Thursday May 17, 2012 at 2:54pm
When designing your new DIY conservatory there is no reason why you have to stick with French doors as the only main entrance / exit to the conservatory. We have had a number of customers who did not want French doors at all but rather opted for single opening out doors at either end of their Lean - to. As we also manufacture the doors on site here at Prior Conservatories, this is never a problem.
Recently we have introduced a rane of bespoke in line sliding Patio doors to compliment our range ....
Wednesday May 16, 2012 at 2:39pm
We are often asked the question when our customers are thinking of ordering Edwardian, Victorian or Gable fronted conservatories about the need for tie bars. Our conservatories are designed to be tie bar free wherever possible but this rather depends on the roof glazing material and the overall size of the conservatory.
A nice 3 x 3 Edwardian will not need them even with a glass roof. This is due to the strength of the ring beam that sits on top of the window frames and to which the roof is fit....
Tuesday May 15, 2012 at 2:26pm
Just a quick thought... if you are thinking of having opening top lights to each side of opening out French doors on your new Prior DIY conservatory, make sure that you realize that we will restrict the opening of the French doors to around 90 degrees. This is to prevent the wind catching the door sashes and swinging them beyond 90 degrees and clobbering the open windows to each side. This will have a detrimental effect on both the doors and the window openers and can do some real damage to both....
Monday May 14, 2012 at 12:39pm
I know that we are all moaning about how wet this latest drought is and the fact that we still need the central heating on most days. Well you should be making the most of it. This is the ideal number of centigrades for digging out footings, mixing and laying concrete and generally sorting out the base work. This is not something that you really want to do when it is hot.
Maybe it is for this reason that we have sold more DIY conservatories so far this month than any other this year. Not that w....
Friday May 11, 2012 at 11:32am
When you receive your new Prior DIY conservatory, you will be able to start building it straight away assuming that the base and or dwarf walls are finished. With our conservatory fixing kit you will find all that you need to crack on with the job. In our kits we will supply you with the full range of fixing anchors, screws, glazing packers and silicone to enable you to do the job. The only things that you will need would be a reasonable electric drill and masonary bits and a decent cordless dri....
Wednesday May 9, 2012 at 12:06pm
It must be the glorious weather that we are all stuck with these past few weeks but our DIY conservatory sales have gone ballistic to put it mildly. I would normally quote three or four a day and have a few telephone enquiries about conservatory design, but something has changed!
This could well have to do with the beloved government doing yet another U turn on the proposed 'green tax' on new conservatories. We here at Prior Towers sat and laughed out loud when this proposal first hit the ma....
Friday May 4, 2012 at 3:25pm
We are often asked about the difference between our standard and bespoke conservatories. People seem to be under the impression that we have a few 'standard' conservatory kits wrapped up and stored in the factory ready for rapid despatch. Given the number of different conservatories that we specify on our web page, this would mean storing them in a vast warehouse.
The reality of the matter is that whatever conservatory you order, it will be bespoke and made entirely to order. Although we show s....
Wednesday May 2, 2012 at 9:06am
Whilst we are best known for supplying a fantastic range of DIY conservatories, this is by no means all that we can provide. We also manufacture a full range of energy rated windows for the retail sector and also for trade. Add to this a complete range of residential doors both in PVCu and composite, French doors and a new range of patio doors in many colours. We also supply door canopies, a large range of ornamental shutters, garden rooms and shelters and a full range of patio covers and car po....
Monday April 30, 2012 at 2:38pm
We are quite often asked about building bases for our DIY conservatories. As you would expect from a long established company, we can provide very detailed base building instructions. These detail the mixture of concrete for the slab, the dimensions of the dwarf wall where appliccable and we can even show you how to calculate the number of bricks that you will need.
When the conservatory is ordered we will post or email you a full set of very detailed base plans. As long as you or your builder ....
Friday April 27, 2012 at 10:08am
Historically conservatories were described as greenhouses - in which plants are arranged aesthetically for display, as at a botanical garden. Today however, conservatories are quite different. Modern manufacturing methods ensure that we now have more choice and more reliable alternatives. Your conservatory need not be a cold damp space when it's winter or an unbearable hot house in the summer. With additions such as Planitherm total + glass (Low e glass) and "Anti Sun" g....
Thursday April 26, 2012 at 4:06pm
As promised on the news, we are in the grip of the worst drought since 1976 - it is official! Now I remember 1976 very well and let me tell you that it did not rain a bit for about sixteen weeks on the trot. This drought seems to be a different kind, rather like the 'wrong kind of snow on the tracks' idea. It is pouring down outside and we have had the odd call about overflowing gutters on DIY conservatories.
