Conservatory FAQs
Let Us Take the Stress Out of Planning Your Dream Glass Room
Planning a Home Extension Can Feel Overwhelming—We’re Here to Help
We understand that starting a home extension project can raise many questions. From wondering if you need planning permission for a conservatory to deciding which type of glass extension best suits your home and lifestyle, it’s a lot to consider.
To make things easier, we’ve compiled all of our frequently asked questions in one place, so you can quickly find the answers you need.
If you still can’t find what you’re looking for or have a more specific question, don’t hesitate to contact us—we’re always happy to help!
Frequently Asked Questions
What Areas in the UK Does Room Outside Serve?
- For our uPVC conservatories and orangeries, as well as our premium Glass Box and Frameless Glass Structures, we offer nationwide coverage, including Scotland.
- Our timber conservatories, orangeries, oak-framed products, and glass rooms are available across most of the UK. However, some remote areas may not be covered—please contact us to confirm availability in your location.
- Our Groom Outside deep valet cleaning and maintenance service is exclusively available in the South East of England, including London and the Home Counties.
Room Outside proudly showcases projects spanning the entire country, from St. Andrews in Scotland to the Royal Yacht Squadron on the Isle of Wight.
What Makes Room Outside Stand Out from Other Companies?
We bring over five decades of experience, stability, and a trusted reputation to every project. As a specialist in luxury glass room extensions, we focus solely on creating bespoke spaces. Unlike typical double glazing companies branching into conservatories, we are dedicated experts in this field.
Room Outside has constructed more glass rooms across the South East of England than any other company. With over 50 years of experience, our reputation is unmatched in the region. Building on this legacy, we are now extending our renowned services nationally across the UK, working in collaboration with our trusted specialist builder partners.
Our decades of expertise, paired with comprehensive guarantees, reflect the pride and confidence we have in the quality of our products and workmanship.
What is a Conservatory Extension on a House?
A conservatory on a house is a popular property extension option. They are constructed mainly from glass, in some cases combined with dwarf brick walls, French double doors or bi-fold doors with a full glass roof.
A conservatory is a versatile glass structure designed to enhance your home with natural light and extra space. It can be constructed using a variety of frame materials, including hardwood timber, uPVC, aluminium, oak, or even frameless designs, and can be tailored in a range of styles to complement your property and personal taste.
Typically, a conservatory is added to the back or side of a home, creating an additional room or extending an existing one. In many cases, external doors can be removed to form a larger, open-plan living space. Additionally, conservatories are often eligible to be built without Planning Permission under Permitted Development Rights, making the process simpler and more convenient.
What is an Orangery Extension?
An orangery is a type of room added to extend your home and can be used in the same way as a conservatory; to relax, dine and entertain.
Orangeries can be attached to your property or built as stand-alone structures. They often feature expansive windows, glass doors, and a solid roof with a central glass lantern, creating a bright and airy space. Stylish yet functional, orangeries are an increasingly popular choice for homeowners across the UK looking to add more living space.
Both conservatories and orangeries allow you to enjoy being closer to your garden and the outdoors throughout the year, all while staying comfortable and protected—no matter the unpredictable British weather.
What is a Four Seasons Sunroom or Solarium?
A Four Seasons Sunroom of Solarium is brand of conservatory or glass extension developed in the USA to be a luxurious extension to homes offering an additional room or glass extension to an existing room. The glass used has been specifically developed to be able to cope with the harsh extremes of weather that they experience across America.
Room Outside® is proud to be the ONLY appointed UK agent for Four Seasons, the world’s largest sunroom and conservatory manufacturer. Renowned internationally, their innovative range of products has become a household name in the USA and beyond.
These exceptional lean-to and traditional conservatories, as well as garden rooms, are designed to maintain a truly ambient temperature year-round, efficiently regulating indoor conditions regardless of the weather outside.
A standout favourite is the System 6 Curved Lean-to, featuring an internal structural curved laminated timber beam. This stunning design is completely unique to the British market and delivers both elegance and functionality.
What Is the Cost of a Room Outside Glass Extension?
We pride ourselves on offering a premium product, and the Room Outside name is synonymous with quality, distinction, and timeless style.
Choosing a Room Outside conservatory, orangery, glass box extension, or garden room ensures you receive a bespoke, luxury glass extension built to the highest standards. Each of our glass rooms is custom-designed to be unique to you and your home, making every project completely individual.
The cost of your Room Outside project will depend on factors such as the materials, style, size, configuration, and finishes you choose. Our portfolio of projects starts at around the £25,000 mark for a uPVC structure.
