Richmond OakBespoke Oak Conservatories & Oak Orangeries

with a conservatoryImprove Your HomeWhat you need to know when planning to

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Richmond Oak Conservatories Ltd.

Buyers Guide

Richmond Oak Conservatories Ltd

Table of ContentsTypes of Glazed Extensions .......................................................................................... 1Light Consideration........................................................................................................ 2Will it be too hot in the summer or too cold in winter? ................................................... 2Open Plan Living ........................................................................................................... 3Choices of Frame Materials........................................................................................... 3Why Timber and the question of Maintenance? ............................................................ 3Why Oak? ...................................................................................................................... 4Types of Oak ................................................................................................................. 5The Importance of using the Correct Glass ................................................................... 5Conservatory Heating .................................................................................................... 6Conservatory Ventilation................................................................................................ 7Do I require Planning, Listed Building, Water board, or Building Regs Consent? ........ 8Listed Building Consent ................................................................................................. 9Party Wall Agreements .................................................................................................. 9Building Regulations ...................................................................................................... 9Water Board Build Over Agreements .......................................................................... 10Building Over Shared/Public Sewers........................................................................... 10Factors Affecting Conservatory Price ...........................................................................11What influences the choice of Bifold vs French Doors ................................................ 13How long does it take before I can use the new living space? .................................... 14About the author .......................................................................................................... 16So, why choose Richmond Oak Conservatories to improve your living space? ........ 17Printed Brochures ........................................................................................................ 18Insurances: .................................................................................................................. 18Deposit and Guarantee Protection: ............................................................................. 19What this means to you ............................................................................................... 19Follow us ..................................................................................................................... 20Contact Details ........................................................................................................... 20

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Types of Glazed ExtensionsAll conservatories, orangeries and garden rooms, built properly, are extensions to your home with more glass than a typical home extension. When I say “built properly”, I really mean built to building regulations standards, whether building regulations apply or not, ensuring your ‘glazed extension’ can be lived in comfortably throughout the year. I will be covering more on that later.

Questions I am frequently asked are “What is the difference between a Conservatory and an Orangery?” or, “What is a Garden Room?”

To keep this simple:

A Conservatory typically has a fully glazed roof. The old definition, which used to be applied with respect to planning and building regulations, was a room where at least 75% of the new roof is glazed.

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An Orangery typically 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, particularly used by the Green Oak companies.

A Garden Room typically has all, or part of the roof covered in slate or tiles, perhaps with a large glazed gable, or having ‘Velux’ style glazed roof vents.

There are hybrid versions of all of these types of room, but they are all types of Glazed Home Extensions. I class these differently to a high percentage of what I shall loosely describe as conservatories, which are nothing more than a low specification glazed box appended to a home which frequently are nothing more than a plastic greenhouse, too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. This leads me onto….

Light ConsiderationEvery week I take several phone calls asking for a conservatory with solid roof, typically because of the false belief a glass roof will be “Too Hot in the summer and Too Cold in the winter”. However, I usually find that there has been no thought or discussion about light into the room behind. Years of experience and a mistake on my own home back in 1988, made me realise that tiled/slate roofs, more often than not, make the room behind like the ‘black hole of Calcutta’. Light travels in straight lines and serious consideration needs to be given to the light in the room at the rear of your new glazed extension. Velux roof lights, just like small roof lanterns can be great in lighting the room in which they are fitted, but throw little light into the room behind. Experience tells me that psychologically most people are negatively by dark rooms and positively by light rooms. Take care, because the wrong decision is irreversible.

