REPLACEMENT CONSERVATORY ROOF YOUR BUYERS GUIDE. PROVIDED BY IDEAL ROOFS LTD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Transcription

1 REPLACEMENT CONSERVATORY ROOF YOUR BUYERS GUIDE PROVIDED BY IDEAL ROOFS LTD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

2 STEP ONE PRE-EMPTIVE DECISIONS When considering the purchase of a replacement roof it is important to make some pre-emptive decisions as to what type of replacement roof you will require based upon what you are hoping it will achieve for you, your family, friends and relatives. To quantify this further, if you already have a conservatory with a in good repair roof in place and are only looking to keep using the space on an ad-hoc basis (typically eight weeks of a 52-week cycle) then do you really need a replacement roof? Alternatively, if you have a underperforming roof, that leaks, is in poor condition and you would like to make more use of the space? then you are indeed a prime candidate or prime candidates for a replacement roof on your conservatory. This may appear, at first, quite a basic grounding in common sense but sometimes we can all get a little swayed by others ideas, suggestions and opinions that influence our decision making. It is worth just taking a few moments to reflect on exactly what it is you need? why you need it? and what will it achieve for you?

3 STEP TWO THE CHOICE DECISIONS Deciding on the type of roof you want and need falls into several categories: What best suits my / our needs Is my / our choice achievable based upon the current design Are remedial works required beforehand Does budget constrain my / our choice, if so in what way How long will it take to complete from order What are the maintenance and upkeep implications What is the life cycle of my / our choice Will it add value to my / our home Do I need any Local Authority Building Control Certification SUMMARY All of which will or can potentially have some impact on your choice of replacement roof, the materials used, shape, usage and your life style.

4 STEP THREE WHAT BEST SUITS MY / OUR NEEDS With quite a few choices it can become quite confusing as to what type of replacement roof suits your needs and detailed below is a brief listing of the typical roof designs in use throughout the U.K. The very first stage is to understand the type and shape of conservatory you currently have and the fabric of its construction. CONSERVATORY SHAPES VICTORIAN GABLE END P-SHAPED T SHAPED LEAN TO EDWARDIAN There are quite a few derivatives on these basic six shapes as well as Orangery's and other variant shapes, in the main these are the six most common roof shapes. A variant will be, for example, French doors on the leading front face of a Victorian Conservatory and instead of five bays to the roof there will be three bays. But overall these are the most common shapes seen attached to most homes. Other alternatives will be, for example is it all glazed, or is there a dwarf wall in place? and to what height does the dwarf wall stand at?, all of these choices will have a direct and in-direct influence on the replacement roof type you can have. What shape of roof do you currently have? Need help call for free advice

5 STEP FOUR WHAT IS FEASIBLE WITH MY / OUR CURRENT ROOF Already having a conservatory of a particular shape or style doesn't restrict the type of roof shape you can eventually end up with, in fact with our structural roofs it is quite popular to change the roof shape at a very low reasonable price. However there are other factors and considerations that need to be addressed before any final choice can be fixed. One of the most significant, and often missed factors, is the need to have an angle / pitch that not only meets with any manufacturers tolerances but also complies with Local Authority Building Control Standards. If you are to consider having a replacement fully tiled and insulated roof then a roof angle or pitch should be a minimum of 13 (13 degrees). This will allow any rainfall to be evacuated into existing or replacement rainwater goods efficiently and effectively keeping the roof in good order. For glazed or polycarbonate roofs there is still an angle or pitch requirement but this can be substantially less than 13 it can be as low as 5. However this can and does indeed lead to maintenance issues with things like mould, fungi and water invasion due as roof bar seals breaking down due to excesses of heat and extremes of cold is a common issue.

6 STEP FOUR CONTINUED The most common areas where we find a shallow roof angle or pitch is on a lean-to conservatory fitted against the side of a bungalow just under the facia boards where maximum height can be achieved (see fig 1 below) Fig1 Low pitched roof on a Lean-To conservatory on a bungalow As you can see the angle / pitch of the roof is very shallow and this has been done to maintain a reasonable internal height to the conservatory. Where a client is making a change to a fully tiled and insulated roof this now no longer causes a deal of head scratching and artisan joinery. Due to the manufacturing processes we have in place and the affordability of our structural roofs we can take a typical shallow angled roof on a Lean-To conservatory (fig1) and install a double hipped Edwardian roof (see fig2). This readily addresses the issue affordably, efficiently and of course beautifully call now and discuss your requirements in full without obligation. Fig2 Fully tiled and insulated roof on a Lean-To conservatory fitted to a bungalow

7 STEP FIVE BEFORE YOU BEGIN THE PROCESS Before you begin the process is vital you check your existing structure to ensure it can accommodate and meet with the needs required for a replacement roof. If you are ensure, or need assistance, we do offer a free of charge on-site survey of your existing roof, this will check its suitability and sustainability to accommodate any roof changes you are thinking of making. Failure to check could render you open to additional costs and charges as well as delays. Call and book your free no-obligation roof survey with one of our trained assessors, typically the whole process will take about one and a half hours at most but can make the difference between a smooth uninterrupted installation or one prone to some degree of teeth sucking and increased costs. Although it should be stressed that it isn't just roofs that needed assessing it is also the fabric of the structure overall, if you have a wooden conservatory for example and the timber has begun to decay or is suffering from water damage this will need to be addressed as remedial works, the windows support the ring beam which, in term affects the roof loading weight.. If it is in poor repair the works cannot be completed.

