Month: April 2024

Why Conservatory Checks Matter When Buying Your Home

Many people like the idea of having a conservatory and apart from having one added to an existing home, the obvious way to acquire one is to buy a home that already has one.

For many householders, an advantage of fitting a conservatory is that it can add value to a property, precisely because many find the extra room and its capacity to offer a light and attractive space very desirable.

If you are looking to buy a new home with a conservatory, you may be delighted to find that one is in place on a property in the right area and within your price bracket. But it is crucial to carry out the same diligence on the conservatory during the viewing as you would on any other part of the property.

Of course, if the surveyor is doing their job properly, they will have checked the state of the conservatory along with the rest of the house to make sure it is in good condition – and report any problems that do exist. Even so, it is worthwhile having a close look yourself to see if you can spot anything they may have missed.

The state of the property can influence the price you pay, with any defects bringing this down as you would need to foot the bill for things to be fixed unless the current owner has arranged for this themselves. This can include conservatory repairs.

Surveyors may not just spot obvious things like cracks or draughts, problems with seals or damaged guttering; they can also, if required, carry out surveys to establish if there are other problems like subsidence.

If there are issues, getting them fixed (or ensuring the owner does it before the property changes hands) is essential. Either way, you should not ignore this, as assuming everything about the conservatory is fine could come back to bite you in the long run.

Equally, it is worth thinking about the future and potential emerging problems. For instance, there may be a tree growing in the garden that is not posing any problem now but could reach a size in years to come that would mean any falling branches in stormy weather could damage the conservatory.

That may not be your only reason for cutting that tree back or even removing it – if it will grow a lot it may leave the garden in more shade than you want – but it is an example of the sport of thing you should think about as you plan to make the most of your conservatory.

Finally, it may also be worth thinking ahead to what may happen if you move on from a home with a conservatory or if you are in the position of moving from one home with a conservatory to another. Either scenario puts you in the situation of being a seller who can command a better price with a conservatory in good condition.

That means if you plan to sell a home with one, getting it checked out and fixed before it goes on the market can help ensure that its potential to maximise the value of the property is fulfilled.

What Are Signs Your Conservatory Roof Panels Have Slipped?

Homeowners who suddenly find their extensions start leaking might be concerned they have to undergo a full conservatory roof replacement. However, it could just be the case that their roof panels have slipped, which can easily be repaired.

Read on to find out what the signs of slipped roof panels are and how you can get them fixed.

How do conservatory roof panels slip?

Conservatory roof panels might start to slide if it has been a number of years since the structure was built. Thanks to wear and tear, the end caps that they were originally fitted with might have come off, which are designed to prevent slippage. 

Alternatively, extreme hot weather or high wind can affect the integrity of a conservatory roof, resulting in the panels shifting. Higher temperatures cause roofs to expand and, subsequently, contract. When this happens, the panels become too small for the space and slip down. 

What happens when the roof panels move?

When a conservatory’s roof panels have slid out of place, this leads to a gap in the roof. Subsequently, water is able to enter the roof, running through to the interior of the building. 

Therefore, one of the first things homeowners experience is a leaking conservatory. During periods of wet weather, this can cause considerable problems, including dampness inside the room, mould, and even structural issues due to the increase in moisture. 

A damp conservatory can also result in health concerns due to the increase in mould in the air. This can lead to respiratory problems, such as coughing and wheezing, and worsen allergic airways diseases, such as asthma, or even cause them. 

Having a leaking roof could also increase the risk of developing airway infections, which could become serious, leading to the coughing up of blood, chest pain and shortness of breath.

A gap in the conservatory’s roof also means there will be lots of droughts, making the space feel cold. It also means the room will be energy inefficient, and you will waste lots of money on your heating bills trying to keep the place warm and comfortable, as heat can simply escape through the hole.

How can slipping roof panels be repaired?

The good news for homeowners is that slipped roof panels can easily be repaired, and does not necessarily indicate the entire roof needs to be replaced.

However, they should be properly secured by experts, otherwise they will continue to slip down or they could even become fixed in the wrong position, which can cause other problems with the roof. 

Once the panels are put in the correct place, they are then secured with strong brackets, which prevent them from shifting again. 

Additionally, the end caps will be installed, as well as security tape and new breather tape will be fitted on to the polycarbonate sheets, so homeowners can rest assured there will be no movement from their panels anytime soon.

Did The Golden Age Of Conservatories Affect Modern Builds?

The past half-century has seen the popularity of conservatories ebb and flow, from a must-have feature to improve house prices, add space and create a dedicated area for leisure and to enjoy the garden, to an extension that is as much a liability as it is loved.

A lot of this comes down to changing regulations, materials, design philosophies and how all of these affect the need to repair or change the conservatory building to make it more enjoyable to use every day.

This oscillation of popularity is nothing new, and a lot of what would take place during the golden age of conservatories has had a knock-on effect on modern design sensibilities.

What Is The Golden Age Of Conservatories?

Whilst conservatories can trace their history back to early orangeries such as that found at the Palace of Versailles, the distinction between a greenhouse and a conservatory was not up to that point entirely clear.

It would not be until the 19th century that conservatories would start to develop many of the elements that would come to epitomise the golden age of conservatory design.

This period was a fascinating intersection between the British love of gardening and the Industrial Revolution, which allowed for substantial technological developments that made it possible for the relatively wet, cold and changeable weather to house exotic tropical plants.

This led to a huge number of buildings made from glass and wrought iron, two materials that had rapidly developed and evolved in the early part of the Industrial Age to create a distinct, tessellated roofing style that shaped the design of conservatories up to the present day.

The Golden Age roughly dates from 1836 up until around 1920, which happens to coincide with the lifespan of The Great Conservatory at Chatsworth House, the first major tropical greenhouse and the largest glasshouse ever made up until that point.

Whilst not the first in Britain with Syon Park’s Great Conservatory predating it by a decade, its success and immediate popularity inspired the conservatory at Kew Gardens, the Crystal Palace ahead of The Great Exhibition, The Barbican Conservatory and other, very similar structures.

Such was the popularity of conservatories that even a broken, collapsed conservatory such as Anthaeum in Hove became a somewhat ironic tourist attraction until the debris was cleared in the 1860s.

These grand designs, which pushed plate glass and wrought iron (later steel) to their limits, would inspire later designs which proudly incorporated structural elements into the design of the building.

It would also inspire countless smaller-scale greenhouses as well that would either be attached or constructed alongside country houses, for the same reason of being a unique garden feature, conversation piece and relaxation area for entertaining guests.

The fall of the Golden Age is difficult to exactly date but is generally agreed to coincide with the fall of the country house tradition following the First World War.

With fundamental changes to the social order emerging as a result of the end of the war and the financial toll it would take on Great Britain, many homes and the conservatories built alongside them were demolished.

The most famous of these was at Chatsworth House, where the tropical plants had died due to a lack of coal to power the furnaces that retained the climate they needed.

It would take until the 1970s for these designs to start being revived.