Category Archives: Sunroom

An Insight Into Conservatories And The Effects Of The New Planning Regulations

It is now ten months since the introduction of the new UK planning regulations that came in to effect on the 1 st October 2008 and here, ConservatoryLand, a major manufacturer and supplier of DIY conservatories report on the effects that they have had on the conservatory industry since then.

David Bingham, director of ConservatoryLand says “I have heard reports from certain large conservatory roof manufacturers that the volume of their roof orders have increased but their sales revenue has actually decreased in 2009 compared to that of 2008.

This is thought to have been caused partly due to the new planning permission regulations which are causing consumers to opt for smaller conservatories with a view to keeping within the new size criteria for which you do not now require planning permission approval.”

The size criteria elements within the new planning regulations that could be affecting this are:

•  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

Taking the above criteria in to consideration, it is clear to see why some manufacturers of conservatories and conservatory roofs are thinking that consumers are being guided in to buying smaller conservatories and are blaming this for a smaller average order value.

Here you can find more information about planning permission and building regulations requirements for conservatories.

Via EPR Network
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Expert Inside View Into Conservatories And What To Look Out For

David Bingham Managing Director of Conservatory Land has given an insight into the conservatory industry and the current trend he is seeing. With 20 years personal experience in the industry he has given some useful advice and tips for anyone looking to buy a conservatory.

Currently, one of the UK’s most popular and appealing home improvement projects for homeowners is adding conservatories to their homes. The choice is vast and if you are considering a sizable investment it is wise to start with the company itself. Choose a company that has satisfactorily supplied or installed conservatories for friends, family or someone else you know. The next step is to decide what type of conservatory you want, or more importantly, what type will best suit your property and keep within your budget.

Measure the space you have available and decide what size you would like and which style would look best. Choose a style and size that will provide you with a usable, furnishable living space whilst at the same time not looking out of place or out of proportion with your property. This step is the most important one so take your time as you will only get once chance to get it right. No one wants to end up with a conservatory that is too small to be of reasonable use or too large for the size and style of your home. David Bingham went on to say “I have heard so many times, customers saying that they wish they had purchased a larger conservatory so that there was more room to seat the whole family for dinner or for watching TV, so choose carefully, but don’t over do it, it needs to be just right”.

Conservatories

Once you have decided on the size and style, be it an Edwardian, Victorian or a simple traditional lean-to conservatory, you need to decide on the actual design. There are three main designs to choose from, dwarf wall, full height glass to ground and full height bottom panels.

Then there are the doors. The most popular choice are French (double) doors but in some situations, sliding patio doors or bi fold doors and be more suitable for some conservatories depending of their location on your home and how you intend to use your conservatory. The company you choose will be able to give you further advice on design options and supply you with CAD drawings to help give you an idea of how the finished conservatory will look.

Colour is also very important. Modern PVCu profiles are available in many colours with the most common being white, mahogany, rosewood, golden (light) oak and more recently cream has been introduced. White PVCu is usually the cheapest option. It is a good idea to choose a colour that will best compliment the fabric of your property and your existing windows and doors.

The final step is to decide on glazing types, both for the frames and roof and you don’t necessarily need the exact same glazing type in the roof as the frames. Frame glazing for conservatories can take many different forms. The very basic frame glazing used in conservatories is clear toughened safety class, usually made up in double glazed sealed units.

However, you may want a higher insulating glass to help keep your conservatory warmer during the winter months such as Pilkington K Glass or a solar reflective glass to help keep it cooler in the summer such as Pilkington Activ Blue which is also self cleaning – or even a combination of both to help keep your conservatory more comfortable all year round. Your conservatory supplier will be able to give you advice and associated costs regarding this.

Then there’s the roof glazing which is very important. There are two basic materials, polycarbonate and glass.

You should decide how you would like your conservatory to look and consider your budget as glass roofs for conservatories are far more expensive and often require additional reinforcement of the frames and roof, further adding to the cost.

The main disadvantage with polycarbonate is the ‘drumming’ effect which can become very loud during heavy rain. Glass roofs can be a better option for conservatories as there is far less noise during rainfall.

David went onto say “I have tried to provide this advice with a view to helping anyone buying a conservatory, whether it is fully installed or a DIY conservatory to make sure that they get exactly what they want and need. When it comes to conservatories, especially DIY conservatories, getting it wrong can be a very expensive mistake and I like to think that ConservatoryLand is one company that can professionally advise on these issues”.

Via EPR Network
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Lonsdale Metal Company Limited Has Secured A Deal With Network Rail To Provide Roof Glazing At More Than 40 UK Railway Stations

Lonsdale Metal Company Limited has secured a deal with Network Rail to provide roof glazing at more than 40 UK railway stations.

