Now that we have officially said goodbye to summer and the cold weather is well and truly here, I’m sure you’ll be avoiding your conservatory like the plague. After all, it tends to be the coldest room in your home during winter because glass does not retain heat very well. But you should be able to enjoy this space all year around. That’s why I’m here to give you some top tips for keeping your conservatory warm throughout the cold winter months.

Tip 1: Insulate the roof

Although it may seem initially more expensive, opting for a highly insulated roof will save you money on your heating bills in the long run. There are a few different options available, including tiles and insulated glass. These materials are much better than the standard polycarbonate roofs, which many older conservatories will have. Polycarbonate is a plastic-type material and it offers very little insulation, if your conservatory roof is made from polycarbonate then this will be contributing to the coldness in the room. Having a well-insulated roof will help to keep the heat contained within the room.

Tip 2: Ensure you have double glazing

Brickwork is always going to be a better insulating material than glass, but you can now get many types of double glazing to suit varying budgets which provide far better insulation than single glazed windows. Double-glazed windows have a special coating which reflects heat back into the room, whilst also letting in free heat from the sun. They help to keep draughts away and there is a cushion of air in between the two panes of glass which acts as insulation. To find out more about the benefits of double glazing, have a read of this blog post by Sash Window Specialist: Single Vs Double Glazing - Which is best for your home?

Tip 3: Get some blinds or curtains

Getting some blinds or curtains hung up in your conservatory will help to retain the heat in the room as well as help to reduce draughts. On sunnier days you can open them to take full advantage of the sunlight warming the room. On colder days when the radiators are on, they can be closed to help keep the warmth in the room and avoid the heat from escaping. This is an affordable way to help keep the heat in the room. They can also add to the décor of your conservatory, if you opt for super stylish curtains or blinds.  

Tip 4: Ensure there are no draughts

We all know how annoying draughts are, but they can also really affect the temperature in your conservatory. It’s important to ensure you have taken steps to avoid any draughts. To do this you need to make sure that your doors and windows have draught-proofing. Draughts can also seep through bad seals and joints, so it’s important to have your conservatory fitted by a professional, to ensure it’s done to a high standard.

Tip 5: Make sure you have the correct flooring

There is nothing worse than walking bare foot on a freezing cold conservatory floor. Having a cold floor can also have a huge impact on the temperature in the room. It’s important to have the correct flooring to help keep the room feeling warm. If you have the time and the money to invest, you could opt for underfloor heating in your conservatory to keep the room feeling extra toasty. However, having a carpet fitted will also do the trick. Or if you are working on a budget then a rug for the floor will help to give added warmth.

Tip 6: Get the correct radiators

Getting the correct radiators to heat the room is vital. Every room in your home requires a certain amount of BTU’s to heat it, so you need to work out how many BTU’s your conservatory requires. Once you know this, you can then identify the output of the radiator you will need, or how many will be required to heat your conservatory properly. If you need help working this out, you can use our BTU calculator. Just bear in mind a conservatory loses far more heat than a standard room in your home, so you will always be better to go over the BTU estimate. Remember you can always turn the heating down if it gets too warm.

Once you’ve worked this out, its time to choose the radiators for your conservatory. If you are building your conservatory from scratch, it could be an idea to get electric radiators. This means you can avoid the expense of expanding your plumbing, plus you are likely to have to seek planning permission to do this, so electric radiators are an easier alternative. We have various electric radiators available, including ones that you can time to come on at specific times throughout the day and at certain temperatures so that its only on when you really need it to be, as well as WiFi radiators than can be controlled from wherever you are in the world. These will save you pennies whilst also looking supremely stylish in the room!

Infrared heating is a new and very effective heating source which works great in the conservatory. Did you know that normal convection heaters heat the air, but in a conservatory, this tends to disappear through the glass? Whereas infrared heaters heat people, objects and materials through their infrared rays, its heat is direct to you. Imagine the sense of warmth you feel sitting in front of a warm log fire, it’s a lovely sense of warmth that you just don’t get from a standard electric convection heater. Our glass and stone radiators use infrared heat, so this is a great choice for your conservatory.

We also have low level space saving designer radiators, some are as low as 300mm high radiators. So, if your conservatory doesn’t have much wall space available, these radiators are the perfect solution as they will fit snug underneath the window.   

To Summarise…

All in all, it’s clear to see that spending extra initially and opting for higher quality materials will save you money in the long run. I hope these top tips help you to keep your conservatory warm this winter!