- Plan ItBack
- Design ItBack
- Build ItBack
- Homes
- ProductsBack
- CostsBack
- Self Build Cost Calculator
Estimate your project costs instantly with Build It's interactive self-build cost calculator
Calculate Now - Costs & Finance
- Contracts & Warranties
- Build It Estimating Service
Get an accurate, detailed cost breakdown of your project
Submit plans
- EventsBack
Q&As
Can I improve the thermal efficiency of my conservatory?
My 1800s cottage has been extended and renovated over the years, with a conservatory extension added around 10 years ago. The room is heated via underfloor heating but the structure is poorly insulated and hard to keep warm in the winter, so it’s not very useable. Are there any options for upgrading the structure to increase its thermal efficiency, or should I consider knocking the room down and rebuilding a better-insulated structure?
One Answer
If the conservatory is thermally separated from the dwelling (i.e. not part of the main living space), then it may not have been built to modern Building Regulations, resulting in poor insulation. If separate, then I suspect your underfloor heating is electric, (i.e. not a wet system connected to the main house), known as electrical resistance heating, which is the most expensive type. If not built to Regulations, then the insulation below this may also be limited, so heat is lost downwards.
I don’t know what percentage of the walls and roof are glazed, but it’s likely that the glazing is to modern standards so nothing can be done there. If there is a roof, then this could and should be insulated, even if you can’t get it all the way to modern regulations. If the masonry part of the walls is not insulated, then insulation can be added on the inner or outer face, depending on space constraints and appearance. It may be impossible to put insulation into the floor structure without raising the floor level or demolishing and digging out, but in any case I’d scrap the electrical resistance heating (if that’s what is) and put in a wood-burning stove instead.
In all this I’m assuming that the structure is at least airtight – well, you’d hope so! If not, start by sealing up.
Some conservatories overheat due to a glass roof. It may be that replacing the glass roof with a properly insulated conventional roof structure would not diminish light levels unduly and would make the room much more habitable.