Conservatories, Sunrooms, Box gutters, Conservatory Roofs - Solutions for difficult and awkward installations.

On this page we will give you a few tips and suggestions for overcoming the most frequent design difficulties. This is not a comprehensive list of solutions. If you have a particularly difficult site and some questions that are not answered here you may like to submit a question to one of our experts in the "Ask an Expert" page. 

So if you are a bungalow owner or you are faced with some other site difficulties you may find these pages particularly useful.

The most common "problems" are 

1. Fixing a lean-to style on to a property with very low eaves height.

2. Fixing some sort of pitched roof design (Victorian or Edwardian) either directly to or against a low eaves height.

Low eaves height doesn't mean that you cannot have a conservatory!

For problem 1 above the solution is a "Fascia Fixing Kit". Effectively your existing gutter is removed and the ridge of the conservatory roof is fixed against the fascia. Please see photograph on this page for a clearer view. Do note that with this option the rainwater from the roof of your property will now exit onto your conservatory roof. Care needs to be taken so as to ensure that both the roof and your existing drainage can cope with this. 

PLEASE NOTE:

We always recommend, that you replace your existing fascia, or soffits in PVCu or quality timber at the same time as fitting the conservatory. If you are having a company to do the work for you then it is important that you specify this as part of the work. Additionally it is important to check that roofing felt under the tiles is in good condition and replaced if necessary. If this is not done then you may experience leaks through your soffit once your conservatory is in place.

For problem 2 there are two main options.

Create a Gable or use Box Gutters

 Creating a Gable involves building a gable onto your existing roof and then having your conservatory come off the new gable. You have now "created" a height that accepts normally pitched roofs. For a more detailed explanation of this and some explanatory photographs please see below.


 


If "Create a Gable" is not preferred or practical then the second method, using a box gutter system will almost certainly work. Box gutters are most frequently constructed in box section aluminium or alternatively in hardwood. A box gutter is a box structure which is strong enough to support a roof rafter whilst at the same time also being strong enough to fix off securely to either a fascia or existing house wall. Sometimes it is also necessary to support the box gutter from underneath. This can be done by a brick pier or alternatively by a specially constructed bracket. We have included a photograph of a bracket support for a box gutter.



Ask your supplier for advice on these situations. Hopefully the content and images here will give you hope that you can have the conservatory of your dreams after all.

Gable fix detail on a bungalow/low eaves One of the most common "difficult sites" situations is that found when a client wishes to install a Victorian or Edwardian style conservatory on a bungalow or low eaves situation. Apart from the use of box gutters the other way to overcome this "problem" is to create a new gable coming off the existing bungalow/house roof. Obviously this requires the services of a competent builder/roofer or expert DIYer.  The result, once completed, is an "ADD-ON" feature that looks like it was always there. In practice what you will require is a conservatory roof that is shorter than the frames below by the depth of the fascia/bargeboard and soffit detail (usually 300 - 400mm). Do note however that with this option it will be less likely that roof rafters can line through with conservatory frames / mullions below.  Overall height of frame from DPC (damp proof course) can be adapted by your supplier to suit. If for instance the "standard" height of 2100 mm is not appropriate then you can make height 2070 mm or 2150 mm or whatever suits. Additionally just about any roof angle can be accommodated - in this example it is 25 degrees. If you are doing the installation yourself then your supplier should be able to supply you with a roof angle layout indicating exact widths and heights to use on the roof/gable. This will help you construct the gable to suit the conservatory roof.   Click here for details of Special Seasonal offers on Conservatories and Sunrooms

click on the images below for an enlarged view     This conservatory installation is not quite complete - but it does give a good idea of the process involved. The Roof in this example is short of the overall frame by 370 mm - the depth of the soffit   Inside view of completed gable detail - finish on gable to client's own specification e.g. T/G timber , plasterboard etc Outside view of completed conservatory