Sometimes the thought of conservatory maintenance can seem overwhelming, but as an investment to your home, you need to invest your time to reap all the benefits. Treating your conservatory as if it’s the same as any other room in your home is a must. We have assembled a simple list of maintenance tips to help break up the unnerving task.
GENERAL CLEANING
Maintaining your conservatory is as easy as cleaning your kitchen or living area – as long as you keep up with the task as often as possible. We recommend cleaning your windows and any other interior PVC surfaces every month. You can do this by wiping down the surfaces with a damp cloth to remove dust and grime that naturally occurs. Using warm water is recommended – some people like to add a tiny bit of washing up liquid for a soapy wash – whichever option you choose, be sure to remove jewellery to avoid any accidental scratching. In-expensive cleaning products can be used on both the windows and surfaces, but we always recommend using tools and detergents designed for windows only, so you do not cause any damage or scratches. We highly recommend avoiding bleach style products.
A top tip is to avoid cleaning the roof around midday when the sun is at its hottest and brightest, as the glass windows could dry too quickly and leave water drop marks behind – meaning double the cleaning!
The main priority when cleaning your conservatory roof is maintaining your safety. Please ensure you do not use ladders in windy or wet environments – the cleaning can wait until the weather is on your side.
Whether you have carpet, tile or wooden/laminate flooring, vacuuming weekly should ensure that dirt from the garden or from the rest of the house isn’t dispersed across the room. Having pets who use the conservatory as a back door are more prone to bringing in dirt, so keeping on top of this task is important to keep your floor in tip-top condition.
LOCKS AND HANDLES
Maintaining your locks and handles are an essential piece of the puzzle, and an easy task to take on. Ensure you use light machine oil lubricant for moving parts – we suggest WD40 or something similar. Keeping the hinges lubricated means less jams and less force used when opening or shutting doors and windows.
VENTILATION
Part of maintaining your conservatory isn’t all about cleaning – keeping it to the highest standard can be helped with some simple ventilation techniques throughout the year. Be sure to consider security when following these tips.
- Opening windows/doors when the weather is nice enough to do so
- Utilising the roof vent by keeping it open if fitted (weather permitting)
- Ensure trickle vents in the ridge/at the eaves are open
TEMPERATURE CONTROL
As well as ensuring your conservatory is well ventilated and cool, controlling the temperature to keep it warm is also very important. This part of maintenance is super simple – invest in a small heater, or large heater depending on the size of your conservatory. They are fairly inexpensive to run and will heat up your living space quickly. If you’re not spending time in your conservatory you do not need it constantly running, and of course, ensure the heater is turned off when you leave the house. Electric radiators are also an easy solution to conservatory heaters, as conveniently the existing pipework does not need to be extended or re-laid, meaning you can just plug the heater in and heat up the room instantly.
Creating heat can also be as simple as investing in draught excluders to run along the bottom of doors to limit warmth escaping. Further adding blankets to furniture such as seating areas and rugs to floors which will also create a homely feel. Conservatory maintenance isn’t just about the mundane task of cleaning!
Sometimes investing in underfloor heating is the way to go for some conservatories as it provides a steady flow of heating throughout the room and is of course very discreet. Underfloor heating can take some time to heat up, which in turn means it also takes some time to cool down. Please be aware that some underfloor heating can only be installed during the building of your conservatory and can also only be laid under certain floor coverings which may limit the design choices for your home. We recommend avoiding adding underfloor heating to wooden floors as it may warp over a period of time, as well as carpet flooring as it stops the heat from rising altogether.
CONSERVATORY MAINTENANCE MADE EASY
All in all, conservatory maintenance can be inexpensive and as simple as it needs to be. Keeping your conservatory clean is the same as any other room in the house, even if you only use it at certain times of the year. Bear in mind that glass buildings can let out up to 8x the warmth as a regular walled building, so managing the temperature can go a long way. Get in touch with us today if you’re looking to enhance your home with a conservatory.