Conservatory advise needed please

Carlyr60

Hi there.

I'm looking to get a conservatory built by Leekes with their ultraframe range.
I've contacted a couple of other conservatory companies and they've advised me the glass roof isn't the best option with a south facing house and have suggested an extension style room.
The glass is meant to cut out 85% of heat without losing light.
It's also got insulated panels and a small dwarf wall.
I'm trying to avoid a solid tiled roof because this will cut a lot of light from my kitchen however I dont want a conservatory that cant be used all year round. 
I was quoted £30k with just the conservatory by leeks designed to look like a room although I managed to get this down to £26k.
Another company quoted me the same price but for a solid roof almost, with window panels.

My first thought is that leekes must be well over priced if I can essentially get a conservatory for the same price as their conservatory. 
If I could get them to drop the price and took the ultraframe option, I'm concerned it will be mis-sold on the basis I'm self facing and it will be too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. 
The sales guy has assured me it will be comfortable but I'm not convinced and going by what other companies have told me, it's sure not going to work for us.
Is this all just a sale pitch idea or have they all got a point?
I have an old poly roofed conservatory now which I cant use and dont want to spend this kind of money to be left in the same situation. 
I had a budget of £20k so to spend that extra bit of money, it has to be worth it.

Thanks in advance 

davilown

Carlyr60 said:

Hi there.

I'm looking to get a conservatory built by Leekes with their ultraframe range.
I've contacted a couple of other conservatory companies and they've advised me the glass roof isn't the best option with a south facing house and have suggested an extension style room.
The glass is meant to cut out 85% of heat without losing light.
It's also got insulated panels and a small dwarf wall.
I'm trying to avoid a solid tiled roof because this will cut a lot of light from my kitchen however I dont want a conservatory that cant be used all year round. 
I was quoted £30k with just the conservatory by leeks designed to look like a room although I managed to get this down to £26k.
Another company quoted me the same price but for a solid roof almost, with window panels.

My first thought is that leekes must be well over priced if I can essentially get a conservatory for the same price as their conservatory. 
If I could get them to drop the price and took the ultraframe option, I'm concerned it will be mis-sold on the basis I'm self facing and it will be too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. 
The sales guy has assured me it will be comfortable but I'm not convinced and going by what other companies have told me, it's sure not going to work for us.
Is this all just a sale pitch idea or have they all got a point?
I have an old poly roofed conservatory now which I cant use and dont want to spend this kind of money to be left in the same situation. 
I had a budget of £20k so to spend that extra bit of money, it has to be worth it.

Thanks in advance 

Why are you getting a conservatory? As you've already ascertained, they are too hot in the summer, too cold in the winter and generally just a waste of money imo.  If I view a house with a conservatory on it, I look at how easy it is to take down.

Seriously though, if your going to spend that much money on a few sheets of glass and a low wall, why not just built an extension that can be integrated into the house without the need to for separate heating and a door?

Jeepers_Creepers

To me there's a whole world of difference in appeal (and usability) between a 'conservatory' and, say, a 'garden room'.

Since it'll be South-facing, you will get more than enough sunlight and warmth in there, so I'd personally be looking at a 'proper' insulated roof either sloping and with a couple (or more if it's wide enough) of skylights (openers would also allow them to vent during Summer) or a 'flat' (ie gently sloping) roof with a skylantern - or two. I'd also personally go for a proper construction - block or timber frame - with a series of windows in the wall, as many as you like. Even a nice bifold to open up during Summer.

Either of these options will (a) be better insulated and therefore cheaper to run even in Winter, (b) be genuinely usable all year round and (c) will make future buyers go "Wow - great!" rather than "S*** - a connie...".

And you simply find a local builder for this.

Words don't exist to describe the difference in overall appeal :-)   

flea72

Im currently sitting in my conservatory, in short sleeves, so people who say they are unusable all year round are wrong.  It s our main living room, is 4.5x5m and has a polycarbonate roof, dwarf walls on 2 sides, and a full height wall on one side.  Our heating bills are not extortionate either.  

Like you a solid roof would Have made the inner rooms of the house too dark. Also cost, we couldnt afford solid construction

Jeepers_Creepers

Depends on your definition of 'extortionate'...

The OP seemingly has £20-25k to spend on this, and I hope that would be enough for a proper room - it might not be. 

I am saying, tho', that when it comes to adding comfort, aesthetics and value, there is no contest.

Rosa_Damascena

flea72 said:

Im currently sitting in my conservatory, in short sleeves, so people who say they are unusable all year round are wrong.  It s our main living room, is 4.5x5m and has a polycarbonate roof, dwarf walls on 2 sides, and a full height wall on one side.  Our heating bills are not extortionate either.  

Like you a solid roof would Have made the inner rooms of the house too dark. Also cost, we couldnt afford solid construction

How is this possible? It was sunny today and mine wasn't its usual winter-freezing state, it was definitely not a short-sleeve environment. Although I do remember comfortably having afternoon tea in mine on 1st Feb last year.

I can't wait to get it torn down and turned into an orangery, chatting my builder today and getting excited

DiddyDavies

Rosa_Damascena said:

flea72 said:

Im currently sitting in my conservatory, in short sleeves, so people who say they are unusable all year round are wrong.  It s our main living room, is 4.5x5m and has a polycarbonate roof, dwarf walls on 2 sides, and a full height wall on one side.  Our heating bills are not extortionate either.  

Like you a solid roof would Have made the inner rooms of the house too dark. Also cost, we couldnt afford solid construction

How is this possible? It was sunny today and mine wasn't its usual winter-freezing state, it was definitely not a short-sleeve environment. Although I do remember comfortably having afternoon tea in mine on 1st Feb last year.

I can't wait to get it torn down and turned into an orangery, chatting my builder today and getting excited

My conservatory (glass roof, mainly south facing) with no heater turned on and the temperature in there early afternoon yesterday was 15c whilst it was about 5c outside. It was a bit colder today (about 12c).

Doozergirl

Jeepers_Creepers said:

Depends on your definition of 'extortionate'...

The OP seemingly has £20-25k to spend on this, and I hope that would be enough for a proper room - it might not be. 

I am saying, tho', that when it comes to adding comfort, aesthetics and value, there is no contest.

It isn't enough for a proper room.  

It runs a serious danger of being more of the same, just newer.  

Jeepers_Creepers

I had a look at Leekes' site and their stuff looks good. Their 'orangery' is the sort of thing I had in mind, but I suspect you're right and it'll push the budget too far.

Davesnave

I was in my conservatory yesterday working in shirtsleeves and it was around 1c outside. Winter with a tinted, double glazed glass roof (the rest is done to building regs) isn't a problem; I just open up the doors to the living room, which has a wood burner, but if it's a bright day the conservatory starts heating the house from about 11 am onwards.

The problems, such as they are, come in summer, especially as we are south facing. We have about 8m2 of windows and roof lights to open, but frankly that's just to keep things in there at a sensible level and we go into the kitchen/diner which looks north or sit outside. Conservatories aren't the best in summer.

Like the OP, we would have wrecked the natural light in our living space with a solid roof extension unless we'd built some very fancy roof lights into it and the cost for 30m2 would have bust our budget. Much of life is a compromise. Compared with ome others I've had to make, this one isn't too bad. Je ne regrette rien!

Jeepers_Creepers

Yeah, sure - but it still looks like a connie...

(runs away very quickly)