Centurion DIY Conservatory Blog

All self-build conservatory installations require careful thought and planning to eliminate fitting problems and give a beautiful end result to be proud of. Consideration should be given to position of drains and services underground, whether there are any manholes to avoid, presence and position of downpipes or other obstructions on the housewall, and most crucially whether there is any restriction which limits the style and height of conservatory design possible.

Building a bespoke conservatory onto a bungalow or single storey extension need not be a problem. The best advice we can give a conservatory DIY builder is to take care, measure precisely and buy from a professional and experienced DIY conservatory supplier who manufactures on a made-to-measure basis. At Centurion DIY Conservatories we pay meticulous attention to detail and liase with the customer at every step to ensure that the conservatory will fit perfectly.

There are two popular design alternatives suitable to address the problems presented by a bungalow height restriction.

• For many customers the perfect solution is the traditional lean-to roof style. This is certainly a neat solution, economical and easy to install, featuring a set 2½° low-pitch lean-to roof (sometimes also called a sunlounger roof) glazed with their choice of polycarbonate colour options. The triangular firring “wedges” each side are a clean solid pvc-u finish forming a tidy infil between the window frames and conservatory roof. There is almost no constraint on the width possible with the lean-to conservatory roof design, but projection is limited to 4000mm.
• Customers should ensure that their supplier will cut the conservatory roof to size before delivery, as these are sometimes supplied to trade installers for cutting to fit on site.
• Those who had their heart set on something with a more dramatic roof are delighted to find that they can enjoy all the benefits of a high, airy multi-pitched roof offered by Edwardian or Victorian conservatories by specifying in the double-hipped (hipped back) style roof. These models slope down all round to the frames around the sides and also back towards the house or bungalow. An aluminium box gutter fixed to the bungalow takes water runoff from the back of the conservatory roof and also forms a structural support for the rafters on the back of the roof. Hipped back roofs of this type can be manufactured to almost any size width and up to 6000mm in projection, and offer the option for glass roof options rather than being restricted to polycarbonate glazing.

At Centurion we ask all customers in this situation to complete a simple survey of the back of their property, giving heights and soffit detail information. From this we advise whether the lean-to wallplate or box gutter (depending on conservatory style) will fitted to the property wall or whether it would be better to fix onto the front of the fasciaboard. A manufacturer such as Centurion DIY Conservatories who tailor - makes all conservatory roofs and frames on a bespoke basis can ensure that the conservatory will fit exactly around any soffit detail, with minimal work required on site and eliminating the risk of draughts or leaks.

The low-pitch lean to roof and Edwardian and Victorian double-hipped alternatives are all suitable for construction on dwarf wall or full-height conservatories, are precisely made-to-measure and are supplied with full fitting guide for ease of DIY installation.

For more details or quotation on the lean-to, Edwardian or Victorian hipped-back or any other bespoke conservatory contact the team at Centurion DIY Conservatories on Freephone 0800 389 7261 or at www.centuriondiyconservatories.com

In the current climate of debt and having to tightening our belts, don't flee the nest - improve what you have to maximise use of the space available. You would be surprised how much space, light and value a conservatory can bring to your home. Conservatories can be a great investment, adding value to your property and offering a luxurious living space for relaxing or entertaining.

The credit crunch may be putting a brake on house prices, but that's not much help if you need extra space in your current property. You can save even more money by buying a DIY Conservatory. They come in all shapes and sizes from a simple lean to style from less than £1500.00 with extravagant Gable style and P-Shape conservatories from as little as £3600.00.

A conservatory can be used as an all year round room, if the specification is right for your requirements and if you use the right materials in the roof and frames. Conservatories are now as versatile as a brick built extension, but they are only a fraction of the price. Pilkington K glass in the frames (the new eco glass) reflects man made heat back into the conservatory, giving 1.8 U values. Adding argon fill to K glass units improves the U Value even more to just 1.6, keeping the heating bills down for you in the cold months.
There is a great range of materials you can use in the roof. 35mm Polycarbonate provides great insulation, which will ensure that you stay warmer in winter. One benefit of choosing polycarbonate is that polycarbonate is less expensive than glass, and it also comes in a choice of colours - opal, clear, bronze and silver/opal. The silver/opal option is has a silver coating on the outside which reflects away the heat of the sun, preventing it coming into the conservatory, and keeping it cooler in the summer for you.