There is a reason behind this. We have had Autumn when the leaves fall from the trees,....
Friday April 20, 2012 at 2:41pm
Something that needs to be thought about when designing and eventually assembling your DIY conservatory is where is all of the water going to go from the roof? This is particularly relevent at the moment as we are in drought conditions with the constant threat of a hose pipe ban looming. Looking out of the office window all that I can see is rain and hail driving horizontally across the car park outside so the weather people must have got it right!
If you have a small conservatory then a simple....
Thursday April 19, 2012 at 3:46pm
If you have a south facing conservatory then you know that it is going to get very warm in there come the three hot days that make up a British summer. Even with all of the windows and doors open it is still likely to feel a little like the proverbial green house. The key to keeping things pleasant in the conservatory is to have a means for the heat to escape. This is where a roof vent or two can be very useful.
We supply them in several flavours from manually operated via a winding pole which ....
Wednesday April 18, 2012 at 12:34pm
One of the few parts of our DIY conservatory that we do not supply is flashing. There are several reasons for this. Lead flashing is the traditional way of sealing the conservatory to the house wall but is very expensive. It does however have the advantage that it is very easy to work with. The disadvantage, apart from the cost is that other people like to remove it!
However as ever there are alternatives. Conservaflash is a good option. Readily available from builders' merchants, it is cheaper....
Monday April 16, 2012 at 12:22pm
If you want more space in your house then a DIY conservatory is very possibly the easiest way of getting the extra space that you want. With a range of styles from the ever popular Lean - to to the also popular Edwardian and Victorian, the larger Gable fronted to the P and T shape, there will be a style that compiments your property. As we manufacture each conservatory entirely to order, what ever size you need we can produce. If we think that because of the size this may not be suitable for a D....
Friday April 13, 2012 at 12:57pm
All Prior DIY conservatories are supplied with a complete fixing kit that enables you to assemble the conservatory easily and in the minimum amount of time. So what do you get on the kit?
You are supplied with the required frame anchors, various sizes of self tapping screws, all silicone and glazing packers. The correct quantity of each type of screw is needed so there is no need to rush off to the local hardware store to get more. The glazing beads are already pre cut and pre fitted to the win....
Thursday April 12, 2012 at 2:40pm
With a conservatory being almost entirely made of glass, depending on its' location you may be overlooked by other people. If you are lucky enough to have a detatched home then this is not normaly too much of an issue as you probably have a full height paneled fence surrounding the garden.
However when it comes to a terraced house things may be a little different. The chances are that from one side or the other you will be overlooked in some way. If your conservatory has a polycarbonate roof th....
Wednesday April 11, 2012 at 12:05pm
If you are looking for a cheap conservatory then this website is probably not the best starting point. As the saying goes, you get what you pay for! A cheap conservatory will be just that - cheap. But there is a reason behind this. 25mm polycarbonate roofing if you are lucky, window frames that are made to some sort of loose tolerance and fit together in some dubious manner and all of this supplied by a 'company' who is probably completely web based and operating from a spare bedroom in a house.....
Thursday April 5, 2012 at 12:55pm
If you have a south facing conservatory and we ever get any kind of heat this summer, the chances are that your conservatory is going to get rather warm. Even with all of the windows and doors open it can get uncomfortably hot in direct sunlight.
This is where conservatory blinds come into their own. These blinds are specially designed to fit into the various shaped parts of your conservatory roof and can be of various designs such as louvred blinds or plain.The can also be operated in several ....
Wednesday April 4, 2012 at 3:02pm
With the variety of bespoke conservatories that we manufacture you would be right in thinking that we have a lot of different options to choose from. This is certainly the case when it comes to the conservatory roof. It is not just the type of DIY conservatory design but each design, wether it be a Lean - to or Edwardian, each has a variety of choices available.
All roofs that we supply are available in 35mm polycarbonate. With this glazing material there are also a range of colour choices such....
Tuesday April 3, 2012 at 12:37pm
Prior Conservatories have been manufacturing bespoke conservatories for nearly twenty four years now. We will also supply modular ones for DIY'ers but in reality virtually every conservatory that we sell is a one off bespoke design.
The reason for this is simple. As we manufacture all of our own products we have the capacity to design and construct a conservatory to uor customers' exact dimensions. Many other companies are unable to do this as they buy in and sell on their products, effect....
