When is an extension not an extension?

[GoferBlue1947]

I have looked at other similar threads which have appeared on this forum but I’m still not sure of the true situation. Also, yes, I have studied Part L1B of the Building Regs but I’m not clear as to whether the exemption I am seeking applies in my case.

Can anyone please tell me if I build a structure which complies with the requirements of section 3.15 (i.e. it’s at ground level, the floor area is less than 30 sq m, existing exterior doors and windows in the main dwelling will be retained and the dwelling heating system will not be extended into the extension) I am exempt from BR? Also I can make it with as much glass as I like (walls) or as little as I like (roof)?

I chose the word “structure” carefully as it seems to me that I can call the new building anything I like e.g. a conservatory or an orangery but not an extension because that has definite connotations. My ideal structure would be one with lots of glass on one wall (e.g. composed entirely of bifold doors), a solid, well insulated, flat roof (GRP covered) with a DG roof light and the other walls of cavity wall construction with CWI. It will be south facing hence a conventional conservatory does not appeal!

Any thoughts/ideas gratefully received.

 

[^woody^]

Will you be parking your car in it?
Will it have a plug socket or light?
Will it have a toilet or sink?

It's not what you call it, it's what you do with it that matters.

 

[clive12345]

Phone your local council Building Inspector ,they should be able to tell you.
I built a similar structure on my house 25 years ago , without building regulations.
It served its purpose and was dry and warm .
I have just knocked it down as i need an extension with a bathroom .
As i did not go down deep enough , some of the existing footings have had to be removed .
If i had gone through building control 25 years ago things would have been simpler now.
If you are going to spend a lot of money on it get building regulations .

 

[nickjb]

If you comply with 3.15 you'll be exempt from thermal regs. Doesn't mean you can get away with no building regs. Other elements may still need building regs. E.g. Structure, electrics, drainage

 

[GoferBlue1947]

Will you be parking your car in it?
Will it have a plug socket or light?
Will it have a toilet or sink?

It's not what you call it, it's what you do with it that matters.

It will be a sun lounge. It will have a 4-in-1 trailing socket from the house for table lamps and maybe a radio and/or TV. No plumbing. Heating undecided as yet but obviously not an extension of the C/H! No plumbing.

 

[GoferBlue1947]

Phone your local council Building Inspector ,they should be able to tell you.
I built a similar structure on my house 25 years ago , without building regulations.
It served its purpose and was dry and warm .
I have just knocked it down as i need an extension with a bathroom .
As i did not go down deep enough , some of the existing footings have had to be removed .
If i had gone through building control 25 years ago things would have been simpler now.
If you are going to spend a lot of money on it get building regulations .

Clive - yes, I am leaning that way. What I really want is to have the maximum amount of glass along the front of the orangery (a row of bifold doors) but with a solid, well insulated roof (maybe with a roof lantern or similar), hence I do not want to be restricted to the "25% of floor area" stuff. So the ideal scenario would be to have exemption from BR regarding glazing but comply with BR for everything else.

 

[GoferBlue1947]

If you comply with 3.15 you'll be exempt from thermal regs. Doesn't mean you can get away with no building regs. Other elements may still need building regs. E.g. Structure, electrics, drainage

Nickjb - see my response to Clive above. Would that work do you think?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Have a looksee in this boring thread (which has got a bit derailed now): //www.diynot.com/diy/threads/building-regs-classification-of-a-conservatory.278544/

Nevertheless the answer you require and key useful element from that whole thread is this:

It is all taken care of within Part L1B Existing Dwellings, no need of any special notes or other LABC blurb. http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/uploads/br/BR_PDF_ADL1B_2010.pdf

If the conservatory complies with 3.15 (and 3.16) it will be exempt from the regs no matter how much or little of its roof or walls are glazed. Building such a conservatory is not notifiable.

 

[^woody^]

And you can extend the central heating, as long as the radiator can be turned off on its own.

