Home Salon in a Conservatory

[Curlywurly]

Due to the pinch of the housing crisis and credit crunch, I have had to put off my plan to move to a larger house and install a garden studio to work from :cry:, therefore we have come up with the only possible alternative which is to get a small conservatory built on the back of the house.

Just wondered if anyone else has got a home salon in a conservatory, and if they have any advice about what we should look for and avoid as we are only at the browsing stage at the moment. I am obviously aware of the fact that conservatories can be cold in winter/ hot in summer and will be addressing this as I don't want clients having chilly massages or gloopy varnishes cos they've got too hot.

Another thing I was concerned about is whether any geeks who work in this way are able to drown out the sound of rain with background music when clients are having treatments.

Thanks for any assistance (am anxious to create this asap - I dont want to be trudging around in the dark in winter this year with my couch and kit!)

 

[1999judy]

I think you've answered your own question mate tbh.
My conservatory would be too hot to work in during the summer even with a fan etc.
And it needs a heater in the winter.
The rain is sometimes so loud you can't hear yourself think let alone carry on a conversation with a client.
jmho x

 

[greyparrot]

I think you've answered your own question mate tbh.
My conservatory would be too hot to work in during the summer even with a fan etc.
And it needs a heater in the winter.
The rain is sometimes so loud you can't hear yourself think let alone carry on a conversation with a client.
jmho x

Absolutely My conservatory is unbearable on a sunny day- mostly about 110-130 degrees with all the big windows open AND the blinds closed. There may be ways around it but not sure about that to be honest. You could look at solar inserts which may help with heat/chillyness, but won't help the noise from the rain- it is incredibly loud (which I love to listen to!)

 

[gillian w]

I think it would depend on where your conservatory was situated and what the design was like.
Ours does not get full sun all day and one side is also a party wall.It is a full continuation of the house and has radiators in it the same as the rest of the house so is never cold.
It is also thickly double glazed has a dwarf wall all around and thick tinted glass roof with a roof window and a fan.With the thickness of the roof glass we dont get any bothersome sound from the rain ,i expect you would with a polycarbonate roof.
I dont work in it except the occasional pedicure but i could easily if i put blinds in to shut at the times the sun was shining.

 

[*Garfield*]

I had my home salon in myconservertory for about a year and a half before I got my log cabin, mine dosn't get full sun at all but it did still get very hot in summer, I got a portable air con unit for this which cost about £200...it was fine in winter as I had a radiator fitted. I have to say mine is a polycarb roof and the noise of the rain never bothered me or my clients at all.... maybe because I never shut up talking:lol:

Conservertories are expensive though, and I much prefer my cabin...I have loads more room, elecs and a toilet... and you could prob get a small one for the same price as a conserv if you had the space..

 

[heidi14]

I have a home salon in a conservatory and my clients love it!! There is no doubt about the problems the seasons cause but I managed this summer with the fans and last winter with the central heating. Something that may be seriously worth considering though is undefloor heating...i wish i had!!!

 

[Bev Rose]

My home salon is in my conservatory.

Most important thing the think about is - is it going to be on a south facing wall or north facing?
South facing gets the sun ALL day and would be totally unbearable most of the daylight hours during the summer.
North facing does not really get much sun, apart from the west side (as in my case)
My conservatory is 4x4m, has a polywhotsit roof, but it's opaque - so no sun from above, but the rain does sound loudish when it's belting down, but so what - we're inside, so it's no problem!
I have no openings in the roof - they call them opening lights/windows, as they nearly always leak.
I have a ceiling fan & also a floor based tower fan & double doors open if needed, plus all the top windows behind my desk open if needed.
There is one wall which only has top windows in, with frosted glass - as I did not want to look into my neighbors unkempt garden.
I have no 'fixed' heating for the winter, but do have a plug in oil radiator and electric convector heater,the electric heater can cause condensation during the winter months so I keep a window open on a security setting to allow air to circulate & I keep the doors open to my lounge during the evening if needed to circulate heat.
My conservatory had a construction of 1 wall being my main house wall with a double patio door into it, a 2ND wall being bricked up to leave the top windows only, non opening. The 3rd wall is 3ft brick wall & windows with top openers, the 4Th wall is 3ft brick wall, one half is window the other half is double patio doors out to the patio & sun terrace.
Hope that helps a bit.
I do know that if you have a sloping roof rather than the apex roof it's cheaper, don't know by how much as we have the apex roof with the fancy bits on the top to stop the birds sitting on it & pooing on the roof! lol

 

[Curlywurly]

Thanks guys - certainly some good points to consider. This is the only way I could work from home at the moment as there is no room for a cabin and I am not able to convert our garage as it is on a long lease because it has a flat built over the top of it. Got a conservatory salesperson coming this afternoon to do a quote.

 

[greyparrot]

Make sure you get plenty of quotes if that is the way you are gonna go We actually went with a local company in the end who were brilliant, made sure every single thing we wanted was incorporated, and was way cheaper than the massive companies. The guy was that kind, that when we redid the patio area once the conservatory was built, he even came out with his cement mixer for us to borrow