Can A Conservatory Weather a Hurricane?
There is no doubt that storms are becoming stronger and that the destruction weather can cause is getting worse and worse.
Across New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania, fifteen conservatories built by Conservatory Craftsmen experienced full force winds and rain from Hurricane Sandy. None of our structures suffered any wind or water damage. One of our conservatories, under construction, had a small leak, and this was quickly repaired. This isn’t because of luck. Before we started building, we ensured that our engineering took into account the location and topography of the project.
“Leak” is a 4-letter word in the construction business.Water is the silent killer of anything structural, particularly conservatories. Anybody who says they have never had one is simply not telling the truth. However, Conservatory Craftsmen has only experienced a small number of leaks over the last 23 years, and there has never been a leak left unattended.
After Hurricane Sandy, our phone and email had a constant flow of pleas for help from conservatory owners looking for a repair service. We are happy to visit and repair many brands of conservatories, even if they were not built by Conservatory Craftsmen.
Frankly, these homeowners couldn’t reach the original company because that company had gone out of business!
Three Lies Told by Unscrupulous Conservatory Repair Companies:
1. If you have a sunroom, greenhouse or conservatory that has clear polycarbonate on the roof and you want to simply replace it, that’s your decision. However, I am telling you right now, even new polycarbonate will never stand up to extreme weather. I was at a conservatory in New Jersey that was knocked over by a snowdrift from a heavy snowstorm. That’s right… a snow drift knocked over a conservatory! Ask yourself, “Would I prefer glass on my roof?” If the repair company tries to talk you out of glass or tries to tell you that your structure’s roof is for polycarbonate only, they are not telling the truth. Why would they teel you that? Because polycarbonate is much cheaper than glass and it will keep their repair bid down while they still make high margins on the material.
2. Ask about “stamped engineering.” Many localities today require stamped engineering. It’s a good thing but it will probably add several thousand dollars to the cost of the conservatory. The engineer, who takes legal responsibility for the project, has a lot of calculations to do to deliver stamped engineering. If the company is unable to provide stamped engineering, walk away. Conservatory Craftsmen provides stamped and sealed engineering for any project if needed. “YES,” it will cost more, however, in the long run you’ll have a much higher-quality product.
3. Some companies like to tell you their glass is the best on the market and it’s made with a “top secret” process that no one else can do. Ridiculous! We can match any glass efficiency made, and likely surpass it. Get a written verification of the U-value of the glass. U-value is the energy efficiency of glass. Unlike R valve, the lower the number, the more efficient the glass is. We can provide glass with the lowest U-value on the market.
