Double Glazing On The Web

Considering that we British are hailed as being a nation of gardeners, its extraordinary that we seem to have forgotten the original reason for building a conservatory - to grow exotic plants.  Nowadays, we tend to buy conservatories to provide an extra room so if you intend to keep plants in your conservatory, you need to let the supplier know.

The first thing that must be considered is ventilation.  Conservatories can get hot; very hot.  The best advice is to have ventilation vents in the apex of your conservatory, however, leaving the connecting door between the conservatory and the house open during the summertime will allow for air circulation.  If you choose to do this, ensure that your conservatory door is securely locked.

The ideal temperature for a plant-conservatory is a winter minimum of between  7C and 10C, so slightly cooler than for a conservatory used as an extra room.

Temperatures in this range will allow you to overwinter summer garden plants, such as pelargonium, and grow flowering winter plants - cyclamen and azalea spring to mind.  A conservatory is far more stylish than a window sill!

Ensure that your conservatory plants receive enough water by checking them daily; if the top soil feels dry, water the plant. And remember that just wetting the surface is not good enough, the soil should be moist right down to the bottom of the pot.

In the spring and summer months, your conservatory plants should be fed weekly, reducing to once or twice a month in the winter months.  Make sure that you use the correct feed too - for instance, citrus trees do best if they are given a specific fruit and citrus food.

As winter comes to an end, check all your plants to see if they need repotting - which is best done in spring or summer.  And if your plants are taking over or are not growing straight - prune them!  The best time to prune is after flowering or in later winter/early spring.

Finally - think about pests.  Winter fungal diseases can be a major problem in cool conservatories but can be kept at bay by using a small dehumidifying unit.

Next time, we’ll take a look at specific conservatory plants and how to get the best out of them.

It seems like ages ago that we first planned to bring our website up-to-date but it was, in fact, just a couple of months ago.  Our old site, whilst functional, left a lot to be desired on the aesthetics front and it probably didn’t do a lot for our public profile.

I’m proud (and a little relieved) to announce that our new site is up and open for business.

You’ll notice the upgrade straight away - it is definitely a far ‘prettier’ site than the old one - but it’s not just about looks.  We’ve tried really hard to ensure that the site is easy to negotiate and provides all the information you need when buying doors, windows, or conservatories.

As with most new sites, I suspect we’ll have some teething problems, I would just ask you to be kind to us in these early days.  If you find a problem with the site, please let us know, either by using our Freephone Number:

0800 783 9176

or by emailing us at sales@doubleglazingontheweb.co.uk

So, come on over and see what we’ve done to the place.

Some conservatory suppliers are reporting up to 45% increases in sales over the past three months.

The probable reason for this trend-bucking statistic is that conservatories are seen as a risk-free way of enlarging the home, thus adding value to the property.  In this very uncertain housing market, moving home is nigh on impossible and there is a very real fear of negative equity.

Adding that conservatory is one way, and a very good way, of safeguarding the value of your property, and giving you more living space.

Just a heads up to readers in Crewe and Nantwich: I have just read that new planning regulations applying to new extensions (including conservatories) come into force in your area next Wednesday, 1st October, 2008.

These regulation changes seem pretty confusing to me because, whilst many extensions that have previously needed council permission can now be built without permission, some previously allowed developments now need planning permission.

Of relevance to this site: all conservatories or rear extensions over three metres in length will, from next Wednesday, require planning permission.

Read about these and other changes here

If you frequently look at your neighbours’ conservatories and wonder why; why do they go through all the hassle, upheaval, and expense of having a conservatory added to their house, read on:

Conservatories - The Pros

• Adding a conservatory to your home will increase the footprint size of your home.
• Adding a conservatory to your home is far cheaper than moving to a larger property.

• Adding a conservatory to your home will increase the amount of natural light that your home enjoys.

• A conservatory has the effect of ‘bringing the garden into the home.’

• What could be more cosy and comfortable than sitting in the warm and watching the rain?

Conservatories: The Cons

• The initial outlay for a conservatory can be high.
• You will have to lose some of your garden to the conservatory.

