Centurion DIY Conservatory Blog

Fireworks are so much better viewed from indoors! (with some fantastic toffee as well) One of the best things about a conservatory is the fun you can have on bonfire night, watching the fireworks from inside.

Fireworks on November 5 are such a traditional part of the British calendar. It's an integral part of Autumn to stand outside in the cold (and all too often the rain), to watch the display at the end of the garden. If only Guy Fawkes had chosen a warmer time of year to make his ill-fated attempt on the government...

Anyone with a conservatory really has the last laugh. A conservatory is the ideal place to entertain friends and family at any time of the year, and what better vantage place to see all the firework fun while enjoying perfect warmth and saftey? And how better to celebrate getting together, whatever the occasion, than by offering some tasty treats.

This is Julie's Mum's traditional recipe for Bonfire Toffee - easy to make and
guaranteed to be a favourite. This recipe makes about 500g / 1lb of toffee.

Ingredients

• 300g 12oz Demerara sugar
• 100g / 4oz butter
• 2 level teaspoons of golden syrup
• 1 level teaspoon of black treacle
• 4 tablespoons of water

Method

1. Put all the ingredients into a pan
2. Heat slowly, stirring until butter melts and the sugar dissolves
3. Bring to boil. Cover pan and boil gently for two minutes
4. Uncover the pan, and continue to boil for 10 - 15 minutes, stirring occassionally
5. Test by dropping a little of the mixture into a cup of cold water. It should seperate into brittle threads.
6. Pour into buttered 15cm / 6" square tin. Leave to set
7. Turn out onto a board, break into pieces with a small hammer

For a free, no obligation quotation for your new conservatory call the Centurion DIY Conservatories team on Freephone 0800 389 7261

We're always happy to offer advice on the best glazing options to make sure your new DIY conservatory is a warm and welcoming room all year round. We'll happily offer advice on toffee too, and would welcome your feeback if you tried our lovely recipe.

Most people accept that, like it or not, VAT is a fact of life and here to stay. But we've also got rather used to paying that little bit less during the 15% rate holiday put in place at the start of 2009.

It’s going to be quite a shock paying tax at 17½% when rates revert to normal levels on 1 January 2010, adding a substantial amount to the price of almost everything, including your new DIY conservatory.

To help keep a little bit more money in your pocket rather than the Chancellor’s, Centurion DIY Conservatories is offering you the chance to beat the VATman!

We will HOLD 2009 prices at 15% VAT for all orders placed before Christmas, even if you don't want delivery until after the New Year!

You don't often get the opportunity to vat-proof your hard-earned cash, (at least not legally), so make sure you take full advantage! Call us to get your order underway before this offer ends on 30 November.

If you haven't decided on exactly what conservatory is right for you there is still plenty of time for us to prepare quotations and drawings so that you can be sure you have the perfect style and size for you and your budget. Simple lean-to or a one-off bespoke style, Centurion is always happy to offer design and technical advice on choosing and planning your DIY conservatory, all free and without obligation of course.

Centurion always offers great value for money, and now we're trying to help you get an even better deal for your hard-earned cash. So whether you're ready to go ahead or just starting to look - CALL US ON FREEPHONE 0800 389 7261.

Earl's Court offers a venue for a huge range of shows and ventures from ice-skating to the National Home Improvement Show. Last weekend saw the main hall transformed from a bare empty space into a treasure trove of ideas and inspirations for home-improvers from all over the country.

Centurion had a large stand, featuring a full-height glass Edwardian style conservatory with glass roof built on a steel base. (once again, a big thanks to Stewart and Phil, who built the complete conservatory in just one day - see the photos for how it all went together).

Julie and I were delighted to meet so many visitors on our stand. Some were at the early stages of thinking about adding a conservatory to their home, others had come to the Show armed with build plans and knew exactly what they required for their specific project. We also attracted plenty of more general enquires about designing and building a DIY conservatory, and we were pleased to be able to offer advice on suitable designs, glass options, questions on Planning Permission and much more. Lots of people were surprised by how adaptable modern conservatory technology allows us to be, with beautiful versatile year-round rooms custom-designed as well as the traditional lean-to, Victorian and Edwardian styles.

We received lots of compliments for the furnishings which set off our stand and made our conservatory look like home! These were very kindly supplied by The Cane Furniture Warehouse. (For full details of their terrific conservatory and outdoor furniture ranges visit www.canefurniturewarehouse.co.uk.)

