Financial

Add value to your home with orangeries

(Dan Childs) - Creating extra living space within your home has many advantages. As well as giving you a lot more freedom and space to roam around and spend your leisurely hours, it also adds value to your home. One of the best ways to create this extra room in your home is with the addition of an orangery. The great thing about orangeries is that they give you outdoor living space which you can take advantage of throughout the whole year. In the summer they make for great gateways to your garden and a great venue for those spontaneous summer BBQs. In the winter months you can enjoy the feeling of being outdoors and yet still being in the comfort of your own home.

Orangeries were originally found on the grounds of the very wealthy and fashionable from the 17th century. Similar to a greenhouse or conservatory the name comes from its original use in which citrus trees were wintered in tubs under cover in order to survive severe frosts. They were first used in the Renaissance gardens of Italy where glass making technology allowed for expanses of clear glass to be produced.

Today, orangeries are often found attached to the side of homes whereas before they were more commonly found as a seperate entity from the home itself. Classic organgeries were also built predominantly from stone -- a much more costly production. Today however, orangeries come in many different materials making their fabrication a lot less difficult and a lot less costly. The main materials used are wood and uPVC, both of which offer great aesthetical and functional properties.

Wooden orangeries offer a classy look to your home and the ability to be varnished and coloured to your liking allowing them to be matched to the exterior look of your home. The window panes also come in double glazing increasing insulation and sound protection. Wooden orangeries are also surprisingly robust however they do tend to have a shorter life span then its counterpart, the uPVC orangery.

A revolutionary material, uPVC is very cost effective and long lasting making it a sound investment for its various applications including windows and doors. uPVC is an ideal material for orangeries as it acts as a superior insulator, is lighter in weight and is also easier to produce. The window panes (all of which are double glazed) make for excellent sound proofing as well; which is ideal when living in the increasing bustling suburbs of the UK.

Orangeries really do make a difference to your home and have come a long way over the centuries. If you are considering extending your home or adding to the landscape of your garden then orangeries really are an ideal choice.

Dan Childs has worked in house renovations for over 20 years and has great experience with installing orangeries as part of house extensions. More information can be found at http://www.conservatoryoutlet.co.uk