Will it be too hot in the summer or too cold in winter?It’s a common assumption that a conservatory will be too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. This can be true! Regardless of Frame material, if there is inadequate ventilation, or incorrect glass is used, it is just as true today, as it was in the 1980’s when Solar Control Glass wasn’t available. Many people will have experience problems with older conservatories because of the materials available at the time. However, there is no reason for a conservatory, orangery or garden room to suffer from the problem nowadays. FITNESS FOR PURPOSE

However, the main reason many conservatories are still being built which are “Too Hot in the Summer and Too Cold in the Winter”, is the poor quality of advice and design by typical commission only sales people, who might have had a 3 day course on conservatory design and pricing, and call themselves ‘Designers’. Typically, they believe that if they can be the cheapest price, they will get the order. As a result they design the conservatory with inadequate ventilation, no roof vents and the lowest specification glazing. They don’t confuse you with choice and they

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rely on your lack of knowledge to sell you the cheapest options. After all, we can all be guilty of wanting to believe the person who is giving reasons why his price is less, rather than the person who says “you get what you pay for”, and is asking a higher price.

Open Plan LivingWell-designed conservatories can be used comfortably all year around and are often now ‘open plan’ with the room behind, ideal for extending the kitchen or lounge area and will be subject to ‘Building Regulations’. One third of all our work today is open plan, without intervening doors, many of which require steelwork and structural calcs. Don’t be put off by this, as it’s not usually as difficult or expensive as you might think. Once again, the key to ‘open plan living’ is the quality of glass and ventilation.

Choices of Frame MaterialsConservatories are manufactured from three different materials, PVC, Aluminium and Timber with varying amounts of brick or stonework, depending upon taste. Which you chose very much depends upon your budget and whether you find one material more appealing visually.

PVC is the choice for many, as it is the lowest cost frame material. However, another reason the cost of a PVC conservatory is lower in cost, is the fact that a majority of conservatory conservatories are built with lower specifications of design, glazing and building work which wouldn’t meet with building regulations standards. Unfortunately, at that end of the market most PVC sales people take the view that if they can provide the lowest price, they will get the order and down spec everything to do so, relying on the lack of knowledge of the typical customer. Even with the increased range of colour options, generally speaking, most people will consider that PVC looks exactly what it is.

Aluminium is still the least chosen option for conservatories and because of its simple more commercial lines, is most suited to simple contemporary, lean-to or gable designs. It is very practical, requiring the least amount of maintenance, but most people are surprised to find that aluminium is not a low cost option and frequently costs as much as oak.

Why Timber and the question of Maintenance?Timber is still the most desirable of material for a conservatory, orangery, or garden room. It is possible to create bespoke structures not always possible in aluminium or PVC, which rely on set sections of extrusion; whereas timber can be provided in sections, shaped to suit the homeowner’s requirements. The main feature of a wood conservatory is the moulded rafters within the roof structure, rather than the much reduced sections of aluminium and PVC. As a company, at least 1/3rd of our work, is replacing PVC conservatories with timber.

There is a myth that PVC is maintenance free and timber requires considerable work to keep it looking good. PVC is low maintenance, not No maintenance. Take a walk along a back alley and see the condition of the PVC conservatories on the backs of the houses. PVC attracts dirt through static and as parts are usually clipped and glued on, you will see that over a period of time, unless they are carefully maintained, with the expansion and contraction caused by the heat of the sun, you will see that parts move and become unglued and unclipped. Take a look at PVC conservatories, windows and doors of houses near a main road; you will see that the surface is covered in black brake dust.

Yes, timber does require attention. I use the expression “When it starts to look sad, freshen it up. i.e. Don’t neglect your frames are showing some wear, just rub them down lightly with fine wire wool and apply a couple of thin coats of wood finish or paint and they will look fine again for several more years. The roof has aluminium capping and gutter is aluminium or PVC, so they don’t require any maintenance, other than to keep the gutter clear, which applies to any roof. How frequently your conservatory requires recoating really depends upon three factors, the colour, the type of finish and the exposure to direct sunlight. You will likely find that one side of a conservatory will weather more than another, because it faces south or south-west. The corners, lower edges of the frames and cills are most exposed to damage from sunlight, so looking after these details, which are the easiest to reach, will ensure your timer conservatory will look good and last for decades.

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Why Oak?Oak is one of the toughest, most beautiful building materials known to man and the traditional choice of British builders and architects for many Centuries. There is something quite unique about its visual characteristics, which is very difficult to explain. Just as you will have seen, Oak has the ability to blend with the most contemporary of surroundings, as well as the most traditional. The one feature I have identified, is that when looking out at the view of the garden and scenery through an oak framed conservatory, its natural colour and grain pattern blends with the natural colours of the garden, whereas, painted frames, especially white, tend to look very clinical.

