Working to Develop Your Home and Garden

A good number of Australian homes have conservatories or sunrooms these days and they are often a superb addition to a dwelling. However, the strong Australian sun can cause some problems in rooms that have more than average glazing. Typically, flooring and furniture in a conservatory will fade more rapidly than that which is located in the rest of the house. In addition, conservatories and sunrooms can become excessively hot in the middle of the day. Of course, opening vents and windows can improve this situation but it is better to stop too much sunlight entering in the first place. By controlling excessive light, you will also control fading from ultraviolet rays and too much heat building up. Read on to discover three of the best methods.

Stick-On Window Film

A self-adhering window film is a tried-and-tested way of creating a 'frosted' effect that will allow light to come into a room but still provide privacy. Superb if you have an overlooked window in your home, stick-on window film also reduces the amount of light that comes in via your glazing. As such, film is a great product to retrofit to a conservatory. Simply cut the film to size and attach it to your glazing on the inside. For a good fit without bubbles, make sure your panes are cleaned thoroughly before installing it. Attached well, such film can sit in place for many years without requiring any maintenance.

Blinds

Affording a more elegant look than stick-on film, blinds simply create the right level of shade in a conservatory depending on the time of day. They can be controlled automatically to raise and lower according to the passage of the sun, too, so you can keep your conservatory cool even when you are out. Custom blinds are better than standard ones because these will be made to measure and fit in with the individual panes of your conservatory, even being used to cover the ceiling glazing, too, if required.

External Awnings

Unlike blinds, which are fitted on the inside, an external awning controls light – and, therefore, heat – by generating the desired amount of shade from the outside. This means that just one awning can be used to control the amount of light that is coming in because it will be able to span the entire length of a sunroom. With one control, either operated by a winch or from a motor, you can raise and lower the awning to the desired height to maintain external views without compromising on control.