Anyone who has had an orangery added to their home, clearly harbours a desire to enjoy more than just the extra space that it provides. Extra space comes with any brick extension, but an orangeries are designed to take full advantage of sunlight, providing enough glazing to have it flood the room and the occupants to benefit fully. When it comes to orangeries and conservatories, the brightness of the living space is a major draw, but with it comes an added issue of heat. Natural sunlight provides warmth, but glass serves to increase the heating effect so that on hot summer days the temperature within the structure can become quite uncomfortable. Proper ventilation is essential, if the temperature inside is to be managed effectively. There are several ways in which one can ventilate a room, none of which require a large amount of upset to an existing design or structure, and all of which can be quickly installed. It is also worth noting that for homes with properly ventilated orangeries, garden rooms and conservatories, prices can be augmented handsomely, as the living quality in the room is improved. Ceiling Fans As much a decorative item as a practical form of ventilation, a ceiling fan can add a finishing touch to decor with a considerable range of styles available. The work by circulating the air within the room, keeping the atmosphere fresh. For larger areas, the blade span can be considerable at as much as 54 inches, ensuring an effective circulation of air. Many models come with lights built in, thereby serving dual purposes. With designs that are flush to a ceiling or have down rods stretching to as much a 5ft and 6ft, the fan can be hung as high or as low as is preferred. Roof Vents Roof vents are highly effective in ventilating a room, allowing hot air to escape upwards. For glazed roofs, these vents are a far sleeker and more discreet design that the vent one might recognise for use over an attic or loft. The vent is, for all intents and purposes, a window, which opens upwards either manually with the use of worm gear or electronically with the use of a remote control. Air Conditioners Wall mounted air conditioners can bring welcome cool air into orangeries and other sun filled extensions, and very discreetly too. Modern designs are slim and quiet, which ensures the minimum amount of distraction from what one is doing to relax. Outside, the vent hole is quite small ensuring that the aesthetic impact of the building is not spoiled. A chief advantage of air conditioners over the other forms of ventilation, is that the air temperature can also be regulated, thereby allowing the room to be cooled to a more comfortable rate compared to the weather conditions outside. Extractor Fans These can be easily installed though the wall, just below the ceiling line. As such, they can be kept out of sight, and with quietly running motors can be as close to silent as possible too. It is also possible to have a fan installed in a window itself, and while it does not affect performance in terms of ventilation quality, for some it makes the fan more obvious. Remember, as an extractor fan, the mechanism draws air out of the room to the exterior, rather than bringing fresh air into the room. Applied Film This is a temperature control solution rather than a solution for ventilation issues, but can help considerably in making
conservatories and orangeries more comfortable to be in, especially in summer. Film is simply applied to the glass in the ceiling and windows, which reflects much of the heat of the sun away thereby keeping the temperatures low. An extra advantage is that it also ensures materials and fabrics on furniture suffer less damaged from the sun, such as colour fading, and can offer a degree of shading to protect laptops, televisions or other electronic gadgets kept in the
orangery or conservatory. Rooms designed to be flooded with sun are highly appealing, and with oak wood framed orangeries, garden rooms and
conservatories prices are indicative of the quality of the material, construction and design. Far superior and longer lasting, if they are well ventilated they are sure to provide the desired cool, fresh atmosphere for decades to come.
