Lightweight Tiled conservatory roof. Yes or No

ComicGeek

Savvy_amateur wrote: »

In the end I called the council building regulation department to discuss it with them and they were quite happy for it to go ahead they said they would charge £175 for the building regulations bit

So that's £175 for them to come round and tell you that it doesn't comply with Building Regulations..... and then give you a list of things that would need to be checked and upgraded before they would issue a completion certificate....

It doesn't mean that you pay them £175 and they give you automatic approval.

WaywardDriver

Going through this ourselves at present and yes you definitely need building control approval. Your builder must submit a plan and structural report to building control along with the £175 fee. My advice is definitely avoid any builder who suggests otherwise. Assuming the plan is approved, the main advantages are (1) building control will ensure the work is carried out as specified and (2) you will avoid potential problems if you sell the house in the future.

magn8p

Great guidance and I back it. But the OP's question is about whether or not to go with polymer roof tiles on her conservatory.

Anything that you use for a conservatory needn't be BR compliant, unlike the main building.

Roof tiles have a better U value compared to glass or polycarbonate roof. However, light is problem but you can solve it by installing multiple velux windows. Obviously, a combination of this will increase the cost of your project.

All the best.

WaywardDriver wrote: »

Going through this ourselves at present and yes you definitely need building control approval. Your builder must submit a plan and structural report to building control along with the £175 fee. My advice is definitely avoid any builder who suggests otherwise. Assuming the plan is approved, the main advantages are (1) building control will ensure the work is carried out as specified and (2) you will avoid potential problems if you sell the house in the future.

Silvertabby

Have you thought about the reduction in light levels in the adjoining room?

We are happy with glass. We don't get much snow here, but when we do the amount of light it blocks really makes the dining room gloomy. A solid roof would make it even darker.

Furts

WaywardDriver wrote: »

Going through this ourselves at present and yes you definitely need building control approval. Your builder must submit a plan and structural report to building control along with the £175 fee. My advice is definitely avoid any builder who suggests otherwise. Assuming the plan is approved, the main advantages are (1) building control will ensure the work is carried out as specified and (2) you will avoid potential problems if you sell the house in the future.

Buildings Regulations will not be doing much, if anything, with regards inspecting the work. Be realistic here, with a £175 fee the situation is nigh on absurd. Plan checking, administration, and sign off will be swallowing up this. All this means is the consumer has to watch the smoke and mirrors roof replacement operators like a hawk. For example, a neighbour has been through this and had endless problems with workmanship, and the end result is dreadful - a dingy, dark upvc room with strange vaulted ceilings with down lighters that fall out!

Davesnave

Silvertabby wrote: »

Have you thought about the reduction in light levels in the adjoining room?

We are happy with glass. We don't get much snow here, but when we do the amount of light it blocks really makes the dining room gloomy. A solid roof would make it even darker.

I second this. We had the advantage of having scaffolding over the area that was to be occupied by our conservatory, so we had a really good idea of how much light we'd lose if we went for a sun room with part solid roof. It changed the feel of the house and felt oppressive. There were obvious cost advantages too.

We have friends who put a GRP roof over their north-facing conservatory, cutting light levels drastically in the living area behind. It was a daft decision.

A conservatory isn't a 24/7 365 day space, but that doesn't bother us. If people actually need the space created by a conservatory 100% of the time, they probably have the wrong house.

ComicGeek

magn8p wrote: »

Anything that you use for a conservatory needn't be BR compliant, unlike the main building.

Absolutely not true - in this case reducing the amount of glazing in the conservatory by installing a solid roof would mean that the conservatory is no longer exempt from Building Regulations. It just creates so much trouble, these tiled systems should be avoided like the plague!

glasgowdan

Our conservatory is a really good one that we've used most days of the year last year. You still get temperature spikes though, and with sensitive eyes I find it too bright for comfort.

SO, I have been doing this. It has taken the majority off the spikes and the room really is now a year round room, and we barely bother to close the French doors to the kitchen now. Cost about £500 all in by the time I've bought the polycarb facing to line it with. There's a light that I'll be refittiing and wiring up myself.