Please offer observations to this total amateur re conservatory groundworks

stuart45

The main question asked was the quality of the groundwork. I suppose for a conservatory it's not too bad. 
However it does have a lot of faults, such as the outer skin being slightly higher, making the wall ties run back into the inner skin.
Even the jointing up is a bit rough. 
The reveals won't allow the closers to fit in.
There's plenty more.

Inforapennyinforapound

stuart45 said:

The main question asked was the quality of the groundwork. I suppose for a conservatory it's not too bad. 
However it does have a lot of faults, such as the outer skin being slightly higher, making the wall ties run back into the inner skin.
Even the jointing up is a bit rough. 
The reveals won't allow the closers to fit in.
There's plenty more.

Interesting. Didn’t think I would have this many observations for what,in essence,is a small job(relatively).

The Company haven’t got back to me yet with a start date. I know they are very busy( prob a good sign).
i am considering speaking to them prior to them calling me with a start date.

what important issues are there that should be addressed before the frame goes up?
Or maybe leave as is as perhaps I’m worrying too much!

Inforapennyinforapound

FreeBear said:

Inforapennyinforapound said:

Section62 said:

Inforapennyinforapound said:

Doesn’t need building regs. Not an extra room. It will be separated by doors and heating will be independent.

Are you keeping the patio doors?

No, don’t like them. They are being replaced by French doors. Why? Do you need some?☺️

Building regs require an exterior grade door between the main house and a conservatory. If you remove the door (or replace with lightweight interior grade), the conservatory becomes part of the "habitable space" and subject to full building regs. Conservatories can not meet the thermal requirements to pass building regs for a habitable space by the very nature of their design - Just too much glass to lose heat through during the winter months.

The new French doors , as per the current sliders, will be exterior grade. Well, I assume they will be. The company didn’t specify actually.

DanDare999

Inforapennyinforapound said:

FreeBear said:

Inforapennyinforapound said:

Section62 said:

Inforapennyinforapound said:

Doesn’t need building regs. Not an extra room. It will be separated by doors and heating will be independent.

Are you keeping the patio doors?

No, don’t like them. They are being replaced by French doors. Why? Do you need some?☺️

Building regs require an exterior grade door between the main house and a conservatory. If you remove the door (or replace with lightweight interior grade), the conservatory becomes part of the "habitable space" and subject to full building regs. Conservatories can not meet the thermal requirements to pass building regs for a habitable space by the very nature of their design - Just too much glass to lose heat through during the winter months.

The new French doors , as per the current sliders, will be exterior grade. Well, I assume they will be. The company didn’t specify actually.

What are they made from? Chances are they will be as you're probably buying from a window company. 

FreeBear

Inforapennyinforapound said:

FreeBear said:

Inforapennyinforapound said:

Section62 said:

Inforapennyinforapound said:

Doesn’t need building regs. Not an extra room. It will be separated by doors and heating will be independent.

Are you keeping the patio doors?

No, don’t like them. They are being replaced by French doors. Why? Do you need some?☺️

Building regs require an exterior grade door between the main house and a conservatory. If you remove the door (or replace with lightweight interior grade), the conservatory becomes part of the "habitable space" and subject to full building regs. Conservatories can not meet the thermal requirements to pass building regs for a habitable space by the very nature of their design - Just too much glass to lose heat through during the winter months.

The new French doors , as per the current sliders, will be exterior grade. Well, I assume they will be. The company didn’t specify actually.

Worth double checking. Being "external" doors, this will be the one part of the job that is subject to Building Regulations and a certificate should be issued confirming compliance.

Section62

Inforapennyinforapound said:

FreeBear said:

Inforapennyinforapound said:

Section62 said:

Inforapennyinforapound said:

Doesn’t need building regs. Not an extra room. It will be separated by doors and heating will be independent.

Are you keeping the patio doors?

No, don’t like them. They are being replaced by French doors. Why? Do you need some?☺️

Building regs require an exterior grade door between the main house and a conservatory. If you remove the door (or replace with lightweight interior grade), the conservatory becomes part of the "habitable space" and subject to full building regs. Conservatories can not meet the thermal requirements to pass building regs for a habitable space by the very nature of their design - Just too much glass to lose heat through during the winter months.

The new French doors , as per the current sliders, will be exterior grade. Well, I assume they will be. The company didn’t specify actually.

This is why the building regulation process is there.  If the work complies you'll get a certificate and it will be logged on the local authoritiy's BC system.  A future buyer will be able to check to see if the doors fitted (at the time) were compliant with the regs.

No paperwork and the future buyer (or more likely their solicitor) can start asking questions.

Speak to the company, make sure the doors will be appropriate, and that they will give you the paperwork and/or notify building control.

