Conservatory (greenhouse)

As a conservatory is called an extension to a building or an independent building whose roof and side walls mostly made ​​of glass. The properly constructed conservatory uses the greenhouse effect ( not to be confused with the atmospheric greenhouse effect) instead of conventional heating techniques to reach room temperature, which allows the wintering of suitable plants. The passive solar energy use leads even at low direct sunlight and scattered light to a noticeable heating of the indoor air to the outside air. To optimize this effect, must be a large part of the glass facade to be oriented to the south ( in the northern hemisphere ).

History

The conservatory, as we know it today, has its origins in England. There developed in the 18th century, numerous luxurious additions to houses that were affordable only for the wealthy. Precursor of the conservatory go back to ancient times, which also served buildings for the cultivation of plants and fruits from the overseas territories of the colonial powers.

Sustainable stylistic characteristics learned the conservatory during the Victorian era, as orangeries about everywhere enjoyed a rapidly growing popularity. The glass and steel constructions were richly decorated in the style of the time and were part of an era forming architectural form that spread across the European continent. Glazed Greenhouses and palm houses were characteristic for Botanical Gardens and testify to that time, the architecture gave sustained momentum.

Since that time, the Winter Gardens were first used as a space in which people were staying and communicating with each other. There were thus no pure exhibition spaces for green plants more, but equipped with tables, chairs and benches they gave the people an entirely new living and lifestyle.

Since the 1880s, conservatories were also in Germany as part of town houses and Holiday Inns in fashion. Until the 1930s they were very popular in the classical style in Germany. The conservatories of today, however, are less an expression of nostalgic recollection, but the shift to new forms of architecture. As a result of the oil crises in 1973 and 1979/80, the growing ecological awareness and other factors the sunlight as an energy source and thus the building material glass was rediscovered in the architecture.

In the course of development, the residential conservatory made ​​out that expands the living space.

Heat balance

If the conservatory on days without solar gains (no sunshine ) heated, the heat losses are much greater than conventional walls and require about three to four times the heat output. The high solar gains in direct sunlight and scattered light lead to a drastic reduction of heating days, or hours of heating / heating day. A significant part can be used to reduce the heating power for the rooms behind, so that the required annual heating energy when at full respect as a living space to the entire area ( including the residential conservatory ) depending on the specific geometry and position only slightly changes. If the conservatory is not used in the absence of solar gains as living space (room temperature <19 ° C), it should be separated from the house through doors. Then it acts as a heating energy saving buffer zone.

Low-temperature heating strips or a large under-floor heating in a conservatory may well also be operated without wasting energy. But only if these heating elements are used as the last component of a series circuit of heating return flow of a condensing boiler, the temperature of the flue gas to reduce the temperature of the return water and subsequently further than is possible without this " heat exchanger ". The usually prescribed for old buildings radiators as " radiator" in the living areas must be operated at high temperature lead - namely mostly, whereby the condensing effect can not be used. By additional low -temperature heating systems only the latent heat of condensation energy and residual energy of the flue gas is used, which is otherwise useless blown through the chimney (if not a full boiler or air exhaust system is used). However, it should not then the flow temperature can be increased so as the conservatory is also heated in the same "room temperature" as the rest of the apartment, but this type of conservatory heating may only take advantage of the unused fuel value and serves only as an antifreeze. The actual conservatory heating is done in all cases by the sun and the plants are selected in the conservatory after.

To improve the heat storage a sunlit wall as massive memory wall ( for example, from unfired clay bricks ), or flooring with terracotta tiles can be performed.

Overheating or draft problems by so-called " Hypo exchanger " system are avoided, in which the warm air in the winter garden water evaporates and the Ascended moist air is exhausted at the highest point of the conservatory and is headed by hypocaust pipes on the cold ground, followed where the water vapor condenses, and the liberated heat of condensation is discharged to the ground.

Types of conservatories

There are three types of conservatory in heat- technical terms:

• A cold winter garden is a glass extension, which is used for wintering not perennials. He is not heated or kept frost- free or up to 12 ° C heated - depending on the type of plant to be protected and use target.
• A medium- warm winter garden is a cool conservatory, which is heated in the heating season at 12-19 ° C. From the energy saving regulations less stringent requirements are placed on the insulating properties of the glass roof and the side elements than in the residential conservatory.
• A year-round to live unused warm conservatory is also living conservatory called (room temperature > 19 ° C). There is a climate all year round, which makes a pleasant stay possible. It is also suitable for tropical plants with higher demands. Here also the more stringent requirements of the energy saving regulation for glass roofs and side elements (facade ) and bottom plate of residential buildings apply.