There’s no denying the strength of oak and it has been used for window construction since the middle ages and the invention of glass panes. Whether you like it in a ‘chunky’ form or with more delicate ovolo, moulded edged lines, oak will always draw a ‘Wow’ from your visitors.

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Types of OakIt is very important to understand that oak comes in very different forms. Typically people associate oak with the ‘Green Oak’ form in old barns and buildings. This type of oak, which hasn’t been properly seasoned (dried to the correct moisture content) is definitely not suitable for use adjacent to glass, as it will move considerably and eventually cause problems with the seals of the adjacent double glazed panes, causing them to break down and condensate between the glass.

At Richmond Oak, we use properly seasoned oak, which has been stacked, allowing air flow all around each individually oak board, to ensure that when it is used in the construction of your conservatory, it will have the correct moisture content to minimise any movement. Not only that, we engineer the oak by gluing together boards which are typically 20-30mm thick, alternating the grain of each board. Not only does this make the finished structure more stable, but it is also up to 25% stronger and enables much longer rafters and sections than could be obtained from non-engineered sections.

The Importance of using the Correct GlassGoing back to the expression, “Conservatories are too cold in the Winter and too hot in the Summer?That can be true and most are But NOT a Richmond Oak Conservatory or hardwood Orangery.

The use of a conservatory depends upon maintaining a comfortable temperature by ensuring the design incorporates the correct combination of glazing material and ventilation.

Obviously, if your conservatory is on a north facing wall, in the shadow of a two storey house, then solar control glass will not be necessary but, you will require a glass with a good insulation value. At Richmond Oak, we always provide the correct glazing for whatever position your conservatory sits in relation to the Sun and our options include the highest available insulation glass and solar control glass in the domestic market today.

It is essential that you should invest the small extra for solar control glass, if your conservatory is exposed to sunlight for more than a few hours during the hottest period between 10am and 4pm. Richmond Oak Conservatories provide the highest specification Celcius solar control glass. If your conservatory is south facing, we recommend the soft blue tinted, Celcius Elite solar control glass for the roof which, on hot days, keeps out 78% of unwanted heat from the sun. However, it is also the most efficient argon gas filled, double glazing available, with a u value* of 0.9 kw/sq.m/hr. This is 25% more efficient than the glass being offered by most companies and 350% more efficient than most of the double glazing fitted during the past thirty years.If you would prefer a clear solar control glass, such as on south facing side frames, or a Listed Building roof, we recommend Celcius Clear solar control glass, which keeps out 55% of unwanted heat and has a u value of 1.0 kw/sq.m/hr. Celcius Clear is approx. 300% more efficient than most double glazing installed and 18% more efficient than most glazing being provided. For more information on Celcius Clear solar control glass visit our conservatory glass

* What does a u value mean? All external surfaces of a building have an insulation value and a u value is a measure of heat loss in Kilowatts, per square metre, per hour. Single glazing typically loses 5.6 kilowatts per square metre, per hour. Double glazing installed during the 1960s, through to the 1980’s, typically lost heat at the rate of approx. 3 Kilowatts per square metre per hour. Whilst not widely used beforehand, Low-E glass (Low emissivity) and Argon gas filled sealed units, became mandatory with the introduction of new tougher Building Regulations in 2002 and windows installed after this period had to have a maximum of 2.2 Kilowatts heat loss per square metre, per hour, which was more recently been reduced to 1.6. Whilst, quite irresponsibly, these regulations do not apply to conservatory installations and as a result, a majority of installers still fit glass of low efficiency, maintaining the myth that conservatories will always be ‘too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter’. At Richmond Oak Conservatories, we always provide you with the correct information and advice to ensure you are offered the most appropriate glass for your conservatory or orangery installation

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Conservatory HeatingConservatory heating and ventilation is an important consideration for the overall comfort of your conservatory. On sunny days, even in the winter, your conservatory will quickly warm up but, if you don’t have effective heating, when evening falls, the temperature will quickly drop.

