Heating Your Orangery Extension

Orangeries are timeless home extensions that transform your lifestyle by adding character and charm to your property, all whilst providing a functional living space to be enjoyed all year round.

Despite this, there is often one question that customers considering an orangery renovation ask – how can you tackle heating challenges during the colder months?

Gone are the days of closing off your glazed extension to retain heat. Due to significant advancements in energy-efficient glazing technology, disuse of a garden room or orangery during the winter is a problem of the past.

In this article you will learn more about how to ensure that your orangery extension – just like any other room in your home – is heated efficiently throughout the winter, and how to choose an orangery heating method that aligns with your needs on performance, budget, aesthetics and environmental impact.

Can You Heat an Orangery?

Old-fashioned glazed extensions have festered a poor reputation for lack of insulation and extreme temperatures as the seasons change. Fortunately, this is a widespread misconception.

Modern orangeries are built with cutting-edge technology in their timber joinery, roof insulation and high-performance glazing. This ensures that you receive a top-quality product that is equally functional as it is a breathtaking feature of your home.

Timber

We use Accoya wood in all of our projects, which we have selected for its top performance in durability, stability and thermal efficiency. Accoya is a superior insulator compared to both traditional hardwoods and softwoods, which helps to keep your home warmer in the colder months. To find out more about Accoya, click here.

Roof Insulation

We use PIR foam insulation boards in our orangery roofs. These boards have high thermal resistance, meaning that they reduce heat flow and subsequently reduce heat loss through the roof. They also feature a low-emissivity foil layer that further improves their ability to reduce heat transfer.

PIR insulation is also fire resistant and has one of the longest lifespans of insulation materials on the market, making it the ideal solution for keeping your long lifespan extension comfortably warm.

Glazing

As a standard, we use double glazing with a low emissivity coating on all of our projects. This coating helps to retain internal radiant heat, leading to better energy efficiency.

Did You Know?

Timber orangeries lose more heat through their timber than they do through their glass! Glazing technology has become increasingly more advanced – high-performance glazing is so thermally efficient that the timber components of an orangery actually decrease their overall performance, despite being well-insulating themselves.

What Makes Orangeries Unique in Terms of Heating Needs?

Heating an orangery extension is different to heating other rooms in your home. Distinctive features such as high ceilings and large amounts of glazing will pose their own challenges to ensuring consistent heat throughout the room, as these architecturally led extensions are crafted with spaciousness and a natural airy feel in mind.

Your orangery should be an inspiring living space to be enjoyed even in the dullest weather. The value of your orangery is measured by how much use and enjoyment that you and your loved ones get out of it. With this in mind, we minimise any thermal control issues to an unrivalled extent by paying attention to the details that you see and the details that you don’t – both of which make a huge difference in the performance of your energy-efficient orangery.

However, your orangery is still a room in your home and subsequently will require proper heating when the temperatures outside drop. It’s important to understand the specific challenges that orangeries face when posed with lower temperatures outside, and how you can combat these with ease to achieve consistent warmth in your new living area.

Different Heating Options for Orangeries: Pros and Cons

Below we explore various orangery heating options and weigh up why they may be the right fit for your home. First we go back to basics and learn the fundamentals of each heating option, and then we explore the pros and cons of each one. It’s essential to consider what values matter to you and your family – performance, budget, or sustainability?

For additional personalised advice, call our sales and design team today.

Underfloor Heating

Underfloor heating involves heating the room via pipework beneath the floor. Typically, warm water is carried from your boiler or a water pump to these pipes, allowing the warm air to rise and evenly distribute.

Trench Heating

Similar to underfloor heating, trenches are built into the floor. These trenches work by placing a convector unit inside the trench, which draws cold air in. This air is then warmed and through the natural convection process, the heat rises into the orangery above through a grille. These grilles can be adapted to fit the aesthetic of your home, ranging from steel to natural wood designs.

