noises caused by wind and rain on the glass roof.
But help is at hand - conservatory insulation
With door and window insulation, as well as draught excluders you can turn your conservatory into comfortable (and quiet) space for you and your family to enjoy.
Why insulate your conservatory?
- Cool in summer
- Warm in winter
- High energy efficiency
- Quieter
- Reduced heating bills
It’s all about the layers
If you only heat your conservatory, most of it will escape into the outside air, leaving you with a cold room and potentially a higher energy bill. Here’s some tips to give your conservatory an insulation boost in time for winter and turn it into a room for every day:
Start with the basics
Firstly, make sure you don’t lose heat from your house via the conservatory. Keep the door shut between the conservatory and the rest of the house to reduce heat loss. Furnishings like draught excluders for doors, cushions and windows, heavy, lined curtains or blinds and a large rug or carpet will help make it more snug.
These tips are relatively inexpensive to do, but you may find you need to do more to make it a comfortable temperature in the winter.
If you want to go one step further you can install a sealed sliding door, and sealed blinds to separate the conservatory more effectively from the rest of your house. Another idea is to get a thermal curtain installed to the entrance to the conservatory. All of these can help bring down your overall heating costs for the entire house, as heat may be escaping.
Roof insulation for your conservatory
Heat rises, so insulating the roof can be another effective way to keep valuable heat from escaping. There are many types available including thermal pvc, aluminium foils and other materials will keep heat in and transform the look of the room. Yes it will cover up the glass on the ceiling but it will mean that it’s cooler in summer and warmer in winter.
Window insulation for your conservatory
Double-glazing, blinds and shutters can all reduce the amount of heat wasted, but it’ll be more effective alongside other insulation measures to bring it up to the thermal standard of an averagely insulated room. Even the best-quality glazing loses heat more quickly than an uninsulated cavity wall. Apply window insulation tape or film to stop heat getting out the windows.