Natural heating can be supplemented with underfloor heating; this can be electric underfloor heating, or hot water underfloor heating, which many people consider to be the most cost-effective, run from the manifold of your central heating boiler. The capacity of your boiler and access to it, frequently determines whether to use a wet or electric system. Underfloor heating allows you to design the interior of the conservatory without worrying about the positioning and placement of conservatory radiators whether using hot water or electricity to heat them.

You can manage conservatory ventilation simply with windows and roof vents, manually or automatically controlled. A central heating engineer will be able to calculate your heating requirements by measuring the internal volume of your conservatory, the expected heat loss through the glazing and dwarf walls and taking into consideration the direction that the conservatory is facing.

If you choose to use radiators plumbed into your central heating system to heat your conservatory, remember that you may have to run these on cool spring, summer and autumn evenings when the central heating system is normally closed down. If this is the case, you may prefer to find an alternative method of providing extra heat when it is needed.

Whatever type of heating you choose, ensure that it is independently, thermostatically controlled within the conservatory so that you are not wasting energy.

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Conservatory VentilationMaintaining good conservatory ventilation allows you to enjoy a comfortable environment throughout the year. This is not just important for you, your pets, family and guests; if you have plants in the conservatory moisture in plant pots can evaporate very quickly and the plants can quickly die.

A Kitchen Conservatory will require a greater amount of ventilation to allow for the use of water and cooking appliances within it.

Heat rises, and so the conservatory design should include roof vents within the roof and sensible sized opening windows. Just fanlights at the top of the frames are rarely adequate. To create a flow of air, as the warm air exits the roof vents, cooler air is drawn into the conservatory, creating a gentle, comfortable draft from the openings in the frames.

You can open and close conservatory roof vents manually or electronically. The traditional method uses a Hook & Pole to manually crank the roof vent open or shut. Nowadays, you can control the temperature automatically via a digital climate control system that adjusts opening and closing to maintain a pre-determined temperature in the conservatory and close the vents completely if it rains. Particularly useful if you have pets or want the room to be comfortable when you return to the house. The vents will have a rain sensor to ensure they close if it rains.

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Do I require Planning, Listed Building, Water board, or Building Regs Consent? Conservatory Planning Permission and Building Regulations are two different issues in the planning and building of a conservatory and should not be confused even though your Local Authority manages both. Since the changes in 2008, with respect to planning, there is no difference between a single storey solid roof extension, a conservatory, an orangery or a tiled/slate roof garden room.

Planning Permission - is the permission to erect an extension, whether it be a conservatory, orangery or garden room

Permitted Development Rights (PD) - In simple terms, unless PD Rights have been removed, properties that have not already been extended have Permitted Development Rights, although these are not applicable if it is a Multiple dwelling (Apartment), Listed Building, in a Conservation Area, Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Green Belt or, National Park.

The following summarises the main considerations taken from the government website:

a) Permitted Development - You can build a single storey extension of up to 4m height, from the original rear wall of a house by 4m if detached, or 3m if a terraced or semi-detached house. Also, you can extend up to half the width of the house, on the side or a house, so long as that side of the house is not adjacent to a public road.

b) Neighbour Consultation - You can apply to build a single storey extension of up to 4m height, from the original rear wall of a house by between 4m & 8m if detached, or between 3m & 6m if a terraced or semi-detached house. A simple form is completed and submitted to the local planning authority and your immediate neighbours will be written to and, so long as there is no objection within 21 days, you can commence work.NOTE: This rule has been changed for a period of three years from the 30th May 2013, but there is no directive suggesting this is to change after that date in 2016.

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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. It is a criminal offence to carry out work that requires Listed Building Consent before this has been given. A listed building is a building of special architectural or historic interest, included on a national list compiled by English Heritage.

