When thinking about home improvements or extending your home there are a few options. If you’ve started some research you’ve probably come across two common structures; conservatories and orangeries. But what’s the difference?

What Is A Conservatory?

Conservatories have developed over the centuries and in the 1970s architects designed the idea of the domestic conservatory, inspired by the popular Victorian conservatories. In the 1980s, uPVC frames were developed and that’s when conservatories became very popular.

Modern conservatories are fully glazed structures with a low brick base. They are built against the wall of a house and the roof of a conservatory is more than 75% glass and the wall more than 50%. Conservatories must have a standalone heating source separate from the main house.

They are similar to a traditional extension and are built in such a way that they let in a lot of natural light.

What Is An Orangery?

Orangeries designed in the 17th century had solid roofs however by the 19th Century, they developed to feature a central glazed lantern. This allowed more natural light into the structure.

Originally created to grow citrus trees and cultivate fruits, they quickly became a status symbol and wealthy homeowners also began using them to house exotic plants.

Often mistaken for conservatories, a true orangery is quite grand and adds real elegance to a property. They are brick-based structures with large windows and a flat roof with a glass lantern. Usually, they have a heating source, such as a stove and wooden shutters to retain heat in the evenings.

Do Conservatories And Orangeries Add Value To A House?

Adding either structure to your home should add value, providing they are built to a high standard.

Typically a conservatory can add between 5-12% to the value of a property. Whilst an orangery can add as much as an extension depending on the finish.

When deciding between a conservatory and an orangery, make sure that you take into account the style of the property and choose the best one to match the style of your house.

If you speak to a local estate agent they can offer advice on what is popular in your area and what will most add value to your property.

Do I Need Planning Permission?

Generally, a conservatory or orangery is considered a single story extension and therefore wouldn’t require you to complete a full planning application. There are some limitations;

• It must be a maximum height of 4m high or 3m high (if within 2m of a boundary)
• It mustn’t cover more than half the garden
• The roof ridge or top point must not be higher than the eaves of a property’s roof
• The house must not be in a conservation area, national park or designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

Before you begin any building project it’s important to check the Government Planning Portal.

If you’d like to chat about the options for extending your home, we’re happy to help. Please contact us for more information.

If you’re thinking about spring cleaning already, don’t forget the outside of your home as well as the inside particularly when it comes to your conservatory. More sunshine may highlight smudges on the glass or pesky moss and algae on your conservatory roof. Here are some tips to keep it in tip-top condition.

Where Do I Start?

The first step is to clean off any moss or algae that has collected on the roof, which is common in winter. You can do this manually with warm water and use a pressure washer for particularly tricky areas. If you notice moss or algae on the inside of your conservatory it’s worth checking for any leaks and repairing them to prevent this in the future.

Do I Need Any Special Cleaning Equipment?

Getting high enough to clean the roof of your conservatory can be tricky and you must make sure to do so safely.  Equipment you will need:

• a sturdy ladder (as well as asking a helper to keep it steady)
• a telescopic brush – one that you can connect to a hose-pipe – for hard to reach areas
• warm soapy water to clean the frame
• oil to treat the frame
• a squeegee and a good quality micro-fibre cloth

Never set foot on the glass on the roof as it is not load-bearing. You could use crawl boards over the glazing bars but this is a practice best avoided.

You don’t need any special cleaning solutions as it’s best to avoid using any harsh chemicals which might damage the surface. Soap in warm water or half a cup of white vinegar should be sufficient.

Cleaning The Gutters

You should aim to clean the gutters twice a year as a minimum. Start by checking the downpipes as they might be blocked with plant debris and other materials. Dismantle the downpipes and clean using a long piece of wire, a stick or a powerful hose to dislodge the material.

Next, move onto the guttering along the roofline. Using a handheld tool, such as a trowel, you can gently move any debris out of the guttering and finish off with a damp cloth to clean the area.

Cleaning Frames And Windows

uPVC needs cleaning regularly to keep it in good condition. Start by cleaning the inside, opening the conservatory windows wide and removing any dust with a soft cloth. Use warm soapy water and to wash down the frames and window panes.

For sparkling windows, you could use a squeegee with a soft blade to wipe from side to side and top to bottom. A specific window cleaning sprayed on a soft cloth will bring them up well, finished with a rub down with some kitchen roll but don’t spray this type of solution on the frames. There are more tips on cleaning uPVC windows and frames here.

Conservatories are fantastic extensions to the home that offer the best of both the indoors and outdoors. However, building a conservatory does involve planning permission and it’s vital that you don’t ignore these regulations or else you could end up with a £5,000 fine and you may be forced to demolish your conservatory if it doesn’t meet the right standards.

The short answer is yes; you do need planning permission. However, if you’re willing to follow the national government regulations on permitted developments, you actually don’t need to seek permission at all.

