Building Regs Advice

[The Jogger]

I have a friend who wants to turn their conservatory into livable space by adding plaster board to the cieling, plastering it and a bit of heating then moving in furniture and telly. I have said I don't think this is a good idea and is probably against building regs as it would be a change of use for the original structure. He disagrees, who is right?

 

[avalon]

I find sometimes it's best not to ask and just do it.

 

[dellzeqq]

I have a friend who wants to turn their conservatory into livable space by adding plaster board to the cieling, plastering it and a bit of heating then moving in furniture and telly. I have said I don't think this is a good idea and is probably against building regs as it would be a change of use for the original structure. He disagrees, who is right?

a minefield. Approved Document L has expanded from three sides of a fag packet to 1,000,000 pages of crazy and irrelevant calculations that nobody understands. That's his big problem, but, hard on the heels of that you'll find Approved Document A, C, F, N and a couple more besides...........

He should do one of two things. Either go and see his local Building Control Department, who may have a simplified policy on this (remember that the Approved Documents are guidance and Building Control has the power to decide) or go and see an Approved Inspector who has a clear approach to this. And then he should find himself somebody capable of designing the job. And that's not me, because even if I was so hard up that I really needed the money, these small domestic jobs are a recipe for heartache and pain.

And if he's got a mortgage he needs to inform the building society or bank, and write a letter to the planning department seeking advice.

(later edit) and you, Mr. Jogger, should swear to yourself that you will not, under any circumstances, get involved.

 

[The Jogger]

a minefield. Approved Document L has expanded from three sides of a fag packet to 1,000,000 pages of crazy and irrelevant calculations that nobody understands. That's his big problem, but, hard on the heels of that you'll find Approved Document A, C, F, N and a couple more besides...........

He should do one of two things. Either go and see his local Building Control Department, who may have a simplified policy on this (remember that the Approved Documents are guidance and Building Control has the power to decide) or go and see an Approved Inspector who has a clear approach to this. And then he should find himself somebody capable of designing the job. And that's not me, because even if I was so hard up that I really needed the money, these small domestic jobs are a recipe for heartache and pain.

And if he's got a mortgage he needs to inform the building society or bank, and write a letter to the planning department seeking advice.

(later edit) and you, Mr. Jogger, should swear to yourself that you will not, under any circumstances, get involved.

HA ha, thanks Dell, I've no intention of getting involved, it was just for my own curiosity, I use the term, friend, loosely. He is the sort of person that is always right and is liable to put up some ramshackle structure himself...........

Thanks again.

 

[the snail]

I think he'd be ok. If the structure has a glass roof then it counts as a conservatory, not sure if putting a ceiling in affects this though. There's nothing to stop him having heating and furniture in there. It strikes me as a crap idea though, ceiling or no, it will cost a fortune to heat, and putting a ceiling in might cause damp/condensation problems. Plus it will look daft.

 

[Archie_tect]

Let him do what he likes and watch from a safe distance.

Without adequate ventilation it will suffer from awful condensation on the u/s of the conservatory glazing and without significant insulation it will be as cold as the conservatory anyway + the weight of the additional lining may be too much for the flimsy conservatory structure to hold so... he's in for a shock...

Depends if he intends to take out the doors in the wall between the conservatory and the room behind and add a permanent radiator or fixed heating... then it becomes living space and that's when the building inspector and the planner begin to take an active interest.... especially if someone grasses him.

 

[Doseone]

Is he really going to plasterboard under the polycarb roof?
I'd run like hell while you still can.

 

[The Jogger]

Is he really going to plasterboard under the polycarb roof?
I'd run like hell while you still can.

I won't be under it

 

[The Jogger]

Let him do what he likes and watch from a safe distance.

Without adequate ventilation it will suffer from awful condensation on the u/s of the conservatory glazing and without significant insulation it will be as cold as the conservatory anyway + the weight of the additional lining may be too much for the flimsy conservatory structure to hold so... he's in for a shock...

Depends if he intends to take out the doors in the wall between the conservatory and the room behind and add a permanent radiator or fixed heating... then it becomes living space and that's when the building inspector and the planner begin to take an active interest.... especially if someone grasses him.

Thanks AT, I think you're right, if he goes ahead it will be nothing but problems and if someone does grass him up, it could all end in tears with no conservatory of any shape or form.

 

[subaqua]

Wot Dell and Archie say.