Is it worth having a conservatory

[eitherofus]

Do the windows get condensation and too cold to use in winter?

[buildersmate]

Your two questions are linked because the temperature at which water vapour condenses out onto the coldest surface (the windowframes or roof) is dependent on the temperature inside the room and the amount of water vapour in there (close to unvented kitchen, used for clothes-drying.
I have a conservatory - it faces east and north so gets the morning sun. In the last few days when the sun got out, the temperature without heating rose to 18 degrees.
In the summer it doesn't get boiling hot but for the months between April/May and September/October provides a useful thermal gain that avoids the need use the CH in the downstairs rooms.
The room is separated from the house by the original doors - it is important that you do this because in the winter, you will spend a lot of money heating the outside - mine is installed to the best thermal std but I calculated it uses 20% of the whole house's needs.
Whatever you do, you cannot stop this - heat leaks through the roof, even though mine has 5 airgap layers.
I use UFH in the room on separate controls. It gets heated in the winter at weekends when we use it - not at other times. The temperature in there today is 12 degrees. If the sun came out it would rise to 17/18 within an hour.
In conclusion I think that you have to consider such a room for full use for 8 months of the year, and occasional use for the other 4 winter months.

[buildersmate]

PS I posted this before I spotted that you'd put it in other places and got 5 replies. I hope that it adds to your knowledge.
PPS It doesn't actually help putting in multiple postings.

[eitherofus]

Thanks builders mate. Wasn't sure which site this should be on so did both! We have been told if we have Pilkington Activ blue glass roof 24mm (4+16+4) and their triple glazed windows 28mm (4+20+4) we should be able to use it all year with heating in winter? The quote is very expensive but I guess you get what you pay for. It would be worth it if we were sure what we are told is true. We would probably use it all the time as we are retired in our seventies. HOWEVER if it is all bull---t that's our savings gone never to be resaved on a small pension.

[buildersmate]

I don't have personal experience of this roof glass but the spec. is about the best you can get for a glass roof. Some comparisons here.
http://www.tradeconservatories2u.co.uk/insulat ion_values.php
The roofing material that I have is 25mm polycarbonate at 1.6W per m2K. The product you refer to is 1.2W per m2K.
That is 25% better - but bear in mind that a normal roofspace has to achieve a maximum of 0.35W per m2K - nearly 4x better than my roof, and 3x better than your proposed structure.
It will not condense inside but I would not recommend heating it with high price conventional electricity.
I guess such a structure is going to cost you �20k + ?

[eitherofus]

Well, Builders Mate, we have signed up now so no going back. We are hoping to have air/con unit installed eventually which will heat the conservatory in the winter. It draws heat from outside apparently - in winter - yes it does! - don't understand how - but it is supposed to be economical. Conservatory price �16,500 for groundworks etc.. Kommerling Gold Conservatory "Timberlook".

[buildersmate]

This sounds like an air source heat pump you are buying to heat the conservatory.
I do not recommend that you alow the contractor to remove the original external doors from the place the conservatory is being fitted - that way you can close the doors in the depth of winter, if you need to. (Note: to satisfy Building Regs you will almost certainly have to leave these doors in place - thermal regulations)

[eitherofus]

Original back door is staying "in place". Conservatory heating will be seperate, we know from building regs that it can't be connected to original heating as it has to have seperate controls. You are a great bloke and thanks for taking such an interest. Will keep you posted. Did we say we are going to town (old saying - goes with our age) and conservatory measures 4m x 4m? It is our 52nd anniversary today so we are both feeling happy with a glass of wine inside us and a hot dinner too.

[Beatrice35]

Have a conservatory + it is really warm even in winter on a sunny day. On an overcast day, just heat it up with oil heaters. Condensation not a problem if air the room regularly anyhow which we do. Love our conservatory + hubby and I sit in there regularly + it is a great room for entertaining for our friends also. Hubby was a chef before switched to plumbing + am a pretty good cook as hubby has trained me v well so we both really enjoy cooking + entertaining for our friends and family. We have a patio outside our conservatory where we have bbq's in the summer, too! Would recommend conservatories to everyone. Just ensure you have a reputable company install yours- we did much research before having our conservatory built + this paid off as we have a very well built one + was not too expensive either ( has a special roof which stops it from becoming too hot in summer) too. Hope that helps eitherofus :-) Warm wishes, Bea :-)

[moonstar]

Hello your conservatory is probably underway by now and I hope you love it as I love mine!
Ours is not too big and it has a glass roof, in the sun it heats up really quickly but as soon as it the sun goes down it goes cold just as quickly.

We didn't have cenral heating in there as on a day like today we do not need the heating on in the house, however we do in the conservatory, and it would be a waste to heat the entire house just for the sake of the conservatory!
Ours gets the sun from midday until the evening and is so so hot in the summer, we have vertical blinds all around and pleated roof blinds they are both in white and in the sun it is still too bright, we have to wear our sunglasses in there, in hindsight we should have total block roof blinds, we are thinking of having a portable air conditioning system for this summer as it is a magnet for flies with the windows open.

On a cold but sunny spring day it really comes into its own, you feel like you are on the outside with the cold!
We have an oil filled radiator, and it is great, in the winter we leave the radiator on, on the 'frost' setting. we have a carpet and a fabric suite as opposed to conservatory furniture, and it gets very cold.
I call it the quiet room it is peaceful and great for reading with the extra light,also for watching tv when my husband is watching football! It is also nice to see the sky through the glass roof! And to watch the birds in the garden.
Even if its cold out but the sun shines it fills with heat and when we come in from work we open the door and let the heat fill the house!!

[eitherofus]

Hi anyone still checking re our conservatory.
It's all done and it is really something! We are soooo pleased with it. We are waiting for the garden slab work all round to be done and then we want a good carpet down and the furniture in and we will be able to watch the birds using the feeders and in and out of their nests attending to their little ones. We won't know until the winter is here how much we will have to use the AirCon/Heater or how much it will cost us. Cross that bridge when we get to it. Thanks for the interest from you others.