Roof Glazing

The North London based company has previously installed glass roofs for many Network Rail properties. Major work undertaken so far includes a 16,500 sq/m roof at Liverpool Lime Street, a 28,500 sq/m roof at Waterloo and an intricate canopy at St Pancras as well as glass roofs at a number of other stations including Carlisle, York and Derby.

While Lonsdale will be manufacturing the roof glazing, the company’s strategically located dealers throughout the UK will be installing the roofs.

Lonsdale’s sales director Richard Burgess commented on the deal, saying: “It’s really a question of the right product for the job at the right price. You only have to look up at most rail stations to see evidence of patent glazing from years gone by in various states of repair all over the country. The modern systems Lonsdale supply can be installed 60-70% cheaper than sloped curtain walling and at half the price of cassette style, linking panel type systems.”

Patent glazing can have a life span of up to 40 years, with very little maintenance required during that time, as well as an excellent safety record. Burgess added: “When you are suspending glass over the heads of thousands of members of the public who flow through these stations, you have to be sure everything stays put. At Waterloo, for example, there is over 264 tonnes of glass sitting up there. It is not the time to be specifying questionably inferior products and our systems are tried and tested.”

Key considerations for safety in roofing include regulations regarding non-fragility. Safety glass that stays in place even when broken and ensuring the system can cope not only with the usual design wind and snow loads, but also exceptional forces such as the vortex caused by express trains travelling through stations at speeds in excess of 100mph.

Burgess said: “I think our expertise in providing good, reliable technical information and the ability to perform structural and impact testing to comply with the latest regulations, gives engineers and designers the confidence they need and know they are dealing with the right people”.

Network Rail has committed to spending £2bn in a refurbishment programme across the UK.

About Lonsdale:
Established in 1946, Lonsdale Metal is the UK’s market leader for aluminium patent glazing and rooflight systems. Lonsdale has been responsible for recent installations at 10 Downing Street, Buckingham Palace and Legoland.

Via EPR Network
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Oakhurst Conservatory Blinds Starts 20% Spring/Summer Sale

Selecting the correct kind of conservatory blind raises a number of complex issues which do not normally apply to blinds elsewhere in the house. Conservatory blinds are also more costly especially in large structures so it pays to make the correct choice in order to avoid the buyer´s remorse! In this article we will be focusing on the key issues.

It might be obvious but sometimes conservatory owners overlook the most common questions which are simply, “Why do I need conservatory blinds” Do I even want them at all? And if I install them will they do what I need them to do. Ask yourself, “Do I know what I want them to achieve?” If your answer is, “To keep the sun out” Take a look at the wider picture.

Conservatory Blinds – What can they achieve?

1. Reflect huge amounts of solar heat. South facing conservatories or those on bungalows where there is no top storey to offer shade need them.

2. Dissipate the excesses of solar radiation. Structures that face all directions but north usually need blinds that tackle the issue of heat.

3. Reduce uncomfortable areas of direct sunlight. A conservatory that has direct sun light is likely to have uncomfortable levels of heat even in winter on sunny days.

4. Protects furniture and plants

5. Provides privacy and protection

6. Gives the conservatory thermal insulation. In winter even a double glazed conservatory looses lots of heat as it radiates through the glass on those dark evenings. Blinds reduce radiated heat loss.

7. Resistance to dust, moisture and insects especially in rural areas.

8. Reflects light back to the conservatory on dark cold evenings. Conservatory lighting often struggles to illuminate a conservatory without blinds as the light radiates outwards into the night instead of returning into the conservatory.

Roller Blinds Vs Pleated Blinds

Both these kinds of conservatory blinds have been around for a while so both can be said to look traditional yet both can be contemporary, this is to do with your choice of fabric. For roof blinds the main drawback with roller blinds is that when the blind is retracted the collection of dust that inevitably builds up gets transferred onto the front side of the fabric as the roller rolls the clean face on the dirt. With pleated blinds all dirt is kept on the protected side of the conservatory blind. Conservatories attract a lot of insects in the summer when doors and windows are open this should to be taken seriously rather than treated as a ´small issue´

Most pleated conservatory blinds can be operated by an extension pole and in most cases it is unnecessary to have lots of control cords. This is not the case with roller blinds.

Roller conservatory blinds offer no particular advantage over pleated blinds and are usually picked for their appearance.

Oakhust Conservatory Blinds are offering a 20% discount on all purchases before the end of May

For expert, free conservatory blinds advice and service see Oakhurst Conservatory Blinds.

Via EPR Network
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