 

[geraldthehamster]

I have looked at other similar threads which have appeared on this forum but I’m still not sure of the true situation. Also, yes, I have studied Part L1B of the Building Regs but I’m not clear as to whether the exemption I am seeking applies in my case.

Can anyone please tell me if I build a structure which complies with the requirements of section 3.15 (i.e. it’s at ground level, the floor area is less than 30 sq m, existing exterior doors and windows in the main dwelling will be retained and the dwelling heating system will not be extended into the extension) I am exempt from BR? Also I can make it with as much glass as I like (walls) or as little as I like (roof)?

I chose the word “structure” carefully as it seems to me that I can call the new building anything I like e.g. a conservatory or an orangery but not an extension because that has definite connotations. My ideal structure would be one with lots of glass on one wall (e.g. composed entirely of bifold doors), a solid, well insulated, flat roof (GRP covered) with a DG roof light and the other walls of cavity wall construction with CWI. It will be south facing hence a conventional conservatory does not appeal!

Any thoughts/ideas gratefully received.

If you build it to comply with 3.15, it will be exempt if, and only if, it's a conservatory. Building regulations don't define a conservatory. Many local authorities follow LABC guidance, which says that a conservatory is a substantially glazed structure with a translucent roof.

Personally I'd just build it.

Cheers
Richard

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Yes and the LABC guidance is exactly that, guidance not law.

 

[GoferBlue1947]

Freddy, Woody and Richard – many thanks for your individual inputs.

To my mind the crucial question still remains: what is a conservatory (as far as my LABC dept is concerned)? If I ask my local BC officer I fear this will simply open the proverbial “can of worms” or can I ask it as a general enquiry, because at this stage I am only thinking about the various options?

Interestingly under section 3.16 of L1B it states that where a conservatory does not meet the requirements of 3.15 then it is not exempt and must comply with sections 4.8 and 4.9. Now 4.8 states that the limitations on total area of windows, roof windows and doors as set out in 4.2 (i.e. the dreaded 25% of floor area rule) do NOT apply. Surely this implies then that ANY amount of glazing is permitted in a non-exempt conservatory, so why shouldn’t the same apply to an exempt conservatory? Or am I missing something obvious here?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Are you separating the conservatory from the dwelling with a door? At ground level? Under 30m2? Heating independent? If so then forget about 4.8 & 9. Though even if you weren't the amount of glazing is irrelevant and a moot point, it tells you that in 4.8. Theoretically you could do a 100% glazed non exempt extension provided you could make the maths work but practically you probably couldn'tmake it compliant, you'd probably need to add additional wall and roof insulation to the rest of the dwelling for example, to compensate. That said, for all intents and purposes you're building an extension and its frankly a bit of a mystery to me why don't just get approval for it and then you can heat it properly and avoid having an external door separating the two areas?

 

[GoferBlue1947]

Are you separating the conservatory from the dwelling with a door? At ground level? Under 30m2? Heating independent? If so then forget about 4.8 & 9. Though even if you weren't the amount of glazing is irrelevant and a moot point, it tells you that in 4.8. Theoretically you could do a 100% glazed non exempt extension provided you could make the maths work but practically you probably couldn'tmake it compliant, you'd probably need to add additional wall and roof insulation to the rest of the dwelling for example, to compensate. That said, for all intents and purposes you're building an extension and its frankly a bit of a mystery to me why don't just get approval for it and then you can heat it properly and avoid having an external door separating the two areas?

In answer to your first 4 points: yes, yes, yes and yes. Going for an extension limits me to a glazing area of 25% of the floor area i.e. 25% of 16 sq m in my case which equates to just 4 sq m of glass. The bifold doors would use about 8 sq m alone! I would like to keep the external doors anyway so as to keep the orangery separate from the kitchen/diner. An extension also means extra £££'s on architects drawings and BC fees! I admit I have no idea what these are likely to be as yet - what sort of figures might I be looking at?

 

[clive12345]

This might help ,the glazing regs. ,unless things have changed since last year .

25 percent , plus the area of doors and windows that you are covering up.