Party Wall AgreementsA 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 RegulationsBuilding Regulations define how a conservatory, orangery or garden room must be built and set 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, you should 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:

• Are sited at ground level and less that 4m in height• Have a floor area not exceeding 30 sq meters• Glazing satisfies Building Regulations Part N• Are permanently separated from the remainder of the property by means of an exterior quality door or other barrier• Do not contain any drainage facilities such as a sink, WC or washing machine• Radiators, if fitted, are thermostatically controlled and have an ON/OFF control

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.

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Water Board Build Over AgreementsBuilding Over Sewers (on private non-shared drains only)Whilst, no permission is required, if there is an inspection cover on the site of your conservatory, you must also bear in mind how the foundations for the conservatory will accommodate sewer pipes. You need to ensure that the weight of the foundation is not imposed on the pipe whether this is beneath the foundation or running through it.

Building Over Inspection Covers (on private non-shared drains only)It amazes me, when speaking with prospective clients, even when they have had alternative advice; very few have been informed of the Water Board ownership of shared sewers, and the need for a ‘Build Over Agreement’. If the conservatory is being built over an inspection cover then a sealed, screw down cover is required to prevent odours and gases escaping into the conservatory. Depending upon drain routing, if there are no other inspection covers close by and it is practical to do so, it is sensible to move the inspection cover outside the conservatory so that you have good access to potential blocked drains. Doing this will also give you more freedom over the type of conservatory flooring you can use, as it will not be necessary to install it with access to the inspection cover in mind.

Building Over Shared/Public SewersOn October 1st 2010, the Water Boards took over the ownership of all Shared Sewers and if your proposed extension/conservatory is to be built over, or within 3 metres of a shared sewer, it is a legal requirement that you contact your local water authority to consult with them and get their approval before commencing. This will usually require drawings and structural calculations to ensure the new work won’t cause damage to the sewer.

You don’t need to worry about applications for Planning & Listed Building Permissions, Building Regulations, Party Wall, or Water Board Build Over Agreements.

Richmond Oak will advise what is necessary and arrange to deal with these for you - We routinely deal with Planning and Listed Building applications and have the team available ‘in house’, to provide the necessary drawings and documentation.

We use licenced private building inspectors to carry out our building control, as they apply the Building Regulations consistently throughout the UK and so we are not subject to the varying, subjective opinions of many Local Building Inspectors.

Whether your Richmond Oak glazed extension is exempt, or requires certification, we carry out all work to the same standards.

We have qualified Structural Engineers to provide the necessary calculations when required.

About once every couple of years, one of our clients has a difficult neighbour with respect to a Party Wall Agreement and we have access to a specialist to deal with such cases.

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Factors Affecting Conservatory PriceWe are frequently asked for a budget price. You will see below the main factors affecting conservatory price and how difficult it is to provide a meaningful figure:

The Conservatory:• Location: Frequently a conservatory is into a corner, with just two sides, or into a courtyard, with only one side.• Size: width, projection, frame height, height at house wall• Type: If the floor area is going to exceed 30 sq.m. or you intend it to be open-plan with the room(s) behind, then your project will require Building Regulations Approval and will incur Building Control Fees and any drawing and structural calculation fees required.• Material: from white PVC at 45% of the cost of Oak, rising through coloured PVC, aluminium, pine, Sapele, Idigbo or, Iroko, to the very best seasoned Oak• Frame type: Storm-proof sashes, standard with 70mm frames. Flush, conservation sashes with 90mm frames.

Typical for Listed Properties:• Frame features: Do you require glazing bars, such as Georgian style squares, leaded lights or coloured glass features?• Doors: number and position of doors or double doors (recommended door width 700-800), Bifold Doors, very popular today, but with expensive mechanisms, requiring steel above, adds considerably to price.• Window openings: number and position of openings (recommended window width 700-800) Recommended min of 2 full height openings, 4 if conservatory over 10 sq.m.• Frame/roof centres: Important – rafter centres shouldn’t exceed much more than 800mm, otherwise the glass can sag under its own weight. Therefore, window sashes shouldn’t exceed 800mm, if you want the roof rafters to align with the frames.• Roof Design: the simpler the design, the lower the price.• Box Gutters: Does the design require a box gutter. If so, does it need to be structural?• Insulation: A rated glazing with minimum of 1.2 u value recommended• Roof glass: solar control glass should be standard unless in the shadow of a North facing house (0.9 u value, keeps out up to 78% of unwanted heat)• Frame glass: clear solar control glass with 1.0 u value, should be used on South facing conservatories.• Roof Ventilation: warm air rises – it’s essential to fit roof vents minimum one up to 12 sq.m., two over. These can be manual, electric or automatic.

