Westbury - Environmentally friendly garden rooms

Energy costs are set to skyrocket this winter, as many of the UK’s larger energy firms are increasing their prices. In fact, some companies have announced hikes of up to 19%, increasing the average gas bill from £665 to £740.

At the same time, house prices have stagnated and sales are taking longer to process, and so many homeowners are choosing to improve their properties, rather than move house. One of the main trends is to add additional living space on the ground floor, by extending the kitchen in to a garden room.

Contrary to popular opinion, adding a large glazed extension to a property does not necessarily mean increased bills during the winter months. In fact, if the extension is executed well, it will have minimum impact on the home owner’s fuel bills and the environment.

Glazing

It is not the case, that a mostly glazed exterior will be less efficient than a brick wall - particularly if the wall in question is in a period property, or has not been insulated. Single glazing and ill-fitting windows are also big offenders, in terms of heat loss.

When selecting glass or glazing, it is advisable to compare insulation values. All glazing

products are assigned a U-value, which relates to the amount of heat loss per square metre of material. The lower the U-value, the less the heat loss.

The other more current method of understanding the energy efficiency of glass, is to consider its Energy Rating: A is the most efficient and G is the least. The Government’s Building Regulations have specific minimum compliance levels that must be adhered to for the replacement of windows, but any property owner seeking optimum levels of energy efficiency may want to consider triple-glazed or K-glass too.

As many garden rooms span a substantial part of the rear of a property, replacing inefficient walls and windows can have a substantial effect on the fuel consumption and energy bills at a property.

Wood

There are a vast number of companies offering uPVC garden rooms but in this case, there is no safety in numbers. uPVC will simply not last as long as a well manufactured timber extension and nor will it perform as well as wood in preventing heat loss. Wood is a natural insulator so should always be the first choice for anyone considering a garden room extension.

Most designer-manufacturers will now only source wood from FSC credited suppliers. However, discerning developers who really want to reduce their environmental impact, should also look for sources that are not from the rain forests of Africa & South East Asia (even if they have FSC status).

Some manufacturers will now source hardwoods from more local sources such as Europe. This is a positive move because European timber companies waste less wood than their overseas counterparts, by utilising a higher percentage of off cuts for engineered timbers. They also use what is left for heating their factories, thus cutting down the high wastage traditionally found at the forest and mill. For any UK homeowner, an additional benefit of sourcing more locally grown hardwood, is that the carbon footprint of delivery is also lower.

Understand the designer-manufacturer’s credentials

Using a smaller, local, garden room designer or manufacturer may seem like an effective way for a homeowner to reduce their carbon footprint, but it is not always the most efficient way to construct an extension. The larger companies tend to invest in the latest machine technology which optimises the cutting of timber and minimises waste. Similar to the European wood suppliers, even UK-based companies are now starting to burn any waste they make, helping to heat their factories in winter and reduce their carbon footprint.

Summary

An experienced garden room designer-manufacturer will understand a homeowner’s very real concerns about both the need to reduce their fuel bills and minimise the impact of their build on the environment. With the correct experience, design and engineering, fuel bills will not increase following the installation of a garden room, and in many cases bills may be significantly reduced.

Using both stable and durable products will ensure that a glazed extension will last for a long time, and the more sustainable it is, the better for the environment.

Author Bio:

Article submitted by Jonathan Hey, Managing Director of Westbury Conservatories . Westbury Conservatories has over 20 years experience in building bespoke conservatories and garden rooms and is a top 3 UK leading designer / manufacturer of bespoke orangeries and garden rooms.