Why It’s Important To Check If A Solid Roof Needs Building Regulations Approval

A major plus point of the last few weeks is that the weather has been so lovely, and it looks as though more of it is to come. 

The hot temperatures won’t have been so warmly embraced by some people though. We speak of those who have a conservatory they could be using in lockdown, but are unable to because it’s just far too stuffy inside due to the heat.  

It’s a problem you come across a lot with older conservatories that often incorporate out-dated glass or noisy polycarbonate roof systems (when it rains), with the solution being to replace either of them them with a solid roof. 

The addition of an technologically advanced insulated solid roof stops the weather outside from adversely affecting the internal temperature of a conservatory. 

But before you hurry to get one fitted, you first need to be aware that by doing so, you a) many need planning permission in order to upgrade to a solid roof, and local authorities often have differing views on that, plus b) and very importantly, you will need to obtain Building Regulatory Approval, as by adding a solid roof you are changing the rooms use. In terms of planning permission, if your conservatory was built under planning permission, you will need to make a new full planning application, as the new structure is deemed to be permanent under planning law.

Should you wish, Hazlemere will handle this side of things if appointed for the job and always carries out checks to ensure our solid roof installations satisfy the rules and are fully fit for purpose. 

Also it may also be the conservatory’s current framework has insufficient strength to cope with the weight of a new roof. Most of the approved solid roof systems are lightweight, but they can exert pressure when loaded with snow, and you don’t want your old conservatory frames to buckle underneath, as a lot of old UPVC conservatories will not have enough steel reinforcing to cope. 

Unfortunately, not all solid roof ‘specialists’ are quite so diligent as Hazlemere, and may claim that you don’t need building regulations approval, with no basis for such an assertion. They do it to cut corners and fool you into buying. This will potentially cause you issues, further down the line. 

Without a building regulations certificate, when your solid roof should have one, you will run into problems selling your house. A buyer’s solicitor will request sight of the document as proof that the solid roof complies with the guidelines. In these circumstances, and in order to attract a sale, you will have no other choice but to apply for retrospective building regulations approval from Local Authority Building Control. Everything will be held up by this and it will cost you money. There’s also no guarantee that they will grant their approval if they feel the solid roof installation isn’t to a sufficient standard. 

Get your solid roof done by the book and it won’t just give you back your conservatory, but it will also see the valuation of your house increase. 

No rules will be broken when Hazlemere takes charge of your solid roof installation. You can read more about our solid roof range here.