Door Between House and Conservatory Question - Your Help Please

Turnipfarmer

Hi Guys

This is my first post to the forums so big hello to everyone.

Having just moved into a new house just before christmas, I want to do some work on the conservatory.

It is linked onto the dining room and kitchen with no doors on. I have noticed though that it has been quite cold and want to try and make it more usable.

It has a radiator in however this doesn't seem that great in heating up as it is coming off the radiator in the dining room so that has to heat up before the one in the conservatory does. Would it be a main improvement getting that replaced with better radiator and re-plumbed?

Also the second thing is that should I put doors back on between it and the dining room? I really like the open feel that I currently have but when its cold its just making the dining room and kitchen cold too so was thinking about putting bi-folding doors in. Is this possible? Anyone had experience of them? The idea is that in winter close them or open when needed and in summer can just leave them open and they won't take up much room when in open position.

Is there anything else that I can do to improve it or make it more usable? Not sure on age but I think its approx 15 years old but it is fully double glazed all sides with poly roof. Got laminate flooring at moment.

Oh it is North Easterly facing too.

Any help or advice would be great guys

keyfob

The main problem is probably the poly roof. The heat lose through them can be enormous.

If you could, maybe that should be replaced with slated or tiled roof with plenty of insulation, at least 100 mm, and a few roof lights to lighten the place.

Replumb the radiator with maybe a bigger radiator with its own direct feed. Think about possibly putting a wood burner in the conservatory. That should mean you can leave it open with out having to put doors on.

You'll be much cosier than you are at the moment.

globalds

Conservatories aren't very well insulated or very air tight.

Both problems if you want to keep the warm in.

You really need to create a barrier between the conservatory and the rest of your home.. A good insulated and fairly air tight seal.

Double glazed bi fold doors would do the job ..Or a standard double glazed patio door.

Turnipfarmer

A wood burner, not thought of that. However are these really costly to install?

i think the best option is the tri-folding doors.

Busybody

look at conservatory blinds some are made of insulated materials. xx and underfloor heating. xxyou could leave the old radiator in as a back up.

sunshinetours

As this is MSE I would NOT recommend trying to insulate or heat up fully your conservatory. We had by the sounds of it virtually exactly the same set up when we moved into our current house.

A conservatory is not built anywhere near the same spec as a brick extension and as such should IMO be heated as required. Just put some doors between the gap and concentrate heating your dining room and accept the conservatory is not as useable during the winter.

We use some heavyweight curtains and draw these overnight whoch works pretty well for an MSE solution

Save any other money to replace the whole thing (which you will need to eventually anyway) with a real extension.
One adavantage of a north facing one though is its useable in the summer as won't get too much direct sun

Turnipfarmer

Just to give everyone an update, we have decided to go for bi-fold doors, just not sure which to go for, can anyone recommend any good companies?

Gloomendoom

Don't building regs stipulate that there should be exterior quality doors that can be closed to separate a conservatory from the rest of the house?

RDG

I dont think its Building Regs that require the exterior doors but it is required if you want to build a new conservatory and not have to apply for planning permission (along with the miriad of other requirements).

sunshinetours

Bi-folds can be exterior quality though?

Op just get some local quotes from independent companies or better still ask friends and family who have had any double glaxing etc done recently

MX5huggy

Gloomendoom wrote: »

Don't building regs stipulate that there should be exterior quality doors that can be closed to separate a conservatory from the rest of the house?

Yes, but you can remove them after without any consequences.

Or at the time a building you can use a SAP calculation to prove the the "highly glazed extension" plus other improvements ( loft insulation, new boiler etc) will have a lower CO2 rating than a standard extension without the improvements.