Surrey Homes | SH43 | May 2018 | Restoration & New Build supplement inside

SH Restoration & New Build Supplement
Paul Fitzgerald
Richmond Oak Conservatories
I have been working with timber since the 1960s. As the
name of the company suggests we specialise in constructing
glazed extensions in seasoned oak. One of the most common
questions we are asked is “What is the difference between
an orangery, a conservatory, and a garden room?”. In simple
terms, a conservatory has a predominantly glass roof, a garden
room has a predominantly tiled or slate roof and an orangery
comes in several different forms, usually with a part flat roof
and a glazed lantern.
Although most timber conservatories and garden rooms
include dwarf walls and often some full heights walls,
especially adjacent to a boundary, an orangery usually has
more brickwork. Some have a timber fascia, some a tiled verge
to the roof and others have a brick parapet wall.
The modern conservatory, orangery or garden room, built
with the correct materials, glass, ventilation and to building
regulations standards is a permanent glazed living space that
can be used all year round. Most ‘off the peg’ conservatories,
however, are exempt from building control standards and are
built with inferior glass and ventilation specifications and
really could be described as ‘not fit for purpose’.
When advising a client, first and most important is to do
a thorough fact find. Like any type of home improvement,
it is a solution to a problem, so it is really necessary to first
explore exactly what problem you are designing a solution
for. An attractive building that doesn’t fulfil the requirements
is a waste of money. Which type of glazed extension I
would recommend is based upon four factors; the client’s
requirements; the space available and position relative to the
house; the he style of property and the budget available - as it
usually costs more than anticipated.
To work out the design with the client usually takes several
visits. To carry out the fact find, measure, take photos, discuss
design options and after looking at photos of completed
projects, to agree on which suits their requirements best. After
which I would go away and create 3D concept illustrations
for their unique solution.
Normally I would expect to return within two weeks to
go through the concept illustrations with the client. Quite
oftenthere will be some changes required. At this point, I
would normally be able to provide a fairly accurate guide
price for the timber/glazed element of the project but I would
also want to get one of our builders to provide a price for the
other aspects. This would include any demolition, drainage,
foundations, brickwork, plastering, plumbing, electrics,
underfloor heating and floor finish, including any steelwork
required for open-plan installations.
Every design is unique and in addition to size, there are
over 50 factors which affect the price. Different factors not
only include the client’s requirements, including such things
as differences of colour, in and out, but are dependent upon
access, varying house layouts, drainage, type of bricks or
stonework, etc.
There are many advantages of an oak-framed structure, so
long as the correct specification of oak is provided. Oak has
been the builder’s and
architect’s choice for house
and window construction
for centuries. Not
only does it have great
structural integrity, it is
extremely durable and has a unique, warm natural colour,
that blends with the background colours of the garden.
White painted frame interiors are very clinical by
comparison. Oak is unique in that it blends with highly
contemporary furnishings or those from more traditional
periods. I consider it essential not to use softwoods such as
European Redwood (Pine) or Siberian Larch, as these have a
typical anticipated lifespan of only approximately 15 years.
When working in close proximity to glass, it is essential
to use the correct specification of oak. There are basically
thee types of oak: green oak with a moisture content of up
to 80%, air-dried oak, typically with a moisture content of
30-40% and fully seasoned oak, with a moisture content of
approximately 15%.
The more moisture in the timber at the time of use, the
more movement, distortion, and shrinkage there will be as it
dries out. For a garage or shed, this is not an issue, but when
being used adjacent to glass, this can be a major issue.
It is also a major concern with respect to opening doors
and window sashes if you don’t want them bending in the
wet weather. At Richmond Oak we only use fully-seasoned
oak and it is engineered, using a process where the solid oak
frames are made up from layers, typically between 20-30mm,
glued together with alternative grain.
Not only does this make it extremely stable, but increases
the strength of a rafter by up to 30%, also making it possible
to have much greater lengths that are not going to distort.
Whilst many smaller conservatories can be installed
under ‘permitted development’, most of our work requires
planning permission and more than 30% of our work is on
listed buildings, so requires listed building consent. We have
our own team of experienced draughtsmen and planning
consultants who carry out these tasks for our clients.
What we find exciting about our work is the amazing
differences in the projects and not only seeing the finished
project, but also hearing from our clients not only how its
changed the way they live in their home, but also the ‘Wow,
where did you get this?’ from their dinner guests.
oakconservatories.co.uk 08456 442257
surrey-homes.co.uk
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