How Can I keep my Conservatory Warm in Winter?
Conservatory during the summer – great. Conservatory during the winter? Total icebox! If you have a conservatory or sunroom attached to your home, you already know what a great space it is for relaxing and entertaining in – in the summer that is. During the winter, these rooms can become very cold and are rarely used, which seems like a bit of a waste. Instead, why not make them a nicer place to sit in during the colder months with these tips for keeping your conservatory warm in the winter? A few simple changes and you could have an extra living room for relaxing in.
Insulate where you can
A cold room needs appropriate insulation to keep as much warmth in the space as possible Check for draughts around all the usual places – there are a lot of windows in this space, so make sure the seals are all intact, that there are no gaps around the door or frames, and that any gaps under the windowsills are caulked. Conservatories and sunrooms also benefit hugely from double or triple glazed windows to keep heat and noise under control. If you’re thinking about getting a conservatory or sunroom, this could be an added cost up front, but you’ll see longer term benefits in heating bills by having thicker windows.
Heating your space
Of course, it’s still important that you heat your conservatory in the winter, even if you don’t intend to use it, otherwise you’ll suffer with condensation and possibly mould build up over the older months. Check your radiators – you may have had them turned off over the warmer months and forgotten to turn them up full again. If they have been turned off for a while make sure there are no air locks in them preventing them from working as efficiently. If they aren’t heating up, you may need to bleed them. Of course, you’ll also need to make sure you have home heating oil, and if you are heating extra rooms during the winter you may need to top up more frequently. If you add more space heaters to your conservatory to keep it at a comfortable temperature while you use it during the day, make sure you adhere to all safety warnings and never leave them switched on and unattended. If you have a ceiling fan in your conservatory or sunroom, make sure you reverse the direction of the blades, so that the warm air is pushed back down into the room, thus warming it instead of cooling it.
Think about your flooring
Your flooring in the conservatory is most likely a tile or tile effect wooden floor, which means that it can feel cold to touch in the winter. During these months if you intend to use your conservatory more, you might want to consider adding a rug to take the chill off your feet. If you are thinking of replacing the floor, remember that underfloor heating is a great solution for adding heat to this space, and works well with tile or wooden floors – the perfect option for this room.
Blinds – yes or no?
People are torn when it comes to adding blinds to their conservatory – yes, they can add some much-needed privacy but then you also sacrifice the light and airy feeling which is what made the idea of this room so attractive in the first place. If you have blinds and are trying to heat your conservatory using natural sunlight during the winter, remember to open the blinds fully in the morning to let the light stream in – even in the winter, the sun can make a big difference to the temperature in this space. In the evening, close the blinds again to prevent some of the warm air escaping around poorly insulated windows.