8 STEP SIX WHAT IS THE BUDGET Being a responsible individual we are sure you will have a budget to which you would like to work with, if not then you need to get one otherwise you will start to become a very confused individual, very quickly. Having a budget will help you enormously, it will enable to choose options that are relevant to your needs and eradicate the confusion of enduring a list of options that you neither want, need or are prepared to pay for. If you are looking at a fully glazed roof you really are at the mercy of the sealed unit manufacturers and labour costs (sealed units tend to fluctuate quite markedly dependent on glass type, demand and a level of seasonality). Polycarbonate roofs can be difficult to get fitted as most fitters are not very keen of replacing just the panels it normally is suggested that new roof bars and seals are also fitted at the same time, making it quite an expensive process. The process for fully tiled and insulated conservatory roof insulation is very much more straight forward particularly if the existing structure is in good order as typically the whole roof will be removed and a new roof fitted in its place. Whether this is just a warm roof, where existing roof bars and supports are utilised or a fully tiled and insulated replacement conservatory roof installation which would mean a complete replacement of the whole roof from the ring beam and above typically referred to as a structural replacement.

9 STEP SEVEN HOW LONG DOES AN INSTALLATION TAKE Different suppliers of replacement conservatory roofs will all have their own agenda as to how long things can and do take. Major factors in the supply of a conservatory roof are quite, obviously, the type and size being supplied and the availability of off the shelf products coupled with which there is the 14 day sale of goods act code which is your safe guard should you wish to cancel. Please be aware that the same code is also there to safe guard the supplier should they not wish to proceed with the sale and installation of your project we are aware of instances where suppliers have seriously miscalculated both their product and labour requirements and whilst the customer has been disappointed they also have to be realistic about what is being supplied, when and any prevailing weather conditions. Installation Time Guidelines PROJECT TYPE LEAD TIME DAYS INSTALLATION TIME DAYS Polycarbonate Roof 3m x 3m Glass Sealed Unit 3m x 3 m Warm Roof System 3m x 3m Structural Roof 3m x 3m 14 Days 1 Day 28 days 2 3 Days 28 Days 2 Days 28 Days 2 3 Days Polycarbonate Sealed Unit Glass Warm Roof System Structural Roof Type

10 STEP EIGHT ON-GOING MAINTENANCE & SERVICING All roof types will require some level of maintenance whether it is cleaning the Self Cleaning Glass, Clearing Mould from a polycarbonate surface, checking seals and end caps or just ensuring the guttering is kept clear of detritus, there is an on-going cycle. Obviously the heaviest demands are on the glazed unit and polycarbonate roofs, on solid roofs it is very similar to your house roof and requires little to no on-going care or maintenance. Both glass and polycarbonate have an inherent replacement requirement dependant on original fitting, age, maintenance and prevailing weather conditions. POLYCARBONATE GGF recommendation replacement at eight years GLAZING (Type and fit dependant) - GGF recommendation years TILED & INSULATED Manufacturers guarantee 30 years minimum STEP NINE WILL IT ADD VALUE TO MY / OUR HOME Clearly any investment made in your home relating to an improvement should have a distinct price benefit to you as a homeowner over and above lifestyle issues, however certain additions can vastly increase the value of your home. But before you pour your money into a project, it s important to know what return if any you re likely to get. The Office of National Statistics found we spend nearly 30 billion a year on home improvements in the UK that s 43 million a week and if you are improving on an existing asset then it is vital to draw a distinction between and improvement and maintenance. If you are replacing an existing roof on a like for like basis then this isn't an obvious home improvement it is classed as maintaining an existing asset. If you are looking at a replacement roof on an existing conservatory then here are some clear benefits worth bearing in mind: Added living space Average Growth > 33,000 Increased entertainment space Average Growth > 28,000 Larger kitchen / dining space Average Growth > 31,000 Source Office of National Statistics / Daily Telegraph and based on Average UK House price of 231,000 The case for additional living space with a tiled and insulated roof has never been stronger Call today and found out how much you can benefit from your investment

11 STEP 10 DO I / WE REQUIRE ANY BUILDING OR PLANNING CONSENT Although opinions differ dependent on whom you talk to regarding any building control requirements and fully tiled and insulated conservatory roofs, due to the ambiguity on hand you should ensure you are covered. At Ideal Roofs Ltd. we feel that the best route is to ensure that you do indeed get a building control certificate on completion of works agreed at the time of purchase irrespective of any current legislative requirements as things can and do change. This will not only ensure that the roof supplied does indeed meet with compliance requirements as they are today it could also save a large amount of aggravation at a future date as and when legislative changes arise and a decision to move or change of circumstance occurs. It is far easier to address this issue up front than try and resolve any short comings retrospectively which could delay selling your property, lead to a price reduction or even cancel out a sale.

12 STEP ELEVEN SUMMARY In summary the case for having a conservatory in a good and serviceable condition whether you use it on an AD-HOC basis for 6 8 weeks a year or 365 days a year 24 hours a day is very positive all round. However if you have a depreciating asset that requires considerable on-going maintenance, such as a polycarbonate or glazed roof, the decision to invest in having a fully tiled and insulated roof that adds considerable value to your home (see page 10 for estimated figures) is certainly an attractive option particularly if your existing conservatory roof requires work to be carried out now, or in the near future. Over and above just making your home more desirable by adding additional living space to your home, adding value to your largest individual asset is most certainly a prudent and sharp move. If you consider that saving rates of return within the U.K. are still at extreme low levels, in November 2017 the annual rate was announced by the Office of National Statistics as being 2.8%. In effect, with average deposit rates of return way less than 1.0% (fixed term deposit rates can be higher) any cash being held is therefore eroding on a month by month year by year basis, losing you money rather than benefiting your savings and any legacy you may be hoping to pass on to family and friends. The case for additional living space with a tiled and insulated roof has never been stronger Call today and found out how much you can benefit or visit our website and discover the benefits of working with Ideal Roofs to enhance your house, your home, your savings for yourself, family and friends.