Unfortunately the "building regs don't apply to conservatories" idea is deeply embedded and it is very easy to believe it is true.  The reality is a bit more grey.

stuart45

Inforapennyinforapound said:

stuart45 said:

The main question asked was the quality of the groundwork. I suppose for a conservatory it's not too bad. 
However it does have a lot of faults, such as the outer skin being slightly higher, making the wall ties run back into the inner skin.
Even the jointing up is a bit rough. 
The reveals won't allow the closers to fit in.
There's plenty more.

Interesting. Didn’t think I would have this many observations for what,in essence,is a small job(relatively).

The Company haven’t got back to me yet with a start date. I know they are very busy( prob a good sign).
i am considering speaking to them prior to them calling me with a start date.

what important issues are there that should be addressed before the frame goes up?
Or maybe leave as is as perhaps I’m worrying too much!

The only thing you can alter without knocking it down  is the insulation.

weeg

housebuyer143 said:

grumbler said:

grumbler said:

I hope that your 2 ft retaining wall is at least full-brick (20+ cm), not half-brick.

Half-brick - as I suspected. Hopefully, the curvature will make it stronger and stable enough.

Thanks for this..I am having a slightly higher retaining wall and will ensure its two bricks wide.

And the rest! A brick/ block retaining wall should be about 1/2 as wide as it is tall (the back generally steps in a gets thinner towards the top). And it needs reasonable drainage either via weepholes or a field drain at the back. Of all the (too many) failed walls I've inspected it's usually a build up of water pressure that's been the big issue. Obviously it does change with the soil conditions though, but I wouldn't be paying for what they've built in your garden.

Inforapennyinforapound

Section62 said:

Inforapennyinforapound said:

FreeBear said:

Inforapennyinforapound said:

Section62 said:

Inforapennyinforapound said:

Doesn’t need building regs. Not an extra room. It will be separated by doors and heating will be independent.

Are you keeping the patio doors?

No, don’t like them. They are being replaced by French doors. Why? Do you need some?☺️

Building regs require an exterior grade door between the main house and a conservatory. If you remove the door (or replace with lightweight interior grade), the conservatory becomes part of the "habitable space" and subject to full building regs. Conservatories can not meet the thermal requirements to pass building regs for a habitable space by the very nature of their design - Just too much glass to lose heat through during the winter months.

The new French doors , as per the current sliders, will be exterior grade. Well, I assume they will be. The company didn’t specify actually.

This is why the building regulation process is there.  If the work complies you'll get a certificate and it will be logged on the local authoritiy's BC system.  A future buyer will be able to check to see if the doors fitted (at the time) were compliant with the regs.

No paperwork and the future buyer (or more likely their solicitor) can start asking questions.

Speak to the company, make sure the doors will be appropriate, and that they will give you the paperwork and/or notify building control.

Unfortunately the "building regs don't apply to conservatories" idea is deeply embedded and it is very easy to believe it is true.  The reality is a bit more grey.

What paperwork? Local Authority not involved. I was sent all info by LA and no planning permission required nor any concern over building regs.
This is not an extension. I was sent very specific up to date requirements about adding a conservatory.
All I needed was what they call ‘Prior Approval’ which is another name for writing to the neighbours re any objections.
I can post a link if needed. It’s all on the Planning Portal.

grumbler

Inforapennyinforapound said:

Section62 said:

Inforapennyinforapound said:

FreeBear said:

Inforapennyinforapound said:

Section62 said:

Inforapennyinforapound said:

Doesn’t need building regs. Not an extra room. It will be separated by doors and heating will be independent.

Are you keeping the patio doors?

No, don’t like them. They are being replaced by French doors. Why? Do you need some?☺️

Building regs require an exterior grade door between the main house and a conservatory. If you remove the door (or replace with lightweight interior grade), the conservatory becomes part of the "habitable space" and subject to full building regs. Conservatories can not meet the thermal requirements to pass building regs for a habitable space by the very nature of their design - Just too much glass to lose heat through during the winter months.

The new French doors , as per the current sliders, will be exterior grade. Well, I assume they will be. The company didn’t specify actually.

This is why the building regulation process is there.  If the work complies you'll get a certificate and it will be logged on the local authoritiy's BC system.  A future buyer will be able to check to see if the doors fitted (at the time) were compliant with the regs.

No paperwork and the future buyer (or more likely their solicitor) can start asking questions.

Speak to the company, make sure the doors will be appropriate, and that they will give you the paperwork and/or notify building control.

Unfortunately the "building regs don't apply to conservatories" idea is deeply embedded and it is very easy to believe it is true.  The reality is a bit more grey.

What paperwork? Local Authority not involved. I was sent all info by LA and no planning permission required nor any concern over building regs.
This is not an extension. I was sent very specific up to date requirements about adding a conservatory.

Replacing windows and external doors is, generally, a subject to building control or some certificate.