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Replacing Conservatory Roof

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Hi All,

Im after some quotes/advice on replacing a conservatory roof with tiles, making the room more useable.

its currently far too hot in the summer and freezing in the winter.

Any one know of local companies they would recommend and possible quotes or estimates of work ?

Its 20ft by 10ft.

Thanks
«1

Comments

  • WLM21
    WLM21 Posts: 1,599 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Combo Breaker
    If the existing conservatory is a standard uPVC type construction, it would probably be impossible to do what you want without a new rebuild, due to the weight loads of insulation, tiles, joists etc.

    If there are dwarf brick walls, at the base, these could probably stay and the new work start there.

    A builder would advise, but new plans would have to drawn etc etc (planning permission too maybe)

    Another option, lighter than conventional tiles, would be to use shingles, like fake tiles popular in the USA. Like felt cut into tile shape.
  • You could consider having an Air Source Heat pump installed. In our conservatory (5mx5m Edwardian) it is most usable in summer and winter (another good Christmas day in there again).

    To roof the conservatory - I suspect Planning and Building Control will have to be involved, as well as some walls/columns will have to built to take the extra roof loading. The foundations may have to be investigated to see if they are suitable as well...

    Good luck,
    John
  • shouldnt be a problem. You are allowed to extend upto 3m projection in a terrace or semi and 4m in a detached. Im assuming youre projection is the 10ft so planning wont be an issue. Regarding the weight loadings again, this shouldnt be a problem and you wont need pillars etc. The vertical compression strength will be more than adequate. I would however build in a continuous ring beam. Is there a physical barrier ie doors in between the house and the conservatory. If so you shouldnt require building regs either. If you can post a picture I will be able to give you more complete advice.
  • mots888
    mots888 Posts: 16 Forumite
    i work for local authority so have had a quick discussion with Building Conrol who advised my 1st step would be to look at seeking advice from a structural engineer..

    i have googled this and lots of different companies have come up so think ill have to ask around for some quotes.
  • travellerboy
    travellerboy Posts: 797 Forumite
    edited 3 January 2012 at 4:11PM
    Motts88, I was faced with the same problem a few years ago, and agree they are more like a green house, more suited to plants than people.
    To overcome or at least minimise the temperature fluctuations I decided to insulate the roof from the inside. Mine was probably similar to yours, light weight polycarbonate roof panels on a uPVC/aluminium framework. Always too hot in summer and very cold in winter. I have eliminated the problems and the room is now habitable having extended my central heating to include a radiator in this room.

    To replace the roof with a heavy load bearing structure will prove impossible without rebuilding. The walls which are simply windows in a frame and not sufficiently load bearing to carry the increased weight. The structure has to be light-weight. I fixed wood battens to the inside of the uPVC roof framework and then fitted high efficiency multi-layer foil insulation (about 1"thick equal to 10" of fibre insuation). On top of this I placed another wooden batten sandwiching the insulation. Then for a cosmetic finish I secured white Upvc panelling onto the battens concealing all the work. I forgot to mention I also secured a sheet of clear polythene on top of the insulation as a vapour barrier to avoid condensation before fitting the uPVC internal cladding.

    It definately works, as now it retains significantly more heat in winter and doesn't heat up with the solar gain in summer, also another benefit is that it is significantly quieter when it rains. Also it looks good matching the window frames and looks a million dollars in comparison to the before-look and no need to clean the roof of algae very few years.
    Hope that helps, it cost me about £700 for materials and easily installed. The multi-layer foil insulation is very expensive and is 95% of the cost of the job, anything cheaper will be a waste of time and effort.
  • capeverde
    capeverde Posts: 651 Forumite
    Motts88, I was faced with the same problem a few years ago, and agree they are more like a green house, more suited to plants than people.
    To overcome or at least minimise the temperature fluctuations I decided to insulate the roof from the inside. Mine was probably similar to yours, light weight polycarbonate roof panels on a uPVC/aluminium framework. Always too hot in summer and very cold in winter. I have eliminated the problems and the room is now habitable having extended my central heating to include a radiator in this room.

    To replace the roof with a heavy load bearing structure will prove impossible without rebuilding. The walls which are simply windows in a frame and not sufficiently load bearing to carry the increased weight. The structure has to be light-weight. I fixed wood battens to the inside of the uPVC roof framework and then fitted high efficiency multi-layer foil insulation (about 1"thick equal to 10" of fibre insuation). On top of this I placed another wooden batten sandwiching the insulation. Then for a cosmetic finish I secured white Upvc panelling onto the battens concealing all the work. I forgot to mention I also secured a sheet of clear polythene on top of the insulation as a vapour barrier to avoid condensation before fitting the uPVC internal cladding.

    It definately works, as now it retains significantly more heat in winter and doesn't heat up with the solar gain in summer, also another benefit is that it is significantly quieter when it rains. Also it looks good matching the window frames and looks a million dollars in comparison to the before-look and no need to clean the roof of algae very few years.
    Hope that helps, it cost me about £700 for materials and easily installed. The multi-layer foil insulation is very expensive and is 95% of the cost of the job, anything cheaper will be a waste of time and effort.

    Youre talking out of your backside. Why do people come on this site and make sweeping statements without any knowledge? I spent 20 years owning a conservatory company and now have a business building summerhouses, garden offices etc. In most cases you will be fine to remove the upvc roof and polycarb/glass and replace with trusses and tiles. As I mentioned before its important to have a strong ring beam fitted and to tie some/all of the trusses to stop spreading. The vertical load on the frames will be fine with the ring beam. Have you by any chance felt the weight of a 6.6mm laminated glass roof on a 6m conservatory by the way, you almost need a crane to lift the panels in. The footing should have been done correctly in the first place and assuming you have a dwarf wall the roofing materials shouldnt matter. If someone has simply shuttered a floor slab in, obviously there could be issues.
  • capeverde wrote: »
    Youre talking out of your backside............................... QUOTE]



    Strongly suggest OP seek specialist advise, not by a crank like you ...you pilluck
  • Capeverde - you are out of order. Travellerboy had something to say and spent a lot of time giving help which I for one found useful. (a shame however that he stooped to CV's level here...) His idea, if it solves the problem is certainly the cheapest, quickest and probably most reliable method.

    However, after reading all this, I'm not sure that I want to get a conservatory now. They seem to be an expensive luxury (that is - if you can even find a decent provider) that ends up giving you problems later...
  • What is this life if, full of care, we have no time to stand and stare
  • capeverde
    capeverde Posts: 651 Forumite
    Capeverde - you are out of order. Travellerboy had something to say and spent a lot of time giving help which I for one found useful. (a shame however that he stooped to CV's level here...) His idea, if it solves the problem is certainly the cheapest, quickest and probably most reliable method.

    However, after reading all this, I'm not sure that I want to get a conservatory now. They seem to be an expensive luxury (that is - if you can even find a decent provider) that ends up giving you problems later...

    You may have found it useful, but it was wrong. In general there is a lot of helpful advice on these forums but I cannot stand when somebody with little or no experience on a subject quotes 'his opinion' as fact when it clearly isn't so. This is far more harmful than being told they are speaking rubbish. I wont give advice on subjects I dont know about, but if I have spent 20 years in a particular industry I think it gives me grounds to give a knowledgeable reply.
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