Built an open plan conservatory to kitchen without building regulations - Any advice?

bocharwood

Firstly, I have seen many threads already on this topic however felt that none fitted to our situation.

We have had an old country cottage renovated, we have installed new bathrooms and plastered all the walls etc..

They main issue however is that we knocked down a very old lean-to and replaced it with a new conservatory, we also knocked through a window and removed a door to make it open plan from the kitchen.

The building work has not been complete by a FENSA certified builder and therefore may not fully pass building regulations (the glass is Pilkington K, but insulation and wall thickness is in doubt), which wouldn't be a problem, however we now realise that because we have made it open plan, building regs may well be an issue.

We realise that we should have done our research before starting work but we never thought the open plan would make any difference!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Thank You,

southcoastrgi

What roof does the conservatory have ? Glass or polycarbonate

bocharwood

The roof has pilkington K glass, it is a full glass roof.

Thanks for getting back to me

Owain_Moneysaver

If you're intending to sell, put a patio door in the hole.

sunshinetours

And if you are keeping it wait until the cold weather hits and then also put in a patio door in the hole once you realise how cold it will get!

sillygoose

Do what I did, have a bi-fold door put in, as long as its 'exterior' grade building regs won't be a problem as it likely becomes a permitted conservatory again instead of an illegal extension as it probably is now. Door can be slid & stacked out the way making like open plan when you want. Will keep the cold out when you need too as well.

alleycat`

If you've knocked through it might actually have required planning permission as well as Building Control.

Most people wait until they've got sign off then go about knocking through (and worry about the selling bit later).

Edit:- SG's comments about Bi-Folds might be your best get out but it won't be cheap.

bocharwood

Thank you for all the replies, we will most likely go down the sliding door option. Would retrospective building regs be needed since the a new lintel has already been put in place? Also, would this be difficult to obtain?

Also, we were planning to install a wood burning stove to counter the cold issue, but thank you for your concern!

MX5huggy

You don't need the doors.

What you have built is a highly glazed extension. For compliance with Part L1B of building regs you need a SAP calculation to prove your extension will give lower carbon emissions than one built with a regular amount of glazing. Fitting the wood stove will sort this.

Google SAP assessor locally to you.

alleycat`

MX5huggy wrote: »

You don't need the doors.

What you have built is a highly glazed extension. For compliance with Part L1B of building regs you need a SAP calculation to prove your extension will give lower carbon emissions than one built with a regular amount of glazing. Fitting the wood stove will sort this.

Google SAP assessor locally to you.

My opinion is:-

These guys usually cost nearly as much as the doors.
I doubt the OP gives a monkeys about the carbon aspect of it and just wants to keep warm in winter.

A SAP assessment won't deal with the cold aspects of winter as a conservatory still loses a lot of heat due to the large glazed area relative to having the door in place.

Also changing it from a conservatory to an extension might cause issues with Planning if someone complains.

muckybutt

If you are fitting a wood burner you will also need either : Building regs approval once the stove has been fitted - alternatively get a hetas registered fitter to install it and sign it off for you. A hetas registered fitter or proper stove shop will tell you what size stove you need and where best to put it.

As far as building regs and planning go i'd get a building indemnity insurance policy just in case the council get stroppy and insist you put back as was, they dont cost much but they are worth it for that just in case moment.