Conservatory Insulation???

designermatt_2

A conservatory is an exempt building and so Building Control has no control over it. As long as it is less than 30m sq, over 75% of the roof is transluscent and over 50% of the external walls, and the conservatory is not heated by an extension to the existing heating circuit, and the doors between it and the house remain and are at least as good thermally speaking as the rest of the external doors/windows, then it can be classed as an extension and therefore no approval is necessary. Change any one of these things and you are into the bounds of a substantially glazed extension which is building work and will require an application and your property will need to show complicance.

dreamypuma

mikeopvc wrote: »

I always insulate dwarf walls when doing conservatories, 50mm cavity is fine but I also use thermalite insulating blocks for the inner skin as standard as opposed to concrete blocks. Low E-glass is extra but not really worth it unless you add heatgaurd to the poly roof (extra again) £10k is a bit steep for a 4x4m conni, should come in at approx £8k

Thanks for the replies. Mike the worrying thing about your statement is that having looked that the paperwork the conservatory is not actually 4 x 4m. its more like 3m x 2.7m. So I guess this makes the quote of £10k even worse.

The most annoying thing about this whole situation is that my parents seem to think I am being overly critical of the work, and quoting the sales reps excuses for not doing this or that. I keep having to tell them that the sales rep is hardly going to tell them that he's selling them C**p.


I understand that the building regs do not apply to conservatories, however I think this boils down to quality and pride in workmanship. It's amazing how companies like this try to sell you something that visually looks good, when digging a little deeper you know full well it's half a job.

As said earlier, for the cost of some cheap insulation and a bit of labour I would be more inclined to sing there praises.

These sort of companies prey on peoples lack of building knowledge by compromising on quality and maximising on profit. I am fuming! :mad:

peediedj

designermatt wrote: »

A conservatory is an exempt building and so Building Control has no control over it. As long as it is less than 30m sq, over 75% of the roof is transluscent and over 50% of the external walls, and the conservatory is not heated by an extension to the existing heating circuit, and the doors between it and the house remain and are at least as good thermally speaking as the rest of the external doors/windows, then it can be classed as an extension and therefore no approval is necessary. Change any one of these things and you are into the bounds of a substantially glazed extension which is building work and will require an application and your property will need to show complicance.

mine isnt exempt from building control and its 4.2 x 3.2m

mikeopvc

What stage is the conni at? assuming they measured for the frames and roof after the wall was built then you probably have time to put some insulation in yourself, you won't need much if it's only 3m x 2.7m. Have you checked the contract for what size it should be. £10k for that size is a total ripoff, a stanadard 3 x 3m conni in rosewood should cost no more than £6k.(Don't wish to rub salt in the wound but it makes me so angry when I hear these companies doing people out of their hard earned cash, and still they can't even be bothered to throw in a poxy bit of insulation just to keep the customer happy)

Errata

Info on planning and bulding regs for conservatories here http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/

dreamypuma

mikeopvc wrote: »

What stage is the conni at? assuming they measured for the frames and roof after the wall was built then you probably have time to put some insulation in yourself, you won't need much if it's only 3m x 2.7m. Have you checked the contract for what size it should be. £10k for that size is a total ripoff, a stanadard 3 x 3m conni in rosewood should cost no more than £6k.(Don't wish to rub salt in the wound but it makes me so angry when I hear these companies doing people out of their hard earned cash, and still they can't even be bothered to throw in a poxy bit of insulation just to keep the customer happy)

The conservatory has all the dwarf wall installed. I can still see the 50mm cavity. With the ties in I can only think of using an expanding foam type of insulation, so as to get it around the ties. I had thought of putting some type of rockwool in, but I can't see how to do this without compressing it and making it pointless.

With the joists being visible at the moment, I'm almost tempted to buy some kind of mesh to sag between them to cradle an insulation beneath the floorboards myself. The problem is that the workmen may get to floor before I do and start boarding out. It really annoys me. I can get insulation for very little, why a company wouldn't bother is beyond me.

I have checked the "So called" contract, that's where I found the exact sizes. my previous post quoting 4 x 4m was a guess by looking at the work done so far. £10k makes my blood boil!

Parents! I sympathise with them, because they'd always wanted a conservatory, but it's so frustrating when they sign things without checking all the details. I only wish they had spoken to me first.

I understand that the frames and roof are going on nest week. A rosewood / hardwood conservatory would have been great as all my parents windows are timber. I can't understand why they have gone an bought a timber effect PVC conservatory.

mikeopvc

dreamypuma wrote: »

With the joists being visible at the moment, I'm almost tempted to buy some kind of mesh to sag between them to cradle an insulation beneath the floorboards myself. The problem is that the workmen may get to floor before I do and start boarding out. It really annoys me. I can get insulation for very little, why a company wouldn't bother is beyond me.quote]

Well you should go ahead and insulate wherever possible if that's what you really want, at the end of the day it's tough if the workmen turn up while your in the middle of doing it. Just explain to them that you feel it should be done and as their boss is not willing to do it then you will diy. Or better still why not just give the company a call to let them know your plans and that you will get back to them when you feel it's ready for the next stage.
Your not being unreasonable, just looking out for your parents;)

designermatt_2

peediedj wrote: »

mine isnt exempt from building control and its 4.2 x 3.2m

It is if it is as I described earlier!

peediedj

designermatt wrote: »

It is if it is as I described earlier!

I CAN ASSURE YOU IT ISNT EXEMPT,I HAVE EVERYTHING YOU LISTED ABOVE but still had to get plans drawn up and give building control answers to over 15 questions they asked about it,and i still havent got a building warrant yet!"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

lawrie28

just buying a houe that has had a 3x3m conservatory fitted in 2003. It is on the kitchen, and goes straight through without a door, just open. From what your saying, does this need planning permission? If so, would it be easy to get retrospectively? Although, with it being 5 yrs old already, how long would it need to be there before it no longer needs consent? will be here for a few years, so may not be an issue then...