Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I have an orangery on my home?
A: Yes you can. You can have an orangery if you have a detached, semi detached house or bungalow our system is adaptable to any situation, it can also be free standing in the garden.
Q: Would I need to seek planning approval?
A: Orangery's are exempt from planning approval unless on a detached house the external brick projection exceeds four metres or a semi detached house the projection exceeds three metres or the structure does not cover more than 1/2 of your available garden. Or the orangery is to be built on the side of your property and is clearly visible from the road. If your home is a corner plot and you have two main roads you may also need planning approval (usually sourced locally).
Q: How much will planning approval cost?
A: A planning application varies from area to area but should be in the region of £400 - £650 including all fees.
Q: Would I need to seek building regulations approval?
A: If the external floor area exceeds 30 square metres, if the external brickwork exceeds the glass area by more than 50% or the roof area exceeds the glazing area by more than 75%. If any of these circumstances are met building regulation approval will be required. In addition adding a new opening using a lintol or moving foul drains will incur building regulation approval. Please seek local advice. If you are about to embark on a building project it is polite to inform your direct neighbours of your intent to construct and orangery, show them the pictures and its location and ask them to confirm in writing that they approve of your project.
Q: How much will building regulations approval cost?
A: Depending on the value of the work and the size of the project will govern the cost of the building regulation fee. This may also include structural calculations and various reports. Building regulation approval starts from around £280.
Q: Can I open up my home into the orangery?
A: Generally no due to new legislation restricting the use of fossil fuels. However in many cases your new orangery would be more energy efficient than your home depending on its age, many local councils will carry out a SAPS report before you begin work. This determines where you can make improvements on your home and use this as a trade off for suing extra fossil fuel in your orangery. Other forms of heating are now available i.e. air source – heating and cooling.
Q: Will I be able to use my orangery extension all year round?
A: Yes it is an extension with insulated floors and brick walls up to building regulation standards and modern glazing with u value's as high as 1.0 W/m2k which is 40% more efficient than Pilkingtons 'K' glass, this will not need building regulations approval. If you live in a listed building or conservation area please consult your local authority. Using these modern materials your orangery will be energy efficient all year round.
Q: Can I have an orangery without all the brick pillars?
A: Yes due to the light weight structure of our 'Ultra Lite Orangery System' but with increased reinforcements on the corners and intersections between the frames you can have an orangery which is predominantly glass.
Q: Are there any size limitations when building an orangery?
A: Yes there are, with a single lantern the maximum width with a glass roof is 9500 metres this will involve some steel reinforcement which is usually hidden within the fabric of the orangery. With multiple lantern orangeries's the structure can be as wide as you like. The distance projecting from your home outwards is generally three to four metres (without the need for planning permission). Four metres can be exceeded but would depend upon your individual circumstances.
Q: Are they any design limitations?
A: Our orangery systems are very versatile we can build an orangery round corners internal or external, can be angled on the front corners, can be free standing in the garden or can be fitted on a second storey building but generally orangery's are rectangular. We can span 4500 over Bi-folding doors without the need for any additional steelwork. The orangery can be supplied in any colour with the option of a plain or decorative look. If you have a particular project in mind that doesn't fit our standard range we would be pleased to quote for this.
Q: What are your orangery's made of?
A: The doors and windows are made from Upvc or aluminium. The standard colour is White but can be any chosen colour, the glazing is toughened safety high performance glass. The orangery roof system is a light weight hollow section timber and steel structure specially designed by ourselves for the orangery market, the inside can be plaster boarded like a normal extension. The outside perimeter deck area is highly thermally efficient which has a waterproof membrane usually applied on site this can also be in a range of colours. The central lantern light is finished externally in White powder coated aluminium or PVC with toughened safety high performance safety glass as standard, guttering on the lantern is not required.
Q: Could I build an orangery myself?
A: If you have had some experience within the building trade or DIY work or perhaps know a friend who is handy then our orangery system is self explanatory for the competent DIY enthusiast. We have a range of modular orangeries which we supply to the self builders and DIY enthusiasts, they are supplies with full assembly instructions, including builders base plans
Q: Would an orangery put value on my home?
A: Because an orangery is classified as an extension then agents and surveyors would include the additional square footage as part of the overall valuation.
Q: What can I use my orangery for?
A: Traditionally they were used for plants in the 17th and 18th century when the where first introduced to this country. Because our orangeries are so extremely thermally efficient they have multiple uses i.e. dining room, living room, kitchen extension or even a play room all year round.
