Any experiences of Guardian Conservatory Roofs please?

SaveMeCash555

BagpussM wrote: »

PCL (Phil Coppell Ltd) manufacture and install the Guardian Conservatory Roof.

I'm considering a quote by them to replace my Edwardian style conservatory measuring 3.5m x 7m.
The quote stands at £12344.00 including Tapco slate effect tiles, full insulation, and plastering.

I've been researching the question of building regs. which appears to be a very confused issue.
I raised this with PCL who commented that they also have found this a vexed issue which they have resolved by using jhai limited, an independant approved building control firm. jhai will inform the local authority of the start of work and then deal with all matters relating to the building control including issuing the building control final certificate.
I've googled jhai and confrim that they're an independant national firm.
'jhai Limited is a Corporate Approved Inspector licensed by the Construction Industry Council (CIC) to give certified Building Regulations Approval, operating as an alternative to Local Authority Building Control.'
Re the price I have considered other alternatives including the latest high performance roof from Ultraframe called 'Utopia' which has a claimed 'u' value of just 0.53.
Priced by a local firm this roof would be £6455 supplied only inc VAT ex guttering. By the time you allow for fitting and guttering I doubt I'd see much change from £10K. There is then the fact that this 'Utopia' system is IMO pretty ugly looking both inside and out. By just allowing a low amount of light to pass through it would be defined as 'translucent' and therefore avoid any possibility of the conservatory requiring building regs.

IMO building regs are their for our safety, if PCL are obtaining building reg certificates for their work then I'm far happier to trust their work.
The idea that conservatory roofs need to be transluscent originated from the fact that the structure was unlikely to be safe in the event that 3 foot of snow landed on it unless heat loss through the roof could stop that snow landing in the first place!
The irony is then that as 'translucent' roof thermal insulation becomes more efficient and is then placed on a conservatory of weak structure, then the more likely it is to fall down!:rotfl:

Hi.

Did you go through with this ?

I have a similar size conservatory with glass Edwardian roof and am considering all options to make this a usable all year round room.
What did you decide to do about the windows around the side - can you get enough heat in the room to overcome losses through the windows ?

Am considering underfloor heating off of my boiler to put more heat in (currently got 5kw go electric underfloor which would be expensive to run 24x7).

I'm not sure what my conservatory foundations are and whether I could remove some window units and carry the dwarf wall on up to roof level to remove some of the side window heat loss ?
The foundations are certainly holding up a heavy glass roof.

Or indeed turn it into a single storey extension without having to redo base & foundations ?
What roof pitch would a lean to have ?


Thanks in advance for any advice.

jojitsu

New here but I promise I'm not a scammer.. I'm sitting here in my brand new, nearly finished 6 x 3m 'conservatory', it's really cold outside and blowing a gale (but fairly sunny), I have no heating in the conservatory but it's lovely and warm.. It's early days (still bits of painting and rendering to do!) but so far I couldn't be more impressed.. I may be biased but it's AT LEAST as desirable and impressive as any similar sized extension I've seen..

I just tried to upload some photos with photo bucket but wasn't permitted due to being new.. It's not a guardian build, but another big company that specialises in super insulated conservatory roofs and corner columns etc.

Furts

jojitsu wrote: »

New here but I promise I'm not a scammer.. I'm sitting here in my brand new, nearly finished 6 x 3m 'conservatory', it's really cold outside and blowing a gale (but fairly sunny), I have no heating in the conservatory but it's lovely and warm.. It's early days (still bits of painting and rendering to do!) but so far I couldn't be more impressed.. I may be biased but it's AT LEAST as desirable and impressive as any similar sized extension I've seen..

I just tried to upload some photos with photo bucket but wasn't permitted due to being new.. It's not a guardian build, but another big company that specialises in super insulated conservatory roofs and corner columns etc.

I am pleased that you are happy with your conservatory.

I wonder where you stand with the legality with reference to the Building Regulations?

