NEW Conservatory roof / tiled

CraigWBaker

Hi all.


I have a conservatory, 3.3 x 3.6m. Looking to have the old style plastic roof taken off and a new tiled roof put in place. Usual stuff, tiles, insulation, plaster, lights, etc. I am being quoted £6k and more by others.



It just seems an insane amount of money for a roof....?

Aylesbury_Duck

What have you got to compare it to that makes it insane?

onomatopoeia99

If the quotes are coming out around the same, then that's what it will cost. You could try going to a builder for a quote rather than a specialist conservatory roof company.



There will be people that say your conservatory will not longer comply with the building regs exemption for conservatories if you put an opaque roof on it, though the minimum transparent requirement of 75% was dropped from the statutory definition of conservatory some years ago, and there will be people that tell you a solid roof will be too heavy as conservatories aren't built to take the weight. I'm not one of those people.



My own wood and glass lean to ("conservatory" makes it sound impossibly grand for what it is) self-built by the previous owners would doubtless collapse if more than a sheet of polycarbonate were rested on top, so a solid roof is not something I'm considering. Demolishing the whole thing is something I'm considering, as the only thing I can use it for is drying washing.

FreeBear

onomatopoeia99 wrote: »

and there will be people that tell you a solid roof will be too heavy as conservatories aren't built to take the weight.

If this is a typical uPVC conservatory, then I would certainly advise the OP to think very carefully about the additional weight. Perhaps consult a structural engineer and do some calculations. uPVC should never be used as structural support.


That said, there are lightweight alternatives to the traditional clay/cement tiles or slates. A couple of suggestions.
https://uk.prefa.com/product-catalogue/roof-systems/roof-tile/
https://www.polyrooftiles.co.uk/

southcoastrgi

Doesn't that then become an extension & subject to BR ?

WaywardDriver

Assume you mean lightweight tiles. Did this for our conservatory, larger than yours, but pro-rata similar price.
Building regulations probably differ between authorities but essential to get written into contract that installer will adhere to them. For us that meant a condensation risk analysis and load test of the conservatory structure.

Davesnave

WaywardDriver wrote: »

Building regulations probably differ between authorities but essential to get written into contract that installer will adhere to them. For us that meant a condensation risk analysis and load test of the conservatory structure.

Building regulations are nationally applied and not variable between authorities.

What matters is whether an external grade door exists between the conservatory and the main house. Without it, whatever it's called becomes an extension and should meet building regulations for thermal efficiency. Conservatories usually won't, regardless of the roof that is added.

I'm not saying that calculating loading or the potential for condensation isn't useful, because no one wants things to fall down or be under-ventilated. Most conservatory installers couldn't calculate their way out of a paper bag, but that's a seperate issue!

gday064

If the quotes match up, that's the cost. Don't go cheap for something so important like a replacement roof - it will only cost you more down the road.

WaywardDriver

Davesnave wrote: »

Building regulations are nationally applied and not variable between authorities.

I'm in Northern Ireland where building regs are different to GB but the local authorities seem to interpret them differently. For example, some councils, including mine, insist on a formal load test while others don't.

BarneyGumball

CraigWBaker, if you don't mind me asking, who gave you the quote of £6k?
I have a similar sized conservatory and have been quoted £9k - £11k, which seems astronomical.

Many Thanks

phoenix7_2

I have a similar size conservatory and was quoted almost £14K - which I politely declined.
I am now considering leaving the glass roof but having the internal cladding with insulation as it only takes a day and will do the same job but there are so many companies offering this and I am afraid to go with any of them without some honest reviews. Has anyone had this done please?