At the same time as allowing you to enjoy the sunshine, a conservatory can easily turn into a greenhouse if you’re not careful. South facing conservatories, in particular, can become too hot for comfort.
But there are plenty of ways to avoid heat build-up and keep the air flowing throughout the room.
Increase ventilation
The simplest way to keep a conservatory cool is to open the windows and pull down the blinds. If you can open the doors and allow air to flow through, the conservatory will soon cool down.
However, you may be concerned about security and worried that you will forget to lock the windows and doors when you go out. To keep your property secure, you can fit a roof vent that locks in a set position. Windows with the same locking feature will allow you to keep them open a fraction but fixed so that further access is not possible.
As well as preventing heat from building up, increased ventilation will stop condensation from forming.
Shade out the light
Window and roof blinds and shades can be fitted inside your conservatory to block out the sun. These are easily adjusted to enable more light in as the direction of the sun changes.
Another option is to fit an awning on the outside of your conservatory. Again, it has the flexibility to be rolled in or out as the light changes. For more permanent shade, you could plant trees near to your conservatory to provide natural cover.
Replace a glass roof
Not all conservatories have glass roofs. There are plenty of other choices, including thermally efficient materials. You could opt to switch your existing roof to a different material.
Essentially, an opaque roof will help to keep heat out in summer and retain it during the winter. The result is a cooler conservatory during the hot months and a warmer room in the colder months – meaning less energy usage and lower bills.
Put cooling film over glass
Cooling film is an adhesive layer that sits on top of glass and reflects around 80% of the sun’s rays away. Not only will it keep your conservatory cool, it will also block harmful UV rays from entering the room. This will help to prevent soft furnishings in direct sunlight from fading.
Light still enters the room but without the glare, which means you can comfortably work on your computer or watch the television.
Install air conditioning
An air conditioning unit can keep your conservatory cool in summer and heat it in winter. Units can cost around £1000 to install, but they do give you complete control over the room temperature.
On the downside, air conditioning units can use a lot of electricity; it’s cheaper to run a solar-powered air conditioning unit. Alternatively, you could just invest in an overhead or free-standing fan.
Fit solar control or thermal efficient glass
There’s a wide variety of glazing options now available for conservatories.
Glass that balances thermal efficiency with heat reflectance and light transmittance will allow your conservatory to retain heat, but not get too hot during the summer – and cut the amount of glare into the room.
Solar control glass allows sunlight to pass through but reflects and radiates away some of the heat.
By using either of these special types of glazing, you can reduce the heat that’s transmitted by the sun into your conservatory. As a result, you can enjoy more even temperatures throughout the year.
Have you dreamt of having a conservatory?
Crown Conservatories and Windows has been installing conservatories and glazed extensions for over 20 years using market-leading products.
We can advise on the best options for your home and lifestyle.
To find out more, call us on 01252 617385 or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
