Conservatories that are too hot to use in summer and then too cold to use in winter, have had their day! Homeowners are realising that there is a modern alternative that can be comfortably used every day of the year, the so-called flat pack extension.
Flat pack extensions are highly insulated buildings that are manufactured in factory conditions and then assembled on-site in just a matter of days. Garden room suppliers such as Garden Spaces offer contemporary garden room extensions using these techniques.
Bespoke contemporary house extensions
This recent build by Garden Spaces is a fine example of contemporary flat pack extension. Garden Spaces customer wanted to replace their conservatory which was frustratingly unusable because of the extremes of temperature and decided upon a modern timber extension as the ideal alternative. They chose to work with Garden Spaces because their garden rooms are highly insulated being built with Structural Insulated Panels (SIPS) this coupled with double glazed doors and windows, creates a building that can comfortably be used every day, a real extension of the main living space.
Garden Spaces design each building to meet their client’s needs. In this case, a 6.2 meter by 3-meters building was created with a large section of floor to ceiling glazing on the front elevation, leading onto the landscaped garden. This section of glazing is made up with a set of French doors in the middle with a rather nice arrangement of wide and narrow fixed glass panels on either side. There is a further floor to ceiling window on the right-hand wall. This combination of glazing floods the room with natural light which is important as the room that it leads off is reliant on the light entering via the internal window & doors.
The plastered and decorated walls and ceiling coupled with a laminate flooring which comes with a 25-year warranty, further bounce light around the room.
Garden Spaces fully wire their house extensions to comply with the Building Regulations. In this case, the room has 6 dimmable LED downlights in the ceiling and four double power sockets in the walls.
Durable, low maintenance exterior finishes
The palette of materials chosen for the exterior of the extension are durable requiring little maintenance. The Cedar cladding, for example, has a lifespan in excess of 25 years and can be left to weather to a subtle silvery grey. If you wanted to preserve the rich tones of the new Cedar a couple of coats of UV-oil would need to be applied at the time of installation and topped up every couple of years or so.
The dark grey uPVC doors and windows have been colour matched with the windows on the main house. Again, this is is a low maintenance design choice as they will maintain their appearance with little more than a soapy wash.
Sedum roof covering add insulation and looks good from above
Garden Spaces client chose to have a sedum roof covering installed on their new extension. This is a popular option in garden room design as it offers a valuable extra layer of insulation in the build-up, helping to moderate the temperature within the room during the year.
Sedum roofs also help with rainwater control. This roof has a slight fall to the front and a guttering system running along the front elevation but the sedum plants will greatly minimise the amount of water that runs into the drainage system. The sedum plants also absorb pollutants from the rainwater. In addition, the sedum roof returns a valuable area of green space back into the garden. This is particularly important for insects and birds.
On top of these environmental benefits, a sedum roof covering like this looks great when viewed from above. A living roof covering on an extension like this looks far better than looking out of the window on to a grey / black expanse of rubber roof!
By asking Garden Spaces to replace their conservatory with a flat pack extension, this homeowner has created a large new room that their family can comfortably use every day of the year. The room will need little energy to heat or cool and has formed a great connection with the garden, bringing the outside in.
To learn more about this project talk to the Garden Spaces team on 0845 387 9 387 or take a look at their website.
