Having a conservatory as an extension - open plan?

iamcornholio

You can have an open plan conservatory, but you will be required to prove (to building control) that the heat loss via the conservatory and the effect on the whole house is no worse than it would be if a traditional extension was built.

This will require a specific calculation (SAP), and you will need to use appropriate glazing products and probably make other parts of the house more thermally efficient too in order to make the calculation work

Any of the current plastic roof sheets wont be good enough

And this has nothing to do with planning permission

SarahLou

Thanks everyone - you see the guy that gave us the quote never mentioned anything about building regs with regards to heat losses, etc. Something I shall bring up with him when I ring him again tomorrow. Thanks everyone

sunshinetours

We have an open plan kitchen/dining/conservatory - sort of L shape the three rooms together. This was all done before we moved in and the conservatory is probably 10-15 years old I would guess and so probably towards the end of its easily serviceable life span

The issue with no doors between the dining and conservatory is that is winter you get a noticeable cold air draught (not a real wind as such but cold air coming in). Our solution is that we fitted a heavy insulated pair of curtains either side of the gap and just close them at night and sometimes on real cold days in winter. This sorts the problem largely but obviously is not how you would design from ground up

It is however lovely in Spring/summer and Autumn to have the large open plan flow of those rooms out on to the garden

If you are set on a conservatory rather than proper extension I would look at folding doors between your conservatory and house which will give you flexibility. You will also definitely need some sort of heating in your conservatory and possibly cooling for summer if south or west facing

I do appreciate new technologies are far better than the older version of conservatories but wild claims that they are as good as well insulated brick build and solid roof is just fantasy

RICHLILL

I agree with the bi fold door option. A Conservatory just stuck on the side of a house is awful. Integrate it into the design of your house and make it a part of it, not just a glorified greenhouse plonked on the side.