A lean to conservatory is a sunroom or greenhouse style living space that is added to the side of the house. Lean to conservatories are made of mostly glass to let in the maximum amount of light. Anyone looking for a cheap and efficient way to maximize their home living space should consider looking into lean to conservatories.

The first of these lean to style conservatories were designed as a cheap way to add a greenhouse to a property. A lean to conservatory should always be built on the south side of a home. In the northern hemisphere, the sun is in the southern sky for the majority of the year. This is especially true in the winter months, when the sun sits low in the southern sky. Placing these conservatories on the south side of a home allows for maximum light and heat in the winter.

Because a lean to conservatory is built directly against the side of the house, people were able to save money on building costs. A typical greenhouse structure has four glass sides, but a conservatory style greenhouse only has three glass sides, and then the fourth wall is the insulated side of the house.

By designing the conservatory so that the north wall is part of the house, conservatories barely lose any light. Additionally, since the north side is not glass, the conservatory will not lose any heat through a shadowed northern glass wall. In fact, this style conservatory can sometimes be more efficient than a traditional greenhouse, depending on how far north the house is. Regardless, these three walled greenhouses work very well as functional greenhouses.

These lean to conservatories can be used for many purposes aside from a greenhouse. Many people build a lean to conservatory to serve as a sun porch. Other people use their conservatories as dining rooms. Occasionally these conservatories can even be used as a kitchen.

No matter what the conservatories are used for, the fact remains that, when done properly, they are a beautiful addition to any home. Any homeowner that wishes to increase living space without building an imposing and expensive external structure should definitely consider installing a conservatory. Conservatories come in many different shapes and sizes, so it is easy to find a size and style conservatory to fit any home’s size and budget. Now is the perfect time to start researching conservatories to make your dream addition a reality.