This level of flexibility is extremely rare in this day and age but does give a real opportunity to encompass any particular design feature of the existing property within the conservatory. This can be particularly useful when dealing with listed buildings, conservation areas or areas of outstanding natural beauty. So far we have been able to provide a beautiful warm conservatory to even the most challenging of houses in terms of design.

The first step towards owning your dream conservatory would be to call us to arrange a free no obligation design consultancy visit.

This is carried out by a senior sales person who will be able to draw from years of experience in order to achieve the most suitable design for your property and your needs. Preliminary measurements will be taken of the area where you require the conservatory to be constructed. You will be talked through our comprehensive checklist and made aware of all of the options and possibilities that are open to you. We do not make unsolicited telephone calls, or send unsolicited
mail through the post.

Once our design consultant has been through the checklist he/she will have an understanding of your detailed needs and requirements. Following this first visit a hand
prepared colour sketch is provided showing the proposed conservatory on your house along with a detail specification based on your answers to our checklist. This package will normally be presented by hand by the design consultant, which gives him/her the opportunity of explaining the design drawing and specification to you.

You will then be left to peruse the presentation at your leisure, we hope you will choose Priory to construct your dream building that will enhance your existing property, as well as your lifestyle, and will be admired by all for many years to come.

The options available to you with a Priory Conservatory are almost endless. We can manufacture to any size, height and shape.

Our design consultants will be able to offer advice should you require it on any aspect of the design of your conservatory. Below are just a few examples of some of the choices available.

i) Style- There are many differing styles and shapes of conservatory to choose from. As no two Priory conservatories are identical, the choice is endless. Our design consultants will be able to advise on what would suit your particular house and requirements.

ii) Timber- Your choice of hardwood including traditional European Oak. Most other types of timber can be utilised depending on availability; durability, structural strength and practicality. Just ask our design consultants if you have a particular requirement.

iii) Colour- our conservatories can be finished in an attractive range of natural wood stains to enhance the beauty of the wood, or in an extensive range of paint colours to suit your taste. iv) Joinery detail- the majority of our doors and windows are now "storm proof" construction due to the increased performance offered by this system, however traditional non-storm proof joinery is available if required.

v) Eaves windows- If there is sufficient height a range of eaves windows are available some of which would be openable as standard. A range of designs are also available, Georgian bar, leaded glass, stained glass etc just ask
our design consultant for further advice.

vi) Windows and doors- there is a full range of window and door designs available. We are able to incorporate almost any window design to match existing joinery or just to create an interesting feature.

vii) Glass- there are various glass options available, such as solar reflective glass, self-cleaning glass, coloured glass, obscure glass etc please ask our design consultant for further advice.

Our hardwoods are specially selected for their combination of properties such as durability, structural properties, workability, strength, stability and aesthetics. Only the best quality material is accepted, and every consignment of wood is checked. Each piece of hardwood is individually selected for its best purpose within our factory.

At Priory we do not employ any "direct glazing" as is predominant throughout the industry thereby ensuring equal glass sight lines throughout your conservatory. The term "Direct Glazing" means that a window is only manufactured where an opening window is required and the amount of opening windows are normally kept to a minimum. In all other cases the glass is glazed directly into the frame of the conservatory. This leads to uneven sight lines in that the glass line steps up where there is an opening window and back down where there is a non opening window due to the absence of any window within the frame. With a Priory Conservatory you can be sure that a separate window is manufactured for every frame opening regardless of whether that window is an opening window or not and consequently the glass sight lines remain equal. A further advantage of this method of construction is that the fixed windows contribute greatly to the overall strength of the conservatory. Generally speaking we allow approximately 50% of the windows as opening to provide maximum ventilation.

Further ventilation is provided in the form of opening roof vents where the conservatory roof design permits, this is necessary to prevent the build up of hot spots within the roof space of the conservatory and to provide through ventilation in conjunction with the lower opening windows. In larger conservatories where appropriate, the roof structure will be calculated by an independent structural engineer taking into consideration such things as wind and snow loading etc.

Whilst woodworking machinery is used to ensure a constant degree of accuracy, many of our processes are still carried out by hand in the traditional manner. Traditional joints are employed throughout the construction glued with an appropriate exterior grade adhesive with no surface fixings through the joinery face, as is common practice with other manufacturers.

Each stage of manufacture is subject to repeated quality control prior to the next process being undertaken. Each individual component with the exception of the trim is pre-erected in our factory prior to delivery in order to ensure an accurate fit providing you with an ideal opportunity to see your conservatory under construction in our own factory. The doors and opening windows of the conservatory are pre-hung in the factory again ensuring an accurate fit on site.

All of the components of the conservatory have a minimum of three coats of your choice of paint or stain applied in the factory under controlled conditions prior to delivery. This ensures adequate protection for the components whilst the conservatory is erected on site and forms the perfect base on which our professional conservatory or orangery finisher's will apply the final coat on site.

We do not manufacture on behalf of any other company nor do we buy or sub-contract the manufacturing of our product to any other factory or distributor.

At Priory we are extremely proud of our factory as well as our skilled and dedicated craftsmen within it. We actively encourage clients to visit and take a tour of the factory which is normally guided by the workshop manager either before placing an order or whilst your conservatory is being manufactured. During the tour you will be shown how the raw material arrives and the various processes that it goes through before being transformed into a beautiful finished item of joinery. You will see craftsmen demonstrating their expertise and working the material in ways that only come with experience and dedication. Many years of skill and experience have gone into what you can see today.

Whether or not you have chosen to have Priory construct the base and brickwork for your new conservatory we will provide a detailed drawing as well as full size templates and door formers for the builder to use to eliminate potential errors. On completion of the base work a base check is carried out in order to ensure that the base is constructed to the required standard and that the dimensions are within tolerance. Unlike most other conservatory companies, we specify a minimum of a metre deep bulk filled foundations for our conservatories. All of our brickwork is of cavity wall construction and fully insulated incorporating damp proof membranes. Our ground slabs are again fully insulated incorporating a damp proof membrane to protect against rising damp. The surface of the ground slab is usually finished in either sand and cement screed or timber sub-floor ready to accept the final floor finish of your choice. Our base price will include adequate surface water drainage provision usually linked to the existing surface water drainage system and bridging of any underground pipes and services. We can provide a plastered finish to the internal faces of both the conservatory walls and the house wall enclosed within the conservatory if required, alternatively there are many other textured finishes available or maybe you would prefer them left as face brick?

Installation of your Conservatory:

The installation cost includes the glazing of the conservatory, rainwater goods, and the sealing of the building to your house with lead flashing. The installations are carried out by skilled carpenter/joiners. A decorative moulded trim is manufactured and installed over every frame joint and where exposed electrical cables are sited. Internal pipe work on house walls are normally carefully concealed within specially constructed boxes by our carpenters during installation.

Decoration of your Conservatory:

One of the last jobs to be carried out prior to completion will be the site decoration. The Conservatory is thoroughly prepared and re-painted leaving you with a fully finished product. Finally the glass is cleaned and the joinery gaskets replaced ready for the final inspection, which will be carried out by a senior member of our team in your presence.