If you’ve decided to take advantage of the relaxed Building Control regulations and are planning on replacing your existing conservatory roof, you should be aware that there is more to the replacement that choosing the new tiles that you’re going to install.

When deciding to replace your conservatory roof, you will need to have a number of checks carried out on the existing structure and its foundations to ensure that it can withstand the additional weight that a new roof may have.

Checking the foundations

You will need to have the existing foundations of your conservatory checked to see whether it can withstand the additional weight of the replacement roof. Trial holes will need to be excavated to make these checks. The LABC say that, ‘in most cases a 150mm thick concrete strip foundation or reinforced concrete slab which bears onto original ground will be adequate.’ Although, they also say that any foundations that pass over drains or are too close to tree roots, or are on filled ground are likely to need more consideration.

Should your existing foundations be deemed adequate, then providing the existing structure can also support the new roof, you can move ahead with replacing the roof. If this is not the case, then your building contractor should be able to offer you advice on the next step, or you can gain advice from the government’s Planning Portal.

No longer exempt

Though when originally built, your conservatory may have been exempt from building regulations, deciding to replace the roofing with a lightweight tile could mean that it now has to comply with applicable regulations.

In order to be exempt, a significant proportion of the conservatory’s roof and walls much be glazed, which will be reduced when the roof is replaced. Despite this reduction of glazing, a conservatory that has its roof replaced can remain exempt if local building control believe a considerable amount of the structure remains glazed and it continues to meets the other exemption requirements.

If you want to know more about our tiles and how they can be used as a lightweight roofing solution for a conservatory or porch, call our team on +44 (0)1249 658514 or fill in a form here and we’ll get back to you.