Home  5  Books  5  GBEzine  5  News  5  HelpDesk  5  Register  5  GreenBuilding.co.uk
Not signed in (Sign In)

Categories



Green Building Bible, Fourth Edition
Green Building Bible, fourth edition (both books)
These two books are the perfect starting place to help you get to grips with one of the most vitally important aspects of our society - our homes and living environment.

PLEASE NOTE: A download link for Volume 1 will be sent to you by email and Volume 2 will be sent to you by post as a book.
Buy individually or both books together. Delivery is free!


powered by Surfing Waves




Vanilla 1.0.3 is a product of Lussumo. More Information: Documentation, Community Support.

Welcome to new Forum Visitors
 Join the forum now and benefit from discussions with thousands of other green building fans and discounts on Green Building Press publications: Apply now.




Building Regulations and Standards: How far can I change a traditional conservatory?

Bottom of Page

1 to 19 of 19

  1.  
    • CommentAuthorDavidND
    • CommentTimeOct 9th 2007
     
    We've just bought a house with a, 'worn out' with a capital K!, conservatory. Its traditional double wall polycarb roof and knackered dg units. I want to raise the dwarf walls to normal height (and fully insulate) have a wall of glass at the end (triple glazed) and put a very well insulated tiled roof on with a single velux (or similar).

    Some questions:
    a) can I just do it? or
    b) would I need planning permission?
    c) does teh fact I want to conserve energy have ANY clout whatsoever?

    Thanks in advance peeps.
  2.  
    Maybe (but you may well need Bldg Regs apoproval), probably, and hmmm...

    Nick
    •  
      CommentAuthorted
    • CommentTimeOct 9th 2007
     
    A conservatory is only deemed such if it has a 75% glazed roof. You could, of course, be simply converting it into a porch.
    •  
      CommentAuthornigel
    • CommentTimeOct 9th 2007
     
    You would need to check the planning situation with your local planners as you may need planning consent if for example it is in a conservation area.

    You will also need building regulations approval for the work you do. Sounds as though that would not be a problem but you would have to do it.
    • CommentAuthorDavidND
    • CommentTimeOct 9th 2007
     
    Ted
    I don't get that 75% business... But could I reasonably argue this. A conservatory can legitimately have a roof that transmits just 10% of light. So, if it were 10sq m and you used a 10% transmission material you'd have the equiv of a (say) velux of 1sq m of clear glass... see where I'm going?
    Nigel
    Def not in conservation area so no prob there.

    Do people feel I'd have to start over regarding planning permission?
    • CommentAuthortony
    • CommentTimeOct 9th 2007
     
    Probably not for planning but it may depend on a whole lot of other things. Ask the planning dept.

    You will need building regulations in any case.
    • CommentAuthorTerry
    • CommentTimeOct 9th 2007
     
    I think you need to look more deeply into Teds comment re turning it into a 'porch'.
    Dont know the specifics, but know someone who added a 'porch' on and that had positive implications for both planning and building regs. It was quite large and was effectively a conservatory on dwarf walls with with a solid insulated roof.
    • CommentAuthorDavidND
    • CommentTimeOct 10th 2007
     
    Leeds planning are probably nice people IF one could ever get to them... They are guarded by the most dour bitch rotweiler on the planet. Her job seems simply to keep money rolling in rather than giving access to genuine advice.
    I'll investigate the Porch approach a bit more but would appreciate any help in describing such a beast.
    • CommentAuthorTerry
    • CommentTimeOct 10th 2007
     
    David, slightly troubled by your character assassination ......its a bit harsh on the rotweilers.

    Regarding the porch, as I said, dont know the specifics, maybe Ted does. Possibly something to do with draught lobbies with a bit of leeway size wise. Bit too busy to look into it myself - sorry. Maybe a friendly building control officer can put you straight.
  10.  
    I looked into this a few months back, David. I think the permitted development rights only allow a porch of 3m2 without getting planning permission. I agree with the comment about 75% glazed roof to qualify as a conservatory.

    Planning is not required unless your total volume of extensions is greater than 70m3 or 15% of original house, which ever is greater (figures are 50m3 or 10% for a terrace) subject to a maximum of 115m3. Your conservatory would have needed planning permission if it breached this limit, so if you aren't increasing its size then you are probably OK.

    Unless you are prepared to do the job on the quiet and hope no-one notices for 4 years, you will need to put a building notice in and have building control inspect the work. This means you have comply with all the insulation regs for all the elements. BS will also make you dig a hole or two to check the footings under the existing conservatory. Mine were OK and he let me re-use the footings and the slab.

    Your problem area is likely to be the floor which I doubt will have any insulation under it. However, you can compensate for this by putting extra insulation in the walls and roof. Also, your glazed area may exceed that which is allowed under the regs. Again you can compensate with additional insulation elsewhere. If your dwarf wall has no insulation in it (which is doubtful), then it may be cheaper to knock it down and rebuild from the ground up.

    This is what I did on a recent extension and it was a little complicated but not impossible. You have to do a weighted average U-value calculation of the existing house plus an extension done to the current regs and compare it to the house as it will be after you have built the extension the way you want it. If the second figures comes out higher than the first then you have to do some improvements to get the figure down e.g. insulate the walls and roof of your extension better or insulate the loft or walls of the original house or upgrade the glazing.

