Posts Tagged ‘conservatory’

Consider a Garden House Instead of an Extension

December 16th, 2011

If you like the idea of the extra space a conservatory can bring but don’t want to extend your home then a garden house is worth considering. There are many reasons why some of us can’t have or don’t want a conservatory, yet we could all do with some extra space. Many of us want that space to either utilise a large back garden or allow us to enjoy it more. A conservatory can be a lovely addition, providing natural light and allowing us to reach out into the garden, but it can lack flexibility as a room and it can also spoil the room to which it is attached. A garden house is a free-standing building that can be built anywhere in the garden where you have space. It allows an alternative view on the garden and more flexibility than a conservatory. This article takes a brief look at these advantages and offers some suggestions on what you could do.

What is a Garden House?

Simply put, a garden house is a small building often made from wood, but insulated with double-glazed windows and an electrical supply connected to the main house. They are often like miniature timber-frame houses with good quality windows and doors.

The cost of pre-fabricated sheds and summer houses in the major DIY superstores is quite high, particularly when you look at the quality of the materials used. In comparison, a garden house built by a reputable conservatory builder may cost more but it is better value for money because it’s much more flexible in its possibilities for use. From those of a conservatory to that of a home office, there is the opportunity for a space away from the home. Then, as your family grows there is room for them to leave home, although only as far the garden.

The Garden House as a Home Office

A use that is becoming increasingly popular as the world goes digital is that of the home office. More and more of us are working from home and whilst this is a blessed escape from commuting, our homes can be difficult places to find the peace and quiet to actually get the job done. Travelling to work can be enjoyable, so long as the commute only involves a two-minute stroll outside and this is what a garden house can offer. By thinking through the location and use of materials an office in the garden can provide an affordable means by which to have your cake and still get to eat it. A reputable conservatory builder will be able to advise you on the necessary plans so that you will have an insulated space with an electrical supply and plenty of natural light. The space could even be designed to be dual purpose, still allowing other members of the family to enjoy it.

Garden House as Gardener’s Retreat

As most gardeners can testify there is a well-earned pleasure in simply looking at the results of your gardening labours at the end of a busy day. For many, the conservatory is fit for this purpose, but a garden house offers the chance to see the results from an entirely different viewpoint. It needn’t be a shed, it can be a little summer-house retreat furnished with comfortable seating perfect for a cup of tea or evening meal.

For the British barbecue lover there would also be a refuge from the Summer weather, because a garden house can be designed as a barbecue cabin. This would allow you to invite friends and family and not be so worried as to what the weather does, as you’ll have a warm, dry place to go even if it turns against you. There’s also the advantage of a safe, insulated room to store your barbecue and supplies, as well as an electrical supply for the extras like music, lights or a hotplate.

If you’re considering a conservatory, home office or summer house and want more flexibility for your money then a garden house is a very good alternative. At the end of the garden the possibilities are endless.

Posted in Home Plans

Garden Rooms As a Good Alternative to Conservatories

November 25th, 2011

Conservatories have become one of the most popular ways to extend our homes. The high cost of moving and the more relaxed legislation on planning permission are some of the reasons why many people choose to extend, and a conservatory offers the added benefit of natural light. If you’re extending a north-facing property then light is a real concern as any extension would darken the existing room. A south-facing conservatory, however, presents a different problem, because here there can be too much sunlight. This article takes a brief look at an alternative to the conservatory extension, the garden room, which can be a good all-round solution.

To many, the garden room is a new idea, but in actual fact they’ve been around for some time. The essential difference to a conservatory is that the garden room has a solid roof rather than one made from glass or transparent plastic. The benefit of natural light is retained in a garden room, but this is provided through large glass windows and a glass gable front. The gable is the part of the roof that forms the triangle, as you look at the end of the roof. The roof itself is then tiled or slated as with a regular extension.

Advantages of a Garden Room

One of the advantages of a garden room over a conservatory is that it will not become so hot in the summer, a common problem for south-facing conservatories. In such cases many people find that after their first good summer they need to either install blinds in their conservatory or have air-conditioning fitted. This demands both added expense and another task to perform when you probably just want to sit and enjoy looking out onto your garden. The solid roof of a garden room instead of a glass one can provide a balance of natural light over too much heat.

Then there is the opposite situation that all conservatory owners experience in the winter – the loss of heat through the glass roof. Glass generally loses heat faster than a tiled or slated roof and this can be long-term cost benefit of a garden room. There is also less maintenance with a solid roof. Whereas glass and plastic needs regular maintenance, there is little cleaning required for a tiled or slated roof.

Finally, there is the issue of taste. For many people a conservatory roof renders the extension as one that will always look like a ‘bolt-on’ addition. This is particularly true for more traditional homes, where the modern conservatory clashes with the classic feel of the existing building. The glass roof is often the culprit for this clash of old and new. A garden room can provide a solution here, if a matching roofing material is used then the new and old can be blended so that after a little weathering the extension looks like it ‘belongs’ where it is.

Sometimes the term garden room is used to describe a free-standing building located literally in the garden. To save confusion, however, these buildings are increasingly referred to as ‘garden houses’.

Posted in Home Plans