The rules around conservatories are a bit of a joke. Not only do they not need planning they also don't need building regs.

This is what causes a lot of the problems. Because they often don't comply with all the current regs, they are not insulated very well and the glass is not double/tripple glazed etc. All of these help keep the heat in during the winter months.

My parents have one and it does get a tad chilly during the winter months but nothing a oil filled rad doesn't fix.

I had an old conservatory with wooden windows & polycarb roof and it was awful. Scorching hot in the summer, freezing cold in the winter. I converted it to an extension just over a year ago. Did everything myself (bar plastering as got my mate to give me a hand on that). It did need to have building regs but not planning. Get them involved early and they were good to work with. Luckily the original foundations were good enough to use which made a high difference. Having an extension is now way better than a conservatory. (2x5m cost me 4.6K all in with pitched tiled roof)

And I would agree extension is much better.

Our new property has a properly extension

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Originally posted by sc0ott
I know if our clients want a conservatory added on to their future home it needs full planning and building warrant, and the door between the house and conservatory has to be an external door.

Whitter, what stops the water falling between the roof and house wall? Usually you will have lead flashing fixed into the wall and dressed down over things like conservatories, bay window canopies etc.

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Why not have an extension instead? If you are handy with diy, wont cost that much more than a conservatory.

My mate just turned his conservatory into an extension with roof windows and a full length window at the end, and it looks bloody amazing. Much much better than it was. Thats my plans with my current place

I know if our clients want a conservatory added on to their future home it needs full planning and building warrant, and the door between the house and conservatory has to be an external door.

Whitter, what stops the water falling between the roof and house wall? Usually you will have lead flashing fixed into the wall and dressed down over things like conservatories, bay window canopies etc.

Do you not need proper planning if it has central heating?

Mum and dad took theirs down because it was completely useless, frozen in winter, like a sauna in summer, got a bit of decking now that's had more use in 6 months than the conservatory had in 6 years.

http://www.corsasport.co.uk/board/viewthread.php?tid=560706&page=1

Will post pics later or search for my post

Just underfloor heating in my dads conservatory and hats fine all year round, great on your feet too!!

Pro and cons with central heating. Big pro is when you want to heat the house the conservatory heated also. However if you just want the conservatory heating means having the rest of the house heated

We went for electric rad instead

Also they get freezing in the winter reagrdless of heating

We had 4.8 x 3.8 with gable glass and it cost just over 10k

Also make sure you have an internal door between conservatory and the house otherwise planning permission is required.

As long as its less than 30m2 and 50m3 in volume you do not need planning permission.

[Edited on 07-05-2012 by whitter45]

We are looking at a 4.5 x 4.5 conservatory with 2 large radiators.

Warm flooring or proper radiators are good in the conservatory.

If you have a south facing garden The room will still provide lots of heat in the winter too.

Underfloor heating?

our's gets freezing in winter. it has a single skin roof iirc.

we bought a small oil filled radiator and it soon heats it up though.

ours is only small though.

Think it will cost roughly 10-15k all in for a decent sized conservatory.
Youll need planning permission as well and quite possibly a building warrant.

I wouldnt bother adding in a fixed radiator thats run off your main heating, im sure building control will have something to say about that. Youll be easier and cheaper fitting an electric spur, that way building control will look at it as an unheated room. After approval you stick in a panel heater.

The Mistake most people do when adding a conservatory is not add enough heat in there, if your going to add one and want to make use of it all year around I would add if possible 2 decent size radiators depend on its size it's easier to cool the room Down by turning to heat Down a bit if its too hot than it is trying to make it warmer

As I've now had 2 sales fall through on my house I am going to stay put and get a conservatory to gain more space. Who has a conservatory? Is it warm enough to use in winter? How much did it cost? What size is it?

Post a pic of what you've got.