52
CONSERVATORY COMMENT
Clearing up the
confusion: Part 1
In this and next month’s Conservatory Comment feature from Double R Glass & Roong
Systems, managing director Ian Sims interviews an LABC colleague about some of the
grey areas that still surround the installation of solid conservatory roofs.
www.ggpmag.com January 2020
Our very first column in this
series looked at Building
Regulations surrounding
replacement conservatory
roofs and solid roofs because we
still come across confusion in the
marketplace about when a project
requires LABC input and when it
doesn’t. We’re revisiting the topic
again this month with the help
of a colleague from Hertfordshire
Building Control, Trevor Clements,
who helped set up the LABC
Guardian fabricator scheme, to
further clarify when installers
should be speaking to the LABC
and where some of the common
confusions lie.
Ian Sims (IS): When should
conservatory installers get in touch
with the LABC? At what stage of the
project and for what kinds of projects,
e.g. replacement roofs as well as new
installations?
Trevor Clement (TC): The
installation of a solid insulated roof
to replace a conservatory roof is
controlled work under the building
regulations and it’s the responsibility
of the homeowner to make an
application for permission prior
to the work starting. A third party,
such as the installer, can however
make the application on the owner’s
behalf to help simplify the process
for them. New installations would
also be controlled work unless it was
part of an exempt extension such
as a separate porch with a floor area
of less than 3m2. Further advice on
exempt extensions can be found
on the planning portal at www.
planningportal.co.uk
IS: If a product is sold with LABC
approval, does that mean installers
don’t need to contact you?
TC: No, it doesn’t. The Guardian roof
system, for example, has an LABC
Registered Details Approval which is
effectively a national type approval
for England and Wales. This is
a reassurance that the system, if
properly erected, can meet industry
standards in terms of durability, fire
safety, thermal insulation, structural
adequacy and weather resistance.
A building owner still needs to
make an application under building
regulations and building control
will inspect the work to check on
workmanship and consider any
issues that specifically relate to the
particular project.
IS: If a product is sold by an LABC
partner, does that mean installers
don’t need to contact you?
TC: Many Guardian roof installers
have registered an LABC partnership
and this enables them to ask
Hertfordshire Building Control
based in Welwyn Garden City to
assess and process applications for
all their projects in England and
Wales. They can use a dedicated
online portal to submit the
applications together with the
appropriate supporting documents.
IS: Can you talk us through the
process? What happens when an
installer makes contact with the
LABC?
TC: After registering as a
Hertfordshire Building Control
partner via the LABC website https://
www.labc.co.uk/professionals/
registration-schemes/partnerauthority
scheme-pas they can
then register to use HBC’s portal
which offers a user friendly method
to make a formal application for
building regulations approval. They
need to upload photographs of the
existing conservatory to demonstrate
that the frame appears structurally
sound and that the base is stable.
Installers also need to confirm
that they have assessed the existing
frames to ensure that they have the
necessary reinforcement to support
the new roof system. Because the
Guardian system is lightweight it
generally adds a negligible overall
load increase so there is usually no
need to expose existing conservatory
foundations.
They have to upload a carcassing
plan for the new roof frame and if
there is a proposal to knock through
to the main house then building
control need SAP (carbon emission)
calculations to demonstrate that
thermal efficiency of the house is
not impaired. If the opening is new
or is being made wider then there
is an additional need to upload
specifications for any structural
support and this may call for
structural calculations where ‘off
the shelf ’ lintel solutions are not
appropriate.
The LABC team local to the
job undertake inspections so it’s
essential that the installer notifies
the local council building control
in advance of the commencement
of work to arrange for inspections.
These are usually when the frame
is in place before plaster boarding,
and on completion of the job, but
the local team will advise on what
notifications they need.
When the job is complete the
inspecting local council will issue a
completion certificate.
Play it safe
Hertfordshire Building Control
currently deals with around 400
Guardian roof projects annually
around the country so is well placed
to advise on the necessary approvals
and specifics of any installation.
Whatever products or companies
you are dealing with that have
LABC approval, it’s important to
recognise that this isn’t a substitute
for building control approval of the
project itself.
We’ll hear more from Trevor in
the next column when we ask what
kinds of issues would stop approval
being given and what happens if
that correct approval hasn’t been
obtained.
For more information on this and
more: visit www.glassandroofs.com
“A building owner still needs to make an
application under building regulations and
building control will inspect the work”
/www.ggpmag.com
/planningportal.co.uk
/
/www.glassandroofs.com