Would you be prepared to post some costings? My nagging doubt is thst it might be possible to build a conventional sun room for the same cost as a conservatory built with a Guardian type of roof.

DRP

Furts wrote: »

I am pleased that you are happy with your conservatory.

I wonder where you stand with the legality with reference to the Building Regulations?

Would you be prepared to post some costings? My nagging doubt is thst it might be possible to build a conventional sun room for the same cost as a conservatory built with a Guardian type of roof.

I'm struggling to understand the difference between the 3 tbh.

Is a sunroom partway between a conserv and extension in terms of glazing and build?

Furts

DRP wrote: »

I'm struggling to understand the difference between the 3 tbh.

Is a sunroom partway between a conserv and extension in terms of glazing and build?

Not a scientific, or Oxford Dictionary, definition, but a conservatory would have glass walls and roof. The Guardian roofs go on a conservatory and substitute the glass roof with mock tiles. A sun room would be an extension with a lot of window area, typically patio doors, plus a tiled roof.

Sterlingtimes

Furts wrote: »

Apologies if I sound cynical, but this is bordering on Spam.

I would say rude rather than cynical. I did not hold myself out to be an expert. I did no more than supply a buyer's opinion.

Furts

Sterlingtimes wrote: »

I would say rude rather than cynical. I did not hold myself out to be an expert. I did no more than supply a buyer's opinion.

I was trying to offer a balanced response to your post - if it comes across as rude this was not my intention.

For many people £8500 is a lot of money to spend on an existing conservatory and have little tangible change. You say that "it is a cheap way to build an energy efficient extension". I suggest that a cheaper way is to improve the ventilation and heating in an existing conservatory and invest the savings, or spend the savings elsewhere.

MIL has just had a conservatory for a little over your figure of £8500. This was to remove an existing asbestos single glazed structure size 6000 x 2000 and replace with a new one about 4500 x2500. This was hand dug foundations, insulated deep cavity walls, insulated concrete floor, fully glazed walls, door and roof, plus paving and regrade the garden. I suggest this is better value for money than a Guardian Roof.

Again it is not my intention to appear rude. It is simply to put forward a balanced response.

Sterlingtimes

Furts wrote: »

I was trying to offer a balanced response to your post - if it comes across as rude this was not my intention.

Thank you, Furts. For the explanation and your posting. You will appreciate now that I was not spamming.


In our situation, we already had a conservatory with brick walls at the base, fitted electrics, and splendid titles that matched our kitchen and utility room. We were reluctant to demolish and build an extension.


However, that conservatory had always felt like a greenhouse and was unusable.


We took the decision to replace rebuild from the wall upwards.


The decision has worked well for us. Quite beyond our expectations it is now the warmest room in the house in the winter and it is cool in the summer. From a usage point of view it is as good as an extension.


However, I am under no illusion that a built extension would have been better and would have enhanced the house value slightly.


Consequently, I see it as a low cost re-build option but not the best decision for a new build. I remain entirely happy with Guardian after a year.

aggypanthus

Where is the ist place to start , re planning a sunroom?
OH wants a conservatory , I dont !

Furts

aggypanthus wrote: »

Where is the ist place to start , re planning a sunroom?
OH wants a conservatory , I dont !

My suggestion is to look at the path of the sun. With a sun room there are windows set into walls just like an ordinary room, and you want to capture this sun shining through.

My sunroom is north facing, hence I took it past the end of my house to get a south wall on it. I also took it a reasonable distance from the house to get the morning sun from the east.

Then consider your ceiling. Do you want it flat? If so, it can be a cheap construction with trussed rafters. Do you want Velux roof windows? If so, these would be via a light shaft on a flat ceiling. You then have to decide what size Velux you want. Or do you want the ceiling up to the underside of the rafters? More expensive, but gives a greater feeling of space, but will also cost more to heat. Again, you can have Veliux in these.

Remember a sun room will be an extension to a house and will be subject to Building Regulations. You will also have to check if you need Planning Permission.