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With ever
increasing heating costs, the insulation value or the ability of your new uPVC
conservatory to retain heat during the colder months of the year is becoming an
even more important factor to consider.
If you are
considering adding a conservatory to your home during the warmer months of the
year, it is possible that you may overlook the fact that you will have to heat
it efficiently during the winter months in order that you can utilise it as a
year round extension to your home.
Considering
how you will heat the conservatory is one issue but the most important factor
will be how efficient the conservatory will be in retaining this heat. There is little point in adding an expensive
heating solution such as underfloor heating if your valuable heat is going to
disappear through the glass, roof or frames of the conservatory.
This is
particularly important at the lower end of the market where you can still buy a
basic specification conservatory that does not include any type of heat
retaining glass and the roof is glazed using 16mm or 25mm polycarbonate. These products may appear to be bargain price
conservatories but the lack of good insulation properties could mean that they could
be very expensive to heat during the colder months of the year or possibly
'off-limits' for this period.
In the UK
insulation values or 'U' values are currently used to measure a product's heat
transfer and the lower the 'U' value the better the insulation value, which
means less of your valuable heating will be lost 'through' the product.
Target
'U' values for the three main elements of an energy efficient PVCU conservatory
are likely to be:
- Glass Conservatory Roof = 1.1w
m/2k
- Polycarbonate Conservatory
Roof = 1.5w m/2k
- PVCU Frames = 1.8w m/2k
- Sealed Units = 1.1w m/2k
However,
you do not need to get too concerned with the technical data when choosing your
conservatory supplier. The requirements
can be summarised into typical minimum specifications for each component that
will provide similar 'U' values:
- Glass Conservatory Roof – should
include a low E internal glass surface, even if you are selecting solar
control glass for the exterior surface.
Sealed units should preferably be argon gas filled for optimum
insulation.
- Polycarbonate Conservatory
Roof – 35mm thickness is more efficient than 16mm or 25mm thick.
- Sealed Units – should include
heat retaining glass such as K glass as a minimum or even better, a
soft-coat Low E glass. Units should
preferably be Argon Gas filled for optimum performance.
The
performance ratings of PVCU windows and doors are currently undergoing a change
with an easier to understand rating system being introduced. The new window energy ratings are similar to
those already found on many electrical items with a seven band A – G rating
system, with A being the most energy efficient.
This system is not a statutory requirement but is being voluntarily
introduced to allow consumers to make informed decisions on the energy
performance of competing products.
At the
present time, Conservatories are not subject to building regulations in England and Wales, which means that unlike
replacement windows and doors for your home, there are no enforced standards of
insulation applicable.
However,
since the purpose of adding a new conservatory to your property will doubtless
be to increase your living space all year round it is ultimately very much in
your interests to check the insulation value or energy performance rating of
the components used in the manufacture of your new conservatory to ensure that
it does not become a 'white elephant' during the colder months of the year.
There are
bargain price PVCu conservatories in the market place, particularly in the DIY
or self build conservatory field where prices are very competitive. The choice and difference in specification
can prove daunting to the uninitiated and you will need to consider the performance
of each product carefully, not just the cost.
The
insulation value of your new conservatory is a very important point to consider
at the planning stage, since there will be little you can do to make this
permanent extension to your home more energy efficient once it has been
installed.
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