All we can say is that many, many clients have Victorian and Edwardian style conservatories on modern newly built homes, which they are very satisfied with. Indeed, such installations frequently result in further work being desired by family and friends. The many pictures in our gallery demonstrate just how successful this work can be.

Likewise, most people would not think it possible to fit a Victorian or Edwardian style on a bungalow, but with our box gutter detail (picture to the left), this is really no longer a problem.  Also there are many other designs available such as "P" Shaped, "B" Shaped and "L" Shaped; just about any design can be accommodated.  Our reputation for bespoke designs is almost legendary .  So whatever the choice, we can help.  See our bespoke design page for further details.

MATERIALS

At www.conservatoriestoday.co.uk the one standard question which we are most frequently asked is: "What material (and to a lesser extent what style) should I use for my conservatory?"

Regarding material there are three main choices (and all are available at Dial a Conservatory).  These are PVCu, Hardwood and Aluminium.  To summarise the qualities of each of these we would like to make the following points:-

PVCu

This is an excellent, highly insulative material which benefits from little or no external maintenance.  It is readily available and well tested and the lowest cost option of all three materials.  It is mainly seen in white but also available in Mahogany and Cherry Oak woodgrain styles. PVCu is by far the most popular material for conservatories today.

For some, however, PVCu lacks authenticity when it comes to the more traditional designs.  It is not acceptable to planners for use on listed buildings and not popular with planners in conservation areas.

HARDWOOD

For a truly traditional design with an authentic look, this is the one to use.  Just about any traditional design or feature can be recreated - incorporating the contemporary benefit of double-glazing.  This is the "perfect" material for listed buildings.  While it will require some periodic maintenance, modern paint finishes and stains ensure that this is increasingly less of an issue.  Available in a variety of stains (mahogany, light oak, etc.), as well as various painted finishes (white, cream, green and brown), for bespoke designs particularly, this will be the most expensive choice of material; but then again it will look very special.

ALUMINIUM

The features of this material are very similar to PVCu, although it is more expensive and not quite such a good insulator.  It is a good choice for commercial locations and any situation where strength is a major issue.  (Note, that our PVCu conservatories, although clad in PVCu, almost always use aluminium in the roof structure precisely for this reason.)

Dial A Conservatory's preferred roofing system for both PVCu and aluminium conservatories is the Ultraframe Roofing System.  Ultraframe is Europe's leading supplier of conservatory roofing components, with an exceptional reputation for quality and service.