Is there really any value in a conservatory Ball Park Figure?

I recently wrote an article on this subject in our conservatory advice website.

There’s not a day goes past when we are not asked “Please can you provide a quote or budget price for a conservatory…” from a rough description over the phone. Quite often followed by “…we only want a ‘ball-park figure, we won’t hold you to it”. When you take into consideration the 30+ main considerations which can have significant effects on price, you might see how difficult it is to come up with a meaningful figure. For a conservatory of the same size and design, depending on the choices, the least costly way of being able to do the project, can be one third of the most expensive option.

So why is this so important? Continue reading →

Here’s another popular article I recently updated on this subject in our www.conservatoryadvice.com website.

Factors Affecting Conservatory Price:

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: Conservatory with 75%+ glass roof, Orangery having flat roof and central lantern or Garden Room with tiled or slate roof, both the latter requiring building regulations.
• Material: from white PVC at 45% of the cost of Oak, rising through coloured PVC, aluminium, pine, Sapele, Idigbo 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)
• 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 – 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 1.1 u value insulation recommended
• Roof glass: solar control glass should be standard unless in the shadow of a North facing house (0.9-1.0 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.

To explore the building cost considerations? Continue reading →

I wrote this article recently on www.conservatoryadvice.com

99% of our enquiries come via the internet so, both for environmental and economic reasons, we no longer send out printed conservatory brochures. Instead, we took a policy decision several years ago to concentrate on producing the best and most informative websites on conservatories in the world. Something I believe we have now achieved and which has substantially increased our enquiry level, since doing so. To find more information about our main conservatory websites, photo gallery, etc. Continue reading →

Window Security

All Hallmark windows and doors have a high level of security as standard…

However, even higher levels can be achieved since are accredited by Secure By Design (SBD). As crime figures for burglary increase it makes sense to fit the best locking systems and to ensure your window security is the best available. As they say, it’s no good closing the gate after the horse has bolted.

Windows can be brought up to Secured By Design standard and have their security enhanced by fitting ‘laminated’ glass and ‘hinge protectors’. In fact, even with only one of these items, security is enhanced.

Doors can have their security enhanced by fitting the ‘RASP cylinder protector kit’ and/or ‘laminate glass’. To achieve Secured By Design a door should have laminated glass top and bottom with a midrail and the ‘RASP’ cylinder protector kit. Continue reading →

Conservatory Building and Installation Options

Richmond Oak is one of the few conservatory companies offering clients the full range of conservatory building and installation options, providing choices from supply-only, to a full ‘Turn-Key’ system from Survey, through planning and building regulations (where required), to the final completed job. This includes all supervised building, electrical & plumbing works, underfloor heating and floor tiling, where required. Each construction is project managed from initial designthrough to completion, by our team of skilled technicians.

Hallmark Conservatories is also happy to work alongside your own preferred builders. We will provide the same information, drawings and specifications to your builder, as we do our own. At the contract stage, the only things we don’t usually get involved with are selection of floor finishes, choosing light fittings or other works such as kitchens, or final decoration of the plastered walls, where required. Continue reading →

Hallmark Conservatories is a Member of Certass

Certass is really a not-for-profit organisation created in 2006 to enhance standards within the double glazed industry and offers a method which enables approved companies to self-approve installations. What this means is, the Member company won’t have to submit a building notice or make use of an approved inspector, every time they install home windows, doorways or conservatories to adhere to building rules, costing you less along the way.

Certass is licensed through the Department for Communities and Local Government to Certify that approve installaters of double glazed items in your home adhere to current rules. Continue reading →