Record when and where water appears before surfaces dry. Wind direction, rain intensity and the first visible point can help a repairer plan an inspection, but water can travel, so the stain is not necessarily the source.

Safe evidence checklist

• Photograph the affected area and a wider room view.
• Note date, time, rain intensity and wind direction.
• Mark whether water began during rain or afterwards.
• Observe gutters and downpipes from ground level.
• Record recent roof cleaning, alterations or sealant repairs.
• Distinguish surface condensation from rain-linked ingress.
• Keep people away from wet electrical equipment and seek urgent help if needed.

Do not climb onto a conservatory roof or apply sealant blindly. Covering one joint can divert water and make later diagnosis harder.

FAQs

Does the weather direction help locate the fault?

It can reveal patterns around laps, flashings or exposed elevations, but it does not prove the exact entry point.

What should I photograph without climbing onto the roof?

Capture internal staining, accessible joints, gutters from ground level and the building elevation. Prioritise safety over a close-up.

Suggested component

A timestamped leak diary with weather fields and safe photo prompts.

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Do not select a replacement roof until the existing frames, connections, base and foundations have been assessed for the proposed loads. A heavier roof can change structural behaviour; a lighter roof does not automatically resolve existing defects.

Evidence for the feasibility review

• Original drawings, approvals and installation records.
• Dimensions and framing system identification.
• Photographs of movement, corrosion, rot, leaks and repairs.
• Foundation or base information, including any trial investigation.
• Proposed roof build-up, weight and support arrangement.
• Changes to ceilings, lighting, ventilation and the house junction.
• Planning and building-control enquiry responses.

The roof supplier’s system certificate should be relevant to the exact configuration, but it cannot establish the capacity of an unknown existing structure.

FAQs

Who checks the frames and foundations before replacement?

Use a suitably competent designer or structural engineer with access to the existing structure and proposed system information.

Does a new roof require changes to existing approvals?

It may. The answer depends on jurisdiction and scope, so confirm planning and building-control requirements before ordering.

Suggested component

A retrofit evidence pack and red-flag checklist; no structural pass/fail result.

Related guides

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Choose an installer by evidence of competence, a complete survey and a clear contract, not reviews or price alone. The goal is to know who designs, approves, builds, inspects and fixes each part.

Due-diligence sequence

1. Define the same project brief for every bidder.
2. Verify legal identity, address, insurance and relevant scheme claims.
3. Ask who performs structural, ground and drainage assessments.
4. Compare itemised specifications, exclusions and assumptions.
5. Check responsibility for approvals and subcontractors.
6. Tie staged payments to observable milestones.
7. Agree variation, delay, cancellation, snagging and dispute processes.
8. Read guarantees and insurance documents before paying.

Never treat a badge image as verification; check it in the issuing organisation’s live register where available.

FAQs

Who is responsible for subcontractors on the project?

The contract should identify your contracting party and who manages, pays and takes responsibility for each subcontracted trade.

Which milestones should be agreed before staged payments?

Use project-specific, inspectable stages and define the evidence due at each one. Avoid vague dates or a large unexplained advance.

Suggested component

A printable installer checklist and milestone builder, with no paid-placement effect on scoring.

Related guides

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Separate the installer’s workmanship guarantee, product warranties and any insurance-backed protection. They may have different providers, claim triggers, exclusions, registration steps and end dates.

“Insurance-backed” does not mean every defect will be paid. Read the current policy and eligibility conditions before signing, and store certificates off-site.

FAQs

Is an insurance-backed warranty the same as a workmanship guarantee?

No. It is a separate contract that may respond only in stated circumstances and remains subject to its own terms.

Who handles a claim if the installer stops trading?

The policy should name the administrator or insurer and explain the claim route. Verify the policy was actually issued and registered.

Suggested component

A protection-stack organiser that distinguishes promises and records policy documents without predicting claim success.

Related guides

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Plan the entire rainwater route before foundations and roof edges are fixed. A gutter is only one link: roof area, outlets, downpipes, existing drainage, ground levels, boundaries and maintenance access must operate together.

Trace water from roof to destination

1. Record roof planes, valleys and adjoining house discharge.
2. Mark gutter falls, outlets and downpipes.
3. Identify the lawful final destination and existing system capacity.
4. Check door thresholds, paving falls and foundation interfaces.
5. Keep discharge away from neighbouring property and vulnerable walls.
6. Provide safe access for clearing leaves and inspecting joints.

Do not connect new rainwater to foul or combined systems without confirming the applicable local requirements and system design. Ground conditions and flood risk can affect drainage options.

FAQs

Can new guttering connect to the existing system?

Possibly, after the route, condition, capacity and permitted connection are checked. A nearby pipe is not confirmation.

Who should assess drainage before foundations are designed?

The project designer should coordinate with a competent drainage professional and the relevant authority or utility where needed.

