What are the differences between a cold and a warm conservatory?

What comes to mind when you think of a veranda? Perhaps a house extension that would require major work. Think again! The cold conservatory is the ideal alternative to traditional verandas if you want to gain light and space inside. It lets you enjoy your terrace all year round. What does it involve? Why is it different from a conventional veranda? We explain everything in this article.

What is a cold veranda or terrace shelter?

A Canadian-style glass roof

To understand the principle of the cold porch, let’s turn to Canada. In this Nordic country, the term “veranda” refers to a glazed room attached to the house, but not intended to actually enlarge it, as is the case with classic or “warm” verandas.

The latter are what we’re used to in Belgium and France. The veranda is commonly regarded as a true extension of our home. The same word is therefore perceived differently in different regions.

Patio enclosures: the ideal alternative in our part of the world

With us, cool verandas or terrace shelters are conceived as the borderline between a pergola and a traditional house extension. They are an alternative way of covering your terrace or part of your garden to protect you from the vagaries of the weather, without having to extend your home. You’ll benefit from more space, more light and a genuine
to the outside world
.

The differences between a patio enclosure and a classic veranda

Enjoy your outdoors in summer and winter

Terrace enclosures can be retractable, meaning you can open the roof or side walls as you wish.
the roof or side walls as you wish.
. Picture this: it’s summer, it’s hot and the sun is shining. Open your shelter to take advantage of its warmth and eat outside. Note that it is often possible to integrate blinds into your glazing to protect against overly aggressive sunlight.

A cold wind is blowing or it’s starting to rain? Close the veranda, while you sit on the terrace or sip your coffee in the garden furniture. Needless to say, when the weather’s fickle, this is a pretty practical solution. What’s more, it offers a comfortable, bright interior. Since you’re sheltered from therain and wind, you’re free to decorate your terrace with decorative elements, plants or furniture.

Simplified construction

With a patio cover, you don’t have to encroach on your outdoor space,
installation is simplified
. Obviously, this affects the price. As we’ve already mentioned, installing a hot porch is like building an addition to your home. Unlike a cold conservatory, you’ll need to seek the advice of an architect, create a foundation and think about insulating the floor.

A difference in thermal insulation

Another fundamental difference concerns theperformance index. As a classic veranda is designed as a living room, you’ll be looking for performance in terms of insulation. This will inevitably drive up costs.

This is not the case for retractable patio enclosures, which are not subject to PEB-type energy regulations. However, building materials for roofing and glazing are generally selected to ensure good insulation and retain heat.

Spot heating

A classic veranda is also permanently heated. It’s logical: as a room in the house, it’s always in use. This is not the case for the terrace shelter, which is used on an occasional basis. You can choose to eat al fresco in summer, read a book with a cup of tea in autumn or take a workshop in winter. This is reflected in the cost of heating: if we don’t go there, we don’t heat and that costs nothing.

Multiple functions

With a retractable veranda, you can modulate it as you wish. Like the traditional one, you can choose to turn it into a relaxation room, a workshop or an office. But it can also be used as a covered terrace, a winter garden, or a place for entertaining guests or customers. In fact, many restaurateurs opt for this aesthetic solution to easily expand their business.

In conclusion

As you can see, warm and cold conservatories have nothing in common but their name and the luminosity they bring. The differences in terms ofinsulation are significant. One is a real room in your home, while the other is designed to let you enjoy your
enjoy your outdoors all year round
. When you opt for a retractable veranda, you benefit from a bright, comfortable interior in addition to the rooms in your home.

Don’t hesitate to call on Verandair’s specialists for advice. You can also visit one of our showrooms to get a concrete idea of the retractable veranda. You’ll benefit from professional advice and a project tailored to your needs.