There now are three core materials for the manufacture of orangeries, these are hardwood, aluminium and plastic. Each has unique properties, but only one can create a style and look that’s unique and that’s hardwood.

Hardwood orangeries are made from a wide range of timbers. The most used today are oak, mahogany, idigbo, meranti, sapele, utile and iroko. Surprisingly, some hardwoods are not a suitable material for conservatories, for example beech, although this is a very good wood internally, it is not durable enough to be used externally.

Orangery hardwoods are specially selected for their combination of properties such as durability, structural properties and ease of use. It’s worth looking at each of the properties in isolation, the first being durability. The nature of hardwood is such that it has inherent strength and this strength provides natural durability that is further enhanced when treated with paints or stains, once treated the hardwood orangery may not need re-painting for 10 years, although the position of the orangery in relation to the elements may alter this timespan. Some hardwoods, for example teak, contain a certain amount of natural oil. These timbers can be left ‘naked’ and completely exposed to the elements and because of their resin content they are extremely durable and will last for many years. Some orangery manufacturers only use seasoned oak, as it is renowned for its longevity and is one of the most hard wearing materials in hardwood orangery production and will last for many years. This timber needs to be air dried to the right moisture content and once dry it is laminated to provide additional strength.

The structural properties of hardwood allow orangery designers a virtual free reign to construct almost any design of orangery due to the strength of the material, combined with its workability, must orangeries are constructed using state of the art routers that can now accommodate intercut designs, so that each orangery can be as unique as the house it sits with. Hardwood orangeries generally use mortise and tendon joints for the window frames and doors, whilst roof rafters are bird mouthed over the outer pan rail. Finger jointing is undertaken for longer elements as and where necessary. Frames are strengthened further with joining beads.

Hardwood still to this day retains a certain cache and as such, to a lot of people, it is the pinnacle and ultimate in orangery design and build. Its only perceived downside is cost, as of all the materials, hardwood tends to be the most expensive especially when compared to plastic. But as with all things, for those who choose this option it is most definitely a price worth paying for and one that will give pleasure for decades to come.