Convert a Conservatory Into an Orangery
Upgrading your conservatory to an orangery can totally transform your home. Right now, you may have a conservatory in your home that isn’t performing as well as you’d like. That could be because it’s an older design, with materials like single-glazed glass, polycarbonate, and even plastic. These structures don’t have much insulation, meaning that heat can escape your home quickly, leaving your conservatory cold and unwelcoming.
Turning your conservatory into an orangery can transform this space. Orangeries use less glazing and feature more robust materials, like brickwork, in their design. You’ll still benefit from a lot of natural light, but because of the reduction in glass area, you’ll feel less exposed to the elements. The brickwork will protect your home from wind and rain, and it can make your space feel more secure and private, too – much more like an extension of your home, rather than an add on.
A conservatory to orangery conversion is a design that you can tailor to suit the style of your home and individual taste. You can add as much brickwork as you like to the existing structure, and you can even replace single-pane glass in your old conservatory with modern double glazing, making it more thermally efficient, improving year-round comfort and energy efficiency.
How Much Does it Cost to Convert a Conservatory to an Orangery?
You can convert a conservatory to an orangery at a low cost, mainly because you are using the existing base and altering your old conservatory rather than building a new orangery from scratch. You can also add features to the build, like a classic roof lantern, and choose bespoke colours and finishes to give your home a unique look. Keep the character of your existing conservatory or reimagine it into a totally new space – the choice is yours!
Because this is a conversion, not a new structure, it will not only cost less but also take less time to complete and be less disruptive. It’s an excellent, cost-effective choice for any householder thinking of upgrading their current conservatory. We’ll look at conversion prices in a bit more detail later in this article.
Why Should I Consider a Conservatory to Orangery Conversion?
One of the biggest prompts for this conversion is improving your home’s thermal performance. Many older conservatories don’t manage energy very well, as they use thin glazing and weak frames. Insulation is poor for cold air and warm air, meaning your conservatory can become too cold or too hot depending on the weather. You may also have older connecting doors, so this will affect your main living space, too. You can change all this with a conservatory to orangery conversion.
Orangeries are far more robust structures with a solid roof instead of a glass roof, part solid walls, and a brickwork base. An orangery won’t lose nearly as much heat as your old conservatory, so you should see a real difference in the cost of your energy bills. You can choose how much brickwork you want to achieve the perfect balance of natural light and insulation.
Improved insulation will make the space more welcoming, avoiding the temperature extremes associated with old-style conservatories. Your extended space will be more usable, and you won’t need to constantly put on the central heating to make the room comfortable in the colder months.
The Benefits of a Conservatory to Orangery Conversion
With a conservatory-to-orangery conversion, you won’t just save money and lower your heating costs; you can also enhance your privacy and security with a more solid and robust design and less glasswork. The areas that are glazed can be fitted with obscured glass, too, so you can retain that light conservatory feel and plenty of natural light without compromising on privacy.
Less glazing means less condensation, cleaning, and maintenance, so that’s another box ticked. Consequently, you won’t have to spend time cleaning your glazing and will only need to wipe it down a few times a year. Let’s take a closer look at the different features of an orangery.
Brickwork
Brickwork is what makes an orangery tick. Your current conservatory doesn’t take advantage of this material, preferring to use glazing to flood your home with natural light. But, you don’t have to sacrifice a bright interior and lots of garden views if you convert to an orangery. You can add as much brickwork as you’d like with a conservatory to orangery conversion, with a bespoke height to give you just the right amount of lighting.
The design starts with a dwarf wall and brickwork base, which will improve the structure. Then, you can add as many brick walls as you’d like. The robust design will make your home far more private, provide superb sound insulation, and keep you warm with cavity wall insulation as standard.
You’ll also be able to match the brickwork to your existing property. As a result, your orangery will look more like a natural extension of your home rather than an add-on, fitting in seamlessly.
The solid brick structure gives you more interior options, such as a new lounge with a TV system or even a brand-new kitchen, freeing up more space in your home.
Roof Conversion
Another distinctive feature of an orangery is its roof; the roof plays a crucial role in how the building performs and will significantly improve on an old single-glazed glass roof or even a plastic roof. These materials allow heat to escape your home, and they can cause other issues, too, like letting in too much sunlight on summer days, making the space too bright.
Convert to a solid roof with a new design. A popular option is the roof lantern, a classic orangery feature. This uses a mix of a slate roof to insulate your build and give you shade from the light, with a vaulted glass skylight in the middle. The roof lantern concentrates the light and creates a focal point, perfect for a luxury dining area or just as a feature to add the wow factor.
There is a huge range of materials on offer, including lightweight tiles that seal together in an air and watertight design, protecting your home from rain and wind just like any other solid roof. You can choose from various colours and finishes to suit your taste and match the main property.
Roofline
Alongside a new roof, you can also choose from a vast range of roofline options. For example, you could invest in an aluminium cornice. This superb feature looks sleek and streamlined, and sets the new space alight with its striking shine. Even better, aluminium is a weatherproof material that won’t deteriorate in traditional English weather!
Adding downpipes will keep rainwater far away from your orangery, and this makes a significant difference if you install a roof lantern, as these designs have a flatter pitch. With a roof lantern, rainwater won’t disperse as quickly, but plenty of roofline products help with drainage, diverting rainwater for your orangery.
What About Planning Permission?
You could make sufficient changes to your old conservatory to require planning permission even if you didn’t need it the first time round. Always work with a reputable and trusted installer who can advise you on the impact of any changes and check the planning regulations with your local planning authority. If your home is listed or in a conservation area, there may be other regulations you’ll have to comply with, which could restrict some design elements.
When it comes to planning permission, it’s always best to check.
Conservatory to Orangery Conversion Prices
We’re the ideal choice to convert your conservatory into an orangery at the lowest possible cost, because we’ll compare multiple installers across our network of installation partners!
If you’re thinking of getting a conservatory to orangery conversion, then working with our Double Glazing Quoter is a great idea. You’ll be able to see how our conservatory cost calculator can help you save money on your new space.
Start the process right now by using our online conservatory to orangery conversion cost calculator. This revolutionary online tool allows you to pick and choose features you’d like for your new conservatory to orangery conversion in the sizes, styles, and colours of your choice. We can turn your preferences into an online quote within minutes, and you can find out how to alter the quote and convert your conservatory to an orangery for a lower cost.
Once we’ve done that, we’ll connect you with a trusted network of suppliers and installers we’ve spent years building up. You can relax confident in the knowledge that you won’t have to risk poor service or paying too much for your conservatory to orangery conversion. Many of these companies will be local to you, saving you money on labour charges, and most have certifications from FENSA and CERTASS as well.
Find out more about our conservatory to orangery conversion services by contacting us today!
