Types of Upvc Conservatories

Probably one of the biggest decisions when it comes to having a conservatory built is where it is going to be. Do you want a stand alone unit, or is it going to be attached to the back of your house? Most UPVC conservatories are designed to fit onto the back of an existing property but you do need to be very careful about where it goes. You would find that your conservatory will need special foundations which will put the price up significantly. Most people want a conservatory that fits with their home while others want something different.

UPVC conservatories have many benefits, they are cheaper to build than most other types of conservatory and the material is not subject to the same problems of warping and rotting that wood is known for. Nowadays you don't have to have your conservatory in plain white; you can get UPVC conservatories, windows and doors in a variety of colours and for the more traditionally minded in wood finishes. One of the major benefits of a UPVC conservatory is its insulation properties. UPVC conservatories are energy efficient, they will keep the cold out, the heat in, and you will benefit by saving pounds of your energy bills.

Nowadays conservatories are more secure with well designed locking systems. UPVC conservatories require very little in the way of maintenance. What is needed most of the time is a wipe over with plain soap and water and regular cleaning of the windows. The reason that most installers of UPVC conservatories, windows and doors give a ten year guarantee with their products is because they know how durable these systems are.

People have a conservatory for many different reasons other than adding value to their home and a UPVC conservatory can be adapted to serve the many different uses that their owners may have for it. Whether you want a conservatory for somewhere to sit and enjoy the view of the garden, as a kitchen extension, as an office or an extra bedroom room, it can be a very useful addition to your home. Conservatories are planned to complement or stand out from the rest of a person's home which is why there are now many different styles designed to go with modern and period houses. Conservatory styles might include the Georgian style, the Orangery, the Victorian style and the Edwardian style.

Georgian Style Conservatories

In the Georgian period as well as the Victorian and Edwardian periods there weren't many conservatories built other than for the very rich, Most of the conservatories that were built were attached to stately homes. The real passion for having a conservatory attached to a home, even a stately home, did not really take off until the Victorians came along. This means that the UPVC Georgian style conservatories that we see nowadays are an expression of the style of the Georgian period rather than an actual representation of what they were really like. In spite of this, a good many people who own Georgian style homes choose to have a Georgian influenced UPVC conservatory attached to their home.

Georgian style UPVC conservatories tend to have less glass than other conservatories. One of the reasons there was less glass in a Georgian conservatory was because conservatories were built only in brick in those days and glass was extremely expensive to buy. You may want to have larger panes in your conservatory than the Georgians as the extra carpentry costs would make it very expensive. Modern Georgian style conservatories tend not to look much like actual Georgian windows.

Orangeries

Before you have a UPVC conservatory there are a number of issues that may influence what type of conservatory you have – these will include privacy, security, insulation and planning considerations. When you choose a UPVC conservatory you don't have to worry too much about insulation because these are always better insulated then most other types of conservatories. If, for example, you live in a period house or a listed building there may very well be restrictions on the type of conservatory that you can have built. The principal difference between an orangery and a conservatory is that there is less glass used in the construction of the orangery than the conservatory. Orangeries used to be very popular with the Victorians and so this style of conservatory would fit very well into an older building. You can get UPVC orangery style conservatories but they are an expression of the actual orangeries rather than a true representation of them.

Victorian Conservatories

It is possible to emulate rationally styled conservatories when you use UPVC, although this is a very modern material, it can have a wood finish, just like the original Victorian conservatories may have had. One thing that you won't have to worry about, as the Victorians did, is that the conservatory will be cold in the winter and hot in the summer. The insulating properties of UPVC means that heat loss and drafts are no longer a concern.

The Victorians loved conservatories and experimented with the design to make them more personal and more individual. Some Victorian style conservatories had plenty of floor space and they were a favorite place to take morning coffee while the householders and their visitors sat there looking out on the garden. The Victorians also loved playing around with the outside of their conservatories and designing ways to enhance the architectural style. Because there was such a mix of styles conservatory professionals will often market one style as another. Modern UPVC Victorian style conservatories aim to combine modern day comfort with traditional design. Most Victorian style conservatories are an octagonal shape which makes maximum use of the light available. The octagonal conservatory is the shape that was most loved by the Victorians themselves.

Edwardian Style Conservatories

Many people live in terrace style Edwardian properties with a bay window at the front. You can have a conservatory built to match the style of your property. UPVC Edwardian type conservatories have become increasingly popular both among Edwardian style home owners and people who own another style of home altogether. Edwardian style UPVC conservatories are, in fact, often a popular choice for people with very modern homes because of the simplicity of the style.

The Victorian style is often combined with Edwardian features in a conservatory. Many of the homes of the wealthy had conservatories attached to them in the Edwardian period as the craze for garden croquet spread. The Edwardian style UPVC conservatory has much more of a squared off front than most Victorian styled ones. The square frontage is a way of making the most use of floor space in the conservatory, which is vital if what you are looking for is to extend the available space in your home to compensate for a growing family.

Edwardian styled conservatories are much plainer in style than some other conservatory styles and so they fit in well with most of the palisaded, bay windowed dwellings of that era. An Edwardian style UPVC conservatory will generally have a high pitched roof that is designed to ensure maximum light enters the building. Because the style is so simple it is easy to make it your own by having different glazing types and other forms of ornamentation.

Besides the more traditional style of UPVC conservatories, there are many more styles and features that can be added to make your conservatory uniquely your own. You can have different types of glass in your conservatory; you can have a domed roof or a gabled front. If you want to keep your conservatory style sleek and modern then a squared off style with French doors that open directly onto the garden might be just what is needed.

You should never buy a conservatory or make any major purchase without first undertaking the necessary research that is needed if you want to get the conservatory of your dreams at a price that you can afford. No matter what type of conservatory you decide to invest in, you should know that UPVC conservatories are not only the most durable they are often the most cost effective. A UPVC double glazed conservatory will add considerable value to your home, give you hours of enjoyment and comfort, and make you the envy of your neighbours.