A: Yes you can. You can have an orangery if you have a detached, semi detached house or bungalow our system is adaptable to any situation, it can also be free standing in the garden.
Q: Would I need to seek planning approval?
A: Orangery's are exempt from planning approval unless on a detached house the external brick projection exceeds four metres or a semi detached house the projection exceeds three metres or the structure does not cover more than 1/2 of your available garden. Or the orangery is to be built on the side of your property and is clearly visible from the road. If your home is a corner plot and you have two main roads you may also need planning approval (usually sourced locally).
Q: How much will planning approval cost?
A: A planning application varies from area to area but should be in the region of £400 - £650 including all fees.
Q: Would I need to seek building regulations approval?
A: If the external floor area exceeds 30 square metres, if the external brickwork exceeds the glass area by more than 50% or the roof area exceeds the glazing area by more than 75%. If any of these circumstances are met building regulation approval will be required. In addition adding a new opening using a lintol or moving foul drains will incur building regulation approval. Please seek local advice. If you are about to embark on a building project it is polite to inform your direct neighbours of your intent to construct and orangery, show them the pictures and its location and ask them to confirm in writing that they approve of your project.
Q: How much will building regulations approval cost?
A: Depending on the value of the work and the size of the project will govern the cost of the building regulation fee. This may also include structural calculations and various reports. Building regulation approval starts from around £280.
Q: Can I open up my home into the orangery?
A: Generally no due to new legislation restricting the use of fossil fuels. However in many cases your new orangery would be more energy efficient than your home depending on its age, many local councils will carry out a SAPS report before you begin work. This determines where you can make improvements on your home and use this as a trade off for suing extra fossil fuel in your orangery. Other forms of heating are now available i.e. air source – heating and cooling.
Q: Will I be able to use my orangery extension all year round?
A: Yes it is an extension with insulated floors and brick walls up to building regulation standards and modern glazing with u value's as high as 1.0 W/m2k which is 40% more efficient than Pilkingtons 'K' glass, this will not need building regulations approval. If you live in a listed building or conservation area please consult your local authority. Using these modern materials your orangery will be energy efficient all year round.
Q: Can I have an orangery without all the brick pillars?
A: Yes due to the light weight structure of our 'Ultra Lite Orangery System' but with increased reinforcements on the corners and intersections between the frames you can have an orangery which is predominantly glass.
Q: Are there any size limitations when building an orangery?
A: Yes there are, with a single lantern the maximum width with a glass roof is 9500 metres this will involve some steel reinforcement which is usually hidden within the fabric of the orangery. With multiple lantern orangeries's the structure can be as wide as you like. The distance projecting from your home outwards is generally three to four metres (without the need for planning permission). Four metres can be exceeded but would depend upon your individual circumstances.
Q: Are they any design limitations?
A: Our orangery systems are very versatile we can build an orangery round corners internal or external, can be angled on the front corners, can be free standing in the garden or can be fitted on a second storey building but generally orangery's are rectangular. We can span 4500 over Bi-folding doors without the need for any additional steelwork. The orangery can be supplied in any colour with the option of a plain or decorative look. If you have a particular project in mind that doesn't fit our standard range we would be pleased to quote for this.
Q: What are your orangery's made of?
A: The doors and windows are made from Upvc or aluminium. The standard colour is White but can be any chosen colour, the glazing is toughened safety high performance glass. The orangery roof system is a light weight hollow section timber and steel structure specially designed by ourselves for the orangery market, the inside can be plaster boarded like a normal extension. The outside perimeter deck area is highly thermally efficient which has a waterproof membrane usually applied on site this can also be in a range of colours. The central lantern light is finished externally in White powder coated aluminium or PVC with toughened safety high performance safety glass as standard, guttering on the lantern is not required.
Q: Could I build an orangery myself?
A: If you have had some experience within the building trade or DIY work or perhaps know a friend who is handy then our orangery system is self explanatory for the competent DIY enthusiast. We have a range of modular orangeries which we supply to the self builders and DIY enthusiasts, they are supplies with full assembly instructions, including builders base plans
Q: Would an orangery put value on my home?
A: Because an orangery is classified as an extension then agents and surveyors would include the additional square footage as part of the overall valuation.
Q: What can I use my orangery for?
A: Traditionally they were used for plants in the 17th and 18th century when the where first introduced to this country. Because our orangeries are so extremely thermally efficient they have multiple uses i.e. dining room, living room, kitchen extension or even a play room all year round.