Don’t worry if it sounds confusing because, in this article, we’re going to tell you everything you need to know about getting planning permission and how you can avoid the disaster of being fined.

What Exactly Does Planning Permission Do For Me?

In short, planning permission is a formal approval from the local authorities for the construction of a building or extension. It’s a legal requirement that you can’t just simply ignore and it’s always best to seek planning permission even if the result is your local authority just saying “go for it, we won’t stop you.”

Planning permission is often needed for anything that isn’t classed as a permitted development. This is essentially something that fits in the national government regulations, so if your conservatory does fit these conditions then you can skip the entire planning permission phase and move straight onto the design and construction.

What Conditions Does My Conservatory Need To Meet?

• Your conservatory mustn’t be more than half the size of your property’s original structure. The original structure is the size of your house when it was first built excluding any extensions that have been added to it.
• Your conservatory project mustn’t have a fronting highway with verandas, raised platforms or balconies.
• You can’t build a conservatory in the front of your home if it paces a pathway or highway unless you get permission first.
• Side extensions are limited to being single storey and can’t be wider than the width of your house.
• Extensions can’t go over the width of a detached property by four metres or three metres if you live in a semi-detached home.
• You can’t build the roof higher than your original home.
• The waves of your roof can’t be higher than three metres if it’s within two metres of a boundary.

As long as you follow these rules, you don’t actually need to obtain planning permission before you start your build.

What About Building Regulations?

Conservatories are excluded from building regulations (not to be confused with the conditions listed above) but they do apply if your conservatory is:

• Larger than 30 square metres.
• Not at ground level.
• Not glazed and doesn’t have a door linking your house and conservatory.

As long as your conservatory doesn’t fit these three conditions, you don’t need to follow any building regulations or have a study conducted, but you may need to acquire planning permission.

Final Words

So to conclude; building a conservatory doesn’t require permission as long as it fits within the conditions listed in the article. However, you also need to remember that regulations can apply if your conservatory is larger than 30 square metres or doesn’t have a door linking your house and the conservatory.

Keep these points in mind and you’ll easily be able to avoid the hefty £5,000 fine. For more information on conservatories and our professional installation service, call us today on 020 8397 4040.

When first installing or building a conservatory, many will opt for plastic windows and roofs, in the beginning, to help them cut the costs. However, upgrading to glass has a lot of benefits to offer. Here, we’re going to look at why you might want to upgrade, as well as what you can expect to affect the costs of doing just that.

Why Upgrade Your Conservatory To Glass?

Plastic, or polycarbonate, conservatory roofs and windows are a common option when first building a conservatory. They are strong, resilient, and cheaper than glass. But glass roofs offer much more in return for the extra expense.

For one, the sound insulation properties are much better, so you’re not as likely to hear everything happening outside the conservatory. Secondly, they are more transparent, depending on the kind of glass used, offering a better light quality that improves visibility and lends the conservatory more of an ambience. Lastly, they are more scratch proof and have a much longer lifespan. As they’re able to withstand the weather for many more years than polycarbonate roofs, they will not need to be replaced anywhere near as soon.

How Much Will It Cost To Replace Your Conservatory Roof?

There is no simple answer as to how much, exactly, it costs to upgrade a conservatory roof from polycarbonate to glass. There are different factors that will impact those costs. The first factor worth considering is size. If you have a significantly larger conservatory, you could see costs rising as much as £1000 than they would be on a smaller conservatory roof.

There are many different types of conservatories, all of which have different roof structures and shapes. The simplest of these shapes, the lean-to conservatory, is going to cost the least to replace. Victorian conservatories are slightly more complex and cost more. Of the three most common varieties, Edwardian conservatories are the costliest to upgrade. Your own conservatory may cost differently if it follows a different design or structure style.

With that in mind, the price of the average small lean-to conservatory upgrade can be as low as £2,600, whereas a larger Edwardian conservatory upgrade can cost as much as £5,600. You need to have a specialist take a closer look, so you can get an accurate quote.

Replacements & Repairs

If you already have a glass conservatory but are concerned about damage or wear-and-tear, we can help you repair, replace, and upgrade, too. Our Glass Units page also looks at the other, smaller scale upgrades and repairs we can take care of. From fixing cracked or chip glass to making your windows more thermally efficient, we can help you install new sealed glass units that can help you save up to £175 a year on energy bills.

If you’re interested in finding out exactly how much it will cost you to upgrade your conservatory from plastic to glass, or you want to see what other work we offer, please check out our service pages or give Cosyhomes Windows a call on 020 8397 4040.

Conservatories are a great addition to any home, providing much needed space for your family to enjoy. However, they can mean additional conservatory maintenance in order to keep them looking at their best.

Here at Cosyhomes Windows, we have put together our guide on how to keep your conservatory looking great and functioning just as it should with our conservatory maintenance top tips. The best thing about these tips is that each and every one is not too costly or time consuming, and only need to be done every few months or so.

