Are You Buying a House with an Existing Conservatory?

Are you Buying a House with an Existing Conservatory?

When buying a house that has a conservatory already attached, the conservatory should be covered by your standard survey (building society survey right through to an all-encompassing, full structural survey). If in doubt, specialist fenestration surveyors exist to help. To see details on just one firm of specialist surveyors click here.

To help guide you, we thought we’d include a testimonial from an existing Ultraframe customer who inherited a conservatory when they purchased their new home. You’ll be reassured to see that they were able to rectify the problems with the structure, which made their room very dark and suffered from condensation and a range of other issues.

Conservatory Case Study: Ultraframe Roof to the Rescue

What follows is a transcript of a conversation with a real Ultraframe customer, who inherited a poorly performing conservatory roof that was de-valuing their property.

“We inherited our conservatory with the house seven years ago, and it rapidly became our main daytime room throughout the year. Over time, the polycarbonate roof collected large numbers of flies inside it, and the material began to darken, making it very gloomy in the lounge, which allowed access to the conservatory.

After some years, we noticed condensation in some of the sealed units. About two years ago we had one unit replaced, followed by a second some months later. At around the same time, I noticed a hole in the top of one roof panel, although it wasn’t leaking. I patched it with gaffer tape, and we began looking at options for repairs.

We obtained two quotes, which didn’t proceed for one reason or another and eventually asked a local company to have a look with a view to replacing the conservatory roof and, if possible, increasing the light to the lounge.

They noticed the condensation in the sealed units of the conservatory and suggested that the cost of replacing the structure on the existing base would not be far different to doing the roof and side panels separately.

The structure tended to get hot, as ventilation was limited to two-quarter lights on one side and a sliding door opposite. They recommended “Ultraframe” for the replacement roof as a solution to both heat and light problems.

The quotes we were given covered a) roof only in polycarbonate or glass, b) glass to ground sides, c) brick and glass sides and would mean including the existing base and tiled floor.

"Our decision was to go for the glass roof and glass to ground sides with ventilation on all panels and double opening doors on the front rather than a door at the side. So far, the new conservatory has met our expectations; we have more light in the lounge, it is cooler, easier to ventilate and appears to be larger, even though it is the same base".

Signs You Need to Replace Your Conservatory Roof

The existing conservatory suffered from three mitigating issues that indicated the roof needed replacing and as follows:

• Condensation. Gaps in the structure of the conservatory meant that cold air was entering. This turned to condensation that leaked into the room beneath.
• Poor Lighting. The accumulation of dead flies within the roof meant that light was unable to bypass the conservatory roof and provide sufficient illumination below.
• Ventilation. This links in with the condensation problem. The hole in the roof meant that cold air was landing in the warmer section and causing condensation.

The Solution

Using Ultraframe’s Livinroof as an example, let's unravel its benefits and see how they would address the three issues mentioned in the above section:

• Condensation. The Livinroof is solid and glazed. It contains an internal ceiling pelmet that’s infilled with mineral wool insulation. High-performing Conservaglass reduces UV light entry to stop the conservatory from overheating during hotter periods.
• Poor Lighting. Glazing panels can be inserted into the Livinroof at optimal points to focus light where it is needed most. This means that your conservatory will never feel claustrophobic, not even at night – because your ceiling pelmet can include lighting too.
• Ventilation. All Ultraframe conservatory roofs – not just the Livinroof – include trickle vents as standard. This feature encourages the uplift of warm moist air and filters it outside, preventing it from transforming into harmful condensation later.

Speak to an Approved Ultra Installer

If you’ve inherited a poorly performing conservatory, find your nearest Ultra Installer by using our free search tool. Your Ultra Installer will be able to advise you concerning any of the issues covered in this case study. Send a message to our team after you’ve completed your search to request contact from Ultraframe. We will call you with further information about our replacement conservatory roofs and other products.