Major Projects Advice On Building Glass Extensions

Date Published:

28/05/2008

Planning It Out

What And Where?

You can add glazing to almost anywhere in your home, but there are limits to the amount you can apply - glazing panels are restricted to less than 22.5 per cent of the total floor area, according to building regulations (for more info, see building regulations on the Government's Planning Portal.

The place you're most likely to get permission to build an entire glass extension is to the rear of your property, but it very much depends on your local planning department and what precedent has been set by your neighbours. As for the style of the extension, frameless is ideal - and the bigger the glazing panels the better. If you do go for frames, try to make them a discreet metal or hardwood that doesn't stand out too much - uPVC is a real no-no.

If you don't have space for a full-size extension, you can liven up your property and let some much-needed light in with more modest additions, like a glass roof or a glazed side return. Or you could consider removing classic French doors, widening the entrance, and adding some concertina doors. This will give you much the same effect - just not quite as dramatic (or expensive) - of linking your outside space to the inside and, most importantly, letting the light stream in.

Photo: Paul Smoothy

Frameless conservatories look fabulously modern, and their transparency means they don't look out of place even on older properties, such as this Victorian townhouse. Here, architect Paul Archer Design and structural engineers Fluid Structures created a roof supported by toughened glass beams that connect to the laminated glass walls via stainless-steel brackets. The addition of a pond lying flush with the base of the conservatory adds to the Zen-like quality of the scheme.

Make it Happen

There are many different routes to realising your dream glass installation. For bigger jobs, it makes sense to hire an architect to help you draw up your plans (find one at www.riba.com.

A good local architect will also be able to advise you on planning issues, and put forward an application on your behalf; they'll help with building regulations, and hire a glazer to do the job properly. You'll find a comprehensive list of reputable glazing and glass firms at www.ggf.org.uk.

Or you could enlist the services of a company that specialises in glass conservatories and extensions, many of which offer modular systems, ranging from a self-contained glass box to glazed roofs, which they will install for you. Alternatively, some will design and construct according to your own plans and requirements (again, check out recommended firms at www.ggf.org.uk).

Photo: Richard Bryant/Arcaid.co.uk

These dramatic, light-loving floor-to-ceiling glass doors rest on pivots, allowing the entire back wall to open up, perfect for those warm summer evenings. It may look complicated but architect Steve Marshall of Munkenbeck & Marshall insists it wasn't. He designed the doors himself and got the steel frames and pivots installed in place before fitting the glass.

Rules And Regulations

Depending on how ambitious your plans are, you may have to apply for planning permission and conform to building regulations. Smaller projects, such as a glazed side return, for example, should fall within your permitted development rights, and therefore you won't need to make a planning application. But for bigger extensions - those which increase the volume of a terraced house by more than 10 per cent, or 15 per cent for a detached property - you probably will.

If your glass extension can be closed off from the rest of the house by a door, and has a glass roof, it will be deemed a conservatory and you shouldn't need permission, but, as always, check with your local authority's Building Control service and go to the Government's Planning Portal for comprehensive information.

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