Conservatory replacement causing overwintering issues

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Dave Brown
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Conservatory replacement causing overwintering issues

Post by Dave Brown »

I'm having the old Conservatory and Lunar Module replaced with a new white UPVC double glazed bespoke conservatory. We were due to have it completed about now, but due to the complexity of building into an existing space, has slipped. This now means it will be built over the winter months, robbing me of the space to overwinter. :ahhh!:


As a short term, stop gap, I have erected an additional Poly tunnel on the deck. Don't really like it there, but no alternative. Took a few days to get it up as I have a back injury, and have to be extremely careful not to make it worse. It is now ready, and sack barrow has finally arrived, so plants can now be sorted and moved.

I intend to have 2 heat settings in the 2 polytunnels, with the original, bubble wrapped, poly set to 5C, and the new, internally fleeced, poly set to 2C. I'm now grading the plants by hardiness to determine which goes into what polytunnel. icon_thumright

Electricity supplies may be a problem as building work starts, as some supplies will have to be turned off, and I can't have 2 heaters running off a double socket. May end up with lots of extension leads up the garden. :roll:
existing Conservatory and Lunar Module behind palms
existing Conservatory and Lunar Module behind palms
New conservatory design and layout
New conservatory design and layout
Polytunnel frame
Polytunnel frame
Completed poly
Completed poly
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Dave
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charliep
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Conservatory replacement causing overwintering issues

Post by charliep »

Snap! having to take down half my old conservatory, built in 1843 its seen better days. I did one end a few years back, and now the other half is showing signs of collapse. Have decided that rather than just repair it I would make it bigger. so all the permanent plants have been stuffed one end and like you there is no room for anything to come in, but I am lucky to have a semi glazed tea room, had to bring in most things due to wind blowing stuff over, still got the big bananas to lift. I dont heat anything but overwinter is not the best time to be without it is it?

Here are some pictures of the first parts renovation back in 2010, will do a separate post later when the present work is a bit further on

Image
DSCF2999 by charliepridham, on Flickr
Image
DSCF3001 by charliepridham, on Flickr
Image
DSCF3002 by charliepridham, on Flickr
Decided to take one half down and start again using tanalised wood did most of the work my self using a hand saw hammer and chisel, the window sashes I had made up as they are a bit fiddly
Image
001 (2) by charliepridham, on Flickr
Image
002 (2) by charliepridham, on Flickr
Image
003 (2) by charliepridham, on Flickr
Image
DSCF3051 by charliepridham, on Flickr
Image
december by charliepridham, on Flickr
One of the best things I discovered was something called capex, which is a stove coated aluminium product for the roof joins, brilliant no more painting on the roof!
Charlie Pridham
Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
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Dave Brown
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Conservatory replacement causing overwintering issues

Post by Dave Brown »

Blimey, my 'old conservatory is 32 years old, but yours is 156 years :ahhh!:
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GREVILLEAJ
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Conservatory replacement causing overwintering issues

Post by GREVILLEAJ »

Forget your back, Dave! Plant health and safety come first.............That wasn't very helpful, was it? :lol:
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Conservatory replacement causing overwintering issues

Post by Dave Brown »

GREVILLEAJ wrote: Mon Oct 28, 2019 11:38 pm Forget your back, Dave! Plant health and safety come first.............That wasn't very helpful, was it? :lol:
Wish I could forget my back ;), but joking aside, it was quite serious, affecting my Genitofemoral and Femoral nerves. It has taken 7 weeks to get feeling back in my thigh, and I can now nearly walk without a limp. Had to stand up, or lay flat, for first week. I have to keep my back moving, but not overdoing it.
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chainsaw kid
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Conservatory replacement causing overwintering issues

Post by chainsaw kid »

Funny how something that is perceived to be as simple as a conservatory is causing us some problems! You think you have problems listen to mine!

I am calling my project a garden room, not to be posh or trendy but simply because is has a proper flat roof and a couple of solid walls so that it can be used all year round and not the normal freeze in the winter and cook in the summer. I have added complications in so far as most of the house is used as a holiday home, during the season, mid February to the beginning of November I cannot obversely carry out building work during that period. Being a builder my self it should have been a doddle. icon_cheers However I damaged my neck some 5 years ago and has left me with neurological problems so decided I needed some help and chose a local guy I had used successfully used for many years who had just started up on his own. This was 2 years ago! He arrived 2 1/2 months late which put me on the back foot, due to my limited time available to work so I decided I had to demolish the laundry room and dig out the foundations my self, which was exactly what a person with my health problems did not want. icon_rambo Things went from bad to worse from then on and some two years later I should have it finished in about a fortnight. icon_cheers As a house builder I decided to design the project my self, as it was south facing and I wanted a porch on the back to stop to much sun getting into the room and to sit under if it was raining. However I did not want pillars or posts obstructing the view which meant putting steel in the roof which was not a problem for me. icon_study However even with my lifetime of experience what did throw me was the glass! icon_scratch Although you see it all the time on programs like "Grand Designs". As well a as not wanting obstructions from the porch I did not want obstructions from glazing bars, I wanted a big picture window. icon_thumright Contacting many double glazing company in north Wales I soon realised not one of them wanted to touch the job, it was beyond them. icon_thumbdown :roll: :lol: 6 months later I eventually found a company in England (Shrewsbury) who would deliver the glass and fit it. icon_cheers icon_thumright I will post a picture when it is finished in a couple of weeks. icon_sunny
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Conservatory replacement causing overwintering issues

