Replacement conservatory roof

Plind

I have a nineties conservatory with a polycarbonate roof. I have a quote for replacement of windows and roof using the existing foundations and brick plinth.
The supplier tells me that as it has stood for 20 years with only very slight settlement this is OK but as the replacement glass roof is much heavier than the old polycarbonate, I have doubts.
What experience have other people had?

WaywardDriver

Check with your local Building Control as ours required a load test even for lightweight tiles.

Shaun_of_the_Dead

WaywardDriver wrote: »

Check with your local Building Control as ours required a load test even for lightweight tiles.

I thought conservatories were exempt from building control.

WaywardDriver

Shaun_of_the_Dead wrote: »

I thought conservatories were exempt from building control.

Not with some councils in Northern Ireland. One advantage of BC is they keep the builder honest. In OP's case would be wary of mention of settlement.

Silvertabby

Plind wrote: »

I have a nineties conservatory with a polycarbonate roof. I have a quote for replacement of windows and roof using the existing foundations and brick plinth.
The supplier tells me that as it has stood for 20 years with only very slight settlement this is OK but as the replacement glass roof is much heavier than the old polycarbonate, I have doubts.
What experience have other people had?

We did this a few years ago. The initial plan was to just replace the poly roof with glass, but the cost was more than it was worth to just replace the roof of a 18 year old conservatory. We considered changing the windows/door as well but, in the end, bit the bullet and had the whole lot knocked down to foundation level and rebuilt as more of a hybrid conservatory/orangery*. Cost for roof alone would have been £5K, cost of complete re-build (from existing foundations up) was £10K.

The same company had built the original conservatory, and so they/we knew that the foundations were up to the job - dug out with a mini digger, and a substantial amount of concrete etc used. Still rock solid.

* Victorian style conservatory. Originally had dwarf brick walls all way round, but now has:

Brick floor to roof on the side facing immediate neighbour.

Dwarf wall with triple windows in the 'bay'.

Brick floor to roof.

French doors.

Brick floor to roof.

As brick is cheaper than made-to-measure upv double glazed windows, this actually worked out cheaper than replacing all of the windows/ door as per the old style.

East facing, and in use all year round (just don't mention the retro fitted radiator). Even with the glass roof, it's much less like a 'goldfish bowl' than our old one. We have wooden blinds on the 3 windows, and full length curtains on the french doors so it feels more like an extension than a conservatory.

Mickygg

Mine is year 2000. I almost last year signed up to put new roof on but pulled out purely because I wasn’t happy putting a new roof on 20 year old sides.

I was told by one quote I would need a supporting beam put across to cope with the extra load. This was to replace polycarbonate with glass.