Hot conservatory (aren't they all?) retrofit solution?

[theSouth]

my 8mx3.5m metre double-hip glass roof conservatory gets hot. no surprises there.

it always has got hot, we've had it for nearly 10 years and it's mostly been a case of cooling it down by opening doors and windows with about 57 fans running constantly!!

trouble is, now I'm trying to use it (I have no other option) as a workshop. Stupid, yes, but I have no other option and if I can get outside I obviously do. in the late evenings its just about OK, but as it gets hotter this summer it's going to be a massive pain.

I imagine to retro fit one of those clever thermostatically controlled roof opening solutions will be expensive, but that's just me guessing.

I've also thought of other ideas, mostly stupid or ineffective ones - such as fitting an extractor fan to the dwarf wall. yes, heat rises so it might "move a bit of hot air around" but it won't cool it enough.

other than opening the doors or fitting hugely expensive blinds (we had a quote for £8000 when the conservatory was fitted by Hillary's Blinds, we politely declined), or fitting a combination of rigid thermal boards with a plywood skin to essentially block out the sun, does anyone have any better ideas?

is there some clever retrofit product out there?

I'm tempted to knock it down and build a proper workshop; but I can't do that this year.

 

[crank39]

Have you thought about a putting a solid tiled roof on, theres various companies springing up that do it

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Yes its getting popular that workaround just do your homework first either if you DIY it or employ someone to do it.

 

[theSouth]

Thanks for suggestion. Yes we have considered that, but we really want to get rid of this in a year or two.

I don't mind spending a couple of hundred or so, but not > £1000

I like the light, great for woodworking etc... so I'm really keen to invest in some kind of ventilation.

I realise it is treating the symptom, rather than addressing the cause, but as I say we plan to scrap it (to eBay ) soon.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Then you're a bit scuppered then really, a big second hand portable air conditioner off eBay that you can sell on maybe?

 

[theSouth]

Cats rule! ? My cat does, I and hate him. Hate him so much I called him "Boris" after the Tory major of London. I knew I'd hate him before his 'personality' truly came through.

Yeah, I actually have a pretty large air con unit, but its like David and Goliath! Not a chance. I have a large, I dunno something like 600mm floor fan, which does work, but I have to have both sets of doors open.

To be honest, I agree - scuppered I am.

Sometimes the simple solution is best; open the doors and windows 30 mins before I go in and switch on a kick-ass fan to "change the air".

Cheers anyway.

Again, Cats Rule?