Thinking About Conservatories? - Here Are 6 Tips

If you are considering purchasing or building a conservatory, here are a few tips that we have found interesting and useful.
 Getting a conservatory, whether you buy or build one is a big decision, one that will alter the layout of your home and also change the way your family members and visitors interact within your home, perhaps more than you think.
 Therefore it is important to give due consideration to what you hope end up with once your conservatory is completed.
Tip 1: Make sure that you understand the measurement s that the supplier is talking about.
 There is a big difference between external measurements and internal floor area of conservatories, (it could be as much as 12%).
Tip 2: When you build a conservatory, presumably you build it because you want an extra living space, not an extra corridor.
 So plan your conservatory so that you will not have 4 or 5 doors leading from it to the garden and the yard and the house and every other conceivable area.
 2 doors or maybe 3 doors exiting your conservatory should be enough, any more and you are in danger of turning your hard won conservatory into a passageway.
Tip 3: When you have decided what you think you want in terms of floor area, mark out the area with wooden pegs.
 You might get a pleasant surprise, or you might not, but either way now is the time to get it right in terms of space.
Tip 4: The cheapest quote may not necessarily be the best value.
 No doubt you have heard that one before with regard to many products and services.
 If you are having difficulty distinguishing between quotes for various conservatories, why not line up a friend, or someone with a bit of building experience to have a look at the quotes you are going to receive - they may well be able to translate the builders jargon better than you can and tell you which quote offers the best value for money.
Tip 5: Planning, Planning, Planning - Do not commence building your conservatory before checking if you need planning.
 A look at your neighbours properties will let you know what extensions are allowed in the area, but find out from your local planning department, or you could be making an expensive mistake.
 Do this yourself, do not depend on your builder or your conservatory installer to do it for you.
Tip 6: We are getting a bit technical here.
 Insert a 'cavity tray' above the point where the roof conservatory joins the existing wall of your residence.
 This will prevent water entering the wall above the conservatory roof, bypassing the roof and re-emerging in the conservatory thereby causing condensation.