• Planning: Depending upon the position and size, amongst other factors, such as being listed or in a conservation area or area of outstanding natural beauty, etc. will determine whether you need to allow for Planning Costs. Once you have decided upon the design and specifications for you conservatory, the following are the building work considerations whether the material be PVC, Aluminium, Pine, Sapele, Idigbo or seasoned Oak.

The Building Work:• Access: Is there good access to the site, or does it have to go through the house, up or down steps, or on a first or higher floor?• Demolition: Is there an existing building, conservatory or old foundations to dig out, or are there other obstructions to consider, such as boiler flues.• Drainage: Are there any shared drains crossing within 3m of conservatory, or manholes in line with footings. In which case an application for a ‘Water Board Build Over Agreement’ will be required, with associated Water Board, structural calcs and drawing fees.• Type of base: strip footings 1m deep standard, but additional cost of deeper footings, raft or piling may be required, if poor soil conditions or trees within 7m• Ground levels: sloping sites will require brickwork build- up or excavation with retaining walls.• Walls: insulated dwarf cavity walls are standard, but sometime full height frames are required and sometime full height or parapet walls.• Knock through: Are you opening up to the house and does this involve new steel lintels, structural calculations and heat loss submissions for building regulations.• Flooring: do you intend to have tiles, laminated timber, Amtico style vinyl, or carpet.• Underfloor heating: Do you require electric or wet underfloor heating system? If not radiators and how many?• Electrics: How many sockets, lights, switches, TV points, etc. do you require? How near is your consumer unit?• Plumbing: Are there any radiators to remove, move, or new ones required? External Tap?• Landscaping: Do you require any additional patio work, new steps, etc.?

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You will have recognised, that whilst the cost difference between the conservatory main structure remains the major variable, there will be many factors which may be constant, such as size, design, glass specification, and all the building costs, which together significantly reduce the percentage cost difference between the least costly and the biggest investment you consider making.

Investing in a conservatory or orangery has very similar design and cost factors to take into consideration as when replacing your kitchen. From the designer’s point of view, it is essential to have some idea of your budget.For example, to offer a plastic laminate kitchen with Whirlpool appliances for £4,500 may prove to be exactly what the kitchen customer wants, however, it could be perceived as an insult to the aspirations of a customer whose budget is £25-£45,000 and wants solid oak doors, granite work surfaces and Neff appliances. Conversely, to raise the aspirations of the customer with the £4,500 budget to that of Oak and Neff, is grossly unfair and could lead to embarrassment.

In the same way, it is important for the conservatory designer to have some idea of your budget before he starts suggesting ideas, size, materials and specifications, so as he/she can best advice you, to meet your requirements and budget.

Contact Richmond Oak for advice from experienced designers, where we can provide you with a choice of material, to meet almost any sensible budget. Call today: 08456 442257 or 01323 442255

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What influences the choice of Bifold vs French DoorsBifold doors are a very popular purchase today, influenced by Home Improvement programs on TV and photos of attractive houses with lovely gardens, taken on sunny days. However, because of their expensive gear and the fact that, within a conservatory or orangery, they need to be suspended from steel above, often requiring a steel portal, they do add a considerable cost to a project.

First, you have to consider how frequently you believe you will open your bifold doors fully. If your conservatory faces North or East, I suggest you may not open them fully, very often. If you have a French door, with doors 750-800mm wide and have a fixed pane either side, allowing the doors to fold fully back to the side of the conservatory when open, providing a 1500mm wide, clear opening, this may adequately suit your requirements and at a much lower cost.

