Energy Efficient Glass
It takes a long time planning and building your ideal conservatory. It is not a cheap undertaking and sometimes planning permission may need to be sought in order for the conservatory to be completed. It is worth the time and effort though and it not only gives you a quiet place to relax but also adds to the beauty and value of your home.
In the warm summer months, a conservatory really comes into it's own. However in the colder winter months, the conservatory loses heat and you might be stung by high-energy bills. This is mainly due to the fact that glass allows the warmth to escape from the conservatory.
In this case, you should seriously consider solutions to make your conservatory more energy efficient. Heat reflective glass has a special thin metallic coating on one side that gives a slight brown or grey tint to the glass and allows the suns energy to pass through from the outside whilst reducing heat loss from inside the home. Remember Heat reflective glass does not improve insulation on it's own; it has to be part of a double or triple-glazed unit.
There are two types of heat reflective glass; the first is sputtered or soft-coat glass. The coating is easily damaged by air or moisture, so can only be used on the inside of sealed double-glazed or triple-glazed units.
The second type is pyrolytic or hard-coat glass. Although this does not have to be sealed into a double-glazed unit, it is a less effective at keeping heat out of your conservatory in the summer months.
Heat reflective glass will also reduce glare on really bright summer days, but still allow light into your conservatory on dull days. The idea for having a conservatory is to have a quiet place to relax in. It does not make sense to have a conservatory that is too expensive to maintain.
