Tel. 01933 448853
e: enquiries@samsonawnings.co.uk
Guide to ordering your glassroom
The following process has been broken down to demonstrate the benefits of a glassroom, the options available, and how to order one yourself.
For further information please do not hesitate to contact our team who can answer any questions and enquiries that you might have.
We've broken the process down into 7 sections, which you can browse at your own speed.
1) Living with a Glassroom
Why choose a Glassroom?
A glassroom can offer an indoor-outdoor hybrid space, suitable for year-round use, which significantly adds value and dynamism to your home or place of business. These stylish and striking rooms are the ideal location for entertaining guests, or whiling away the hours with a good book.
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It may seem as though these rooms are just glorified conservatories, although this is not the case. Whilst they do offer very similar functions, a glassroom normally does not require planning permission, whereas a conservatory typically does. The framework for a glassroom is also considerably less than with a conservatory, as the glass used is frameless, with only minor support posts blocking your view. A conservatory has substantially more uPVC framing, which carves up the view on offer and also looks less impressive visually than a glassroom.
Another key difference is the light level, which is much lower in a conservatory due to brickwork, glass framing, and a full or frosted roof. If you want to create an airy and refreshing space at the back of your property then a glassroom is the way forward.
An awning or veranda may also be able to offer this level of light, and some overhead protection, but cannot offer comprehensive protection from the elements.
A glassroom can be closed in wet conditions, protecting you and your belongings, but opened fully when the weather is more favourable. In doing this, a glassroom is converted into a veranda; two products in one. Where a conservatory may become too hot and stuffy, a glassroom can simply be completely opened to ventilate the space at your discretion.
Built-in guttering within the front profile of a glassroom channels rainwater down a supporting post, preventing an uncontrolled waterfall running down the front face. Integral heating and lighting options further enhance the inviting nature of these spaces, even when the weather is at it's most miserable.
As mentioned, a glassroom is genuinely suitable for year-round use, offering all the qualities of a conservatory, an awning and a veranda combined into one system. Don’t let rain or winds ruin your time in the garden; choose a glassroom for the best of both worlds.
2) Shapes, Sizes and Fixing
Most glassrooms have what is known as a ‘pent’ roof, where the roof slopes downwards away from the fixing wall. However, due to the aluminium construction of these rooms, any feasible roof shape can be achieved.
Every glassroom is made to order. This means that your exact specifications are met and catered for. Does your house have awkward guttering, pipework, or chimneys? These can all be worked around without issue. This also means glassrooms can be designed to fit in-between the existing structure, around a corner, or simply onto one already existing wall.
The projection of a glassroom is how much the room “projects” (sticks out) from the back wall. The maximum projection length is 6 meters in most cases. The width of the room is limitless in theory, as the structure is modular and made to order.
The room is fixed to the back wall with an aluminium plate, where the roof meets the wall. This requires a stable and suitable wall, which is also at the highest part of the installation. For single story applications, steel brackets are often required to raise the level of this plate to maintain suitable roof pitch.
The supports should not be placed onto earth or soil, but more sturdy bases or tiles. There is no specific requirement for concrete bases, however they are recommended in locations where the existing base is subject to weathering or erosion.
Many installations request for the glassroom to be placed onto a raised area, which can be achieved as part of the installation process. Decking is often employed, raising the glassroom onto a stable surface, and adding a degree of weather protection. Further protection can be provided by adding a steel sub frame underneath the bottom tracks, which can be submerged to match the level of the floor.
3) Make It Your Own (Heating, Lighting, Optional Extras)
There are a large number of options available when researching for a glassroom, all designed to help create the perfect glassroom for your garden.
Whilst a glassroom is the perfect place to spend a warm sunny day, heating options are available for when the weather isn’t quite so warm. Infrared halogen heaters built into the framework of the glassroom can provide a great source of warmth, meaning your glassroom can be used even when it’s colder outside.
As well as built-in heating, there are also options for LED lighting to be built into the framework as well. As such, these lights mean that your glassroom is still an inviting place in the evenings, or when the sun has chosen to stay hidden. Perfect for when you are entertaining and the evening draws in; lighting means you can stay in the glassroom, rather than relocating.
There are a number of overhang and guttering options for glassrooms, all designed to neatly direct rainwater, rather than allowing it to fall freely. Rainwater is channelled down one or more of the supports, and then away from the structure. Some overhang options feature an inbuilt gutter, whereas others will be fitted externally. The overhang itself offers additional protection from rain, allowing doors underneath the overhang to remain open and avoid splashback.
There are also a number of options regarding the colour and finish of the glassroom framework. There are over 50 standard colour options which are always factory finished with a high-quality powder coat. Popular choices include ‘Sparkling Iron’ and ‘Iron Glimmer’, both of which provide a traditional and stylish finish, complementing most building styles. There are a further 9 metallic finishes available, and if you still cannot find the perfect colour, then there are a further 150+ special RAL colours to choose from.
Blinds are another option within a glassroom, with external vertical blinds adding another level of control over the conditions in your glassroom. Blinds can be fitted as part of the installation process, including retractable roof blinds, which can be extended to offer shade when required, or retracted to let the sunlight through. These blinds are electrically operated, normally with remote controls for the ultimate convenience.