You also need to take into consideration that bifold doors open out at 90° when stacked and can’t fold back against the side of your glazed extension. If you have restricted access, this can give a problem. You must also ensure you have an odd-number within the design, otherwise you won’t have a master, or service door that can hinge open, without having to open top and bottom bolts every time you wish to access the door. E.g. 4 panel bifolds with two doors opening left and two opening right, or 4 all sliding in one direction are not practical.

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How long does it take before I can use the new living space?Excluding whether Planning or Listed Building consents are required, which will always add a minimum of 10 weeks to your lead time; you need to take into consideration a realistic time frame for the work to be carried out.

Project timeline from date of order, you typically need to allow

1-2 weeks for a technical site survey to be carried out1-2 weeks for confirmation drawings to be produced, for your approval.1-2 weeks for the final construction drawings to be produced and provided to the joinery for production4-6 weeks in the joinery for manufacture, which also depends upon fitting in with joinery work in progress, during which time, the builder will normally carry out the necessary base work ready for the conservatory.2-4 weeks for the conservatory to be erected, glazed and weathered back to the host wall.1-2 weeks for the builder to finish 2nd fix of the electrics, plumbing, where required, plastering, floor screed, underfloor heating, where required, and flooring. Please bear in mind that standard floor screed takes up to 2 months to dry out before flooring can be laid. It’s worth investing the additional cost of a quicker setting floor screed, such as Ardex 23, which dries out suitable for flooring to be laid within 7 days.

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Don’t be kidded by an enthusiastic salesman giving an optimistic time frame. Realistically, you can see the time scale, excluding planning or listed building consents, is a minimum of 10 weeks and as long as 20 weeks, notwithstanding the effect of our wonderful British weather. The best workers can work only 67% as efficiently when it is raining. Mass produced PVC conservatories can usually be installed in approximately half the time.

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About the authorMy name is Paul FitzGerald and I am the owner of the Richmond Oak Conservatories Ltd. My own background includes 9 years teaching architectural & engineering drawing, building and workshop practice, and 32 years owning conservatory, window and building companies.

I retired in 2001, but within 18 months I was back working as a consultant with several National Brand conservatory businesses. I was just beginning to get despondent about the lack of service being provided by these firms when I came across Richmond Oak Ltd and immediately fell in love with their unique bespoke, seasoned oak conservatories and orangeries.

Whilst Richmond Oak wasn’t perfect, I worked for 3 years as their senior conservatory designer, enjoying the smaller business model and the freedom to design without the constraints of the larger companies. In August 2008 the opportunity arose to acquire the business for myself.

My Mission, when taking over Richmond Oak, was to have 100% of our customer satisfaction with their Richmond Oak experience, from initial enquiry through to completed project and to date, we are pleased to be on target.

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So, why choose Richmond Oak Conservatories to improve your living space? Since taking over the business I really believe we have established Richmond Oak Conservatories Ltd as the No 1 Company for the installation of bespoke, seasoned oak Conservatories, orangeries and garden rooms. The detailing of our prestige installations is second to none.

Because of the lower cost of oak and wages in Poland, plus the favourable exchange rates, we are able to acquire premium oak, bespoke product, manufactured specifically to our exacting standards, at prices lower than any cheaper timber obtainable in the UK.

We have completely redesigned the joinery construction, now featuring internal glazing and we even have our own patented ‘Contemporary’ Conservatory range to provide options for either a very contemporary, clean lined appearance or, the ‘rustic’ silvered, weathered, oak look of Green Oak, without the disadvantages of that material.

We have sourced the highest specification Solar Control and insulating glass available in the industry and have our oak conservatory frames manufactured to our own specifications in two, family owned joineries in Poland.

Our administration is based in offices at my home in Hailsham, East Sussex and is run by our Operations Director, my son Marcus, who brought with him 12 years’ experience, as a Senior Operations Manager with Merlin Entertainments. We have an installations depot in the midlands, at Leicester, very near to where our installations manager. David, a qualified carpenter with over 25 years’ experience within the industry, runs our installations team, all of whom have worked in our industry for a considerable number of years.

