Expanding a living space with an oak-framed conservatory could be the extension solution you've been seeking.
An oak frame conservatory is a popular home extension option, offering a bright, spacious living area that seamlessly blends indoor and outdoor spaces. Here's a comprehensive guide on building an oak frame conservatory, its features, advantages, and maintenance.
Size and Planning
You can build a conservatory without planning permission if it doesn't exceed the size of the existing house wall, isn't bigger than 50% of the area around the original house, and is under 4m high. However, if you live in a designated zone such as a Conservation Area, Permitted Development (PD) rights do not apply, and you will need to obtain planning consent from your local authority.
Structure and Glazing
Oak frame conservatories are predominantly glass structures with a high percentage of glazing on walls and roofs, often more than 75% glazed roof. The structure of an oak frame conservatory is typically erected in boxlike sections known as bays, each of which will be around 4.5m wide.
Face glazing, which applies glass to the exterior face of the oak frame to create a weathertight seal, is a common glazing option. Bi-fold doors that can open to create large indoor-outdoor spaces are popular glazing options.
Style and Material
Oak's ability to weather to a natural silvery hue is one of the material's main appeals, but if you want to retain the original color, annual maintenance is required. Oak frames offer a huge amount of flexibility in style and design, from traditional to contemporary. Other timbers such as larch, Douglas fir, or glulam can be used to create the same framed aesthetic as oak.
Insulation and Heating
In warmer months, solar gain can be used to heat the space, but radiators are not typically viable due to the extent of glazing. Electric panel heaters or portable electric heaters offer another route to warming the space, but running costs can be higher. Underfloor heating may be a better solution for heating a conservatory.
Extending your central heating system into your conservatory would need to adhere to Building Regulations. Log burning stoves offer a potential alternative to heat the space. To prevent overheating during the warmer months, incorporate opening windows and doors, roof vents, or trickle ventilators in windows.
Maintenance
The primary need for maintaining an oak conservatory is to keep gutters and downpipes unblocked to prevent water or dampness from penetrating the building's envelope. Providing the architectural detailing of the frame is met and effective maintenance of the timber is carried out, an oak frame conservatory can last as long as an oak frame house.
Cost
The average cost of an extension from Oakwrights in 2024 was £66,000, across all styles, including oak frame, glazing, and joinery. Most companies provide the same care and attention to the build of an oak frame conservatory as they do any other oak project. The construction process is swift, as the frame can be erected quickly once delivered.
Comparison with Orangeries and Garden Rooms
The key differences between oak frame conservatories, orangeries, and garden rooms lie in their structure, materials, appearance, and function:
- Conservatories are predominantly glass structures with a high percentage of glazing on walls and roofs. They offer a more lightweight, fully glazed feel and are typically less insulated but provide a bright, transparent space.
- Orangeries combine brick or masonry walls and columns with glazed sections, especially featuring a central glazed roof lantern. They use more solid materials, which gives them a stronger extension-like appearance, better insulation, more privacy, and a cosier, room-like feel compared to conservatories.
- Garden rooms (sometimes referred to as garden studios or outdoor rooms) often differ from orangeries and conservatories in that they are fully insulated standalone or attached structures designed for multi-purpose living spaces, such as offices, gyms, or lounges.
This distinction helps homeowners choose based on needs for light, insulation, style, and function.
- If your conservatory construction adheres to size limits without exceeding the existing house wall, not being bigger than 50% of the area around the original house, and being under 4m high, you might not need planning permission.
- However, if you reside in a designated zone such as a Conservation Area, Permitted Development (PD) rights do not apply, requiring you to obtain planning consent from your local authority.
- An oak frame conservatory's structure is typically erected in boxlike sections known as bays, each around 4.5m wide.
- Face glazing, which applies glass to the exterior face of the oak frame, is a common glazing option for a weathertight seal.
- Bi-fold doors that can open to create large indoor-outdoor spaces are a popular glazing option for oak frame conservatories.
- Oak's ability to weather to a natural silvery hue is one of the material's main appeals, but for retaining the original color, annual maintenance is required.
- Solar gain can be used to heat the space in warmer months, but radiators are not typically viable due to the extent of glazing.
- Incorporating opening windows and doors, roof vents, or trickle ventilators in windows can prevent overheating during the warmer months for an oak frame conservatory.
- To last as long as an oak frame house, an oak conservatory requires proper gutter and downpipe maintenance to prevent water or dampness from penetrating the building's envelope.
- The average cost of an extension from Oakwrights in 2024 was £66,000, including oak frame, glazing, and joinery costs.
- Most companies provide the same care and attention to the construction of an oak frame conservatory as they do for any other oak project.
- The construction process is swift, as the frame can be erected quickly once delivered.
- Conservatories offer a more lightweight, fully glazed feel and are typically less insulated compared to orangeries.
- Orangeries combine brick or masonry walls and columns with glazed sections, often featuring a central glazed roof lantern.
- Garden rooms are fully insulated standalone or attached structures designed for multi-purpose living spaces like offices, gyms, or lounges.
- Choosing between oak frame conservatories, orangeries, and garden rooms depends on homeowners' needs for light, insulation, style, and function.
- Factors like lifestyle, living preferences, budget, and even factors related to food-and-drink, home-and-garden, relationships, pets, travel, cars, shopping, sports, and the weather can influence which home extension best suits your needs.
