A winter garden is the perfect place to spend your summer days! Or is it? Although you can technically use your three-season conservatory in the summer, many people find it unbearably hot. That means the door closes in winter, but also in summer, which drastically reduces the time you need to enjoy your space.
Don't give up your tanning bed just because it's hot! Aside from turning on the fan, there is a lot more you can do if you find that your conservatory is making you hot and sweaty.
Make room for a portable air conditioner
Some people have air-conditioned conservatories. Others of us are not so lucky. However, you don't have to pay thousands of dollars to install an HVAC system in your conservatory if it gets a little too hot in the summer. Portable air conditioners are popular in industrial settings, but you can find residential units as well. They don't have to be installed in the window either! For just a few hundred dollars, you can easily roll into the sunroom and turn it on during the hottest part of the day. Just make sure you get the most out of your portable air conditioner. Close the windows when you're ready to use them and only turn them on when you're in the room. If your room isn't insulated – and many three-season conservatories aren't – it quickly loses the cold air. There is no reason to raise your electricity bill for no reason!
Run a dehumidifier
Be sure to leave the ceiling fan running in your conservatory. If it still feels hot, you can also bring floor fans to keep the room cool. However, fans can only do so much. If you find that you still feel sweaty with the fans on, consider a dehumidifier instead. Dehumidifiers can be used to cool a room because they remove moisture from the air. Excess moisture can make it feel a lot hotter than it really is. Once you get rid of the moisture, you'll find that an 80-degree day on your tanning bed isn't that unbearable, even if you don't have air conditioning.
Know when to cover the windows
A tanning bed is the perfect place to get a little closer to nature. Why on earth would you want to cover the windows? Covering the windows can keep your sunroom a lot cooler, but that doesn't mean you want to keep them covered all the time. Instead, strategically cover the windows in your conservatory. That may mean covering them during the hottest time of the day, or you might want to cover them up in the morning if you have east-facing windows. Take the temperature in your conservatory throughout the day and play with covering the windows to see what has the greatest impact on the temperature in the room.
Some ways you can cover your windows are:
- Install blinds
- Use curtains
- Use window tint
Replace the floors
What floors do you have in your conservatory? Carpet and hardwood can be cozy, but if you want to keep things cool, consider installing stone instead. Natural stone stays cooler than other materials, which keeps the temperature in your conservatory low. Not to mention keeping your feet cool when walking around barefoot! Are you afraid of keeping your floors warm in autumn and winter? Bring a cozy rug as soon as the weather changes.
Make sure the room is well ventilated
It doesn't matter if the fans are running at full speed if your room isn't well ventilated. The fans just end up pushing the hot air around the room without getting rid of it. Every area of your home is ventilated. Your tanning bed should be too. Consider installing additional vents if the room appears hot or if you haven't installed any vents at all. If you have windows that open from both the top and the bottom, crack the top of the windows during the hottest part of the day.
Don't think that you have to leave your conservatory in summer until cooler temperatures set in in autumn! Turn on the ceiling fan or bring a box fan. But you can also try the tips on this list to keep your spot comfortable throughout the season.
