DIY conservatories – how much money will you save?

The amount of money that you will save with DIY conservatories is really dependant on various factors.

These factors include the size, style and specifications of your conservatory, the supplier you purchase it from, whether that supplier manufactures their own frames and roofs, and the amount of work you are willing to do for yourself.

Typically, and depending on the supplier, 10 square metre Edwardian DIY conservatories will cost you around £7000 to complete the full project, as opposed to purchasing the full building and installation package which will typically cost around £10,500 – a healthy saving of £3500.

However, the bigger your conservatory, the more you will save, for example, a 16 square metre Edwardian DIY conservatory will typically cost you around £8500 to complete the full job, whereas the equivalent full package deal can cost around £13,000 – a saving of £4500.

The above estimates assume that with DIY conservatories, you will be doing all of the work yourself, building the base and installing your conservatory.

Many DIY customers get their own builder to do their conservatory base and then fit the conservatory themselves which will reduce the above savings by about £1200 and some will get their own builder to do the complete job for them, reducing the above savings by about £1800.

Either way, a DIY conservatory is well worth considering. At the end of the day, you’ll have exactly the same job but with enough change left over to kit out your new conservatory with flooring, heating, furniture and blinds.

DIY conservatories tools and equipment

The tools and equipment needed to build  DIY conservatories are very basic and ones that most householders already have.

The main pieces of kit you will require to build your own DIY conservatory are outlined below.

• Large Step Ladders for easy access when installing the conservatory roof and panels/glass.
• Cordless Screwdriver
• Drill (Cordless or Cabled)
• Tape Measure
• Rubber Mallet
• Hammer
• Screwdriver Set
• Allen (Hex) Keys (Required with Some Roof Systems)
• Spirit Level
• Stanley Knife
• Hacksaw
• Flashing  (Flash band is often used for DIY conservatories but proper lead flashing is always recommended for best results
• Silicone Sealant

As you can see, DIY conservatories require very little investment in tools and equipment as they are very simple to assemble.

All the above can be purchased at any good DIY store such as Homebase.

Conservatory maintenance

Thankfully, unlike timber conservatories, with a modern modern PVCu conservatory there is very little regular maintenance required.

A good quality uPVC conservatory has an expected life span in excess of 25 years and apart from the occasional lubrication of window and door hinges, locking gear and handles, the main thing to keep it looking as good as new is cleaning.

You can get away without cleaning woodgrain effect PVCu quite as often as it doesn’t tend to show up dirt like white does but the glass and roof should be kept clean.

Cleaning a conservatory doesn’t have to be a difficult task and should only take a hour or so if done correctly.

You should start with the conservatory roof and for safety reasons and ease of access it is well worth investing in the right tools for the job.

One of the best pieces of equipment that I have come across for this task is water fed pole brushes.

A water fed pole brush makes life so much simpler and is a lot safer way of getting to hard to reach places such as conservatory roofs and can extend far enough even to reach first floor windows.

Once the roof has been cleaned, you can use the same pole brush to clean the conservatory frames and glass all in one go. These pole brushes are designed to be used with chemicals which purify the water which means the glass can be left completely clean and streak-free.

The video below demonstrates the use of this tool.