Conservatories - is this good or bad?

"N. Thornton" wrote | Whats the PP and BCO situation with underground extensions, | or a separate underground storage room? Its ok, I wont be | asking about tethered hot air balloons :)

The big problem with underground rooms is 'means of escape' from fire. Storage rooms are probably acceptable and it's sometimes possible to integrate a swimming pool into the basement foundations. But habitable rooms, which may be used as bedrooms, get BCOs rather nervous. (They'd probably fail on windows as well.) And watch out for heavy vapours and fumes from garages.

Owain

Reply to
Owain
Loading thread data ...

Thanks Owain. These points are easy to deal with in this particular case. Windows would be provided at ground level, in the roof of the underground room, and would be used to provide means of escape as well as light and ventilation.

I assume such underground structures would be covered by BRs and maybe PP as well: that is my first question for now. If they are not, I will investigate further sooner. If they are, I'll investigate further later.

This idea would be outside of the house structure, and intended as a storage room, but of course if it can be made habitable that would make it of significantly more use. It would be quite close to boundaries, and road.

Just what rules cover this sort of thing? Are underground sheds/stores allowed?

Regards, NT

Reply to
N. Thornton

"N. Thornton" wrote | > The big problem with underground rooms is 'means of escape' from fire. | Thanks Owain. These points are easy to deal with in this particular | case. Windows would be provided at ground level, in the roof of the | underground room, and would be used to provide means of escape as well | as light and ventilation.

You might need to provide a fixed ladder/staircase to access the window from inside, unless you can obtain a B Regs exemption on the grounds you're Zebedee.

| Just what rules cover this sort of thing? Are underground sheds/stores | allowed?

Go deep enough, and you'll need a mines permit :-)

You could probably dig out an Italian Sunken Garden though, and then glass roof it under conservatory rules. Oh no, conservatory rules require translucent walls as well.

Air raid shelters?

Owain

Reply to
Owain

Just had a second quote for the conservatory I'm in the process of looking at ordering The first one was £12,000, this second one is £21,000 for pretty much the same spec. (I posted the spec in the first post in this thread). A distinction is that the second quote includes taking care of the planning permission, which I hadn't had confirmed as being necessary at the time of the first quote. I've no idea how much that costs, but I'm guessing a few hundred rather than £9,000

One difference between them is that this second one doesn't include roof vents, which the earlier quote does, but vents using the small windows above the main panels.. When I asked about roof vents, the guys response was "we don't do roof vents, they leak. All roof vents leak".

Any thoughts?

Brian

Reply to
bigbria

It all seems like silly money to me. I'll stick with my approximately 4000 quid quote (including prefabricated steel base, paint etc.). OK, I have to DIY (but this is uk.d-i-y), but I've already done the hard bit, breaking the old concrete patio and digging the pad foundations. In fact, I did it this weekend.

The conservatory isn't some horrible uPVC, but real wood with fixed fan lights, georgian bars, beaded arched windows and a real glass double glazed roof (and windows, of course), so it doesn't sound like a tent in the rain or get filthy minutes after installation.

The base installation is basically unskilled labour, particularly if all you need is a bit of shuttering and a readymix truck and some wheelbarrows. Mine was more complicated as you can't even get a concrete mixer through, let alone a wheelbarrow. The painting (if wood) is simple. The assembly shouldn't be far off assembling flatpack furniture. The only slightly technical stuff is doing the flashing, electrics and any bricklaying you desire, plus installing heavy double glazing panels above head height.

If you don't want to do the work yourself, perhaps you may get a better quote by buying the conservatory and installing from separate companies? I can't imagine someone would charge 8 grand just to dig a few holes, pour in concrete and assemble some conservatory frames.

It hasn't arrived yet, so I'm not yet in a position to recommend them, but I'm getting mine from Baltic Pine. (Their pre-sales seems excellent, with calls returned promptly).

formatting link

Christian.

Reply to
Christian McArdle

They don't. I have two of them. They are electrically operated with a temperature sensor inside, with a rain sensor outside to close them in the event of rain. It all works very reliably. I did one small modification which was to add a centre off switch so that I can override the controller and force the windows to remain shut.

Definitely no leaks even in hard driving rain or with the pressure washer played on the edges from a distance.

.andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

Reply to
Andy Hall

One more thing is that roof vents make a big difference to being able to dump the accumulated heat from inside. You won't get that purely from windows.

I generally open the roof vents and the windows if it's getting warm and then the door if it is hot.

Did you say this was for a 3m square conservatory? If so, £21k is on the high side.

As long as the exemption conditions are met and there are no covenants on the property regarding development, there is no need for planning permission. It sounds as though the second company is selling you comfort. You can buy a lot of that for £9k.

.andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

Reply to
Andy Hall

Its 4 x 3.5m (slightly larger that I mentioned in my original post, but I got the first company to requote on the larger spec, and their quote went up by about £300.

I need permission because the conservatory will be within 20m of, and closer than the existing house to, the road at the end of the garden.

Brian

Reply to
bigbria

I like the sound of that, Did you add it yourself? (if so, where did you source it from)

Cheers

Brian

Reply to
bigbria

The roof was made by Ultraframe, who make roofs for many other manufacturers, including the major names and they also supplied the ventilator equipment.

There is a brief mention of it on their web site

formatting link
and you can request a brochure.

.andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

Reply to
Andy Hall

OK. Do you mean at the end of the back garden or the front? (or even side? )

I would check that point with the local authority, because if it's the back or perhaps side, I am not certain that that rule applies. Published information doesn't seem clear.....

At any rate it doesn't cost as much as implied.

I would have said that the £12-14k area is reasonable for a good product here, 21k high unless there are other things to justify.

Who's the second supplier as a matter of interest? Have you tried beating them down? Perhaps if they've tried the comfort factor sell, they have misjudged you as a soft touch :-)

.andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

Reply to
Andy Hall

Its at the back. I thought it might not apply given that the existing building is already within 20m of the road, rather than the new construction taking it to within 20,, but it was the local authority who told me it was necessary.

I'd rather not say just now - I'm still waiting for a couple more quotes and I'll post them ll when they're in. The guy who came round was new to the company having just joined from Zenith. When I was asking him about price differentials on various sizes, he said that Zenith work on thee basis of £800 per additional 20cm, width or length, which is £4,000 a metre. As I say, the first quote I got went up by £300 when I increased the length from 3.5 to 4 meters

Or beating him up?:-)

I love it when they do that :-)

As it happens we have a plan to replace the windows at that side of the house, probably next year, replacing hardwood with uPVC, so there's an additional carrot for them. He said if we buy the conservatory, they'll throw in a free window now to set the ball rolling. He probably didn't realise how much damage he was doing to his chances of getting the conservatory work when he said that :-)

Brian

Reply to
bigbria

Very opportune. As it happens, my next quote (tomorrow afternoon) is from an Ultraframe Approved Installer :-)

Brian

Reply to
bigbria

It seems odd because a very large proportion of conservatories would need it on that basis, and one sees few planning applications for them. Even so, it still ain't worth £9k :-)

I reckon that the rest will all come in in between these two figures - most around £15k......

That's not bad.

It tells you that there's at leat £1-2k that can be taken out.....

.andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

Reply to
Andy Hall

In message , Andy Hall writes

...and they make a Uri Geller conservatory too

Reply to
me

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.