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A new outlook on life

ONE aspect of your home that influences your life is that of sunlight, another equally fundamental consideration is energy, writes Jonathan Cromie of Turkington Windows and Conservatories.

We instinctively know that sunlight is crucial to our mental and physical health, yet progress has resulted in our conducting more of our working time hidden away from the sun. Our optimum environment is daylight.

A surprisingly large amount of heat too is provided by the ambient energy present in daylight. We should do well to consider that during daylight a glass wall will gain more heat that it loses, whereas a brick wall will only lose heat, especially when wet.

Integral

Conservatories therefore have become very popular additions to our homes for good reason, and, are now often integral parts of new dwellings.

Up to 50,000 conservatories a year are being installed in Britain, and the number is rising. As a result of new technology and materials, today's conservatory can be more economic than ever before. Reinforced PVCu has become the norm, with its low maintenance and high insulation properties. Double glazing, toughened, tinted, laminated or with low emmissivity coatings are even more practical. Roofs can be double glazed, or of polycarbonate, with its properties of great impact strength, increased insulation, lower deadweight, ultraviolet filtering and glare reduction without the need for internal roof blinds.

Features of any conservatory depend on the demands and constraints imposed by your home. If you do not have doors from your house at a suitable position, which windows you open up into doorways; which position would give the best views?

Symbol

Orientate the site in a southerly aspect if possible for maximum solar gain, S.E. for morning sun, S.W. for a view west as the sun sets. Do you want your conservatory easily seen from the road as a status symbol, or is it to be a quiet retreat away from public view?

Doors and windows of many kinds can be used, remember, heat build up in summer can be surprising and windows can be features as well as necessities.

Solid floors store heat during the day and improve ambient temperature, remember, reflective or white tiles should be avoided as they dazzle under direct sunlight.
