Building a conservatory on or near an inspection cover....

[The Riviera Kid]

Hi folks,

This is one for the future, but I thought I'd discuss it now so I'm clued up lol.

We wish to add a rear convervatory to the house at some point in the future. This could be professionally installed, part installed/part DIY, or mostly DIY. Something I need to ask is relating to an inspection cover that could possibly end up being underneath the conservatory, or would at the very least be very close to it. I've heard that you can re-inforce the area around the inspection cover and have access from within the conservatory, which is not ideal but workable. The question I have is more to do with building regulations/planning permission/water company issues, than the actual construction side.

What we have is an approx 36cm inspection cover (can't find a picture on the net, will try and upload one) with what looks like black pipe around the outside, and the cover itself made of stone/concrete with the words "Bartol Plastidrain Inspection Cover" engraved into it. Is this likely to throw up any issues with Building Control/Planning Permission - and are the water company responsible for the pipework likely to object to a conservatory being built as long as the work is done as to not cause any damage to the pipes?

Thanks in advance for any help/advice.

 

[Richard C]

Providing you follow a few simple rules; http://www.conservatoryinfo.co.uk/buildregulations.html conservatories are Building Regulations exempt & you can virtually do what you like in there as long as you retain an external door between it & the main property & any heating system you have can be isolated & independently controlled. The foul drain on your land is your responsibility so the water authority aren’t interested as long as you don’t start dumping things into it your not supposed to; including rain water! You should fit a lintel over any foul drain that passes under the cons. footings.

You can get, double sealed internal inspection covers but fitting one would involve removing what you currently have; they even come with a tile insert top so you can disguise them. But to be honest, who would want even a disguised inspection hatch inside their conservatory if it can possibly be avoided; I know I didn’t! If building over the foul drain you should at least ensure its sound &, if it’s the older clay spigot type, replace with modern plastic & no joins. Worth considering is that if your going to replace the chamber & replace the pipe work, you might as well re-route the bugger or move the inspaection hatch anyway; problem solved & is what I did with mine.

 

[The Riviera Kid]

Yeah, it's a 1990 build house, and each house seems to have this configuration with inspection covers in similar places, so I figured it would be our responsibility.

As there'll be loads of digging to do anyway on top of digging for the base (it's on a slight incline that would need levelling slightly), I might as well have a look at re-routing/moving the inspection hatch/cover.

Might do some digging when the weather gets warmer, although we won't be building anything probably until summer 2011 at the earliest.

Thanks for that Richard C, out of interest have you any pictures of your conservatory?

 

[Richard C]

out of interest have you any pictures of your conservatory?

Too many to upload but heres a couple;

View media item 19594 View media item 19593 View media item 19592
There is lots more offending drain works to the right of the 1st pic which also had to be changed/moved. Those doors to the left of the cons are no longer there as the old adjacent extension was rebuilt a year later.

 

[The Riviera Kid]

Very nice, looks like it'll be about the same sort of size as the one we're looking to build.

....did you say you build over the pipework/cover or relocated it? Is relocating it something your average plumber could advise on (I know a couple)?

 

[Thermo]

plumber....drains....youve got to be joking. you're looking at a builder to do that. The day i see a plumber dig a hole and get his hands dirty in a drain, ill eat my hat (seriously you want a builder!)

 

[The Riviera Kid]

lol haha!!!!

Noooo, "advise" on I said. I'm happy to do the digging, I'm just guessing the plumber will have more knowledge of the pipework and connections.

It would be more of an advisory thing (brother in law is a plumber, and while I don't speak to him a lot, he'd probably come over to take a look at a push). I'm loathe to pay a builder to get a spade out when I can do it myself with a couple of lagers on a sunny afternoon.

 

[Richard C]

Very nice, looks like it'll be about the same sort of size as the one we're looking to build.

It’s around 22 sq/m, internal.

....did you say you build over the pipework/cover or relocated it? Is relocating it something your average plumber could advise on (I know a couple)?

The cons was originally wider (around 30 sq/m) & included the door you can see on the left; the offending inspection cover is just in front of the door. I also had to remove an old open hopper & provide a new under floor drain for the kitchen which involved punching a hole through the floor & wall below DPC & in the process I discovered the pipe work for 2 soak aways was also under there as well. It got more & more complicated the more I dug so after considering various options, including relocating the hatch & running in front of the cons, it made more sense to reduce the size of the cons a little & leave the existing hatch where it was; a 22 sq/m cons is still pretty big ! The old interlocking clay pipe was replaced with new plastic from the kitchen, which passes under the corner of the cons. The old drain run, left to right under the cons to the next inspection chamber around 10m away was ripped up & replaced with new plastic, one 6m length was used under the cons base so no joins, lintels over the pipe both sides. 2 x new soakaways dug & all new plastic pipe work from a rearranged gutter/facia system above (all replaced); ground works inspected & passed by BCO prior to cons. base being laid.

Thermo is right, you need a builder for the underground works unless your prepared do your own like me; most plumbers won’t want to touch it & many wouldn’t know where to start anyway. I've done all the ground works & plumbing on the property myself but the cons & a whole load of other renovation work here was done by a local contractor I had on site for around 3 months.

 

[The Riviera Kid]

Fair comments folks. I might be able to save a few quid by doing a lot of the digging for the foundations, and moving the pipe myself, get a builder to do the rest.

 

[noseall]

I'm just guessing the plumber will have more knowledge of the pipework and connections.

Plumbers do NOT install underground drains.

Ever.

As Thermo has stated they are petrified of digging.

 

[Thermo]

and getting poo on their hands from old manholes!

 

[Richard C]

and getting poo on their hands from old manholes!

Sets the men from the "would be" boys

 

[The Riviera Kid]

....will you lot please stop talking "crap" lol

Thanks for the advice folks, much appreciated.

 

[Nige F]

plumber....drains....youve got to be joking. you're looking at a builder to do that. The day i see a plumber dig a hole and get his hands dirty in a drain, ill eat my hat (seriously you want a builder!)

You`re confusing plumber with RGI

 

[Thermo]

no im not, most plumbers wouldnt know where to start, or what to do with the brickwork in a manhole.