A common sight on the side of many homes is a conservatory. These impressive constructions are wonderful in the summer months as a covered area in which you can relax, enjoying the benefits of both being inside and outside. They usually look very attractive on the side of a house as well, adding a lot of charm.
If you're especially passionate about design, you might have even stretched to a wooden conservatory. These are very elegant additions to a home, and fit especially well with more traditional and even period houses. They are sturdy structures that can last a long time, increasing the value of your property.
Of course, while uPVC conservatories usually come with a limited selection of doors, wooden conservatories offer you a lot more choice. In fact, you could reasonably add any door you would install in your home to a wooden conservatory with no issues.
Obviously, you will need to take several things into consideration when choosing a conservatory door. The main thing is to make sure your chosen external door can stand up to the elements. They will be exposed to all the bad weather of the winter and the hot days of the summer, so make sure it is high-quality and hardy.
The next is to think about the design of your conservatory overall. You must choose a door that matches this if you want it to be as attractive as possible. This means considering a number of factors.
The first is the amount of glass in it. More modern conservatories tend to be fully glazed, from floor to ceiling, and so it helps if the door matches up with this aesthetic. A door like the Hardwood Pattern 10 External, for example, would fit in well with this style of conservatory.
However, more old-fashioned conservatories typically have walls that are glazed on the top half, and brick or solid wood panels on the bottom. Again, your door should match this as closely as possible. In this case you have two choices.
The first is to match the conservatory completely with a door that is only glazed at the top half. The External Hemlock 2XGM is an example of a door that follows these rules. This is the closest match you are going to get between the door and the rest of the conservatory.
However, you could also opt for a door that is fully glazed but with a dividing line to break up the glass, such as the Hardwood 2 x GG. This allows you to insert a bit of a contrast into your conservatory, without making your door seem dissonant or out-of-place.
You should also think about how large you want your door to be. A conservatory gives you a lot of freedom, particularly if you are building it yourself, so you can feel free to add some large, centrepiece doors that will be wonderful in the hot summer when you can throw them wide open.
You could either opt for a pair of external french doors like this Hardwood External Hampstead Pair, or really go large and opt instead for a sliding or folding door set like the Oak Empress Pair. Either way, you will be able to take full advantage of a conservatory with a great set of external glazed doors.
If you like the idea of french doors for the interior too and want some more information, take a look at our French Doors Guide for styling inspiration, practical information and more. We also supply internal french and single bifold doors to help create multifunctional living spaces with style.