All Kinds of Conservatory Blinds and Shades

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When it comes to regulating the temperature of your conservatory the space needs to be addressed completely separate from the rest of your home. Not only will properly positioned, energy efficient window treatments save money, they will also help with privacy.

Conservatory Craftsmen is proud to offer blinds for slope glazing to the United States. We are only one in a handful of domestic companies capable of these installations.

There are many Conservatory Blinds and Shades options to consider:

 

pleated-shades-e1407183073686PLEATED SHADES:

Pleated shades are the most versatile way to treat the windows of the Conservatory roof and walls. There are numerous fabric choices giving the customer customization options with color and texture. The pleated shades also have a ‘top-down/bottom-up’ option for side walls and when fully pulled the stack is considerably tight making this option the least obvious.
It is also quite simple and cost effective to incorporate motorization to pleated shades making operation easy as a click of a button!

 

pinoleum2WOVEN WOODS (Pinoleum):

Europe’s very popular option for window and roof blinds. Pinoleum, as the names implies, is made of natural materials which are sewn together in a weave, to create a fabric. This offers partial sun blocking as the light filters through between the tiny slats of the Pinoleum.
For those who prefer organic window treatments and a more casual design might show a weaved fabric and material. The closed stack of the Pinoleum fabric is bulky and covers much of the eave. This may or may not be the goal of the designer and homeowner in each application.
One advantage of the Pinoleum blind is that is can be mounted under the rafter, so it can cover multiple rafters (and glass openings) with one blind. Fewer blinds, less cost of automation.

 

roller_blind-e1407182951647ROLLER SHADES:

The roller blind is the simplest option. Improved mechanical design means a cleaner, easier to operate roller, that is always dependable. Mounted on the eave, the cord goes to the ridge and you wrap the blind tight on a hasp. Roller blinds are also available with motors.
Many colors are available. Give our designers an idea of the color you are looking for and they will help you with selection. All have UV reflective materials on the back side. We recommend using roller blinds for shorter runs of glass (under 6’). This will avoid the blind from ‘bellying’ as it gets older. To some, the general appearance of the low hanging blind is appealing. This form of blind stacks very tightly and is easier to conceal on the eave. Different fabrics which are now available give a more modern or organic look to the blind.

 

Conservatory window treatments are essential to consider while planning your project. Not only with your selection be more customized to your room but you will have everything done at the time of installation!

Flat Roof With A View

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The story begins in late 2014. Our couple purchased this stunning remote New York estate, 1 1/2 hours from the City. Her law practice was growing and she needed a home office for days that she didn’t need to tackle the long commute into the city. Her husband, a well-respected Horticulturalist for the NY Parks needed a garden to tend.
2014-10-05-13-42-54
2014-10-05-13-43-31The 100-year-old home with acres and a view begged for a retreat on the second level. A flat roof area, over the sitting room below, the roof was dated and slated to replace.

2014-10-05-13-43-26While researching opportunities on the internet the couple came across the Conservatory Craftsmen and inquired. “What I was so surprised by was that just like that, that very day, I got a nice note back from Jim, the owner of the company!’ she stated.
As our chats turned into design concepts I arranged a visit to the home. Standing on the second-floor area it was difficult to contain my excitement for this project. This was a perfect location for a conservatory!
concept
The homeowners shared that excitement and became very eager to proceed with planning. They have imagined themselves sitting in the room among plants and law files! I do paint a good picture…
We entered into an agreement January 1, 2015. Final drawings were created and a local contractor was selected to ready the site for the conservatory. By May, the permit was issued and we were ready to go!

 

Our experienced team of conservatory craftsmen had the structure weather tight in about a week.

2015-10-18-10-35-07-768x768droneview2-e1450721889647

Finishing details took another week to complete. The local contractor took over installing mini split cooling, in floor heating, floor tile, and interior finishing.
For the roof, she selected pineolum blinds that Conservatory Craftsmen offers exclusively.
2015-10-18-11-42-09-768x574The outcome of the project is one happy family and kitty!

Six Automated Window Systems and Five New Air Conditioners

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Natural Ventilation for Modern Office Buildings

While traditional mechanical heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are still widely used, contemporary concerns for improving the environmental performance and “livability” of buildings has led to an increased interest in alternatives like natural ventilation and mixed-mode systems.

A major benefit of HVAC, particularly in deep plan and larger office buildings, is that they alleviate many of the problems associated with a naturally ventilated building such as noise, dust, insects, heavy winds, odors and uncomfortable temperatures.

However, there are some studies suggesting that a mixed-mode ventilation system of HVAC and natural ventilation, in combination with good passive design, can provide sufficient indoor air quality to keep occupants happy while reducing their reliance on mechanical air treatment.

Typically, a mixed-mode system operates in either of two modes and is best used for buildings’ perimeter spaces or for narrow planned buildings with good cross ventilation. The first is the natural ventilation mode that uses fresh external air from operable windows or dampers to cool the internal spaces and relies predominantly on the stack effect for hot air to be expelled through high-level exhausts. The second is the mechanical mode and sees the windows closed and the HVAC switched on and is used only when the external temperatures are too hot or too cold for natural ventilation, or when there is a heavy wind or rain.

Control of the operable windows can be manual or automatic and, in keeping with current trends towards automated buildings, we’re seeing more automated window systems come to the market that are compatible with Building Management Systems (BMS).

Some window manufacturers offer built-in automated systems that can be controlled by a BMS and that come with inputs for automated weather stations and sensors that detect smoke, rain, hail, temperature, wind, time, and smog. Others advertise that their products can be easily automated with add-on products like actuators and reed switches, and can also incorporate into a BMS.

These products render manual operation from building occupants—one of the most difficult-to-control influences on a building’s environmental impact—unnecessary, as the BMS detects when it is optimal to open and close windows and to operate the HVAC.

Some of the problems associated with the manual operation of a building’s HVAC and natural ventilation, like occupants leaving windows open with the HVAC on for example can, therefore, be avoided with automated mixed-mode air-conditioning.