Building a Winter Garden: The Process and What to Watch Out For
Close to Nature All Year Round with a Winter Garden
A winter garden is a special architectural structure that lets you enjoy the feeling of a garden even in the cold winter months, adding value and space to your home. However, because it involves technical details such as the glass roof, snow load resistance and the balance between heating and cooling, building a winter garden requires a professional engineering approach. In this guide, prepared by the team at our group company Aden İstanbul Mimarlık, we have gathered the key points to consider when having a winter garden built.
1. Structural Calculations for the Load-Bearing Frame Safety is the most critical issue in winter garden construction. Where the roof is entirely glass, snow loads, wind loads and seismic forces must be calculated: * **Steel Load-Bearing Frame:** In winter gardens with wide spans, the load-bearing frame should be built from steel box sections and painted to protect against rust. * **Aluminium Cladding:** The outside of the steel frame is clad with special aluminium profiles for an attractive look and watertightness.
2. Choosing Roof Glass and Safety Because a winter garden roof faces straight up to the sky, it must withstand falling objects and hail: * **Laminated + Tempered Glass:** In roof glazing, the upper pane should be tempered (impact-resistant) and the lower pane laminated (holds together even if it breaks). This combination is essential for your safety. * **Isıcam Konfor:** Glass with solar control should always be used on the roof. Otherwise, your winter garden will heat up like a greenhouse in summer and become unusable.
3. Integrated Gutters and Water Drainage The roof pitch must be calculated correctly, and concealed gutters integrated into the profiles must be designed to drain rainwater to the outside. Downpipes are hidden inside the posts to preserve the aesthetics.
4. Choosing the Side Glazing For the sides of your winter garden, you can use sliding & folding balcony glazing, insulated aluminium sliding doors or PVC window series: * If you want to use the space as a room in winter: choose **insulated sliding or PVC windows and doors**. * If you want to open the sides completely in summer and connect them with the garden: **sliding & folding balcony glazing** systems are the best choice.
With the architecture team at Aden İstanbul Mimarlık, we design your winter garden in 3D on the computer and present it for your approval before fabrication. Contact us for detailed information and a free site survey.