If you have a conservatory at home, one would hope that you have spent a good chunk of your time in it during lockdown. What would dissuade you from doing that is if the building offers a poor standard of insulation, feeling far too hot at certain times and far too cold at others.
Although not right now, because of the present restrictions, this is a solvable problem, achieved by taking out the current roof and replacing it with a solid tiled roof.
But what you need to be careful of is proceeding with this change of roofing systems without checking if building regulations approval is needed first. Only trouble is, some local authorities say that it is, and some say that it isn’t.
In general, whether building regulations approval is necessary largely depends on if the extension has the structural integrity to be able to hold the weight of an often heavier solid roof.
You have to be conscious that even an approved solid replacement roof may prove too heavy for a conservatory to handle, particularly when it has a dense covering of snow on it.
In the eyes of the Glass and Glazing Federation (GGF), the industry’s leading authority, fitting a solid roof alters the original status of the installation, which should see you consult your local authority building control team for advice.
It’s firmly in your interests to have 5 Star oversee a solid roof installation as every single solid roof we install is fit for purpose and we always know how to overcome any issues.
Treat any company with suspicion if they immediately dismiss the possibility of building regulations approval being needed for a solid ‘warm’ roof.
You could also run into trouble when selling your property if you have a solid roof conservatory without having a building regulations certificate to show to the buyer’s solicitor. Mark our words, they will ask for it as they need to know that it passes the expected standards. You will then have no other choice but to get retrospective building regulations approval from LABC (Local Authority Building Control), which will hold everything up and cost you money.
With all the relevant permissions obtained, adding a solid roof will have a strong financial impact on the valuation of your home, so it’s worth the cost if your conservatory needs one.
For a solid roof installation without any unwanted hitches or headaches, turn to 5 Star for all the support you need.