For more information on grille designs, click here.

Did You Know?

Hot air rises because it is denser than cold air. A practical example of this is hot air balloons. When it is already hot outside, hot air balloons will inflate but not rise, as the difference in density is not great enough to create uplift!

Radiators

Radiators are the most recognisable heat source in British homes. Hot water from the boiler is circulated and warmed through the radiator’s metal body. Metal is an excellent heat conductor, meaning that radiators can hold heat effectively for a long time.

Log Burners

Log burners are essentially a wood burning stove. When burning wood, the fire inside the oven heats the metal body, which then radiates heat into the room much like a traditional radiator.

Pros and Cons of Heating Options for Orangeries

What method is the most energy efficient?

The UK energy crisis has created conversation about how households can optimise their energy consumption. The previously implemented Energy Price Guarantee that aimed to cap household energy costs has since ended. Because of this, more than ever households are looking to minimise their energy bills and seek more efficient solutions.

The most energy-efficient orangery heating option – resulting in optimal results with a lower cost price – is underfloor heating. This method operates at a lower temperature than other heating methods, allowing you to experience consistent, comfortable heat whilst saving on energy bills. It is worth noting that underfloor heating systems are the most effective when run constantly on a lower setting, though this is still efficient and a lower cost to heat an orangery extension.

Underfloor Heating vs Radiators

Underfloor heating is often regarded as a more energy-efficient heating alternative to traditional radiators. Let’s see how they compare.

Sustainable and energy-efficient heating for orangeries

As households around the world seek to transition to be more eco-conscious and aware of the impact we are having on the planet, environmental issues have become incredibly important to many people. For peace of mind, heating methods that operate at a lower heat to conserve energy, such as underfloor heating, are a great fit for households aiming to lower their carbon footprint.

Another option to consider is using solar panels to generate electricity, which can then be used to power electric heating systems such as underfloor heating, trench heating or even electric radiators. This can significantly lower energy bills in tandem with minimising your environmental impact.

Did you know?

Solar panels work more efficiently in colder weather. This is because extreme heat can deplete their efficiency, whereas in cold, sunny conditions, solar panels are optimised!

Solar panels are a great consideration for those opting for dual-heating systems, as you can ensure you are doing your bit for the environment, without sacrificing personal comfort in the heart of your home.

Key Factors to Consider When Choosing Your Orangery Extension Heating System

Choosing the orangery heating system that is right for your household is a discussion that will look different for every home. Consider how often you intend to use your orangery. At what times of day will your orangery be occupied? Consider the design of your orangery – how much wall space will you have? Furniture placement – will large furniture pieces restrict some options such as trench heating, where the grilles cannot be covered?

When deliberating on your orangery heating options, call us today for personalised advice from our sales and design team. Alternatively, request a brochure from us to find out more about our orangeries and garden rooms.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you keep an orangery warm?

The best way to keep an orangery warm is by installing underfloor heating. It heats from the floor up, so warm air stays where people are rather than gathering near the roof lantern. 

Do orangeries lose more heat through the glass or the timber frame?

Timber tends to lose more heat overall. However, choosing the right timber combined with efficient glazing and insulation is how orangeries stay well-regulated throughout the year.

What’s the difference between underfloor heating and trench heating?

Underfloor heating runs pipework under the floor and warms the room evenly from below. Trench heating uses convector units set into  trench in the floor, often along a run of glazing or bifold doors, drawing in cold air and warming it through natural convection. 

Can you put a log burner in an orangery?

Yes, and it’s a popular choice due to its aesthetic. You must ensure it has a suitable flue and is placed where flammables are at a safe distance. If you’re considering a log burner for your orangery, you integrate it into the original design rather than adding it later.

Are solar panels worth it for heating an orangery?

They can be, especially when paired with an electric heating system. Solar panels also work better in colder weather since panel efficiency comes down to light and temperature rather than how warm the air is.