Monday April 2, 2012 at 3:56pm
Here at Prior Conservatories we are always open to suggestions when it comes to the fittings in our DIY conservatories. Doors are no exception. Most of our products are sold with French doors as standard but there is no reason why other types of door cannot be fitted.
We can provide a full range of single doors in most positions in the conservatory and these could be opening in or out. They can be fully glazed or part panel, part glazed. The choice is up to the customer. We also provide sliding....
Friday March 30, 2012 at 12:05pm
The price of a DIY conservatory varies right across the board. Some people want cheap and cheerful which in our view is a big mistake. Others have grand designs that are way out of the league of the DIY'er and therefore become extremely expensive as they have to be professionaly built.
We are not the cheapest but rely on being the best! All of our conservatories are hand built to our customers' exact designs. We only use the best PVCu profiles, the best hardware and energy rated windows in the....
Friday March 23, 2012 at 11:30am
Prior DIY conservatories have been going for a long time now and we are always at the top of the game when it comes to innovation and value for money. We never set out to be the cheapest on the market but instead we focus on top quality and durability. To this end we only use the best components such as the Rehau S706 PVCu profiles, top quality Fuhr locks for the doors and the best window hinges and locks available today.
As a result of this we have developed a firm customer base with many exis....
Tuesday March 20, 2012 at 2:11pm
If you are looking for a DIY conservatory that is not a standard shape or for instance, has one end butting up to a full height wall, the best way to get a bespoke quote is to email us directly on sales@priorconservatories.co.uk and let us have as much detail as possible. For example, you may only need the front wall of the conservatory and the roof because the other sides are house walls.
With this type of information we can quickly prepare a detailed quote that is accurate to your requirement....
Friday March 16, 2012 at 3:45pm
Look at thet! A small improvement in the weather and what happens? Everyone discovers that there is life after winter and out into the garden they go. After all, we have all been cooped up for the last few months and have been itching to get out again.
This is good news for us as the number of enquiries have gone up dramatically this last week. We have a number of firm orders just going through planning at the moment and a lot of people are spending this weekend building bases to our supplied p....
Monday March 12, 2012 at 4:11pm
Virtually all of our Prior DIY conservatories are fitted with French doors as standard and the position of the doors is very important. With Edwardian and Victorian conservatories most people put them on on or other side rather than in the front wall. The reason for this is that you do not create a coridoor straight through the centre of the conservatory and therefore can put the furniture in a less formal way. It also increases the amount of living space within the conservatory.
However, whith....
Friday March 9, 2012 at 2:13pm
As far as a DIY conservatory is concerned the Lean-to style is without doubt the most popular design at the moment. They are extremely versatile as well due to the fact that the roof pitch can be varied. For bungalows and other properties where there are height issues, we would recommend using the low pitch option. This Lean-to has a roof pitch of just 2.5 degrees and is therefore ideal for slotting under the eaves of a bungalow.
Many people question this low pitch and wonder if it is sufficie....
Tuesday March 6, 2012 at 8:37am
As most of our conservatories are one off designs there are many occasions where our customers want something extra over and above our standard specification. In these instances one quick 'phone call will normally sort it out.
These changes may be to the rating of the glass supplied with the DIY conservatory. As standard, we offer a C rated window but more and more of our customers who are having a bespoke design are going for the best as in A rated windows. Although a roof cannot be energ....
Friday March 2, 2012 at 2:36pm
Please note that when using the online conservatory designer, when you come to step three, the first figure is the WIDTH across the house and the last figure is the PROJECTION away from the property. This will be ammended on the site in the next few days.....
Friday March 2, 2012 at 11:27am
Here at Prior Conservatories we have a vast range of conservatories for sale from the ever popular lean to to the majestic Edwardian and multi faceted Victorian. For larger properties who really want to push the boat out, we offer a complete range of T and P shaped conservatories. Just contact us with your ideas and we will transform them from a rough sketch on paper to a new conservatory attached to your property.....
Tuesday February 28, 2012 at 4:36pm
Just a quick post to let everyone know that as well as the usual colurs for our DIY conservatories such as golden oak and rosewood, both available with white on the inside, we now have a new range of colours.
Chartwell green, Irish Oak and many more besides. So if you want your conservatory to blend in with your garden and a white one just will not cut it, then why not go for one of the coloured options. Please be aware that the lead time on these are up to eight weeks though as we get the prof....
Monday February 27, 2012 at 4:13pm
After a DIY conservatory has been ordered and the deposit has been paid, we normally allow three weeks from date of order to date of delivery. Thie gives the customer time to build any base work that needs doing. This is important when there is a dwarf wall to build and allows the customer time to get it right!