    I have a spreadsheet (sent to me by another poster on this forum) that helps if you want to post your email address. The conclusion I came to was that you can't really convert a conservatory into a proper extension if you're doing it all above board. You have to comply with the building regs for an extension although there is some flexibility on how you go about this.
    • CommentAuthortony
    • CommentTimeOct 10th 2007
     
    My understanding is that a porch can be built up to 30m^2 without planning or building regs so long as the old remains in place.

    Conservatories are all big heat losers -- good luck fixing it up.
  12.  
    Where did you get the 30m2 figure from Tony? This link says 3m2:-

    http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/england/genpub/en/1011888236897.html
    • CommentAuthorTerry
    • CommentTimeOct 10th 2007
     
    Chris
    The porch I was shown was approx 3m x 4m internally and did not require building regs. Not sure about planning
    • CommentAuthorDavidND
    • CommentTimeOct 10th 2007
     
    email is david@dndservices.net - thanks chris.

    maybe I should move... oh I have!

    It's all so bloomin frustrating when all I want to do is my little bit to save the world ;-) Bureaucracy stifles as always.

    Can anyone suggest a route by which I can get a definitive answer or concrete advice (not Portlands...) before spending out? Anyone know of an architect, for example, who could offer practical and relevant advice? Yes I know the last statement could be an oxymoron...
  15.  
    I've just had a look at the building regs (I'll email you a copy David). I think Terry and Tony are right. You can build a conservatory up to 30m2 without building regs approval. It has to be thermally separate from the main building i.e. not connected to the central heating system and all connecting doors and windows should be to the same thermal standard as the rest of the house (glazing and draft-proofing).

    Where what you want to build doesn't qualify as a conservatory (because the roof is tiled), then you have to make sure that the thermal performance of the element is at least as good as it would be in a conservatory (i.e. not very difficult). It is all in Part L1B, Section 1, paragraphs 22, 23 & 24.

    If I'm reading it correctly, sounds to me like you can do what you are planning to do without getting planners or building regs involved (no planning required because within your permitted development rights). The 3m2 for a porch must just be an extra planning right you have speccifically to build a small porch over and above the 15% of volume you are allowed for extensions??
    • CommentAuthorbatkinson
    • CommentTimeOct 11th 2007
     
    what you are proposing is clearly 'building work' within the Bregs definition and you should speak to your local authority building control section, I have seen loads of these over the years, usually done without bregs and only comming to light when the house sale is held up.
    Please dont be confused about the 75% figure. This is only for Part L purposes and does not ammend what the principle regulations say.
    • CommentAuthorJoinerbird
    • CommentTimeDec 18th 2007
     
    well said batkinson
    I deal with many an upset homeowner who didnt realise they were doing building work, and what are we going to do we are supposed to exchange contracts this week......

    So, planning is needed for your porch upto 3m2, building regs for your porch upto 30m2 but will have to be thermally seperated.
    Think of your hips and get an application in to br, it adds value to your house if its done properly (not saying you wouldnt do it properly of course.x.x.x)
  18.  
    David,

    I would be tempted to start again, it will be easier and with all the time, effort and money you will be better off with a proper extension built to the highest insulation standards.

    If the foundations are not deep enough for the heavier wall (quite likely and BC will be hot on this) you will have to remove them and dig deeper. That means the whole lot gets junked.

    The floor won't be insulated, if there is room for an extra 75mm without creating an awkward step from the house you might get away with Kingspan and a floating floor. Building regs quite rightly have rules about wheelchair access (for the next owner) and a big step might be outlawed.

    I built my old single glazed conservatory (bought for £500 second hand!) myself...I've thought about a full width extension, looked carefully at Passive House standards and concluded I would start the project with a mini JCB in destruction mode!

    Yes the whole lot would go except for the concrete floor. I would add an insulated floor and do the same to the breakfast room to keep the levels consistent - its a 1985 house with no floor insulation. I would then insulate all the ground floor to match.

    Hope that helps in some way!

    cheers
    Paul
    • CommentAuthorCWatters
    • CommentTimeJan 20th 2008
     
    The issue is not the amount of glass remaining but will the new room be classed as a habitable room? For example will you be retaining an external grade door between it and the rest of the house or will you change it to an interior door or knock through? There are a number of other things the BCO will look at to determin if it's classed as a habitable room. In some cases plastering the walls has been enough to get building control worked up.

    If it will be converted from a conservatory (not a habitable room) to say a snooker room or living room (both are habitable rooms) then I believe Building Control will need to be involved and it will need to comply with all the regs. It's the same as a garage conversion. That's likely to mean the total area of external doors and windows will be restricted to around 25% of the floor area. If you want to go over that then more then the normal amount of insulation will be required in the walls to compensate for the increase in area of glass. Calculating the amount of insulation is "easy" as long as you are familiar with the concept of area weighted averages or similarly complex sums! However as even tripple glazing glass is five times worse than a cavity wall you need a lot of extra insulation for a small increase in glass.

    Anyone know if the other optional methods of ensuring compliance with Part L (eg SAP calculations) include an allowance for solar gain?

    The strength of the foundations may also need to be checked by digging an exploratory hole.

    The existing heating system might also need to be extended. Habitable rooms must be adequatly heated and I don't think fan or similar electric heaters are allowed now. I think if electric heating is proposed you have to put more insulation in but I might be wrong, that may only apply to new build not extensions.

1 to 19 of 19

  1.  
Add your comments

    Username Password
  • Format comments as
 
Back to Discussions Top of Page
   
The Ecobuilding Buzz
Site Map    |   Home    |   View Cart    |   Pressroom   |   Business   |   Links   
Logout    

© Green Building Press