These blinds come in a range of over 150 fabrics, designed to help you find the perfect material for your glassroom. Darker colours are recommended for south facing units, where the sun needs blocking more frequently. However, with over 150 options to choose from, you truly can have any fabric you would like. These fabrics are solution dyed, making them colour fast, meaning they will resist water and dirt for many years to come.
4) Do I need planning permission?
This is a common question asked when researching glassrooms, especially when they are compared to conservatories. Whilst we cannot say for certain that planning permission is not required, we have been able to install glassrooms in cases where other structures are not permitted, or require more stringent permissions.
Alterations to the laws regarding the construction of structures like conservatories has helped to relax the objections that can arise. Glassrooms are technically considered ‘temporary structures’, as they do not require foundations, which furthers the ease of acquiring any necessary permissions.
The frameless glass keeps the visual impact of a glassroom to a minimum, which is preferred over conservatories and timber orangeries in many cases.
We are happy to provide applications with 3D drawings and plans of a glassroom to help visualise the project. If you wish to provide a good quality picture (.jpg preferred) of the proposed site, we can also use that to generate planning images.
5) Glass Specification
Our glassrooms use a variety of glass specifications, from 6mm to 12mm, always toughened or laminated for safety.
The glass we use is completely clear as standard, designed to maximise the light entering the glassroom. Colour tinting is available to reduce the intensity of the sun, as well as various frostings like ‘sand-blasted’ if certain panes require, to add privacy for example.
Glass for the roof sections is always between 10mm and 10.8mm, and glass for sliding or folding doors is also usually 10mm. Optional heat treatment is available for the door glass, recommended for glass in extreme weather conditions, or in coastal locations. Smaller sections, like trapezium infills above side doors, is usually 6mm, although this can be specified to be thicker if required. Large static glass infill will be between 10mm and 12mm.
As well as full glass panels, you can have 50/50 infills of glass and aluminium, meaning the glass only fills the top half of the infill. This is used in cases where access and vision is not required on one particular side. Alternatively, you can have an aluminium frame around static glass for added stability.
6) Flooring and Finishing
Once you have decided on the all the other details, you can choose your finishing options. Many customers choose to add flooring to their glassroom, rather than using the existing patio. Some choose to raise the glassroom itself, onto either a concrete base, or a raised decking area.
Ceramic tiles can be laid in the glassroom, although this will higher than the level outside of the room. The tracks of sliding doors can factored into decking and tiling, which will reduce or eliminate the raised tracking altogether.
Timber flooring can be used, although it must be timber that is suited to and treated for damp conditions, as glassrooms are not completely impervious to water. Modern composite timbers are best suited for this, and we recommend speaking to a wood flooring specialist in this regard. We use Millboard decking, who provide a range of textures and colours on high-quality timber. Please consult their website for further details of their decking options: www.millboard.co.uk.
Some customers have installed underfloor heating to reduce the effects of condensation, particularly in the more unpredictable months of weather.
When installing a glassroom existing patio work is often uneven, or sloped away from the back wall for drainage purposes. This means that the glassroom structure will often require packers to ensure all bottom tracks are integrated with the floor.
As mentioned previously, obstructions can be accommodated for by cutting the framework or packing around them, like downpipes and chimneys for example. Careful planning and laser-levelling will help to minimise the trimming and packing required when it comes to installation. If a new raised area or decking area is installed then less packing and trimming is required, as the bottom level will be considerably more level.
Please note that most standard sealants and mastics are not suitable for use with an aluminium glassroom, particularly if a metallic finish has been used. We recommend high-grade sealants to provide the most reliable and long term results.
7) Pricing and Ordering
We are not a ‘direct sales’ company, meaning our team members are not heavily reliant on commission. As a result, our customer service is a priority, helping to find the best solution for the best price to your specifications and requirements.
Purchasing a glassroom is a big decision, and our staff understand that you may want to take your time and consider your options.
Ordering Process
- Call or email with an enquiry, or visit our Wellingborough head office to see a glassroom in action. With some basic ideas on size requirements we can provide a budget price very quickly, and provide a range of options available.
- If you are happy to continue, provide us with some photographs of the desired installation area, which allows us to verify the installation and budget.
- A site survey. We like to wait until both parties are happy with the proposals before committing a survey, so no one’s time is wasted. The survey will confirm measurements, levels, spec and accessories, and finally the price.
- If the price is satisfactory, we ask for a 50% deposit to begin the process of ordering with the factory.
- Upon receiving the deposit we produce a final set of drawings and a specification listing for you to sign. Once this is signed and agreed, the order is confirmed.
- The delivery date is normally around 4-5 weeks after this, allowing the manufacturers time to create the parts to your exact specifications. We will arrange a date once we receive confirmation of delivery, and the installation will take anywhere from 2-5 days depending on size and spec.
UK Glassrooms is affiliated with Samson Outdoor Living, a family owned and operated company, who offer high-quality building products for domestic and commercial properties.
Once again we would like to mention that our sales staff and surveyors are not commission driven, and as such will not try to oversell items you do not need.
That’s it! Once your glassroom is installed the only thing left to do is enjoy it!
Our glass rooms are:
Elegant
Choose from a wide range of timeless, luxury designs
Frameless
Glazed panels provide unobstructed panoramic views
Bespoke
Made to measure in keeping with the style of your home
Innovative
Unique designs featuring the latest technology
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