Looking at getting a Glass Room/Conservatory/Wintergarden

Soldato
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I'm looking at getting a Glass Room / Conservatory / Wintergarden on the back of my house.

Not your usual PVC type conservatory though, a double glazed sloping roof going down to full width bi-fold doors.

Hoping for it to look something like this:

m0axv1V.jpg

I was wondering if anyone had done something similar and if they could tell me
  • how much it cost and how much the quotes varied by?
  • did you think it was worth it?
  • does it get too hot/cold?
  • how much value did it add to your house?
  • Which company did you use?

Cheers!
 
Soldato
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I'd always have closable doors through to a conservatory as during the winter they can be walk in fridges. In about 5 years time I will be looking to get one (south west facing garden so will catch the evening sun but it won't be the monster the one in the OP is.
 
Associate
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Yes, definitely - I've got a pair of doors between the living room and the conservatory - in winter it is an ice box, practically a no-go area. Too expensive to heat.
 
Soldato
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I'd always have closable doors through to a conservatory as during the winter they can be walk in fridges. In about 5 years time I will be looking to get one (south west facing garden so will catch the evening sun but it won't be the monster the one in the OP is.

From what I have found a lot of people say that they are warm all through winter. The frames are quite well insulated as well as being double glazed.

I'm also planning on having electric underfloor heating which should make it even warmer.

I'm also planning on removing the existing door to the house as I want to make the extension another room in the house, rather than a seperate part of the house they you have to open a door to, even though this will require extra building regs to do. It sounds like it isn't much different but I think it will a lot of difference in how much the room gets used.
 
Soldato
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I'd say £25,000 to build that but the more I look the more I think £25k minimum, there's a lot of good quality work there not a self supporting white PVCu conservatory.

Yep I'm with you there, although the first quote I've had is double that. It gets more complicated as the flat is surrounded by other flats above and on both sides as well as having lots of pipes down the wall which have to be boxed in.
I guess I'll be looking at around 30-35k minimum.
 
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Don
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With the right floor and wall insulation typically 140mm Kingspan Kooltherm K3 in the floor and K8 in the brick cavity and the right glass say a Pilkington K glass with the correct coating to suit the orientation then it'll be quite stable heat wise if you have UFH.

If you are using an aluminum system make sure they incorporate a thermal break in the frame which they may not do if you don't specify that the space becomes a habitable room.
 
Soldato
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I used to work for Ultraframe building the roofs before they were shipped out to the jobsite, stay away from the fake wood ones, they scratch really easy then look like crap. I have a lean too one on the back of my house in the UK similar to the one in the pic, but its got a brick wall upto about a metre then double glazed from there. I had my washer and dryer out there and also a small chest freezer. It was for utility rather than another living space, but its worth having one.

It used to get very hot in summer, unless the windows were open, if your going to be using it as a room i'd add a ceiling fan.
 
Soldato
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I used to work for Ultraframe building the roofs before they were shipped out to the jobsite, stay away from the fake wood ones, they scratch really easy then look like crap. I have a lean too one on the back of my house in the UK similar to the one in the pic, but its got a brick wall upto about a metre then double glazed from there. I had my washer and dryer out there and also a small chest freezer. It was for utility rather than another living space, but its worth having one.

It used to get very hot in summer, unless the windows were open, if your going to be using it as a room i'd add a ceiling fan.

Interesting. Am looking to get a dark grey colour aluminium frame, so hopefully this should be ok.
For the roof the quote usually includes an electric rooflight, also in summer I'd probably open the doors right across so that would give plenty of ventilation.
 
Man of Honour
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I'm back baby!
I would never do it with a permanent open space rather than a door to a glass room. Too cold in winter, too hot in summer.

£25k seems very high for it though.
 

4T5

4T5

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I haven't got a clue about such things other than if you can't have a log burner in it I don't want it.
Looking at your pic I don't like that Grey it looks industrial to me, I'd rather use that space for a proper extension with a good amount of glass in it & the obligatory log burning stove. :cool:
 
Soldato
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I haven't got a clue about such things other than if you can't have a log burner in it I don't want it.
Looking at your pic I don't like that Grey it looks industrial to me, I'd rather use that space for a proper extension with a good amount of glass in it & the obligatory log burning stove. :cool:

Will have underfloor heating in it, and a chimnea outside, plus a log burner inside the house :)

Seems like a split verdict on whether it will get too cold in winter, from what I gather if it's insulated and has thermal breaks it will keep warm...
 
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