[box]An informative guest post from Westbury Garden Rooms advising on how to ensure your garden room can cope with all the weather throws at it:[/box]
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Buying a garden room is a real investment, which is why it is crucial to ensure you consider all elements of design. Here Jonathan Hey at Westbury Garden Rooms outlines some of the key factors to consider to ensure your extension will cope with any weather conditions.
1) Think about the purpose of the room
The number one rule of design is to think about the purpose of the room. This may sound obvious, but by thinking about what the room will be used for e.g. an office, dining room, a playroom or just additional space will impact every element of design.
It’s also worth thinking about when the room will be used the most, for example if the extension is to be used during the day when the sun can be at its hottest, then adequate ventilation needs to be a primary consideration. In contrast if it is to be used most in the evenings, it is important to think about heating and insulating the room.
The above two factors should feed in to each and every element of the garden room design.
2) Think about the glazing
Glazing is a key part of any garden room, as it truly opens the extension up into the surrounding garden. Whilst the amount of glass to be used ultimately comes down to personal choice, it is worth thinking about the purpose and position of the room. For example if the room is adjoining a darkened kitchen, you should allow more glazing to allow the light to be spread throughout.
Double glazed units are more than ample solution to energy efficiency. In fact it is likely that your new room with be the most energy efficient in the entire house.
3) Location, location, location
It is no exaggeration to say that the location of the extension can dramatically alter the heat generation or insulation an extension receives. South facing extensions will attract more sunshine and can therefore heat up quite quickly. If there isn’t any natural shade available, such as from trees or existing buildings, it can be worth solar reflective glass in order to reflect ultraviolet rays and minimise the sun exposure.
North and east facing rooms can be more likely to grow organisms such as mold. It is important to keep your timber joinery clean in these situations to avoid rot. A little maintenance goes a long way to the longevity of a timber building, and ownership of such a beautiful building far outways this minimal effort.
4) Ventilation
Ventilation is crucial consideration for keeping glazed extensions cool. It is essential that air is able to flow through the building and that colder air can be drawn into the extension. By using automated roof vents that open and close dependent upon rain and temperature, they will help warmer air rising to escape, allowing cooler air to be drawn in. Extractor fans, ceiling fans or even air conditioning can be used, but should not be necessary if a room is designed and positioned correctly.
5) Heating
Heating is an important consideration,and there are now a wide range of options available. Underfloor heating is by far the most popular choice for our customers, as it is invisible within the room, highly efficient and can be incorporated into existing systems with relative ease.
Avoid radiators if possible as they spoil the smooth and open architecture of the room, unless of course they befitting the room, perhaps in a victorian styled conservatory, period radiators can work very well. Also trench heating is an option for a truly traditional aesthetic.
For more infromation about the beautiful Westbury Garden Rooms, visit their website.
