Conservatory in metal

[Henrik]

I've got a space of about 2 x 3.5m by our kitchen extension, and SWMBO has decided she'd like a conservatory there instead of the concrete slab that currently occupies the space.

I.e. it looks like this:

       ___________
   sp |           |
   ac | kitchen   |
   e  |           |
______|           |

There's already an exterior door leading out to the concrete slab.


I've seen a couple of metal conservatories that I like the look of, mainly something like this:

or maybe

However, these conservatories seem to be hideously expensive.

Has anyone built anything like this from scratch (I especially like the top design)? If so, was it a huge ball ache, and do you have any tips?

Knocking up a steel frame should be fairly simple, seeing as I have a welder (and I'm not afraid to use it). As it's also sharing two walls with the house, I imagine it would be even easier to sort out.

The base would also be made out of metal, and clad internally in floor boards of some sort (possibly tiled on top etc).


I realise I need planning permission, as I can only build 3m from the original house, and I need 3.5m, but can someone think of any other impediments as to why DIY'ing this would be a bad idea?

 

[W4yne]

With that first one you can always hold a party night and play "the cube".

 

[mike 109444]

Put it on wheels (burred to hide) and get round the size limit, See Kevin the Grand Design program man. He wanted to put a Man shed in the country side but could not "Build one" due to planning permission limits, so he got a caravan? or trailer type shed. Dug a hole in the field to burry the wheels and axles. Hay-presto shed in field rest orf programs was him and mates converting into Man shed, stove flooring ect.
Now could you do that with a garage me wonders.....

 

[ben8vgte]

The worst thing with using metal would be cold paths to the outside, loosing heat and creating areas for condensation to form inside on cold metal. The alloy ones have a insulation strip between the 2 parts to stop this..

Building control will want to know things like R value, and the load rating for the roof prehaps. Best to check that all first, there is a lot to be said for using a kit form one I think.

 

[normspanners]

I used King span steel clad insulated 50mm sheets under my conservatory floor just spread a thin layer of fine crusher run then sand then plastic sheet then the K/SPAN more dry sand on it and laid flags/tiles on the sand it did two things, I have drains pipe work under there, to get to it, all I have to do is lift the flags then lift the king span
and I'm not having to dig up concrete. A days work to lift and relay.
Also it insulates the inside from the earth underneath it has been perfect, bone dry

 

[Omniata]

A company called K2 up this way near Blackburn do kit roofs in the direction of a trade counter for uPVC frames that's local
They deliver Nationwide, if they can't help they can point you in the right direction

The do a special coated glass to go with the roofs and frames, Celsius glass, its a special formula and coated glass. It isn't cheap though, expect to pay about £60 to £80 per m².
Besides the cost it's well worth it though, you save a fortune on the heating in the winter and it doesn't boil in summer

Think big full height frames but less that 2.5m² per aperture and you'll be fine...

 

[rtcosic]

I used King span steel clad insulated 50mm sheets

I've tried Googling those without success so far.

Do you have any details about them and where to get them?

 

[Hitch]

http://www.kingspanpanels.co.uk/

 

[rtcosic]

http://www.kingspanpanels.co.uk/

Quite. Kingspan's home page.

Searching there showed

http://www.kingspanpanels.co.uk/Project-Portfolio/By-Product/Floor/Floor-Dek

but this leads to a 'blank page'. Only other hit leads to a sales pitch or case study with no useful detail.

Spent ages looking at various Products but failed to find any floor specific ones, or any with steel cladding on both sides that looks like it could be used as a structural base or floor as described.


UNLESS we are talking of a Walling product used as a Floor:

http://www.kingspanpanels.co.uk/Products/Walls/Kingspan-AWP

which is why I asked the apparently dumb question.

 

[normspanners]

Yes they are cladding sheets we used to get all the scrap from them I have used them as a direct floor for a few sheds, the Sister in laws dog kennels for one, they where perfect coz they where warm but could be mopped they have a type of thick powder coating very durable the dogs claws dont make a mark on it. they do all kinds of finish, flat, dimpled, lined /grooved. I was looking at some today they do the insulation to about 8" thick and so strong,
They tongue and groove together with a rubber seal I used them also for the roof of my conservatory with a pent roof ten foot wide x 16 with only one purling in the middle. I can walk on the roof and it doesnt move at all and I am 19st dressed but there again I allways am dressed when I walk on the roof!
PS they do them 12metres x 1
my two workshop doors are made from them with just a single angle frame round the out side they are 3x4 metres each

 

[Henrik]

The worst thing with using metal would be cold paths to the outside, loosing heat and creating areas for condensation to form inside on cold metal. The alloy ones have a insulation strip between the 2 parts to stop this..

Building control will want to know things like R value, and the load rating for the roof prehaps. Best to check that all first, there is a lot to be said for using a kit form one I think.

Hmm, good point about the condensation and cold paths - needs thinking about.

However, I don't think building control applies to conservatories of less than 30sqm.

 

[rocketron]

Did a 4mx3m skylight and a lean to kitchen extension out of metal, clad with double glazed panels for the boss's new house. Boss' wife demanded it be bespoked, cos the snobby twit did not want summat that could be copied!. Anyway, we did them, the uncovered central legs of the tee section used were covered in lead lapped iroko, using stainless studs and ornamental cast lead nuts. I KID YOU NOT. It was hell of a job. Glazed panels were bedded onto rubber seal strips, backed up with marine bedding sealant.
Accuracy was not a problem, just took more time. Biggest problems were learning new skills such as the fancy woodwork, the lead lapping of the wooden trimmers, the worry that it would be wind and waterproof (the house set on the edge of the Menai straits with regular gusts up to 70mph with heavy rain, in saline atmosphere, galvanising causing warping, the sheer weight of it on the roof, and the micro climate in the skylight where often a cloud was seen inside, due to cold spots??.
If that wasn't enough, the walls where the skylight sat on were out of level by 4ins. What you get by using crap brickies I suppose.
don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the job immensely, cos I wasn't paying for it. There were three of us involved, and got payed for every minute of on the job.
Would have been easier to get ready made items. As regards planning permission, it varies with who you know around here. ,

 

[rtcosic]

Yes they are cladding sheets

Thanks very much. I would never have thought of using wall/roof cladding product as a structural floor!

Useful for future reference - too late for my shed relocation/revamp earlier this year.

 

[Henrik]

rocketron, thanks very much for the insight!

Ok, so it sounds like metal might not be the best way to go, possibly, but how else could you achieve a look like the first picture?

The big glazed panels are a requirement, at least on the short side.

The space measurements are (w d h): 1.90 x 3.90 x 3.20

 

[normspanners]

KS600/900/1000 FL/FL-S – Flat/Stucco

this is the ones I used to get.
When they lay on the yard you could drive a 4ton forklift over them with solid tyres and it hardly made a mark!! it is the combination of the thin steel and the bonding to the solid foam that creates the strengh, once the sheet is parcialy torn off one side they just sort of colapse