Suggested component

A visual roof-to-outfall map that produces survey questions, not a drainage sizing result.

Related guides

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Accessible design begins with the intended users and their equipment. A checklist can improve the brief, but it cannot certify accessibility: gradients, thresholds, door forces, controls, drainage and turning space must work together.

Capture actual use

Use current local accessibility guidance and involve the intended user. An occupational therapist or access consultant can help where needs are complex.

FAQs

Can a low threshold still manage rainwater effectively?

It can with coordinated external levels, drainage and a tested door detail. Lowering one element without redesign can introduce water risk.

What mobility equipment dimensions should be included in the brief?

Measure the equipment actually used or expected, including turning, footplates, handles and assistance space; generic icons are not enough.

Suggested component

A user-specific access brief with metric/imperial inputs and explicit “not certification” output.

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Yes, if the room can support sustained comfort, screen visibility, privacy, acoustics, power and connectivity, not merely fit a desk. Test it during the hottest, coldest and brightest working periods before making it the only workspace.

Office-readiness checklist

• Position screens perpendicular to dominant glazing where practical.
• Test glare at the hours you work, not only at midday.
• Record temperature and humidity through representative conditions.
• Check call privacy and sound from rain, roads and adjoining rooms.
• Test Wi-Fi or wired data at the desk position.
• Plan sockets without extension leads crossing routes.
• Preserve ventilation, security and an alternative work location during extremes.

Heating or cooling calculations need the actual envelope and use pattern. Avoid claims that one blind, film or heater makes every conservatory year-round.

FAQs

How should the desk be positioned relative to glazing?

Start with the screen at right angles to strong windows, then test reflections and camera backlighting at real work times.

What should be checked about summer glare and winter comfort?

Observe sun paths, shading, ventilation, draughts and surface temperatures across seasons; a short showroom visit cannot answer this.

Suggested component

A workday simulator logging glare, calls, temperature and connectivity by time block.

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A dining conservatory works when people can sit, serve and move comfortably at the times meals are actually eaten. Test the table at full size, every occupied chair and the route between kitchen, garden and exits.

Run a meal-time test

Positioning the table in a drawing is not enough. Mark a full-size footprint temporarily and rehearse the busiest route before ordering doors, sockets or fixed heating.

FAQs

Will there be room to pull chairs out without blocking a route?

Measure the chosen chairs and test them occupied. Preserve a separate route where people frequently pass behind seated diners.

How does dining time change glare and temperature requirements?

Morning and evening sun strike different faces and low sun can be especially distracting. Assess the actual meal schedule across seasons.

Suggested component

A dining-mode layer for the main layout planner, not a separate calculator.

Related guides

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It may be possible, but removing external doors or a wall turns a simple room-use idea into a coordinated structural, thermal, ventilation and approvals project. Do not commit to cabinetry or demolition until the whole opening and enclosure have been assessed.

Brief the design as one space

• Identify walls, doors and supports proposed for removal.
• Obtain the existing conservatory’s foundation and frame information.
• Record glazing, roof, ventilation and heating specifications.
• Map cooking extraction, background ventilation and moisture sources.
• Coordinate drainage, water, gas and electrical work.
• Confirm planning and building-control routes separately.

An installer who supplies a roof or glazing system cannot, from that product alone, confirm the capacity of the existing house, base or connection.

FAQs

Who should assess removing the wall or doors between the spaces?

A suitable designer or structural engineer should assess the opening and supports, with the relevant building-control body confirming the compliance route.

How does kitchen ventilation affect the project brief?

Cooking adds moisture, heat and pollutants. Extraction and replacement air must be coordinated with the enlarged room rather than assumed adequate.

Suggested component

An integration-brief builder that flags structure, ventilation, services and approvals; no “safe to remove” answer.

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Usable space is the area left after door swings, opening panels, heaters and circulation, not the external footprint. Draw the room to scale and test real furniture before fixing frame and door positions.

Model the room in layers

1. Enter verified internal dimensions and fixed obstructions.
2. Draw every door and its opening zone.
3. Add furniture at its actual width and depth.
4. Add chair pull-back and working zones.
5. Preserve the main route between house and garden.
6. Check sockets, heaters, vents, blinds and cleaning access.
7. Test a second likely use of the room.

Avoid presenting one universal walkway dimension as an accessibility guarantee. Household needs, mobility equipment, doors and local standards vary.

FAQs

How much room should I allow for doors and chair movement?

Use the real door sweep and furniture measurements, then test movement with the intended users. Do not rely on a showroom plan with undersized furniture.

Why can floor area overstate usable space?

Corners, facets, circulation and opening zones may prevent furniture occupying much of the measured area.

Suggested component

A visual room planner with scaled furniture, door arcs and a printable brief; users can choose metric or imperial units.

Related guides

Compare Conservatories is an independent guide. We may earn a fee from some links; this never affects what we write.