Tailor made to suit every style of house
Conservatories
An endless choice - from victorian, edwardian, lean to, gable or shaped
We specialise in the supply installation and construction of conservatories and orangeries in and around Essex.
Using a dedicated and highly skilled workforce who work to the company ethos of total customer satisfaction. We are able to offer affordable installations without the added cost of instructing outside contractors, right down to the internal final décor if required.
Conservatory Syles
All of these things matter and will have an impact on the type of conservatory to be built including its structure and materials.
Floor to ceiling glazing can be used, but it’s usually more practical to start the glazing a few feet from floor level. This is especially useful if you want seating (with optional under seat cupboards) to be installed against the walls.
Size matters of course. Bearing in mind planning permission, the size of your house and garden will determine the maximum size of your conservatory, so if you’re looking to create a large extra space for your house, take this into account.
Generally speaking, the stronger the construction of your conservatory, the more value it will add to your house. Many people opt for a brick built lower wall and brick-built corner pillar style orangery (with aluminium structure for the large window areas) for this reason.
It’s worth thinking about a conservatory in terms of how it adds extra space to your living accommodation and what that space can be used for when it comes to selling your house.
Whereas conservatories tend to be mostly aluminium and glass construction, Orangeries are usually more robustly with brickwork and lantern roofs as standard.
Edwardian
Lantern
Victorian
P-Shape
Lean To
Benefits
As far as home improvements go through, a conservatory is far more than that. It’s a place where you can sit and watch the outside world without worrying about the weather.
It’s a place where you can take advantage of the sun and its important FREE daily Vitamin D dose (10 minutes a day is good along with an apple will do wonders for anyone’s health).
But by far the best thing about a conservatory is the feeling of peace and quiet you get anytime you’re feeling a little stressed or need somewhere to escape to.
The outdoors indoors is how we’d describe a conservatory.
Blinds and Curtains
Because of the large areas of glass, and depending on the siting and use of your conservatory, it’s a good idea to plan your blinds and curtains beforehand.
If the conservatory is south facing, it’s likely the sun will be shining through all day, so careful thought will be needed if you don’t want your conservatory to be too hot during the summer.
Flooring
There is a wide range of flooring available, we always advise our customers to talk with a specialist as conservatories, tending to be the hottest places in a house, need more consideration when it comes to the type of flooring to have.
Stone or tile floors are a good choice, but carpet, vinyl or laminate flooring is fine too. Perhaps the worst type of flooring to install is natural wood because of the excesses of temperature.
Ceilings
Traditional conservatories usually have glass ceilings, but as stated earlier, Orangery style conservatories look great with a lantern style roof. These tend to have a smaller glass area and so keep the room a little cooler in hot weather.
Security
You may want to install the highest strength safety glass to prevent accidents or possible intrusions into your house.
Locks on external doors and windows also matter, but any decent conservatory installation firm will ensure the minimum standard, which these days tends to be a 7-point mechanism on all external doors, as well as windows locks to all windows.
Where the conservatory is being built onto an existing external opening, it adds another layer of protection to the building.
Planning Permission & Building Regulations
A big worry for many people is planning permission. It’s important to know that planning permission is not the same as building regulations.
Building regulations ensure that health and safety standards are being met, and any competent conservatory installer (including Greenoak Concept & Design Ltd) will be able to help you with this.
Health and safety are not just concerned with safe building development of course, it’s also there to ensure the finished building itself is safe to use (which is where building regulations come in).
Always choose professional companies who hold the correct insurances and certificates when undertaking any building work – you don’t want any nasty surprises down the road (especially when it comes to selling your property).
Planning permission is not always required and your Greenoak Concept & Design advisor will be able to help.
Note also, that rules and regulations do change, so it’s important your installation company is up to date on these too.
One example of this is where your planned conservatory will extend into more than half your garden, in this case you’ll need to apply for planning permission.
If you’re extending on the side of the house, it must not exceed half the width of the house. Permission must also be sought for boundary restrictions. A good installer will help you with these (if in any doubt, give Greenoak Concept & Design a call on 01702 238938 and they’ll be happy to help).
Summary
Because of the wide-open space of a conservatory, it also makes a great place for your family and friends to get together for celebrations and other social events, and with direct access to the garden, means everyone stays in sight, which is especially important where you have children and pets.
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Greenoak Concept & Design have been raising the standards for more than 10 years.
More about us: We’re an independent Essex-based specialists in high quality UPVC Windows, Doors, Conservatories and Refurbishments, Wall Cladding, and Roofline.
