An incorrectly specified conservatory can be as uncomfortable as an overcoat in mid-summer or a T-shirt in mid-winter…

A conservatory is a conservatory, right? Very, very wrong actually - and an incorrectly specified conservatory can be as uncomfortable as an overcoat in mid-summer or a T-shirt in mid-winter.

And that's an important consideration as more and more homeowners duck out of the currently risky house move market and invest in home improvements - and more living space.

"Unsurprisingly, the vast majority of people ordering a conservatory go for looks and price rather than function and purpose of use," said Paul Masterson of Poynton, Cheshire-based Crystal Windows, which specialises in premium and exclusive conservatory design.

"A conservatory should be designed and specified according to its proposed location and use - and bear in mind a good conservatory should provide all-year-round use - but the materials and specification can have a massive impact upon usability.  For instance, how many homeowners would know to specify glass according to which direction the conservatory was facing? Unscrupulous conservatory fitters will simply install the cheapest glass they can so they can make the highest possible margin.”

Masterson continued: "But glass for north and south facing conservatories is completely different: glass in north facing conservatories does not need to be over specified in terms of deflecting sunlight, while south-facing does.  What you save in glass costs on, say, a north facing conservatory you can invest in a better or different style or design."

Six top conservatory tips

Paul has a number of tips for those people eschewing house sale and instead investing in a conservatory:

1. Confirm the direction your planned conservatory will face - that can determine some huge fundamentals relating to design and specification.

2. Check that your designer is specifying glass suitable to the direction the conservatory is facing. South facing needs to deflect heat, north facing needs to contain heat.

3. A conservatory that is mainly in the shade will need heating - you need to decide whether to extend your central heating, or go for specifically-designed under-floor heating.

4. Does the roof need self-cleaning glass? That's right: self cleaning glass. Some big or complex designs will mean be difficult-to-clean roofs. "We've seen conservatories that need scaffolding erecting to be cleaned…" said Paul.

5. What's it going to be used for? "We'll even mark out the layout of a proposed conservatory on a garden and then place the customer's likely furnishings in it to confirm the space requirement… and at that stage the design is usually increased in size," said Paul.

6. Carefully consider colour and materials - classic and inoffensive colours and finishes. What's a fad today may not be tomorrow.

Paul concluded: "Conservatories can meet a range of demands: of course, south facing means all-day sun, east-facing means morning sun, west means evening sun, but even north facing can suit many households and bring light to naturally darker sections of a home.”