It also gives us time to manufacture the conservatory and make sure that all the dimensions are exactly as they should be. If the customer wants more time to complete their end of the wo....
Friday February 24, 2012 at 1:49pm
Apart from the Lean-to style of conservatory, the one we sell mostly is the Edwardian. There are many reasons for this. The main one is that with the high ridge and twenty five degree roof pitch there is a real sense of spaciousness inside and a feel of airiness.
Also with the rectangular or oblong footprint of the Edwardian DIY you are able to make the most use of the available space. By having the French door off to one side you do not create a corridor effect and the through traffic does not....
Thursday February 23, 2012 at 4:16pm
We are regularly asked how hard it is to put up a Prior DIY conservatory. The answer is that it is not too challenging if you have average DIY skills. You do not need to buy expensive specialist tools either. Obviously to put up a conservatory is rather more than nipping to your locay DIY superstore and putting together a flat packed chest of drawers.
However, because we supply very detailed plans and fitting instructions, and allow you plenty of time to read them before the conservatory is del....
Wednesday February 22, 2012 at 12:51pm
It would be so easy to order a new conservatory, sit back and watch a team of builders, fitters, plasterers, plumbers and electricians slowly working away and drinking all of your tea to boot. This is the lazy way to get a conservatory and wont you have to pay for it! Also thinking ahead, if anything was to go wrong with it you then have to try and get someone back to sort the problem out. All costing you an arm and a leg.
This is why our Prior DIY conservatories are so popular. By doing the wo....
Monday February 20, 2012 at 11:58am
Everyone is aware of the high price of road fuel these days and we are no exception. As we always use our own transport to deliver our DIY conservatories, we had to come to a decision earlier in the year that we would not deliver to Scotland because of the extra costs involved.
We will gladly quote for our friends north of the border but we make them aware from the outset that the delivery charge will be a major stumbling block. The whole point of having a DIY conservatory is to keep the costs....
Monday February 20, 2012 at 9:27am
Although Prior Conservatories are best known for just that - conservatories, this is by no means all that we have to offer. We supply our PVCu DIY conservatories across the whole of England and Wales and have very many satisfied customers as a result.
However, our parent company Prior Products Limited also manufacture a full range of trade PVCu windows, both glazed and unglazed, a full range of residential doors, both in PVCu and composite, French doors, patio doors and alluminium bi-fold door....
Friday February 17, 2012 at 4:10pm
Now that there are signs of a slight warming up in the air, now is the ideal time to plan your new DIY conservatory from Prior Conservatories. If you are in the process of base building it will now dry out that much quicker than in the freezing weather. It is also now ideal for laying bricks one the concrete base has gone off. Remember that we allow three weeks from your order until delivery and the reason that we do this is to give you the time needed to construct the basework to our very detai....
Friday February 10, 2012 at 1:48pm
When it comes to glazing on our DIY conservatories, we offer a C rated window for the conservatory walls as standard. These are highly efficient and keep the heat in during this time of year as well as keeping the structure cooler in summer, if we ever get one. They work best with a glass roof as then all glass units are Argon filled, but also as we use the thicker 35mm polycarbonate, they are effective with this option as well.
All sidewall glazing can easily be upgraded to and A rated w....
Tuesday February 7, 2012 at 9:34am
Since we introduced energy rated windows across our full range of DIY conservatories we have seen an upturn in demand and they have generated a great deal of interest. The fact that we can supply them at no extra cost has also not gone unnoticed. We did our research and asked potential customers what were the biggest disadvantages of owning a conservatory. Virtually everyone said that keeping it warm at this time of year was a costly process.
With the addition of our standard C rated windows in....
Friday February 3, 2012 at 10:23am
Now that the exitement of Christmas is a distant memory, this is the ideal time to start planning for your new DIY conservatory. I know that the weather is munus 9 degrees at the moment, but it will not stay that way for long and before you know it, Spring wiil be upon us.
The planning of your new conservatory is best done now. Building work in these conditions is not ideal, so why not wander around the projected site and start measuring up. Also check for problems like manhole covers and waste....
Tuesday January 31, 2012 at 10:53am
We have been asked in the past about what options we have when it comes to the doors that we supply with our DIY conservatory kits. Obviously most people go for the standard French door which opens out but this is by no means all that we can supply.
I have just quoted a conservatory with French doors in the front wall and two single doors one at each end. It makes no odds to us if they open in or out - we can provide both options. We were also asked if a standard single door could be adapted to....