• A conservatory is just another room to heat in the winter months.

• A conservatory has to be furnished - otherwise you won’t use it.

• A south facing conservatory will need blinds.

• Conservatories are not particularly child friendly.

Conservatories: The Summary

In terms of adding extra space when you can’t really afford to move, a conservatory can’t be beat.  Even if you move at a later date, the conservatory will have increased the value of your home.  In terms of whether it’s worth you investing in one, it all depends on how much you will use it - and you are more likely to get a lot of use out of it if its comfortable.

Conservatories: The Conclusion

Probably the best advice is to budget carefully.  If you can afford to furnish a new conservatory and install blinds, that is promising. If you can also afford to heat your conservatory in the winter - you should go for it!

Apparently, rogue conservatory salesmen still exist, despite the industry’s attempts to clean up its act.

From next month (October 2008) as a consumer, if you sign up on your doorstep to purchase a conservatory (well, anything really, but this is a double glazing blog!) you will be allowed to cancel contracts, even if you requested a sales visit to your home or office.

Previously you only had the right to cancel door-to-door salesmen’s contracts in a seven day ‘cooling off’ period if the salesman visits were unsolicited.

The Cancellation of Contracts made in a Consumer’s Home or Place of Work etc Regs 2008 came about because a number of reports and consultations uncovered the need for more protection.  Apparently, protection is particularly needed in the case of the sale of services to construct patios, driveways and conservatories.

The Regulations apply to sales of goods or services to a value of £35 or more, not to sales below that threshold.

Another sad indictment on our industry.  Here at Double Glazing on the Web we pride ourselves on being honest and ethical - and our conservatories aren’t too bad either!

Do you think that a double glazing company really needs a salesforce?  Interesting question, isn’t it?

From the company’s point of view, I suppose a well structured and well motivated sales team might just bring in extra business.  But at what cost?

If the sales team are salaried, they won’t be ‘hungry’ -  They need to be hungry to do a good job; it is being commission hungry that drives a salesman on.  He will have to be paid a good flat-rate salary to forego the thrill of the chase!  And it will have to be a salary that’s good enough to pay for whatever lifestyle he has - mortgage/rent and all the other overheads that go into just keeping body and soul alive.  His salary has to be accounted for of course - where do you think the company get the money for that?  By adding to the cost of the windows, of course!

Okay, let’s suppose then that the salesforce get most of their money from commission.  They’ll be hungry, that’s for sure, and the hungrier the salesman, the more effort he will expend on achieving his aims.  If that means ‘cold-calling’ he will - even though that has been outlawed.  If it means keeping a couple up all night until they sign a contract just to get rid of him - he will.  And where do you think the company get the money to pay his commission?  Obvious, really isn’t it.

With the communication revolution that is the internet, there is no need for this to happen.  A company’s salesforce is its website.  It takes a while to get that set up properly, and there is a lot of science behind getting the website to rank high in the listings.  All internet sales companies lust after being the first name that comes up in a Google search.  But, when that superb listing has been achieved, the company pulls in more potential customers than even the most committed sales force could.

And, in a nutshell, that is our raison d’etre.  We hate hard sell, and we know exactly what percentage commissions and salaries add to the price of your windows, doors, or conservatories.  We are committed to selling (and, yes, we are selling) your windows to you at the right price - that is non-inflated by salesmen’s wages and commissions.  We will never indulge in pretend ‘buy one get one free’ offers because, quite frankly, they are a con.

We will never ‘con’ you.  And, when we achieve that first page Google listing, we will reap the benefit of being honest, upright, and ethical.

In answer to the headline question - Does a Double Glazing Company Really Need a Salesforce - we have to answer, ‘no!’  See you on the Google front page…

You thought it was a no-brainer really, didn’t you? You don’t want to sell your house in the current housing market but you need more room for your growing family; adding a conservatory will not only give you that room, it will add something in the order of 6.7% to the value of your house. So you’ve decided that’s what you’ll do, add a conservatory; it makes sense and you’ve always fancied eating under the stars.

