We had an orangery built in 2013. It is 3.1m x 4m on a detached house. The original external doors from the house were removed to make it part of the house and heating is fed from house. Our builder at the time said building regs were not needed but I think they should have been. What are my options now please?
Building Regs Needed?
- Thread starter Susan W
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If you arent selling, do nothing -you are outside the enforcement period unless the structure is unsafe: ie a big opening was formed and the wrong steels put in
If you are selling you can:
1. take out indemnity insurance before anybody contacts the council
2. put in external doors and a TRV on the heating
3 go and whack the builder with a big wet fish
you cant change an exempt structure to be compliant retrospectively -it would cost a fortune.
If you are selling you can:
1. take out indemnity insurance before anybody contacts the council
2. put in external doors and a TRV on the heating
3 go and whack the builder with a big wet fish
you cant change an exempt structure to be compliant retrospectively -it would cost a fortune.
Its likely there was support above the old doors, and as long as the opening wasn't made larger, it should probably be fine
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Maybe because it wasn’t exempt, the OP has done their research and the builder didn’t know what they’re talking about.
Because the internal doors were removed
Fit some internal quality doors between so it is exempt again, otherwise it will be a change of use under b regs and this brings in a whole load of regs that may need upgrading.
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External quality. The OP mentioned the heating system is not independent either so another BR trigger point.
@Susan W Btw, what are you classing as an orangery? Conservatories can be exempt but orangeries are basically extensions, which are not exempt. Read Page 2 of what is usually deemed as a conservatory...
https://www.labc.co.uk/sites/default/files/labc_4893_techg_conservatories.pdf
That's the confusing bit as building regs removed the glazing percentage from the description.
"The regulations do not offer a definition of what constitutes a conservatory"
I'm not sure why they did that.
From reading that I would say it meets conservatory description. One wall is solid brick (less than 1 metre from boundary), one wall has window, brick pillar, window and the other double doors, brick pillar, window. The roof is glass and the central heating radiator does have a thermostatic control valve.
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