[Closed] How much is a conservatory?!

There's a guy around the corner that knocks them out for about 25k or so.
[url= http://www.premierwindowsoswestry.co.uk/ ]http://www.premierwindowsoswestry.co.uk/[/url]

Our hardwood 12'x12' one with self-cleaning active blue glass roof cost about £9k, including interior plastering and roughcast on the outer blockwork, though I did the electrics (I'm part P registered), floor tiling and painting...

Ours was about 10k

5x3m dwarf wall, 3 top openers double doors and a cat flap

Thanks chaps. That's about what I was expecting, apart from the Don's link which seems pricy - are they anything special?

Oh yes.

Yeah can get them at fairly low price with plastic roof. If you go for glass add about 2-3 grand more. Range from 7k to a hell of alot more 😉

One of mine? About £25k

Thats extension money... Lol

I may be in this situation in a few months, why a conservatory as opposed to an extension? Is a conservatory cheaper / less strict planning or is it just a different type of room?

I'm aware that if you were extending an existing room you may have things like supporting walls to deal with, but if you're adding an extra room is there any other reason to have a conservatory?

Ours was £12k about 5 years ago, size 10 x 15 ft thats with Pilkington K Glass which keeps in the heat in winter and keeps it out in summer . (or something like that!) It's also self-cleaning apparently. In there we have a 4 seater dining table and a little 2 seat sofa so we use it a fair bit both summer and winter. We did not need planning permission for ours (Stockport Council). Considered an extension but didnt really need the upper space so the conservatory does the trick!

which keeps in the heat in winter and keeps it out in summer . (or something like that!)

We've taken our wooden one down, replaced with an extension.
Still got the bits if you on a budget.
3 sides of glass, each with three windows, and a set of doors.
Wooden frames.
We were going to make a garden room for the kids but can't be arsed.

Thanks. The space we have is at the back of a terraced house. No-one else on the street has extended out the back (we already have an extension out front) so I assume it's not possible. There are plenty other conservatories though, so it seems likely that planning permission is generally granted.

We also have really nasty damp in that back wall, so the hope is that building the conservatory might kill two birds and clear up the damp.

Generally, if it's a 'lean too' ie with a sloping roof with from the wall of the house, down to the front 'window wall' of the conservatory, planning is not an issue. Once you try to build an orangery (one with a flat roof going to lantern centre), it becomes more of an issue.

ref the wall with damp, get this treated as if it will still be an outside wall. the ends will still be exposed, drawing damp from the side into your nice new conservatory. It won't cost much more on top of the bill as you'll have to have builders on site to put the base down anyway.

Don't get a plastic roof, go for glass as plastic is really noisy when it rains. Get as many opening windows as you can including a skylight, conservatories get mega hot in summer. If possible get a radiator fitted with thermastatic valve. Will work out cheaper than trying to heat with electric heaters. And get some good blinds if you don't want your soft furnishings to fade and eventually disintegrate.

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We went for a block built one with floor to ceiling windows. Three sides have two big windows separated by a block column, one side is all window with French doors onto the patio.

The whole room is open to our lounge, no issues with being either too hot or too cold with a winter under our belts.

The glass roof isn't noisy when it rains either.

And if you're worried about uv damage, specify laminated glass. It's more expensive but does have decent uv protection.

Thanks. The space we have is at the back of a terraced house. No-one else on the street has extended out the back (we already have an extension out front) so I assume it's not possible.

I'm looking at replacing my conservatory either with a new one or an extension. There's all sorts of rules with regards extensions, but basically, if it's at the back of the house, less than half the existing foot print of the house, no closer to the road than the existing property and 4 meters high then you don't need planning permission. So basically, if it's a choice between a conservatory and an extension of the same size, you shouldn't need planning permission.

Here:

http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/permission/commonprojects/extensions/

Lots of interesting stuff. It's great to get prices and experiences from those who have been here - it's a shitload of money so I want to get it just right, first time!

transapp - Member

ref the wall with damp, get this treated as if it will still be an outside wall. the ends will still be exposed, drawing damp from the side into your nice new conservatory. It won't cost much more on top of the bill as you'll have to have builders on site to put the base down anyway.