There are many glass options we can use in the conservatory roof. The best type of glass to use in the conservatory for comfort all year round is a blue tinted anti sun glass combined with good thermal properties. We recommend Pilkington Activ Blue K and Reflex glass as excellent options www.pilkingtonglass.com or www.reflexglass.com To use the conservatory all year round you need to have a best specification with K glass in the frames, to keep it nice and warm for you, to keep the price down the polycarbonate in the roof is an excellent choice as it is a great insulator. If you prefer glass the tinted anti-sun glass combined with K glass is a ideal choice as it will keep the heat in the conservatory longer in the winter and it will keep the heat out on them hot and sunny days. Anti-sun will reflect the heat out and the blue tint will reduce glare from the sun.

If you choose the right specification you can make the most out of your new space, using it as a living room, dining room, kitchen, playroom, music room or simply to relax.

Bright white is by far the most popular colour for a replacement DIY pvc conservatory, but some properties call for something that bit different.

Every new Centurion DIY conservatory is made to measure to give you the opportunity to design exactly to your requirements. We want to offer the widest possible choice, and that includes colours and pvc finishes as well as design.

We have always offered all our conservatories in the traditional pvc-u woodgrain finishes of mahogany, light oak and rosewood, which are available either foiled inside and out or "on white", with the coloured woodgrain on the outside only and white inside. These offer an excellent way of colour coordinating your new DIY conservatory to existing doors and windows on your property, whether they're already in pvc-u or whether you are matching with timber frames. These finishes have a permanent foiled finish bonded onto the profile and look amazingly realistic.

The fantastic Artisan profile range takes wood effect and coloured finishes a stage further. This exciting range has a wood-textured outside with grain so fine it's almost impossible to tell it from real timber even on closest inspection. It's the perfect choice if you love the look and texture of traditional timber without ever having to get out the paint or varnish to keep your beautiful new conservatory looking perfect. Artisan has all the luxury of a hardwood conservatory combined with the maintenence-free benefits of a pvc-u construction - it's not until you touch it that the difference becomes clear. Centurion can offer all styles of conservatories in six amazing Artisan colour ways - Rustic Cherry, Green, Grey, Cream, Black/brown and even a Woodgrain white effect. The frames and roofs are all made of perfectly matching materials for a seamless and complete package.

Artisan colours used in a conservatory can make a real statement and enhance your home in the most individual way. For example, the Black Brown or Grey finishes work fantastically well in a Gable or Victorian style conservatory on a timbered house for a highly traditional dark wood feel, but equally lend a contemporary edge to a lean-to conservatory on a newer style property. Green is becoming a popular colour choice to create a conservatory which blends into the garden for a subtle and unobtrusive extension right into the heart of your outdoor space.

Centurion's Artisan conservatory frames and roofs are just as easy to install as any of our DIY conservatories. The roof system is manufactured from Synseal's tried and tested Shield conservatory suite (http://www.synseal.co.uk/shield.asp) with structural aluminium rafters finished in Artisan trims, so you are buying a complete matching roof and frame package. All our woodgrain conservatory roofs feature aluminium rafter top caps for added strength and guaranteed weather resistance.

If you'd like to arrange a quotation for your new DIY conservatory in Artisan or any other finish our trained and experienced conservatory quote and design team would be pleased to help and advise. (All our conservatory quotes and advice are absolutely free and without obligation.) We also manufacture a complete range of windows, doors and bi-fold doors in white, woodgrain and coloured Artisan wood effect options.
If you would like samples of any of our woodgrain or coloured window and conservatory profiles so you can see their beauty for yourself - just call us on Freephone 0800 389 7261

With Centurion DIY Conservatories, you can enjoy an impressive degree of design freedom, from classic to contemporary we can help you design and create the perfect conservatory that perfectly suits your home and your personal needs, we are always on hand to help design your conservatory, each conservatory is manufactured especially for you and your requirements.

We offer a full range of conservatories from classic lean to style to the impressive Gable/Georgian style, the choice is yours, the Lean to style conservatory offers a modern uncomplicated look, with clean lines, making them suitable for a wide range of house styles, they are an excellent choice for bungalows or other homes with height restrictions, all our conservatories are available with either full height Glass, dwarf walls or panels, plain or moulded.

The Victorian DIY conservatory is an impressive looking conservatory with its fan shaped roof and high pitch roof, it has the ability to complement most types of properties, the Victorian front works very well with P-Shaped conservatories, with a Lean to or hipped Lean to style leg with a Victorian P-shape, the Edwardian also gives you a impressive pitch as does the Gable/Georgian on P-shaped conservatories. The Edwardian and Gable/Georgian gives you extra internal floor space more than the Victorian, as the Victorian has the angled front cutting the corners off.