For more insights into pricing and the design features that influence your investment, read our blog. Alternatively, contact us today for a FREE no obligation quote tailored to your exact requirements.
What Are the Key Differences Between Conservatories, Orangeries, and Garden Rooms?
In simple terms:
- A conservatory features a completely glass roof, maximising natural light.
- An orangery has a solid roof around the edges, complemented by one or more glazed lanterns to bring in light.
- A garden room is typically built with a fully solid roof structure, offering a more enclosed feel.
Will my Glass Building be Tailored to Match my Home’s Design?
Yes, whether it’s a conservatory, orangery, garden room, or frameless glass extension, each project is completely tailor-made and individually designed.
Our in-house designers carefully oversee every project to ensure the design meets your requirements and seamlessly complements the style of your home.
Will a Conservatory or Orangery add Value to my Home?
Yes, a well-designed and properly built conservatory or orangery can certainly add value to your home. According to property expert Phil Spencer from “Location, Location, Location,” a high-quality addition could increase your property’s value by as much as 7%.
A survey by the National Association of Estate Agents highlights that glass room extensions rank among the top home improvements for adding significant value to your property.
When considering a glass room extension, it’s important to ensure the design is sympathetic to your home’s existing style and integrates seamlessly with the property. This approach maximises both the investment potential and the aesthetic appeal of your home.
With decades of experience, we have the expertise to help you create a glass extension perfectly tailored to your home and lifestyle, enhancing your property’s value and your way of living.
Read more about how the right conservatory or orangery extension can add value to your home.
What Materials do you Use?
Our glass room extensions and garden rooms can be built in environmentally friendly, sustainable traditional hardwood timber, beautiful hand crafted oak, British engineered aluminium and low maintenance uPVC or our striking contemporary structural frameless glass.
Our conservatories and orangeries are crafted using only the highest quality materials, carefully sourced, developed, and refined over the last four decades, to ensure durability, longevity, and timeless style. We are so confident in the quality of our products that we offer a 30-year guarantee against all structural defects.
Can I take down an external wall to create an open-plan connection with my glass room?
Yes, in most cases, you can remove an external wall to create an open-plan connection with your glass room. However, it’s important to assess the impact on your existing property, including how the wall supports your home’s structure and whether planning permission is required.
Major structural alterations, such as creating an opening to your home, will require compliance with Building Regulations. Our specialist technicians are experienced in handling this process on your behalf, ensuring everything is completed smoothly and professionally.
Find out more about designing an open-plan glass extension.
Will a Conservatory be Cold in Winter and Hot in Summer?
No, Room Outside can offer our revolutionary ‘New Generation Glass’, a specialist double glazing that utilises state of the art technology to control the temperature of your glass room and is designed specifically for the British climate.
We were the very first company to exclusively introduce the revolutionary solar controlled Wonderglass™ into the UK market from Four Seasons Sunrooms in the USA in 1999. This has now been developed further and we believe that our New Generation Glass leads the field today, with its far superior specification, reflecting heat and light back to its source to keep your glass room at the optimum temperature throughout the seasons. NGG offers unsurpassed solar control alongside outstanding thermal performance, making this the best product in its class. These temperature control properties combined with self-cleaning technology make our glass perfect for the extreme demands of a room built entirely of glass. Read more about keeping glass room warm and cool throughout the seasons.
What type of Double Glazing do you Use?
Our exclusive ‘New Generation Glass’ is a specialist temperature controlled double glazing that utilises warm edge technology with a spacer bar that is up to 950 times less conductive than aluminium.
This technology increases internal temperatures around the edges, and vastly improves insulation, combined with an exceptionally low U-Value, also ensures your room stays warmer in the winter. Our glass has a specially developed Low-E coating within the glass make up, and the double-glazed units are filled with Argon gas to maximise efficiency.
Will having a glass roof let in too much light, heat and UV rays?
No, our specialist glass allows the right amount of light and heat through to provide optimum comfort in your glass room all year round.
With unsurpassed solar control alongside outstanding thermal performance, our New Generation Glass is the best product in its class. Our NGG roof units will reflect up to 86% of the sun’s rays, meaning that the sun’s heat is reflected or absorbed by the glass, reducing heat build-up as well as glare in the summer months. No other conservatory roof glass can compete with this level of performance. Using warm edge technology that vastly improves insulation, combined with an exceptionally low U-Value, ensures your room stays warmer in the winter. Our roof glass blocks virtually all harmful UV rays to help reduce not just the risk to you and your family, but also by helping to prevent damage to soft furnishings.
