Technical Details

Planning Permission & Building Regulations

The planning permission guidelines changed with effect from 1st October 2008, we have outlined the criteria for exemptions below for your reference.  We will be able to advise you if planning permission is required when we do a site visit to your property to discuss the design for the proposed structure.  If there is any doubt as to whether permission is required an informal visit to the local authority with a sketch of the design will clarify this.  Should planning permission be required, Strata will be please to assist with this process.
Most small conservatories or orangeries do not require planning permission.  Adding a conservatory to your house is considered to be permitted development, not needing an application for planning permission, subject to the limits and conditions listed below.

1st October 2008 guide lines:

• No more than half the area of the land around the original would be covered by additions or other buildings.
• The term original house means the house as it was first built or as it stood on 1 July 1948 (if it was built before that date). Although you may not have built an extension to the house, a previous owner may have done so.
• No extension forward of the principal elevation or side elevation fronting a highway.
• No extension to be higher than the highest part of the roof.
• Maximum depth of a single-storey rear extension of three metres for an attached house and four metres for a detached house.
• Maximum height of a single-storey rear extension of four metres.
• Maximum depth of a rear extension of more than one storey of three metres including ground floor.
• Maximum eaves height of an extension within two metres of the boundary of three metres.
• Maximum eaves and ridge height of extension no higher than existing house.
• Side extensions to be single storey with maximum height of four metres and width no more than half that of the original house.
• Roof pitch of extensions higher than one storey to match existing house.
• No verandas, balconies or raised platforms.
• On designated land* no permitted development for rear extensions of more than one storey; no cladding of the exterior; no side extensions.
• Designated land includes national parks and the Broads, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, conservation areas and World Heritage Sites.
• Please note: the permitted development allowances described here apply to houses not flats, maisonettes or other buildings. Where work is proposed to a listed building, listed building consent may be required.
• The council has eight weeks from the date of application to give you a decision before you have the right to appeal to the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions. However appeals can take several months to decide and it may be quicker to reach agreement with the council.
• It is also advisable to check if there are any restrictions placed upon your property that will prevent you from adding a conservatory or Orangery.  Developers sometimes place restrictions on new properties when they build them.

Building Regulations

Building Regulations apply to building work carried out in England & Wales and set standard for the design and construction of buildings to ensure the health and safety of people as well as to ensure the thermal efficency of building work. In general domestic conservatories are exempt under UK building regulations. We have listed below some of the exemptions requirements under building regulations 1991 (as amendments).  This criteria must be met for a conservatory to be classified as exempt.

• They are built at ground level and are less than 30 square metres in floor area
• At least 50% of the new wall area and 75% of the roof is either glazed or translucent material
• The conservatory is separated from the house by external quality door(s).
• Glazing and any fixed electrical installations comply with the applicable building regulations requirements

You are advised not to construct conservatories where they will restrict ladder access to windows serving rooms in roof or loft conversions, particularly if any of the windows are intended to help escape or rescue if there is a fire.

Any new structural opening between the conservatory and the existing house will require building regulations approval, even if the conservatory itself is an exempt structure.
Strata will always advise that the building work is carried out correctly and in accordance with the legislation.  Anyone wanting to carry out building work, which is subject to Building Regulations, is required by law to make sure it complies with the regulations and (with some exceptions) to use one of the two types of Building Control Service available, there is a charge for these services

• the Building Control Service provided by your local authority; or
• the Building Control Service provided by approved inspectors.

The primary responsibility for achieving compliance with the regulations rests with the person carrying out the building work.  If you are employing a builder although the primary responsibility will be with him as you are the owner you ultimately the one served with the enforcement notice if the work does not comply with the regulations, so it is important to choose your builder carefully.

A conservatory provides a valuable additional living space to your home, but a badly designed conservatory can also be a drain on energy for the house hold if it does not take into account the relavant building control regualtions.

Building Specification

Construction of the Base and Brickwork

• Preliminarey site visit by our builder to assess ground conditions and brick styles
• Removal of any existing structure, base, patio area. trees or shrubs as well as surplus top soil.
• Excavate footings – minium of 450mm deep and 500mm wide.
• Reinforcing mesh used where possible then concrete poured into footings.
• Hardcore used as infill with sand laid on top prior to laying the damp proof membrane.
• 50mm rigid insulation is fitted in the floor slab. Once this is all compact and level, a 100mm layer of concrete will be poured on top, then trowel finished, leaving your conservatory finished floor level at approximately the same height as the house damp proof course.
• Following this will be the construction of the Orangery or Conservatory walls. The brickwork will have a 60mm cavity, which will have 25mm rigid polystyrene insulation inserted to provide increased energy efficiency.
• Any drainage needed for rainwater dispersal will be provided.

Timber Coatings

Our in house factory spray coatings have been developed over many years and the latest formulations are microporous to allow the timber to breath. The addition of polymers within the coating helps the surface to expand and contract without breaking the structure.  Onto base primers and anti fungicidal dip coats we apply two spray coats which is the equivalent to six brush coats, leaving only minor coating necessary on site.

Glazing

A full range of glazing options is available including low emissivity, self cleaning, solar control anti sun or tinted.

All glazing conforms to BS5713 and where necessary toughened safety glass to BS6206 is fitted.

Several colours and sizes of polycarbonate roof sheets are available and all glazing materials are set within a dry glazing system allowing movement, drainage and ventilation.

Opening roof vents

Our roof vents are powder coated aluminum vents coated to match the colour of the orangery.

There is a choice of three types of roof vents, a manually operated vent, an electric vent and the fully automated thermostatic vent with rain sensor.

Rainwater Drainage

Our guttering is designed to complement the design of the structure and is available in a choice of colours and materials.  PVCu guttering and down pipes are standard, a cast iron look alike PVCu guttering is also available at an extra cost as is powder coated aluminum guttering and down pipes.

Security

All of our doors and opening casements are fitted with high security espagnolette catches and lockable handles; these are available in a variety of colours to compliment the design and colour of the structure.  Bespoke ironmongery is available as an optional extra.

Heating and Cooling Options

There are a variety of options when it comes to heating a Orangery or conservatory, a radiator can be added to the heating system of your home, undertile heating can be used as well as air conditioning, which can be used for heating during the winter months and cooling during the summer months.  The use of tinted and coated glass can also be used to help with the heat retention of the Ornagery or conservatory as can the use of Argon gas in the double glazed units.

We recommend the use of opening roof vents to maximise the release of trapped warm air and to provide ventilation to the Orangery or conservatory.