Garden Planning An Outdoor Room

Date Published:

09/06/2008

Probably by far the most common and the most popular way to enjoy the outdoors without necessarily going there is to put your feet up in the lounge and watch anything that has David Attenborough narrating it. The second most popular way to do this would be to have a conservatory fitted.

If you discount flats, maisonettes and social housing it is estimated that there are probably around 11-12 million homes in this country of which around 1.8 million have conservatories. This is probably far less than you might have imagined if you're used to walking or driving around suburban areas, but makes sense when you think of the higher concentration living in our towns and cities.

REMEMBER: The right conservatory on the right house, can increase it's kerb appeal and therefore it's desirability considerably, though householders should be warned that they must ensure that any planning consent required is in place before any work can begin. Owners of listed properties in particular will find their ability to change the exterior fabric of their home strictly controlled.

There are many fine modern variations on the theme but the ones you'll probably be most familiar with are those that take their inspiration from classic Victorian, Edwardian and Georgian designs.

Baltic Pine

Baltic Pine has a range of around 1,000 standard conservatories priced from around £1,000, and every year supplies 6,000 customers. But the company can also create individual conservatories and summer-houses which can be designed and constructed tailor-made to your requirements.

Pictured is a made to measure design measuring 6550mm wide by 5900mm deep (21 foot 6 inches by 19 foot 4 inches). It is a Full Height Glass model with a double glazed roof, bespoke pillars and bespoke beaded arches. As you can see it blends seamlessly into the style of the house becoming part of the essential fabric of the home rather than an off-theme add-on. All Baltic Timber conservatories come with a 15 year guarantee and are delivered free of charge within the UK mainland.

The Baltic Pine Timber Corp Ltd
Tel: 0800 269044
www.balticpine.co.uk

David Salisbury Self-Build Conservatory

Conservatories can be prohibitively expensive for many people. But for those determined to pursue the dream and who enjoy the challenge of DIY, David Salisbury have the perfect solution.

David Salisbury conservatories are at the luxury end of the market, with a string of awards for their imaginative design. Now, with the launch of David Salisbury Direct and a unique manual, homeowners with DIY skills or access to their own builder can design and erect their own bespoke David Salisbury conservatory, enjoying the same product quality, for about the same price as a supplier-fitted, mass-market alternative.

The company delivers the superstructure ready for self-assembly ranging from traditional Edwardian or Victorian models to more contemporary options, tailored to meet any design challenge. A unique, step-by-step 70 page self-build guide, 'The Conservatory Manual', explains every stage of the process - choosing a design, briefing the builder, preparing groundwork's and the complete installation process. The company is confident that it has provided clear enough instruction for installation to take as little as three to five days. In terms of cost The David Salisbury Direct concept will enable customers to build a classic conservatory that would normally cost around £35,000 for as little as a third of that cost.

The manual is available through www.davidsalisbury-direct.com for £9.95 plus p & p, which is refundable when an order is placed.

Litespace

Of course you don't have to build an entirely new room in your garden. If you're lacking in outdoor space you can always extend an existing room to let some of that outdoor ambience and natural light come flooding in. Litespace by Ultraframe is an innovative new way to enhance and extend your home by adding valuable personal space.

Litespace is a fully glazed walk-in bay window home improvement product that gives you direct access to the garden, adds space and floods your extended room with light. Litespace uses Ultraframe Conservaglass which promises superb all year round performance and climate control, retaining the warmth in winter, while keeping out the heat in the summer.

Litespace is sold as a complete 'package' and even includes a pre-formed base meaning that all that is required is some basic construction materials and the time and labour it will take to install. Measuring 2200mm wide x 1100mm projection, the overall structure has a 10 year guarantee whilst the double-glazing has a 20 year guarantee.

Litespace
Tel: 0800 195 1631
www.litespace.co.uk