Are your Glass Extensions Secure?
Yes, all our products are designed and accredited to provide the very best security as well as being energy efficient and weatherproof, and to meet and exceed enhanced security performance.
Does Room Outside handle everything from the initial design to the finishing touches?
Yes, Room Outside offers a bespoke design service and a “one stop shop” approach to its building projects.
You can rest assured that once you place an order with us, our experienced specialist partner builders will manage your entire project from start to finish. A dedicated Builder will project manage every detail, ensuring seamless progress and minimal disruption to your daily life
Do I need Planning Permission?
This depends on the size and style of the extension, your property, and the area that you live in.
Planning permission is a complex process best handled by experts. Our experienced planning agents can manage this on your behalf, ensuring a smooth and efficient approval process. We take care to consult with the planning officer before submitting applications, which significantly reduces the risk of rejection. For listed buildings or properties in conservation areas, our longstanding relationships with Local Authorities and Planning Offices across the South East help us secure the best solutions, including Listed Building Consent. For more insights, read our blog, ‘Do I need Planning Permission?’ or visit the the Planning Portal for additional guidance.
How Big can a Conservatory be Without Getting Planning Permission?
A conservatory, orangery, glass or traditional extension can be up to 6 metres length wise for a terraced or semi-detached house without most homeowners needing to gain planning permission. For detached houses you are allowed to build up to 8 metres from your home under Permitted Development.
The amount you can extend your home by is a total for your property rather than per extension, so if your home has been extended before, this area will reduce the size you can use for your glass extension.
Do I Need Building Regulations for a Conservatory?
No, you usually don’t need Building Regulations sign off for a conservatory, as long as they meet the below requirements:
- Single storey extension
- the area is less than 30 square metres internally
- the extension is separated from the property via doors/windows glazed to external quality
- must not restrict emergency escape exits
- heating should be installed separately or with a separate on/off function to the main home heating
- at least 50 percent of its external wall area must be glazed
- have a glass or translucent roof
- glazing in doors, adjacent windows and windows within 800mm of floor level must be safety glazing
If you wish to remove the external doors between the new conservatory extension and your home, and possibly also widen the gap to make your new extension open plan, it is likely you will require the ok from Building Regulations, especially as there is more structural work involved.
How Long will the Build Take?
The length of a project really depends on the glass extension design and size, but on average the build will take between 6-12 weeks.
Once you have approved the designs and your build is booked in, we will be able to give you a schedule detailing our working hours and an expected completion date.
Do you Oversee and Manage the Entire Project?
Yes, we do. Our specialist builder partners handle the day-to-day site activities, while our experienced office team carefully oversees and manages the overall project to ensure everything runs smoothly and stays on schedule.
Who should I contact if any issues arise during the build or even after completion?
From the very start, you will have direct mobile access to the project manager overseeing your job, who will promptly arrange whatever is needed to address any issues.
How Often will I need to Maintain and Clean my Room Outside?
A conservatory, orangery, or glass extension is a significant investment, but when done properly, it adds immense value to both your lifestyle and your property, far surpassing the initial cost in the long run. To keep your glass extension in pristine condition, it’s essential to clean and maintain the frames, glass, and mechanisms annually, preventing any long-term wear or degradation
We would recommend having your structure valeted inside and out every 3-6 months to ensure that your glass room always looks at its best. If your Conservatory is regularly maintained it will last you for decades and can still look as good as the day it was built. We offer professional specialist conservatory and orangery cleaning, repair and maintenance services from our Groom Outside division. Also these blogs on maintaining your glass room may be helpful. 5 things to do now to maintain your conservatory throughout the winter. Protecting your investment: Tips to keep your conservatory looking like new
Will my Room Outside Come with any Guarantee?
Yes, you will be covered by our standard warranty on workmanship as well as our 30 year guarantee against failure of structural products.
Every structure is designed and built with the very highest of care and attention, using only the best in products and materials, so we are confident that with continued care and regular maintenance your structure will be around for many decades to come. To give you peace of mind and assurance in your investment we offer our customers a structural products guarantee, protecting you for a period of 30 years. Our guarantee is independently recognised as one of the best in the industry and totally unique to Room Outside. For full terms of our guarantee please contact us.
How Long has Room Outside been in Business?
The first Room Outside was built in 1973. We are a well-established company that has built its reputation on fine bespoke design and the highest quality service. There are more Room Outside structures throughout the South of England than any other manufacturer. Find out more about Room Outside here.