How to stop your conservatory from overheating

How to keep your conservatory cool

It might come as a surprise to you, but keeping your conservatory nice and cool isn’t all that difficult. What’s the secret? Long story short, savvy housekeeping tricks, modern technology, and a reliable conservatory provider will stand you in good stead. Want the details? Read on…

Ventilation

First up — ventilation. This should be your starting point, and for obvious reasons. If you want to create a cool and airy space, fresh air is a must. It’s a free, renewable, and sustainable way to cool down your space, so take advantage of it.

Most conservatories have windows and a door leading to the garden. Feel like you’re overheating? Just open all the windows and push the door open ajar. You might have to use a door-stop, but modern conservatories and patio doors should be able to lock in an open position, making this a little bit easier. If you have children or pets, make sure you put this lock on if you have one. It means your door will resist unexpected gusts of wind that could slam it shut on little paws or fingers.

You might be thinking — I thought opening my windows would make the heat worse? And yes, it’s true. Sometimes this is the case on an extremely hot day or if a heatwave hits your area, as you’ll be summoning hot and humid air into the room you’re trying to keep cool.

Still, this can be overcome by harnessing the wind direction or convection. Direct a steady flow of air through your house – in one side and out of the other – and you should experience a mild cooling effect. Just make sure that you’re keeping an eye on security if you have your street-facing windows or front door wide open.

While fresh air can be great at lowering the temperature of your conservatory, if it was the ultimate solution then we wouldn’t need to write this guide! You’re probably doing everything that feels like a ‘common sense’ solution already, so here are some more practical tips.

Cooling film

It’s no mystery that the blazing summer sun is the cause of your temperature issues. Its UV rays are so fierce that they can even mark your furniture — not ideal!

However, there is a simple and affordable way to reduce the sun’s impact. Fit tinted cooling film to the roof of your conservatory and you could reflect as much as 80% of the solar rays (that hit the film) away from your conservatory. You can’t reduce the sun’s energy — but this is your next best option!

But won’t this make my conservatory dark? The good news is — no, it won’t! Adhesive film only has a very small effect on the brightness of your conservatory as visible light rays (which don’t carry much heat) can still filter through.

If you also struggle to keep your conservatory warm in the winter, then you have another reason to get some film (and while we’re on the subject of insulation — double glazing). This innovative film has the opposite effect in winter, acting as an extra insulative layer of insulation, the heat won’t be able to escape through the glass as easily. You’ll stay snug and your energy bills will thank you too.

As we’ve mentioned, this type of film is adhesive. You can stick it to the underside of your conservatory roof or windows, and leave it there to work its magic. Some kinds of film need to be stretched over your window frames, which can be a little tricky. While you can do this yourself, if you’re not feeling confident then you should contact an expert. If not installed correctly, you could end up with a distorted view through your windows!

Solar Control Glass

If you like the sound of cooling film but want a more permanent solution, consider installing Solar Control Glass. It works in a very similar way, but the UV rays are kept out by the glass itself, not an additional plastic layer. Like adhesive film, it will keep your conservatory cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

Solar Control Glass is an investment, but it’s still a cheaper alternative to running an air conditioner all summer long. If you want to learn more, give us a call. We’ve fitted loads of our conservatories with Solar Control Glass and can tell you all about it.

Blinds

While your conservatory probably already has blinds (it can be a little spooky at night without them), your choice of blinds can have a great effect on your ability to control the temperature of your conservatory.

For instance, while Venetian blinds are an elegant option, they’re better when backed-up by heavy-duty thermal blinds that will insulate your conservatory for pleasant summer and winter temperatures.

You might also want to think about fitting blinds to your roof to keep the worst of the midday heat from entering your conservatory.

Light, soft furnishings

Dark furnishing can look chic and modern, but when decorating your conservatory try to resist their appeal.

The biggest con of dark fabrics is that they do a wonderful job of absorbing and radiating heat. As you can guess, this only leads to a hot and sweaty conservatory. Another thing is that UV light can fade dark materials, especially leather, creating irreversible marks on your furnishings.

We always recommend opting for light-coloured furnishings for your conservatory. Not only do they reduce the heat in the summer, but they also look great in what’s naturally the most bright and airy room in the house. Need some decor inspiration? Pinterest is a good place to start.

Replace your conservatory roof

If you’re dealing with an old conservatory or your temperature-control attempts aren’t working, then think about replacing your conservatory roof. While it’s definitely an investment, it will be more than worth it once you have a fully functional conservatory again.

Plus, it’s a lot less expensive than replacing your whole conservatory with a new one! Opt for a reflective glass roof, a heat-proof tiled roof, or a modern polycarbonate replacement.

Enjoy your conservatory year-round

We hope this article has provided you with some handy tips and tricks! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to give us a call or drop by our Hayle showroom. For more inspiration, check out our brochures.