What you hadn’t taken into consideration was the wide range of conservatory styles available; you are completely flummoxed, literally spoilt for choice!

Let’s take a look at the styles of conservatory available and see if we can narrow the options. The main styles of conservatory available here in the UK are:

• Victorian
• Edwardian
• Gable End
• Lean-to
• P-Shaped

Victorian Conservatories

The term ‘Victorian’ is something of a misnomer really - Queen Victoria reigned for almost 64 years and there were many ’seasons of style’ during her reign, going form heavy Gothic to almost insubstantial rococo! However, in terms of conservatories, Victorian style usually denotes a three-panel design that is rounded in shape. Some have four, or even five, panels Although it may sound unlikely, Victorian conservatories look good with many modern homes.

Edwardian Conservatories

The Edwardian era covers a rather short period of time - from 1901 when Victoria died, to 1910 and the death of Edward VII. Some architects extend the period to the end of World War I in 1918. In the simplest terms, where Victorian conservatories are rounded, Edwardian conservatories are square. After the overstyling of the Victorian era, an architectural diet seemed in order! For Edwardian, read classic, understated, pale colours.

Gable End Conservatories

Gable-end conservatories are ideally suited to older properties. Their footprint is square, and the front of the roof is vertical. Because there is no slope to the front of the roof, these conservatories give a spacious feeling and they make more of an impact than the other conservatory styles.

Lean-to Conservatories

You might see Lean-to conservatories referred to as Home Extender Conservatories, which is purely snobbish; the term ‘Lean-to’ has working class connotations that some conservatory companies seem to think is less attractive to the buyer than Home Extender! We stay true to our company objective of being honest and we call a spade a spade (or maybe even a shovel!). Other aliases for the lean-to conservatory are sun room, sun lounge, and sun garden.

In terms of style, lean-to conservatories have a square or rectangular footprint, with a sloped roof. They are three sided, with the fourth wall of the conservatory being formed by the wall of the house. They suit many modern properties and are particularly suitable for bungalows.

P-Shaped Conservatories

Well, P-shaped conservatories are exactly what it says on the tin - p-shaped! They are available in Victorian and Edwardian styles and in many combinations; in fact, an alternative name for the p-shaped conservatory is the combination conservatory. They perhaps give the widest choice because of the combination factor.

Choosing Your Conservatory

What style of conservatory will most compliment the architectural style of your house is a secondary consideration really. Practicalities must come first!

Make sure to consider the following:

• the size of your property
• the space available
• the pitch of your roof
• location of windows - both ground floor and first floor
• ease of access
• then appearance

If you find this all a tad daunting, let our conservatory experts help you to make the right decision.

And don’t forget that Double Glazing on the Web do not use salesmen, or hard sell tactics. We believe in open, honest communication with absolutely no pressure to buy. This means you can contact us confident in the fact that you will not be bombarded with spam or telephone calls.

Okay, so the UK is not blessed with year round sunshine, but there are other reasons to add a conservatory to your house:

• You will be increasing your home’s ‘footprint’ by enlarging one of your downstairs rooms.
• You could, if you wanted to, treat the conservatory as a completely separate room.
• Adding a conservatory is cheaper than moving home, yet it gives you a bigger home and increases the value of your house.
• Natural sunlight is good for you, in fact, without it your body cannot make Vitamin D. This vitamin is essential for strong teeth and bones because, without it, your body cannot use the calcium in your food. So, in rainy old UK, when the children can’t always play out, you will be increasing the amount of sunlight and, therefore, vitamin D available to your children.
• Don’t you just love the sound of rain pattering on glass when you’re all cozy and safe inside your home? Well, you’ll get plenty of that!
• If you love entertaining, conservatories make amazing dining rooms. Sunny and bright during the daytime for lunch, glamorous or romantic in the evening, eating beneath the stars.

Given the current state of the housing market, there couldn’t be a better time to consider upgrading your home. Take the first step by looking at our wide range of conservatories now.