If you were at Earl's Court over the weekend and came to talk to us I hope you found the time useful. If you weren't able to come along on the day you can still get a feel for the show at our photo gallery, and of course contact us for advice and quotations.

It might be hard to believe, but today's conservatories have evolved over thousands of years through improvements in technology. The modern conservatory can trace its routes back to structures built in the 19th Century such as the Palm House at Kew (1848), and Crystal Palace (1851).
The public had never seen buildings like these and feel in love with them, and so started the popularity of conservatories being added to British homes.

Nearly all major historical civilisations have shown an appreciation for plants and worked to incorporate them into their homes and palaces. While kings and emperors brought exotic plants into their buildings, the masses used timber structures to protect vulerable plants. But it was the Romans who were able to create the first conservatories as we know them today.
They found that by using thin sheets of a material called mica, they were able to protect plans from the elements, but most importantly let light in.

The increase in world trade, and specifically growth in the British Empire, brought home the need for conservatories. Strange and exotic plants were brought back from travels around the world, that could not surivive our harsh climate. The country recognised the value in studying these plants, and so embarked on building massive conservatories to house these fascinating new arrivals. The conservatories at Key Gardens and Crystal Place were born.

These early conservatories were built using small panes of glass and iron for the frames. They were huge undertakings and the cost to the public purse was significant. The public immediately fell in love with the buildings and they flocked to see the weird and wonderful plants within these glass houses.

Thanks to advances in manufacturing technology and processing, the price of producing large glass panes shrank, and manufacturing stronger and lighter iron frames became possible. The public could now afford to buy their own small conservatories.
The initial Victorian conservatories were made with relatively small glass panes. As these glass panes became larger, designs changed to the Edwardian and Georgian styles that we also know today.

Technology and efficiencies have also driven recent developments in conservatories. In the 1960's conservatories were built using wooden frames which proved better insulators, and aluminim which was far lighter and allowed for bigger, stronger conservatories. Even these improvements gave rooms which still essentially greenhouses for plants rather than comfortable rooms suitable for year-round use, liable to leaking or rot and often roofed with cold and noisy corrugated plastic. Modern PVC-u conservatories with double glazed frames and high-technology roofs in glass or polycarbonate offer low-maintenance well insulated versatile living spaces. Huge improvements in roof engineering ensure today's constructions in PVC-u are draft-free and leak-free, allowing them to be used as true extra living rooms, dining rooms, offices or playrooms for people rather than just for plants.

In an ideal world you had planned to move to a bigger property this year, but as we all know it's very hard to buy a house at the moment .
Estate agents have reported a big increase in buyer activity in the last quarter, but sellers remain outraged that their home could possibly be worth 20 per cent less than in 2007, so are staying put.

Add to that the fact that the average cost of moving home, including stamp duty, legal fees and removal costs, has tripled in ten years to nearly £9,500, according to propertyfinder.com, the raised probability of unemployment and the near impossibility of getting a mortgage without substantial equity, and it is a miracle anyone moves at all.

So what are the options when you're resigned to staying put for another year or two but desperately need more space for a growing family, and home office or even just room to entertain or relax.

Having a full-scale extension is the traditional route, but is expensive, disruptive, takes minimum two months for Planning Permission and relies on finding and pinning down a reliable and reasonable builder.

According to the Chairman of Kingfisher Group, which owns DIY giant B&Q, "DIY is cool again". Britons are spending more time and money than ever on improving their homes to make them pleasant places to live in and to get them ready for a quick sale when property starts to move again.

So take the logical (and coolest step) and look at a DIY conservatory as the perfect option for creating a flexible and welcoming extra room, adding value to your house and making it more desirable should you decide it's time to move on.

Many conservatories do not need Planning Permission, and the whole project can be completed in less time than an extension would spend in the Planning stage. The cost is a fraction of the price of a traditional build, and you can undertake much or all of the project yourself - no waiting around for builders plus the satisfaction of a job carried out to your own quality standards.

Centurion DIY Conservatories will talk you through the whole process, and there's lots of useful information on choosing and building your dream conservatory in this website. We offer advice on designing and planning, and will send you CAD drawings and prices for as many different options as you need so you can be sure you're choosing exactly the right design.

We won't abandon you once the conservatory is delivered either! If you have queries or get stuck while you're building your new DIY conservatory you only have to call our Helpline number for professional experienced advice to help you out on site.

More space for less money. How cool is that?? Call Centurion to get the ball rolling.

0800 389 7261