Hi all, does double glazing this fall under building contro?

[milkman]

IMG_0113.jpg by markuspalarkus, on Flickr

Advice needed if you can. A client wants to double glaze the roof in the picture. It has a massive gap under the eaves, presumably to ventilate it, and it leaks heat like crazy. She also wants to replace the french doors but I'm okay about fitting some of those.

Does replacing this existing glazed section mean I have to get Building Control approval? Am going to start poring through the part L regs but if any of you can cut to the chase it would be very helpful.

If I do go ahead I was thinking of one heavy'ish DG unit to cover the space and some of the bigger Capex stuff to frame it all down, esp to seal the eaves this time!
Does this approach sound convincing?

Thanks in advance for any advice you may have.
Mark

 

[Dibs-h]

Not 100% sure - but I think the unit would have to be toughened on the outer pane and laminated on the inner pane.

Dibs

 

[dickm]

Guess it depends a bit on what you/your client want to do? If it's just a matter of sticking a secondary sheet (possibly laminated as suggested) in a frame as secondary DG under the existing, then that's presumably no concern for anyone. If on the other hand you were to replace the roof lights with Velux units, that would probably excite the interest of both planning and building control?

 

[cambournepete]

I'd be tempted to get a couple of quotes from local DG companies and ask them how they'd do it and whether BR apply.

 

[Lons]

Hi Mark

Firstly you need know what the existing structure is used for and it's size.
Is it a porch of some kind. Does it have heating and an electricity supply?
Or is it part of living accommodation eg, kitchen?
Front or back of property and how close to a boundary, public path or highway.

If it's a porch with a seperate internal door to living rooms then imo it would not be subject to planning approval building regs unless you changed the size or started putting in bigger lintols, new electricity supply etc. Certain demolitions are also notifyable.
If you replaced the roof section with glazed panels (my preference would be a PVCu frame and multiwall, 35mm, polycarbonate) and same size doors then no problems. If double glazing then heavier duty frames and as said would need to be a minimum toughened and probably internal pane laminated. Building control might well be interested if you did that! Depends on how the local authority views that construction.
New doors btw would have to be toughened in any event.

Bob
edit... didn't look properly - obviously on the back.

 

[milkman]

Cheers folks. Yes its on the back and maybe part of the original building [the walls not the glazed bit]. Shall have to look next time i'm round and see if its an extension. The doors give into a utility room and there’s a toilet under the slate tiled bit.
Actually now I think about it I reckon the slate bit was an outbuilding and loo and has been carried across with the glazed roof as a continuation. Whether that was approved is anyone’s guess.
Like the laminated/toughened idea and will ask d'glaziers for advice as you suggest.
Would ideally like to cover the 1.4 x 1.5 meter area with one piece and maybe 70mm x 100mm rafters and suitable capex. Wonder if it will support itself at that size?

Marko

 

[Jacob]

It's only a little job - just do it (as long as you know what you are doing). Nobody will give a pineapple.

 

[Lons]

Jacob has a point of course - If it was your own property - but the keyword you used was "client".

I'm a builder having owned my business for 15 years and there is absolutely no way I would contemplate doing a "customer" refurb without complying with and obtaining relevant approvals. (Providing they are required).
Anyone who does that is taking the risk that in the event of it going wrong in any reasonable time period, at best it could mean having to re-do the work at your cost or worse, being prosecuted by your customer (who is liable for awarding you the contract). Their insurance if serious problems or your liability insurance if you have any, could refuse any claim on the basis the work wasn't approved.

You're obviously taking the right approach by asking advice, just be cautious and make sure you're covered, can be expensive if you're not IMO

regards

Bob

 

[milkman]

Thanks for your advice all.

I've decided not to do the job as I can only afford to do so many 'make-no-profit-but-learn-a-new-thing' jobs each year.

But for information it would come under building regs as a Building Notice application, where no plans are required to be submitted. In Hackney this is £230'ish for three windows and includes a prebuild inspection and a post build inspection.
I don't know what their turnaround is, I got the impression they'd rather everyone went FENSA and left them alone.

Cheers and thanks again
Marko