We had the local specialists in about the damp, and their quote was astronomical (replace injected damp proof course and replaster inside). I actually asked about it on here and was told by lots of knowledgable types that damp proof courses are basically snake oil anyway. I've been looking at other options.

we had a 12ft by 12ft done 2 years ago, one wall is solid brick with four points and a rad, it was 13.7k that was it skimmed,

add on top of that, paint, flooring and blinds.

it was a cheapy one mind you, i doubt it will still be rain proof in 5 years but we wont be there.

Not all conservatories are equal, same applies to companies fitting them. The best conservatory system is still poor if badly installed. The roof is the main element structurally but a lot of installers won't even tell you which roofing manufacture they use. Make sure you ask about the U value of the frames and glass for the windows, the lower the U value the better insulation properties. Do some reasearch and don't believe anything the salesman tells you unless you can independantly verify it.

Ultraframe roofs are about the best mass market roof (brand name Classic), Synseal aren't bad (Global brand name), K2 avoid, Wendland basically an Ultraframe roof (used to be a seperate company), Anglian and Everest Roofs - Ultraframe. Ultraframe & Synseal are the biggest 2 manufacturers. Other niche manufacturers do exist, Quantal for example who produce aluminium conservatory roofs (although they've just been bought by Ultraframe).

Some installers will also buy direct from the manufacturer (Ultraframe roofs direct from Ultraframe were more technically advanced when I left last year), some will buy through middlemen, fabricators.

Glass is better than Polycarbonate roofing panels.

Ask questions, sound like you know what you're talking about. Go to several different installers, some dual source the roofs, others will only supply one brand. The options can vary from supplier to supplier.

There are pseudo Orangeries appearing now as well, half way between the solid structure of a full orangery without the full cost or planning implications. Unless it's changed you don't need planning permission for a conservatory if it's under 16m2 floor and more than a meter from the boundary. Downside is building regs will usually require an external grade door between the conservatory and the rest of the house (although many people take them out).

Had ours built about 4 years ago, solid walls to about 4ft, solid tiled roof, domed ceiling, zone off existing heating plus elecs cost about 18k
Be carefull with planning and building regs, it may be different in England but in NI I didn't need planning but did need building control approval/sign off. This led to some sensible changes and some stupid ones:

Must have doors between existing house and sunroom - fair enough
Must have separately controlled heating - makes sense
Must have k glass - found this out after glass went in and had to change it!! (well change the stickers anyway 🙂 )
Must have window vents!! After "upgrading" to the energy efficient glass they made us drill the ****in frames to fit window vents to let the draughts in!

Nothing says you have to involve building control but it's a pain when selling if you don't

Far to much they are a peice of shite to hot or to cold. I use mine as a greenhouse and it works realy well but only as a greenhouse. Think more of sunroom ie a normal roof. Flat roof are not popular if you use felt but there are other options like fibre glass. I am going to go for a repalcement for my porch which I do use as a conservatory as It is small enough to heat in the winter by leaving the door into open but it is small. My aim is flat roof (I am in a bungalow anything else far to expensive) which is 3" thick but has insulation equal to 12" of roof insulation. Longer or is it taller than normal windows double brick wall with insulation between OR glass brick walls for that extra bit of light. You don't lose much light with a long narrow sun room.
PS and somewhere to hang wet clothes and store trainers and boots and put the washing to dry........uhm not entirely a peice of shite

andrewni - Member
Had ours built about 4 years ago, solid walls to about 4ft, solid tiled roof, domed ceiling

Thats a sun room not a conservatory. How well do you find it in terms of summer/winter temperature variations?

Get as many opening windows as you can including a skylight, conservatories get mega hot in summer.

Having owned 2 houses with conservatories, I would think very carefully about getting one. In my experience, the range of conditions where they are usable is very small. Most of the time they are very cold (even with lots of wasteful heating) or uncomfortably hot. From other people's accounts, I'm not convinced that the magic glass really improves things that much; the best glass still has very poor insulating characteristics, compared to a proper roof.
Just based on my experience, but I would never choose to build a conservatory and would always go for the extension/ sun room route, if at all possible.