Looking at your options with a new Glazed Extension?

Hallmark gives you 10 things you need to consider whilst thinking about it.

For a venture that is truly going to change the appearance of your home both inside and outside, a glazed extension is really just the thing, a contemporary alternative that will flood your home with pails of light and doubtlessly increase its worth.

However, similar to everything throughout everyday life, arranging, planning and examination is fundamental – and luckily, we've done that part for you…

All conservatories, orangeries and garden rooms, fabricated appropriately, are augmentations to your home with more glass than a commonplace home extension.

When we say “built properly”, we really mean built to building regulations standards, whether building regulations apply or not, ensuring your ‘glazed extension’ can be lived in consistently throughout the year. We shall cover more on that later.

Questions that are frequently posed are "What is the difference between a Conservatory, an Orangery, Garden Room or Glazed Extension?

To keep this straightforward: A Conservatory normally has a fully glazed roof. The old definition, which used to be applicable to arranging and building guidelines, was where 75% of the new rooftop is glazed.

An Orangery ordinarily has an area of flat roof, within which is built one or more glazed lanterns. Sometimes the verge of the orangery roof is a fascia, other times a parapet wall and occasionally tiled.

A Garden Room regularly has all of the above features, or at least part of the roof has all. Alternatively, part of the roof may be covered in slate or tiles, perhaps with a large glazed gable, or having ‘Velux’ style glazed roof vents.

A Glazed Extension is a glazed room that aims to create a smooth transition to the outside with full glazing, providing unobstructed views.

With the options of sliding glass doors or bi-folding doors that open completely, it transforms a home and seamlessly extends the living area into the garden.

It's a typical suspicion that a glazed extension will be too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. 

This can be valid! Despite frame material, if there is deficient ventilation, or incorrect glass is used, it is just as true today, as it was in the 1980s when Solar Control Glass wasn’t available.

Numerous people will have encountered issues with older conservatories because of the materials available at the time. However, there is no reason for your glazed area to experience these difficulties these days.

Open Plan Living

Well-planned glass extensions can be utilised comfortably the entire year around and are now regularly open plan, ideal for extending the kitchen or sitting room.

Most designs today are open plan; the key to open plan living is the quality and design of the finished product. Psychologically most people are positively affected by light rooms.

Traditional or contemporary, we provide a bespoke service and complete the design and manufacture of the end product specifically suited to all of your requirements.

With a variety of frame materials to choose from you're not restricted on the design. We know this is a personal preference and offer many options to ensure you get the glass extension that you dream of.

There are various door designs available such as french, bi-fold and sliding options, so we make sure we find out exactly what your requirements are and work with the overall design to provide the most appropriate option.

With plenty of design options, you may want a frame to be as hidden as possible, however you can also consider making the frame a statement part of the structure.

It is also important to find out how you intend to use the new space - will it be an open plan kitchen, a large dining area, lounge area or, as we are currently seeing a lot of, office space?

We take into account not only the exterior design but also the interior design and how the area needs to suit the use of the room - what will your new glass extension mean to you?

Will it enable you to spend more time with family, entertain family and friends, connect with the garden, an area for relaxing, a snug adult room which is separate to the children, a creative space to work?

The possibilities are endless.

Listed Building Consent

If you live in a listed building and wish to add a conservatory to it, you must obtain Listed Buildings Consent before construction starts.

A listed building is a building of special architectural or historic interest, included on a national list compiled by English Heritage. This is an area Hallmark knows well and can assist in obtaining.

Party Wall Agreements

A Party Wall Agreement is nothing to do with your Local Planning Authority. It is a Private Agreement, in writing, between your neighbour and yourself. In simple terms, a Party Wall Agreement should be obtained when your new extension is to be: a) attached to your neighbour’s wall. b) built right up to the boundary. c) Built within 3m of your neighbour’s house footings.

Building Regulations

Building Regulations define how a conservatory, orangery, garden room or glazed extension must be built and sets minimum standards in the construction of buildings for the health, safety, comfort and convenience of building users.

Many small glazed extensions are exempt and don’t require inspections or certification. However, Hallmark will ensure your exempt structure is still built with due regard to building regulations requirements.

Generally, to be an exempt structure the regulations require that conservatories:

It is possible to use an approved private company to carry out the building inspections and certify compliance that the project is compliant to building regulations.

Planning Permission

Usually this is not required, since you are permitted to expand up to 6 metres for semi-detached/terraced houses and 8 metres for detached residences.

If you reside in AONB or a National Park, you will usually require Planning Approval before constructing a glazed extension.

The process of getting planning approval can be complex as well as time-consuming due to the number of documents required. At Hallmark, we believe that developing your new living space need not be so demanding. That is why our planning permission specialist will gladly deal with all of this on your behalf.

How much should I budget for my project?

There are lots of variables that will affect just how much you ought to expect to invest in your Hallmark orangery, conservatory or home extension project. These include why you want to use your new living space as this will dictate the appropriate size.

The design style is based either on personnel preference or what suits the property. The aesthetics of the design choice will reflect the frame material options i.e. uPVC, aluminium or painted hardwood.

From our designers perspective, this is the most important meeting:

You will find we ask questions, but most importantly we listen to your answers and respond appropriately. It may be that you have in mind exactly how your glazed extension will look, or you may need guidance on the sort of styles that would complement your home.

Our professional, time-served design team acts as a guide and solution provider for you, our client, with each project we take on designed personally for you.

We paint a picture of your future vision, how the new space will solve current problems and provide benefits that connect with the client personally.

During the whole process, we endeavour to be clear and contactable at all times and ensure you receive the best service possible, as we know this is an important investment for you.

Before we even start looking at where your proposed glass extension will be situated we always like to sit down with our clients and get to know them, understand their current home environment scenario and what they are trying to achieve by understanding the project brief.

Our recommendations are broken down into 4 Key stages:

Converting an old conservatory to a new glazed extension does improve the energy efficiency of the living space and your home. An older conservatory may have poor quality glazing, which with good advice can be replaced with high spec solar control double glazing; better glazing will reduce the heat loss and ensure you have an extended space that can be used all year round.

In most cases planning permission is not required to convert an existing conservatory to an alternative glazed extension design, although building regulations may be required. All of this we can arrange and guide you through the process.

The team at Hallmark will look after all planning permission applications and building regulation applications on your behalf so you do not need to worry about this process.

Heating and ventilation solutions will also be advised.

Finally, at this first stage, if agreed that the designer is to move to the next stage of a design concepts proposal, we spend a great deal of time and thought into creating initial concept visualisations of the project and provide a detailed quotation based on the 4 key aspects of the project brief previously discussed.

Sometimes we know that a complex project can require a great deal of time spent working on design ideas and concepts. If this is the case then a Design & Feasibility Study may be advised, for a fee, which is then discounted from your overall project cost if you choose to move forward with installation of the project by Hallmark. The D&F study includes design concept options, with agreed variations, that you get to keep and use if Hallmark are not chosen to proceed further with your project. Our intention is that you will be excited by the proposal and wish for Hallmark Glazed Extensions to make your design and build reality!

To summarise, a glazed extension is a contemporary or classic design structure….well, it can be what you want it to be, as individual and alternative as you, which will make a striking addition to your property, flood your home with light and will increase its worth.

So what are you waiting for? Call us to start the process and just think, this time next year you could be sitting in your new living space!

Have a question?

If you have a project in mind, you likely have lots of questions.

Give us a call on 01323 671007 or complete the form below, tell us how we can help you and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.