A lean to, or sun lounge conservatory, is probably the most commonly seen design today. It is considered to be a traditional type of conservatory, one of the first to be used extensively. A lean to is square or rectangular in shape and will usually have an angled roof which allows water to run off easily. Water will be collected in a guttering system and then channelled into a downpipe, guiding it into the drainage system. Try not to confuse these conservatory designs with those of Edwardian conservatories. The latter will typically have hipped roofs, rather than flat or sloped ones. The lean to design is usually going to be the cheapest kind of conservatory available, and also the one to choose if you have limited space in your garden, and do want it to look or feel taken over.

Design and Placement

The lean to conservatory has evolved from greenhouse designs that were constructed against south facing walls. They provided shelter against the typical cold winds that were most often brought in from the North. In the Northern hemisphere, the sun will appear to the south of a building most of the time. Building a conservatory on the South side of a property is therefore an obvious choice, giving the homeowner maximum exposure to sunlight for as long as possible. Being South facing, the lean-to conservatory will also be open to receiving as much natural heat as possible during the winter months. This heat will then be retained for as long as possible as the North facing wall will actually be an insulated wall of the building the conservatory is attached to, rather than a glass one.

Common Uses

In the modern world, lean to conservatories are used as greenhouses much less often than they once were. They are now far more likely to be added to a property to extend the available living space, rather than for growing plants or vegetables. Most homeowners do of course still take advantage of the huge amounts of sunlight that manages to find its way into conservatories, placing some of their more vulnerable plants inside where they can gain exposure to the sun, but at the same time remain protected from the elements.

A lean to conservatory will usually function as a secondary dining area, or lounge area, which can be used when the weather is good. It will obviously allow a homeowner to enjoy their garden during the winter months as well, or at any time when it is too cold to sit outdoors. Conservatories of this kind are also used as children’s playrooms, or even as kitchens. Some people will also just leave the conservatory area free, using it as and when the want to, or just on special occasions when guests are being entertained.