Post by Dave Brown »

Think the weight is a determining factor Also my patio windows in the lounge are 3m wide and wanted just 2 panels. That caused problems. I asked the glazing company to leave the old windows as was going to use them to build a glass roof over the Arid Bed, but I couldn't lift them, and the frame to support them would have to be huge. I got them to take the windows away the next time the came. :roll:

Today as I speak, we are having a 1m x 2m Lantern Roof installed in the Lounge roof. They have had to beef up all the rafters to take the extra weight. They have replaced the 4 by 2s with 6 by 2s
Lantern Roof - Beefing up the Rafters
Lantern Roof - Beefing up the Rafters
Lantern Roof - Peering through the hole
Lantern Roof - Peering through the hole
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charliep
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Conservatory replacement causing overwintering issues

Post by charliep »

You are getting on a lot better than me, still haven't had 4 consecutively dry hours! building work is at a stand still
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karl66
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Conservatory replacement causing overwintering issues

Post by karl66 »

Looking good Dave , the lantern will make a major difference to the feel of the room...let alone extra light. We are re roofing a similar project at the moment....the blue glass lantern were fitting for them is stunning.
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Conservatory replacement causing overwintering issues

Post by chainsaw kid »

Dave yours now seems to be going well now. Yes glass is very heavy, people in Wales kept telling me it would take 4 men to lift mine, which I didn't mind paying for. I think they used it as an excuse because it was to much trouble for them.

Charlie, have you never heard of a rain coat especially in Cornwall! I was in Boscastle when it got flooded due to the raim. :roll:

EDIT I thought I would give a plug to Monkmoor Glass and Windows, Shrewsbury. who could not have been more helpful and were prepared to drive 70 miles with a van full of men and glass to get the job done. icon_cheers icon_thumright

A big thank you. Jason. :wink:
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Conservatory replacement causing overwintering issues

Post by Dave Brown »

Charlie, I live in one of the dries parts of the country, and have only had 116.91mm in the last 5 weeks :ahhh!: :ahhh!: :ahhh!: . Our average yearly rainfall is 530mm, so we've had 22% of yearly, in only 5 weeks.

Karl, Pic of the Lantern in Deaves Showroom.
Blue Glass Lantern
Blue Glass Lantern
Jason, at least you seem to be moving again now. :wink:
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Conservatory replacement causing overwintering issues

Post by karl66 »

Nice, that will be awesome when fitted Dave.
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Conservatory replacement causing overwintering issues

Post by Dave Brown »

karl66 wrote: Fri Nov 08, 2019 6:08 pm Nice, that will be awesome when fitted Dave.
Hoping so, it's been quite a bit more work than originally thought. The plan was to strip the boarding off and upgrade the insulation to Celotex while beefing up the supporting beams to take the lantern. What they found when the boarding came off, was 4 x 2 beams which are not to current building regs, so they have had to replace them with 6 x 2's, then beef up. This has meant the roof is thicker, and alterations were needed where is joins the pitched roof. :-|

They kept disappearing up the ladder with more and more timber. I said to them "are you building a log cabin up there?", They explained the complications as the existing beams .are holding the ceiling up, so they can't just rip out and replace. It's added about 3 days work, pushed back their schedule, and means they had to reschedule the electrician and fibreglass roofers. We are now looking at next weekend at the earliest. :-(

The problem for us is we had to move all the furniture into the original part of the lounge which is less than half the size were used to. Also as we don't have side, or rear, access, everything has to go through the garage and conservatory, so we've lost those as well. The conservatory is open all the time they are working, and for us to use in the evening takes about 2 hours to heat back up on peak rate electricity. No point in putting the storage heater on as would go cold during the day, trying to heat the world.

I'll just say, I'll be glad when it's finished. ;-)
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Conservatory replacement causing overwintering issues

Post by karl66 »

I can understand the joist upgrade 6x2 sounds about right looking at the spans. You can sometimes reduce joist depth by using a steel frame. Is it your choice to use fiberglass as a covering?, this time of year is not ideal as the substrate has to be almost moisture free to be 100% successful. As an asphalt and flat roof specialist for 37 years I'm not a great fan of it.
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Conservatory replacement causing overwintering issues

Post by Dave Brown »

karl66 wrote: Sat Nov 09, 2019 1:41 pm I can understand the joist upgrade 6x2 sounds about right looking at the spans. You can sometimes reduce joist depth by using a steel frame. Is it your choice to use fiberglass as a covering?, this time of year is not ideal as the substrate has to be almost moisture free to be 100% successful. As an asphalt and flat roof specialist for 37 years I'm not a great fan of it.
I did choose it as it has a longer life than felt, but it was ordered in July, and didn't think it was going to take this long for the lantern to be ready.
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