Aspects of building design

Eight issues are particularly important for the planning and execution of a winter garden:

• A suitable frame structure (statics including consideration of wind and snow loads acc. DIN 1055-4 and 5, thermal break, observing the static, insulation, water vapor diffusion and water flow to the Bauanschlüssen ), DIN 4102 Fire behavior of building materials and components
• Adequate ventilation
• A shading
• Glazing with suitable bedding and glazing profiles corresponding to the sub-structure (wood or steel) with sufficient water tightness and resistance to wind load.
• Optimized functions corresponding utilization goals and object location ( load bearing, if necessary heat protection, compliance overhead glazing accordance TRLV - soon DIN 18008 -. ., possibly solar control glass in the roof, if necessary, sound insulation, if necessary " self-cleaning " effects, if applicable crash safety according to TRAV - soon DIN 18008 -, possibly safety glass or optimized light plates)
• One for the required peak load sufficiently dimensioned and arranged at the coldest spots heating, the same airflow ( " air drum " ) causes.
• One corresponding to the utilization goals sized and thermally insulated with heated conservatories Floor structure with corresponding thermal separation of the inner bottom and blocking against rising from the soil moisture. - DIN 18195 Waterproofing
• A gutter and downspout heating, because due to the significantly improved thermal insulation, the heat loss is no longer sufficient to gutter and downspouts thaw and thus prevent clogging by ice and snow. On sunny days, otherwise astonished condensation can penetrate into the design or the interior of the conservatory, which is typically constructed only for dense non-pressing, runoff water.

Glazing of sunrooms

For fastening of the glass panes in conservatory roofs, there are various possibilities of the construction. For the last two decades, particularly with respect to the thermal separation optimized aluminum, steel and plastic conservatory systems, the glass holder is an integral part of the supporting rafters, wall connections and eaves beam profiles. For timber conservatories today mostly aluminum support profiles or plastic thermal pad profiles are used. These glazing bars are available as complete systems, are used in addition to the glass holder to the weather protection of the wooden structure. Another variant for the glass tops are self -rubber pads (EPDM ) with grooves. These are available in various widths and thicknesses. You will be placed on the wooden substructure and are easy to work with. Here, there are also systems that can thermally isolate the cold outside from the warm inside of the winter garden.

For the glazing of the side walls usually dressed glazed windows, doors, sliding and folding systems are used in favor specialized production. It also handcrafted or originating from the large-scale production post and beam constructions are used with the belonging to these systems glass holders.

Sunscreen and ventilation system

In order for a conservatory is available all year round, it must in addition to a sunscreen if necessary, sun protection glass also has an automatic ventilation system (if necessary, with heat exchanger to save energy). If it is aligned directly to the south, can - especially on already very warm locations, a deciduous tree ( chestnut, pear, etc.), the summer has leaves and shade, but in winter the light through leaves largely, at a sufficient distance from some meters, decrease in summer great heat formation without taking a lot of sunlight in winter. Similarly, large plants (eg, small trees ) can take in the summer in extreme heat are placed in pots as needed on the outside (at least if the winter garden is at ground level ).

An automatically controlled conservatory ventilation prevented even in the absence of users overheating in summer and moisture problems and their consequences in the winter, such as moisture condensation and mold settlement.

Victorian style conservatory

A special style of the conservatory are Victorian conservatories. Shapes and decorations from the England of Queen Victoria characterize the impression in these conservatories.

Historically

An early form of the conservatory represent the Orangerie building; they were and are conceived in part as a Anlehnhaus.

Winter Garden Greenery

A conservatory is not a greenhouse (which sometimes more emphasis is placed on high light transmittance of the glass than on the isolation effect ). Usually there is in a conservatory wide temperature fluctuations that can not tolerate all the plants. Many tropical plants require for good prosperity higher humidity, long days or additional exposure in winter, winter minimum temperatures, maximum temperatures, and at all optimal temperatures that have little to do with " living environment ". Cool off in case of overheating can cause unpleasant drafts. Well established plants are, for example, citrus trees, camellias and euphorbias, which also tolerate weak frost. But you can also grow vegetables in the winter garden.