Gable conservatories have a great sense of presence and have a very grand style about them, this style of conservatory works very well with older properties, this style doesn't have a slopping front it has a vertical roof, giving you the sense of height, space and maximizes the light coming in your conservatory.

Centurion DIY Conservatories manufacture all conservatories on site and make all glass units on site, so we can design and quote you on your exact requirements for your DIY Conservatory, from full height frames, dwarf wall or panels, plain or moulded panels are available. Full Height Glass conservatories from Centurion DIY conservatories are perfect for bringing your garden into your conservatory, Dwarf walls conservatories are also an excellent choice, if you want to make the conservatory part of house, matching the right brick work to your house.

The choice is yours whether you are designing your conservatory as a dining room, playroom, kitchen or just a place to relax; we can design and quote you for a perfect place for you.

We can also advice you on the best roof types which are avaible to you, whether 35mm polycarbonate or glass options, if your property is south facing we can advice you on the best material to put in your roof, we have a wide range of glass options, standard double glazing, K Glass, or Anti sun and self cleaning glass.

At Centurion DIY Conservatories we can design and offer you the specification which is best for you, to get the most out of your conservatory.

At Centurion DIY Conservatories we also can quote you windows, doors, french doors, sliding doors, by fold doors and sash windows all are manufactured to your exact requirements.

When I am talking to customers during quoting them and they have asked for a Glass roof they always ask for an anti sun glass roof option. People in the industry would know that straight away you think of either the Pilkington K Blue Anti sun or Pilkington Activ K. The Anti sun offers a U-Value of 1.8 which is the same as the normal Pilkington K-glass you can use in the frames, with the bonus of a Blue tint which reduces glare. On dull days the inside of the conservatory will seem bright. The Activ K-Glass is a 'Self Cleaning' Glass roof so when it rains any bird mess and other dirt will simply wash itself away.

These glass roofs are two of the best out at the moment but another company out there can offer a bit of both Pilkington ranges combined into one Glass. This is Blue or Clear 'Reflex Glass'. ( go to www.reflexglass.co.uk for full technical specifications)

Reflex Glass I personally find fantastic. You get amazing anti sun value with an 'Easy Clean' coating. The 'easy clean' external surface treatment to the glass reduces the need for cleaning and makes dirt and bird mess easy to clean away eg by just going over the roof with a household hose twice a year. The hydrophobic polymer coating promotes water run off which washes dirt and mess away, making the glass lshine like new. This is also a bonus for people who find it hard to clean the roof and is especially useful for Hipped back Edwardian style conservatories. Reflex glass has an invisible metallic coating on the inner surface of the outside glass which reduces the solar heat energy into the conservatory. The subtle light blue tint reduces glare by up to 44% but still lets enough light into the conservatory. Solar heat is reduced by up to 75% compared to standard glazed unit.

Another good aspect of the 'Reflex Glass is the heat loss is reduced to a U - value of just 1.4, or an amazing1.0 for the Reflex+ option. Argon gas is added to the unit to give it the little extra. This low U-Value is the same as a cavity brick wall and offers excellent insulation properties for big savings in the cold weather. This will allow you to control the heat indoors at an even temperature making savings on summer air conditioning. Also the glass roof comes complete with after care instructions and fitting guidelines for the installer.

In my personal opinion If you’re looking for a Glass conservatory roof which offers Anti Sun benefits and allows you to use the conservatory in not just the summer but also the cold winters then Blue 'Reflex' is the glass for you, with a added bonus of not having to go outside in the cold to clean the roof. You spend all this money for a nice conservatory and it often becomes a favourite room in the house. It would be a shame to only be able to use it when you spend a fortune heating it or when you have a freezer open in the conservatory during summer to keep it cool.

If you have Blue 'Reflex Glass' roof and Clear 'Reflex Glass' in the frame you will have a fantastic solar and heat controlled conservatory with added bonus of the roof being 'easy clean'. All you will need to add is a hot cup of tea and a good book to read sitting on a comfy sofa during winter or a nice cocktail with the French doors open enjoying a nice summers day looking out into the garden.

All conservatory roof glasses are suitable for use in a wide range of roof styles, and we would be delighted to arrange a conservatory quote with the best option for you in our complete range of lean-to, Victorian, Edwardian, Gable, Georgian and bespoke DIY conservatories

Please call to take advantage of our VAT-PROOF deals along with many autumn offers.