So here it is; our how-to guide for that spotless, well maintained conservatory:

Dirty Windows

With windows such a huge part of any conservatory, one thing that can really affect the look of your conservatory is their cleanliness and condition.

Pollution and weather can affect your conservatory on a daily basis, therefore it is easy to see why it doesn’t take long for grime to build up on windows. However, the best news is that it doesn’t take too much to resolve.

In fact, the best way to clean those grubby windows is with some warm soapy water and a soft cloth; this is especially true if the glass is leaded as you don’t want to dislodge any of the lead on the surface of the glass.

You should always rub gently and carefully, taking your time to get those panes shining!

Condensation

Condensation can occur in conservatories, however it is an issue that can be resolved with simple ventilation.

The best way to ventilate your conservatory may seem obvious. They include:

• Opening windows and doors regularly
• Keeping the trickle vents open

Heating can also help to keep the space free from condensation so make sure that you install heating if it is an option.

General Conservatory Maintenance Upkeep

When it comes to keeping your conservatory looking at its best, there are some more general things that you can do at regular intervals to help.

As well as cleaning your windows, it is important to also clean the roof and side frames of the conservatory too. This should be done around every 4 months, as this will keep any grime at bay.

When it comes to cleaning products, we recommend that you buy specialist conservatory cleaning products as these are designed to give maximised results without causing any damage. Any products that are solvent based or labelled as abrasive should be avoided.

You should also pay attention to the gutters too; these can become full of debris and leaves over time and the build-up of materials in such a confined space can lead to leaks due to water overflowing from the gutter.

We hope that these top tips help keep your conservatory looking as beautiful and shiny as it was the first day you had it built. For more information, including conservatory installation in Surrey services, call us today on 020 8397 4040.

The addition of a conservatory is usually a more cost-effective solution than moving house. Also, conservatories enable us to make the most of the garden whether it is raining or not, so it is easy to understand their popularity. At Cosyhomes Windows our conservatories Surrey team take your measurements, then design and build a conservatory tailored to suit you.

What Can A Conservatory Be Used For?

Many of us long for a little extra space at home but are reluctant or unable to splash out on a full extension. The addition of a conservatory, however, comes as a welcome halfway house, offering a versatile space at an affordable price.

Nowadays, a growing trend is to have larger, more open-planned living spaces in our homes. For example, our kitchen is no longer just somewhere we cook, but it may include the dining area or even a second living room, becoming a place to gather and socialise. This has also had an impact on the way conservatories are used and how they are attached to the home. Having a single door access may be inadequate as it can make the conservatory feel like a separate room that has just been added onto the back of the property, whereas opening up the entire back of the house can enlarge the entire living space by bringing the outside in. Although planning regulations would apply, it is certainly something to consider with the way we now live.

There are a wide variety of ways that a conservatory can be used – here are our top 5 ideas on how you can utilise one for your home:

1. An Extra sitting room – The addition of a second sitting room is something that many of us dream of. Whether we are looking for a comfortable space to read away from the television or simply want a way out of the stylistic compromises that come with a lack of space, using a conservatory as an extra sitting room can be hugely beneficial.

2. A Dining room – If you are keen to make more out of your meal times, why not create a room exclusively for dining? There is nothing better than sitting down to meals with a clear view over your own garden. A conservatory come dining room is also perfect for dinner parties!

3. Growing Plants – Most of us make an effort to incorporate a bit of greenery into our homes. However, restrictions on space and light can make it difficult to find a place for your plants. A conservatory is a perfect environment for plants to thrive in.

4. A Kitchen extension – The kitchen has become a more integral part of the home’s living space of late, as we use it as a place not only to cook and prepare food but increasingly as one in which to entertain. Few kitchens can offer sufficient room for seating, but an extension into your conservatory may well be the solution to your problem. As well as increasing the space available to you, this is also a great way of bringing more light into your kitchen and generally making it a nicer place to be.

5. What about a Gym – The bright space of a conservatory can work well as a motivational tool to get your muscles pumping without feeling self-conscious, not to mention the savings you can make by not having to pay those costly membership fees!

Contact Our Conservatories Surrey Team Today!

Cosyhomes Windows have over 35 years experience in the home improvement industry and are a one-stop shop for your entire conservatory needs. We offer a full conservatory design and installation service, throughout Surrey, Chessington and surrounding areas. Whether you are looking for a simple lean-to, a Georgian or Victorian style, our team has a bespoke solution that is right for you and your home, so there is no need to worry about involving other trades.

If you would like our personal hints and tips on keeping your conservatory in tip-top condition, then read our article on conservatory maintenance.

To find out more, take a look at what we offer on our conservatories page or call us now on 020 8397 4040. A member of our conservatories Surrey team can run through all your options and arrange a visit at your home.