The conservatory is the ideal location for summer meals and catching up with family. In the winter however, it’s often forgotten and can become a cold and baron room. If the outside and inside aren’t maintained properly, problems can quickly start to show as the weather gets colder. If you want your conservatory to feel welcoming all year round, you’re in the right place.
Get your decking ready for winter
When preparing the conservatory for winter, many people focus on the inside and forget to cater to the outside. If the outside is forgotten, problems can quickly pop up, which can become costly. One example is your decking outside of your conservatory; this will also need winter preparations.
As leaves fall off the trees, they can cover your decking. As they do, they can cause it to become slippery. Snow and ice can have the same effect which can be dangerous. If you have young children who love to run around the garden, this is something you want to avoid. When you notice your decking getting messy, sweep off any leaves and debris. If you don’t, then the leaves may start to discolour the surface of the wood. And if it becomes icy, sprinkle table salt over the top and this should help make it go.
Make sure your gutters are clean
Don’t forget the outside of your conservatory and the gutters. If they become blocked by leaves, water can get trapped with nowhere else to go. Moss in your gutter can stop water from drying as it acts like a sponge. On winter’s colder days, excess water can freeze. This can then cause damage like large cracks in your gutters. Installing gutter guards are a great solution for stopping debris from getting in the way. These are something you might consider installing, especially in the winter months.
Water and rotting can sometimes pull the guttering away from the wall. Not only is this costly to fix, but it could give water the chance to creep into your house and make it damp. To avoid all these problems, clean your gutters when you notice temperatures dropping. The best way to do this is by hand with protective gloves, a bucket and a ladder. When cleaning your gutter, have safety in mind. You don’t want to hurt yourself!
Keep your conservatory warm
If your conservatory is warm in the winter, it’ll feel cosy for you and your guests. There’re different ways to go about this…
Add blinds and fill the room with soft furnishings
Blinds are great at stopping the cold from seeping in. This makes them an ideal solution for insulation. They’re also useful in the summer months for keeping a room cool. This means they’re a good investment all year round. Curtains work in a similar way. Darker colours for blinds and curtains are ideal in the autumn and winter months. This is because they absorb heat better than lighter colours do.
Soft furnishings like cushions and fluffy blankets can also stop cold air from circulating around the room. They do this by absorbing heat, so if you have more furniture, this is even better. Not only are they good insulators, but they make your conservatory feel homely.
Add a thick rug or carpet to your conservatory
This is particularly useful if you have a tiled floor as this is likely to get very cold in the winter. This makes your conservatory a lot nicer to walk around. Walking on cold tiles first thing in the morning is not a nice feeling. Having a thick rug or carpet can help absorb heat to make your conservatory feel warmer as a whole.
Materials like cotton or wool are super cosy and are great at keeping in heat. Don’t forget to choose a material which is easy to clean. Your conservatory creates a direct route to your garden, and people may be walking inside with muddy feet. Another plus side of rugs is that they can absorb noise. This is perfect if you have loud children who love to play.
If you have more money to work with, consider adding underfloor heating to your conservatory. Heat rises, so as well as warming up your floor, it also increases the temperature of the surrounding air as well. Underfloor heating when it’s freezing or snowing outside is a game changer.
Seal doors and windows
Be careful of any gaps around your doors and windows. Cold air can find its way in if you don’t take care of these. Using sealant can be great at filling in areas like these. Don’t forget about draught excluders, these are super helpful! You can put them at the bottom of doors and windows to stop cold air from taking over your conservatory
You should consider closing off your conservatory if it’s not already. A conservatory can naturally become cold, which can make the rest of your house chilly. Closing it off with a door or even a curtain can make a huge difference.
Add double-glazed windows
If your conservatory is older, it may only have single-pane windows. Double glazing is perfect for the winter as it will keep your conservatory feeling warm. Although this change could be costly, you’ll notice a huge difference in the temperature of your conservatory. As well as keeping in heat, double glazing is good at reducing the sound of noise, again ideal if you have young children.
Condensation is also a huge problem for many during the winter months. Mouldy windowsills can be a nuisance to clean and maintain. Double glazed windows can reduce the risk of condensation. If you still find condensation forming on your windows, invest in disposable dehumidifiers. You can usually buy these for cheap from Amazon or sometimes the supermarket. They work by absorbing the water and trapping it.
As you can see, there’re many ways to prepare your conservatory for the colder months. You better get prepping; colder temperatures are approaching fast! If you take on the tips spoken about in this article, you’ll stay warm this winter and can avoid problems caused by the cold!
Written By Rosie Buckley, Photo by Irina Novikova
