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Orangery in Heacham, Norfolk, completed!

Our Client was having quotes for a conservatory to extend their 1910 Semi-detached house by the sea in beautiful Heacham, North Norfolk.
They were looking for an extra room to open up into the garden and a place to relax and dine in.
I proposed to take the project further by opening up the house wall and extending the kitchen/ breakfast room into the new building, creating one large room instead of 3 small ones.
Due to building regulation requirements, we had to propose a building that was more 'structural' than just a conservatory as we had to prove the new design would improve the CO2 emissions for the whole property in line with Doc' L Building reg's- Conservation of fuel and power.

The proposed design was an orangery with a lantern roof, complementing the design and scale of the original house. The build time from start to finish was 7 weeks and it only cost a little more than a conservatory.

For further details contact Matthew at Morgan Bishop or visit our website.

Conservatory bases, conservatory foundations and conservatory footings, what's right and what's wrong?

Conservatory bases, foundations or footings, what's it all about and why do I need them?
I'll be looking at some of the conditions and associated requirements and explaining the reasons why some companies do it right and some don't.

This blog will cover the following simple steps to what's right and what's not with conservatory bases:

• Ground Conditions (soil quality, intersecting pipes, drains, tree roots, boundaries and wells)
• Building Regulations for conservatories
• Alternative Construction methods for conservatory bases

Ground Conditions
The first consideration when planning the building of a conservatory must be the immediate ground conditions where the project is to be built.
The design of the conservatory must suit the property it is to complement, however it must also suit the budget the client wishes or is prepared to pay. Ground conditions may, in some cases, have an impact on the design to the extent that the project is not viable in terms of cost to benefit to the client or in some extreme cases, the project is simply not possible to build in the preferred location due to structural limitations enforced by the ground conditions.

An architect or professional designer will be able to advise you about the possible challenges facing your project (if there are any) within a few minutes of viewing the proposed site for your conservatory.
Most projects will be built on consolidated ground (ground that has remained stable and compacted over time) with one or two high level service pipes (downpipes/drains/inspection covers) which are not very deep under the patio/lawn as they are servicing the house and the required fall maintains a shallow depth when in proximity to the main house. These pipes are easily 'bridged' with either steel or concrete lintels and are required to be wrapped in insulation to prevent any contact with the concrete (concrete will expand and contract with the soils natural expansion and contraction and if in contact with pipes, it can cause cracking)

Ground conditions that require attention:

• Clay: The percentage of clay in the soil will have an effect on the specification of the trench depth and footing/concrete requirement. Low clay content will have a minimal impact (but must not be ignored) whilst a high clay content should be taken into consideration when calculating the depth and type of footing. Generally, higher clay content will result in a deeper and/or wider trench with a deeper concrete fill (more weight) to anchor the footing within the ground to control the heave potential of the clay. 'Heave' describes the ability of clay to absorb water and expand which can result in the expansion of the clay and movement in the conservatory, this also effects the building when dry periods occur with the opposite effect: shrinkage, which will also effect the stability and structural integrity of the conservatory. 
• Mains Drains: Drains that belong to the local water authority (including those that are on your land) are generally protected. Building within 3000mm of a water authority drain is prohibited until the relevant authorisation is approved, the reason for this is that a building (including a conservatory) may force enough lateral pressure on a drain (usually 150mm salt glaze pipes) that it can collapse. The local authority will need to be given detailed drawings showing the position of the pipe in relation to the proposed building including the depth of the authorities pipe. The drawings will need to demonstrate that the position of the new footing will not intersect the existing pipe from a 45 degree angle taken from the bottom edge closest to the pipe.
• Tree Roots: Building over or in proximity (5 metres +/-) to a tree will effect the specification of a conservatory base. The construction of a base can effect the longevity af a tree, if a tree within close proximity to a conservatory dies and the roots decompose (which they will) the soil will move into the decomposing void which results in soil shift and the potential for subsidence. Likewise, if the tree survives and continues to grow the roots will also produce movement in the surrounding soil (usually upward ) which can also cause problems for conservatories. The design of the footing will have to take this potential ovement into account. NOTE: If a tree has a preservation order on it and the local conservation officer is of the opinion that the construction of a conservatory may harm the said tree, it is likely that planning will will be refused on the conservatory or an alternative will need to be proposed.
• Boundaries: and buildings close to neighbours buildings/houses/garages etc. If the proposed conservatory is next to a boundary and the neighbour or you have a building on or near the boundary then the footing depth and construction will have to take into account the footing of the building(s) that may be affected by the proposed construction. Soil conditions may require a deep footing, however if the proposed footing could undermine the existing building then an alternative solution will be required. This may involve under-pinning of the existing building, piling or other solution subject to a structural engineer report.
• Wells/victorian soakaways/large soakaways: As suprising as it may sound, wells and large brick built soakaways are not as rare as you may think. Particularly prevelant on older and listed buildings, these large voids are a design challenge that must be identified and allowed for in the design proposal. Wells are particularly difficult to identify, often concealed for many years under patios they can be an unwelcome suprise with a significant cost to deal with. They can be filled or refurbished to create a feature but must not be ignored.

This article is not yet finished as there is a lot more to discuss including some astonishing tales of stupidity and neglegence that I have encountered in the last 17 years whilst designing bespoke glazed buildings all over England. I will edit and add to this article as soon as I can.....

PS The information I have given in this blog is my own and based on my own experiences. The guides I give are for information purposes only and if you decide to proceed with a building based on this information without a site visit from myself or a structural engineer then you do so at your own risk.

Matthew