Our team also includes an experienced surveyor and CAD designers in Poland and the UK and several Designers, each with in excess of 15 years’ experience and trained in 3D graphics, based in different parts of the country, to be able to carry out site visits and provide our clients with valuable advice.We are able to design, supply and install almost anywhere within England, Wales and Central Scotland, and can design and deliver almost anywhere in the world.

Call Now: 08456 442257 or 01323 442255

Richmond Oak Conservatories Ltd

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Printed BrochuresSince our last brochure ran out in 2006 and as 99% of our enquiries come via the internet, both for environmental and economic reasons, we no longer send out printed brochures. Instead, we took a policy decision to concentrate on producing the best and most informative websites on conservatories in the world. Something I believe we have now achieved going by the very positive response of our clients. Most popular has been our on-line gallery at www.conservatoryphotos.co.uk. There, you will be able to see probably the biggest variety of conservatory, orangery and garden room designs from any single company. We are very proud of the unique designs and quality of work we do and we are adding photos there every week, including 360 degree, virtual tours.

Insurances:We have £2 million Public Liability, £10 million Employer’s Liability.

Bespoke Hardwood Conservatories, Orangeries & Garden Rooms

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IWA Insurance backed Guarantee & Deposit Indemnity since 2010

We understand that many of our clients will be concerned about losing their deposit or guarantee should the company they contract with cease trading. The difficult trading conditions during the past six years have led to hundreds of home improvement companies going out of business, leaving thousands of their Clients with lost deposits and invalidated guarantees. This includes a number of substantial, established timber conservatory companies like Baltic Pine, Glass Houses, Priory Conservatories, Fawsley, Durabuild and more recently, the oldest and largest company in the industry, Amdega.

I can also appreciate that as a prospective client it is natural you may not feel so confident as we are about our business and now we are able to provide guaranteed reassurance that purchasing from us is as safe as we claim.

We understand our responsibility in this respect and after nearly a year of investigating the market, we have successfully negotiated insurance cover for all our client’s contracts up to £200,000 in value. This covers all deposits of up £50,000 or 25% of the contract price and the 5 year guarantee, in the event that the Company should cease trading within the insured period.

The company providing the insurance, after a thorough vetting of our business, is the IWA ‘Insured Warranty Association’ and you can check them out yourself or contact them at www.iwa.biz so whether you are investing in a small conservatory, or a large orangery,

you can feel confident your investment is safe.

A recent survey carried out by the IWA certifies we achieved nothing less than 96% very pleased clients

Also, the insurance certificate says that in the event of the company ceasing to trade prior to the completion of the contract, the insurers will arrange for the completion of the contract by another approved IWA Member for the balance of the original contract price, less the 25% insured deposit payment already paid.

This unique cover is being provided to our clients at no additional charge and is designed to provide them with ‘peace of mind’ and part of our mission to deliver outstanding value to ensure you are one of our pleased clients.

We are also CHAS certified for health & safety and after an extensive review of our Company, we have been awarded the prestigious status of ‘Which?’ Magazine ‘Trusted Trader’. To the best of our knowledge Richmond Oak is the only UK Company specialising in providing our Clients individually designed buildings constructed from naturally seasoned oak. Our timber glazed extensions are designed to exceed the worst of our British Weather.

We specialise in providing a choice of dual-colour finish, so that the inside can feature the unique natural oak grain, whilst the outside can also be in natural oak or can be colour coded to that of the property.

Deposit and Guarantee Protection:

What this means to youPeace of mind in both our quality of build and service plus if something should happen to us, that your investment is secure and the project will proceed. It is in our best interest to do the very best job for you because we want to exceed your expectations so that you tell all your friends about us...

Call Now: 08456 442257 or 01323 442255

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Richmond Oak Conservatories Ltd

Richmond Oak Conservatories LimitedTel. 08456 442257 & 01323 442255

www.oakconservatories.co.uk

Call TodayBook a free designer consultation todayCall us on 08456 442257 or 01323 442255

Or scan this QR Codeto view our beautifulVirtual Tours atConservatoryPhotos.co.uk