How To Keep Your Conservatory Cool in The Summer Heat

ENJOY A COOL CONSERVATORY IN THE SUMMER

Over the years we’ve lost count of the number of times we have clients with conservatories contact us to ask for the best way to keep their glass extensions at a comfortable temperature, particularly on those odd occasions when we have plenty of hot sunshine here in the south west of England.

The good news is that there are plenty of measures you can take to make your conservatory more thermally efficient and pleasant to be in, even on the hottest days. So, we thought we’d put together this article to share some tips with you that will hopefully answer these common questions that we are asked:

• How can I make my conservatory cooler in the summer?
• How do I keep my conservatory from getting too hot?
• How do I stop my conservatory from overheating?
• How do you control the temperature in a conservatory?
• Do conservatory blinds reduce heat?

Cool Conservatory Roof Treatments

Typically a conservatory, especially one that was installed before 2010, has a glass roof, or a classic polycarbonate roof (plastic), both of which allow heat to penetrate and can turn your conservatory into a sweat box in the summertime.

If your budget can stretch to it you will certainly improve both the look and definitely the thermal feel of your conservatory if you have the roof replaced with a modern, solid insulated tiled roof.

Alternatively, you can consider having the roof glazing (or polycarbonate panels) replaced with solar control glass, reflective glass, tinted glass or similar high-tech glazing. An added advantage of this measure is that filtering and reducing the incursion of UV rays means conservatory furniture won’t fade as quickly as in the full glare of the sun.

Blinds – a Cool Choice for Hot Conservatories

It’s pretty obvious really – to keep your conservatory cool you need to shield it from direct sunlight as far as possible. Roof and window blinds, shades, awnings and sails can all help to keep the heat at bay without completely blocking out natural light. Even strategically placed trees and bushes planted around the conservatory can help to shade it, but you’ll have to be patient while they grow!

The great thing about blinds is that you can control when they are raised or lowered, opened or closed, according to the weather and sunlight levels. So, on cooler days you can let the sunlight in to warm things up.

There is a wide range of different types of conservatory blinds available. If you can afford it go for electrically operated blinds with a remote control, so you won’t even have to leave your comfy conservatory chair to change the configuration if the weather changes.

Fresh Air to Beat the Heat in a Conservatory

Ventilation is the way to keep things cool in your conservatory, reducing the chance of you’re the room suffering the “greenhouse effect” – not only overheated but also prone to condensation and poor air quality.

If your conservatory has windows that open, then open them wide on those warm days when you want to enjoy the space. Get the air circulating and flush the heat away. If you don’t have windows to open you can make your conservatory cooler by having roof vents or trickle ventilators installed.

Boost the air flowing round inside your conservatory with a ceiling fan, and install an air conditioning unit if you want full control over the room temperature.

Ventilation measures combined with blinds and heat reflective glazing should ensure your conservatory is very pleasant indeed to use on a hot day.

Cool Design Tactics for Conservatories

Another tip for cooling down a conservatory is to furnish it with cool colours and light furniture. Interior design can have a surprising psychological impact when it comes to setting the perceived temperature of a room.

Every conservatory is different when it comes to heat absorption. A great deal depends on its size, shape and location. The best way to ensure you don’t have a conservatory that gets uncomfortably warm is to design it to be cool in the first place – which is something Alan Joy Windows can help with when you decide to build a conservatory.

If you already have a conservatory that feels like a sauna in the summer, its not too late to chat to us about how tackle the task of cooling it down. As glazing professionals we’re here to find the right solution for your conservatory, so stop sweating and get in touch!