advice needed on heating new (not yet built) Conservatory

lancslass2008

Hi all

We are having a Conservatory built next week and I am scouting about for peoples views on how I should heat it. I am aware they get mad hot in the summer but if my friends is anything to go by they get FREEZING cold in winter. In fact Freezing is an understatement. I am 99% sure that I want underfloor heating, although I have heard of skirting boards with hot water pipes etc. Also, because we had a new central heating system fitted 2 years ago, we have a fantastic boiler which would easilly allow another 1 or 2 radiators if required. Basically, I just wanted hints and tips on how to/how not to heat the Conservatory in Winter. Also finally.............I was just gonna go and buy a table and chairs for it until a friend told me to bear in mind what damage the heat in the Conservatory could cause to the furniture in summer. Any advice on this would be great too.

Thanks

travellady

Would definately do underfloor heating if u can - I wish we had! Depends on how big ur conny is but would definately have rads! we have 1 really long one however it is hidden by the suite we have so loses alot of heat through there- I would consider where your having your furniture and base the radiators round that.
Do you have a glass roof or poly carb as the glass ones do lose alot of heat unless u upgrade the glass- which we should have done! if all else fails we had a small blower heater for night time as we do use it as a sitting area too and that does heat it up however no idea of what costs it is costing.

allan673

get a radiator plumbed in with a thermostatic radiator valve.
then adjust the valve to suit the temperature you want in the conservatory.
http://www.plumbworld.co.uk/honeywell-vt200-chrome-1359-2961

theres no need for underfloor heating.
as regards to furniture, mine is fine i have sofa (fabric), coffee table,tv and stand etc. the floor is laminate and ive used foil backed underlay for extra insulation.

look into having coated glass or k glass fitted too, not that much more expensive to have fitted.keeps it cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. a conservatory fitter will advise you.
http://www.pilkington.com/applications/products2006/english/byapplication/householders/conservatories/default.htm

leew914

If you can go with UFH then this will be the best option, if you go with radiators then try to go with a few smaller rads located around the room rather than 1 big one to one side - this is all relative to the size of your conservatory of course!

Lee

savemoney

Getting blinds can keep the conservatory cooler in Summer and if you have them assuming you have a transparent roof make them warmer in Winter

Steph998

We've got a fairly big conservatory....built four years ago and it can be freezing in the winter - even with three radiators! I stand there, and can almost feel all the heat rising up and accumulating in the glass ceiling space. Anyway, ours is fitted with Pilkington K glass, and we used Sanderson for the blinds (we tried to get away without them as we have a very private outlook...but you couldn't sit in it in summer for the heat!!) Once heated though, in winter - they do keep their heat in.

We also fitted last year a Burley Flueless log effect gas fire which we run off a propane bottle outside. It heats the place up in no time, and is very reasonable to run - we switch the radiators off now and just run the fire - it looks cosy, and has changed the whole ambiance. Now I really can use it all year round.

Steph998

Oh - the other things I meant to mention are....

We have a wool carpet in cream at one end, and Karndean flooring in the 'round ' end. The Karndean lifted and the 'planks' separated within a month of being laid...due to the glue being affected by the extreme differences in heat. It was laid in August...and when we complained, the chap said if it had been laid in winter it would not have been a problem. Thanks for telling us. Anyway, we were told the pure wool carpet might shrink and expand in the heat/cold as well, but we have never had a problem.

If you havn't budgeted for blinds - be prepared to furnish it as neutrally as possible - everything fades within about a week!! My deep teracotta cushions are now pale wishy wash tan.

We bought a pale coffee coloured conservatory suite in cane/fabric and it is the same as the day we bought it.

flea72

we have a 5m x 4m conservatory with a dwarf wall and polycarbonate roof

the floor is carpeted and we have vertical blinds at the windows (no roof blinds)

we dont find it hot in summer, the only problem is its too bright to sit in (so may invest in roof blinds or some solar inserts). as for heating we have one large radiator, and this is sufficient to heat the room. we have no way been cold at any point, and our gas usage hasnt increased

i think its only older style conservatories that are cold, and prob ones that are full-height glass. maybe having walls, keeps some heat in?

Flea

27col

How many times does this have to be said. It is a conservatory, and as such does not have to be as well insulated as a habitable room. Therefore it will always be more expensive to heat. If conservatories get baking hot in the summer sun then it follows that they will lose heat just as fast when the temperature is low. They can be very nice things to have, but people have to recognise their limitations as well.

travellady

allan673 wrote: »

get a radiator plumbed in with a thermostatic radiator valve.
then adjust the valve to suit the temperature you want in the conservatory.
http://www.plumbworld.co.uk/honeywell-vt200-chrome-1359-2961

theres no need for underfloor heating.
as regards to furniture, mine is fine i have sofa (fabric), coffee table,tv and stand etc. the floor is laminate and ive used foil backed underlay for extra insulation.

look into having coated glass or k glass fitted too, not that much more expensive to have fitted.keeps it cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. a conservatory fitter will advise you.
http://www.pilkington.com/applications/products2006/english/byapplication/householders/conservatories/default.htm

We also have a double thermostatic rad but its still blooming cold in Winter! I really think it depends on how big your conny is going to be too!

Would definately get the K glass- our frien had it and it does make a big difference!

Steph998

27col wrote: »

How many times does this have to be said. It is a conservatory, and as such does not have to be as well insulated as a habitable room. Therefore it will always be more expensive to heat. If conservatories get baking hot in the summer sun then it follows that they will loose heat just as fast when the temperature is low. They can be very nice things to have, but people have to recognise their limitations as well.

Why would a conservatory not be a 'habitable' room? If conservatory's get baking hot in the summer...it follows that they have a flippin' glass roof! How does it follow they will 'lose heat' just as fast?

My conservatory when heated keeps the heat in nicely...it does not 'lose' the heat. It is only freezing if there is no regular heat...as is the rest of the house. It also has a steady temp in the high 80's from end of April through to end of September. If the doors to my house are open, this temperature also heats the rest of the house quite nicely. So for almost six months it uses heat from the
sun - cloudy or sunny - and costs nothing .