How to use my conservatory

nodwah

I have heard of some coating tha you get on the roof to keep glare otu in the summer and a wee bit of heat in te winter, but I haven't checked it out yet.
Our one is also freezing and we eat in there too, we have 2 wall lamps with 100W equivalent energy saving bulbs in and two lamps with the same, but it still seems quite dim - I'd like to get ceiling blinds that would reflect light back down (when I'm rich ) I put on a convector heater when dinner's ready and turn it off when we're done - there's a radiator in there but I'm sure that's sending heat straight outside.

When it's hot in the summer I grow some crackin tomatoes in there!

rosieben

Might it be worth trying your local freecycle for a carpet or rug?

I agree with others that heating this space might be a waste of money in the dead of winter, and you'll lose any heat through the roof unless you insulate it. I'd still want to set it up so its of some use though which it could be with sockets fitted. Could you put your freezer/tumble dryer out there over the winter and make room in the house for your table?

lined curtains would make a big difference - you could try heavy lined curtains (try charity shops?) or lining and curtain material with some old quilts stitched in between (you could buy really cheap ones for this).

You really need to insulate the roof well or else you'll lose whatever heat you put in there - again, heavy curtains or quilts would do it. My dd did this and supported the curtain length on several pieces of stretchy curtain wire fixed across the width of the roof of their conservatory - sorry cant explain very well :rolleyes:

It would really grieve me to have space like that and not be able to use it. I'm sure you'll come up with something

soraggers

Thank you so much for all your suggestions :-D

It seems we are really restricted in what we can do because there is nothing 'solid' to be able to drill/ stick/ nail to. Everything apart from the glass is made of shoddy white PVC plastic stuff - I dont think it would take the weight of curtains..? Does anyone have any experience of doing this?

Anyway, there are some great ideas in this thread, I will read and absorb :-D
Thanks again x

pigpen

Ours was always freezing too and was used as a shed in winter and for drying clothes all the rest of the year..

We had an electric heater that was useless... in the end putting loft insulation and boarding the ceiling area was the only option!

We had big thick curtains and a heater

Could you possibly put the fridge/freezer/TD in the conservatory to create more room in the kitchen?

Dick_here

Conservatories can be modernised, finance permitting of course. We've an old-fashioned wooden construction single-glazed one with a corrugated plastic roof, but it's too big to be called a lean-to. One of the window frames - well all of them are headed that way - was leaking badly so we investigated getting it replaced. It turned out to be far cheaper to get a uPVC double-glazed one, so we did that. We'll get them all done soon, hopefully, and the doors too as they are terribly insecure and let a horrendous draught in. The roof can be replaced too

Suewre

The previous owners of our house left us a white rope light attached around the edge of the ceiling in our conservatory (which must be smaller than yours as I couldn't imagine a dining table in there!) It gives a lovely all round light, and as there really isn't room for a floor light it is really useful. I think it seems to make the room warmer as well.

lessonlearned

Hi Soraggers

I don't know what they are called but if you could get the right size you could use the metal extending shower curtain rod thingies to hang curtains from. They can be stretched between walls and just sort of "wedged-in" (if you get my meaning) without any fixings. Don't know how much weight they would be able to take - I suppose it would depend on the length required.

Or you could try some lightweight wooden battens attached to the window frames with loads of those suction pad things (like the ones you use for hooks etc) or even double sided velcro. Plastic coated curtain wire or narrow bamboo poles could then be attached to the battens. Again you probably wouldn't be able to hang really heavy curtains or quilts from them.

I once used suction pads with plastic hooks, then rested the bamboo poles onto the hooks because I was in temporary accommodation and wasn't allowed to drill holes or anything. It worked very well. When I took the hooks down again I just touched up the paintwork.

ourlil

hello

WE PUT BAKING FOIL ON OUR SINGLE GLAZED ROOF OF THE CONSERAVOTORY AS THIS REFLECTS THE HEAT

ourlil

OOPS WAS JUST TESTTING HTI SOUT BEFORE

wE PUT BAKING FOIL ON OUR SINGLE GLAZED ROOF THE CONSERVATORY IS ABOUT 2 YEARS OLD AND BEFORE WE DONE THIS THE CONSERVATORY BECAME USELSESS DURING WINTER WE USED TO SIT INT HER EWITH COATS IN BUT BY 4 PM COULD NTO STAND THE COLD ANY LONGER WE DONE THIS A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO AND IT HAS MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE COST JUST£6.OO FOR 12 PANELS 4X 2 1/2 FEET THIS WAS DONE AS A EXPERIMENT AND ITS WORKING THE TEMPERTURE NOW IS ABOUT 68 TO 70 DEGREES AT 6 PM WHEN WE USUSALLY GO INSIDE SO IMPRESSED WITH IT NOW GOING TO INVEST IN SOME PROPER TYPE OF FOIL (THICKER) AND SOMETHING THAT CAN BE REMOVED AND JUST PUT BACK UP IF THERE IS NOTHING OUT THERE NOT TOO WORRIED IF I HAVE TO DO IT EVERY YEAR AT THAT COST AND DURING SUMMER GOING TO LEAVE A FEW PANELS COVERED UP TO DEFLECT THE SUN AS IT IS TOO HOT ALSO FOUND THAT WHEN WE SHUT THE BLINDS(WHITE BLINDS) IT ALSO REFLECTS THE HEAT BACK IN AND AS IT IS NOW DARK AROUND 4 30 REALLY PLEASED SO FAR WITH THE CHEAPO BAKING FOIL AND OUR HALOGEN FIRE AND WHICH IS CHEAP TO RUN WITH THE TEMPERTURE BELOW FREEZING OUTSIDE WELL IMPRESSED

mioliere

We've just insulated the inside of a roof inside our house with aluminium insulation. Here, in France, it costs around £90 for a huge roll but is probably cheaper in the UK. It's thick bubble-wrap coated each side with aluminium foil; thinking about what Ourlil has just posted, this could be a good solution to prevent heat loss through the roof. The insulation is really simple to use; it cuts easily with scissors and is light and flexible. It's very thin but really effective.

We have the same problem with our conservatory here but, luckily, don't need it as permament living space. It's real beauty is when the sun shines on a freezing cold day - it soon warms up. When the sun goes down, though, it's back to freezing again. Conservatories sound like a great idea but they are so difficult to use all year round.