It is easy for me to fall into the trap of using jargon in these blogs or elsewhere on the website that I take for granted but you may not have a clue about. So every now and then I will let you into the secrets of our trade talk. Hopefully it may give you a clue as to what we are wittering on about!

Here are some of the more commonly used words when talking about conservatories, together with a brief explanation:

• Abutment – this is the side of the conservatory that adjoins the existing building
• Base wall – a low brick wall of just a few courses of brick which is found at the base of a conservatory
• Crest – a decorative feature often found on the roof of a conservatory
• Edwardian conservatory – square shaped conservatory under an apex roof
• Full-fill cavity – a cavity wall that has been fully filled with insulation
• Joist – a horizontal metal or wood beam which can support a floor, wall or ceiling
• Lean-to conservatory – a conservatory that attaches to a house, usually rectangular shaped with a slanted roof
• Lintel – horizontal beam supporting the wall above a door or window opening
• Party wall – the boundary between 2 properties over which both have rights
• PVCu – previously known as uPVC, this is polyvinyl unplasticised and is a material used to make conservatory frames, doors and windows. Alternatives are aluminium and hardwood
• RSJ – this is a rolled steel joint and is used as a structural support across very wide openings
• Sleeper wall – a low wall that supports ground floor joists
• Victorian conservatory – a conservatory with more than four sides, topped with an apex roof and usually featuring a crest

If you are in Gloucestershire and are considering having a new conservatory, then do give me a call on 01684 772935 or 07885 293791.