Finishing touches for your garden room

The quality and finish of each bespoke garden room are of paramount importance to everyone here at Westbury. In this article, we look at the high quality, final additions that make all the difference to the longevity and functionality of your glazed extension…

There is a reason why Westbury Garden Rooms is the first port of call for those looking for a spectacular glazed addition to their home. Having established a reputation for constructing some of the best-glazed extensions in the market since we started over 30 years ago, we have refined every detail of our design process to give you the very best quality, and not settling for any less. 

For us, quality is about creating exceptional designs to the highest of standards on every level, right down to those small, finishing touches that you might not immediately notice. However, you notice and appreciate the level of craftsmanship from the moment you step into the room. The proof is in its longevity, with a 10-year warranty.

A Westbury Garden Room is not merely a glazed extension, but a functioning part of your home that you and your family will use every day. Offering a bespoke design and build service, we take care of you and your project every step of the way, from concept to construction, through to those final, finishing touches that make your vision a reality. 

What are those additional details that make all the difference to your garden room? Here is everything you need to know: 

Flooring

An orangery extension can provide you with a considerable amount of additional floor space, so the style of flooring you install can greatly influence the whole theme of the room. Above all, the material you choose needs to be robust and sturdy to handle the knocks, bangs and scratches of every-day life. Kitchens, in particular, require a waterproof material, so wooden flooring will not work too well. 

In addition to this, a garden room or orangery feels highly connected to your garden, especially in the summer when you can open up the doors onto your patio. Your flooring can go a long way to help the indoor and outdoor areas merge and flow into one large space. 

As it is tricky to know what materials are best, we put together the Westbury Stone Floors collection, consisting of tough and sturdy materials that complement the style of your project without compromising on functionality. Our stone flooring is perfectly suited to garden rooms due to their low maintenance, hardwearing nature. They are ideal for kitchens in particular and are perfectly suited to underfloor heating; negating the need for cumbersome wall radiators and letting you shun your slippers if you so wish.

We offer a range of limestone, sandstone, and porcelain floor tiles, all with different tones and styles, but with a timeless design that you will love as much in 30 years as you do today. 

Ironmongery

For many, it is easy to overlook the ironmongery in a garden room or orangery extension. Hardware such as handles, window hinges and locks seem like such small details, they are often considered a purely functional part of your room. However, there is a lot to be said for choosing superior, stylish ironmongery. You would be surprised at just how much difference the right hinges, locks, or handles can make to the overall feeling of a glazed room. Window and door handles are the one part of your room that you will touch on a regular basis, and you will want them to feel secure and functional, with a smooth movement. 

For us, a durable finish is imperative to maintaining the high quality that everyone knows us for. We work with Croft, a family-run, British manufacturer who have been constructing architectural hardware for over 150 years. They take absolute pride in every aspect of their exceptional products, and they custom design door handles especially for our garden rooms. Croft was voted by Elle Magazine as the ‘Best For Classic and Contemporary’ in their ‘Five of the Best Door Furniture Manufacturers’ article this year.

Security and risk of break-ins is a concern among homeowners considering a glazed extension, but with the best ironmongery comes peace of mind. We pride ourselves on the fact that we test all our windows and doors, and they are all PAS24 compliant. We get our products tested in an independent, UKAS approved laboratory. During the test, they are subjected to nine stages of human and mechanical attacks to see how they will hold up against a real break-in. 

The shape and material that you choose for your architectural hardware should evoke a feeling of consistency throughout your home. Our designers will work with you to find the perfect fit that will complement the feel of your interiors.  

Roof lanterns

Roof lanterns are synonymous with orangeries and garden rooms, as they create a unique focal point and are another significant aspect of your project’s design. Unlike the rest of a garden room’s structure, the decorative finials we use at the very top of our roof lanterns are made from hardy resin, instead of timber. Wooden finials have a tendency to split, rot or warp over after years of exposure to the elements. The resin finials we use are weather-resistant, making them virtually maintenance-free.

If you look closely, you will notice another detail on our roof lanterns. Each one is fitted with a thermostatic ventilation system, which helps to keep your garden room at a perfect temperature for you. They can sense rainfall, and will close automatically at the first detection of raindrops, so you do not have to worry about shutting them yourself. These ventilation systems help keep a steady flow of air running through the room, so it will never feel stuffy and overheated like a traditional conservatory on a sunny day.

Paint

Along with flooring, the wall colours have a big impact on the style of your room, and it is likely to be one of the things you have already given a lot of careful consideration. The colour is going to be your biggest decision when it comes to designing the look and feel of your garden room, completely transforming the space depending on the shade you choose. 

However, a less commonly considered aspect of painting a wall is the quality of the paint you choose. It is true that not all paint is created equal, and the quality of the paint will make a significant impact on the longevity and lifespan of the room. 

We use Teknos, a water-based paint system that is specially formulated for external use on timber to create a smart-looking and protective layer over the joinery. This high-quality paint is resistant to bacteria, mould, and UV attack. Your garden room will not need repainting for 12 years or more, providing it has a simple wash down every six months. 

We combine this paint with engineered timber made from Accoya, a sustainable softwood made from Radiata pine that, due to the chemical process it goes through, is stronger and more stable than most hardwoods. The finish of your garden room could last decades; in fact, Accoya itself comes with a 50-year guarantee above ground, meaning that your garden room will need fewer replacements and minimal maintenance.

Window Cleaning

We have built your garden room, laid the flooring, screwed in the window handles and given the joinery a few final licks of paint. The very last thing we do for your new garden room or orangery is to make it sparkle. 

With so much glazing, it is rather tricky to get all of the units clean without any smears. We send a specialist window cleaner to your home to clean all the glazed areas of the room, so you can put your feet up with a nice cup of tea from the moment your orangery is finished. 

The glazing in our rooms is so important to us, and we know it will be to you too, so we also provide you with a maintenance information pack, and we can offer a full clean, care and maintenance service for all of our customers. You can read more on this here from our sister site, Westbury Windows and Joinery.