With a brand-new glass conservatory being a beautiful addition to your home, you’ve given yourself the ideal space to eat, entertain, and relax. And while it can be a much loved and used room flooded with natural light for all these things and more, you could face the common question of how to keep your conservatory cool in the summer heat. In this article, we’ll look at some practical and stylish options to keep your conservatory cool in the summer heat so you can use your stunning new space for the whole season without overheating.

Tips on how to keep your conservatory cool

With your conservatory installation complete, the temptation to use it as much as possible will be great. But unless you have a custom glass conservatory with solar glass, a conservatory can quickly become too hot to use comfortably during the hotter summer months, so it’s essential to keep it cool and comfortable to make the most of it. But how can you keep a conservatory cool in the summer sunshine? You can find the answers in everything from ventilation techniques to shading options, so here are our tips on how to stop your conservatory from overheating.

Roof and window blinds

Any type of window blind that can block out the sun at the hottest part of the day is an easy and obvious choice to keep your conservatory cool. Ensure your blinds are closed on the right windows at the right time of day, particularly on a fully south-facing elevation. But while window blinds are essential, roof blinds can be crucial to keeping the summer sun out.

In high summer, the sun is at its highest from around 11am-1pm, so that means lowering roof blinds before direct sunlight comes in. And any roof or window blinds you choose don’t need to be heavy or cumbersome – they can bring a lightweight, stylish, and contemporary finish to your new space.

Conservatory cooling film

If you can’t use tinted or solar glass for your conservatory, one option to keep your conservatory cool is to use cooling film. This specialist adhesive film is applied directly to the inside of the glass and is designed to reflect harmful UV rays and reduce the amount of infrared heat coming through the glass.

Applying the cooling film can significantly reduce the internal temperature of the conservatory, especially when used with blinds, making it a much more comfortable room. Cooling film can be an excellent alternative if you don’t want to block sunlight completely by using blinds.

Air conditioning

Air conditioning (AC) may be one of the quickest ways to cool down your conservatory, but traditional AC is expensive and not environmentally friendly. However, specific slimline, low-wall or wall-mounted conservatory air conditioners are available that can be more energy efficient and cheaper to run without the need for cabling or venting.

These models come filled with eco-friendly refrigerant gas. As the unit draws in the hot air from your conservatory, the gas cools it before pushing chilled air back out. While making your conservatory much cooler in the height of summer, AC units can often dehumidify and filter the air as well.

Ceiling fans

If air conditioning is a step too far in cost, your next best option would be investing in a ceiling fan. Creating a cool breeze by circulating the air will help reduce the conservatory’s temperature, while the constant air movement will help distribute cooler air evenly, making the temperature more comfortable.

But according to energy.gov, “ceiling fans are only appropriate in rooms with at least eight feet high ceilings and work best when the blades are 7-9 feet above the floor and 10-12 inches below the ceiling.” If this affects you, it’s better to buy floor-standing fans and place them in the shadiest part of the room, pointing towards open doors.

Increase ventilation

One of the best ways to keep your conservatory cool is to increase the level of ventilation inside it. Trapped hot air can make a conservatory unbearable, so if you have one, open your roof windows to release the hot air.

Opening windows on opposite sides of your conservatory will also encourage a ‘flow through’ to give you a good circulation of cooler outside air, helping bring temperatures down and make the area more comfortable.

Soft, light furnishings and decor

Most conservatories are used in the summer, so the furniture you use for your interior decor can significantly affect the temperature and your overall comfort. Choosing chic and lightweight furniture instead of larger, bulky items can help with airflow to cool the space and give a sense of spaciousness.

Remember your choice of colour palette, materials, and fabrics too. Make sure you use lighter shades of white, soft neutrals, or pastels for cotton and linen that can reflect heat and keep you cool rather than heavier fabrics that can quickly absorb heat to make furniture hot and uncomfortable.

Plants and trees

Adding plants and trees will also play a key role in stopping your conservatory from overheating. Outside your conservatory, consider planting trees which will provide a good level of shade or dappled shade through the summer, reducing the amount of direct sunlight coming in and creating a more pleasant environment.

Also, adding plants inside your conservatory can significantly improve the indoor climate and make it a more enjoyable space during the hot summer months. Plants that prefer natural light and warmth can help regulate temperature while increasing humidity and making the conservatory air more comfortable.

Stone and tiled flooring

Natural stone flooring can be another practical and stylish option for keeping your conservatory cool. Natural materials, such as granite or marble, and ceramic and porcelain tiles are cool to the touch and absorb less heat than other flooring options, especially if they’re lighter in colour.

While looking exceptionally contemporary and elegant, stone flooring is also a natural insulator. So as they keep the heat out and the cool air in, they provide a continuously cool surface to walk on and also help to regulate the temperature inside. Stone flooring is an exceptionally popular finish in most custom glass conservatories.

From conservatory cool to glass house extension chic

While there are plenty of different ways to keep your conservatory cool during the summer, this article will provide a few ideas about the most common. But if you’re planning a conservatory, why not talk to the team here at GlasSpace about our contemporary, bespoke glass extensions?

Using specialist solar glass, these architectural glass structures can add natural light and space to your home and enlarge existing areas where you and your family spend most of your time. So talk to us today about designing and constructing your glass house extension. Contact us today, and we’ll give you the information you need, together with a free, no-obligation quote.