Services for Conservatories
Hi, we have for each category of service, compiled relevant information that you may find useful.
Please note: All information contained within this section is for guidance only. It is best that you check current sources of information.
If you would like to contribute or make a suggestion, please click here.
Please note: All information contained within this section is for guidance only. It is best that you check current sources of information.
If you would like to contribute or make a suggestion, please click here.
Conservatories
Services
Useful Links
Products
Jargon Buster
Areas covered under this Category are as follows:
- Blackout & Dimout
- Blinds
- Canopy
- Cladding
- Fascias & Soffits
- Guttering
- Windows
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NHIC membership comprises many of the most important companies and organisations operating in the home improvement sector - www.nhic.org.uk
Glass and Glazing Federation - www.ggf.co.uk - Is the leading Trade Federation for companies who manufacture, supply or fit flat glass, windows and related products.
British Blind and Shutter Association - www.bbsa.org.uk
British Woodworking Federation - www.bwf.org.uk
FENSA - www.fensa.org.uk - Is the largest Competent Person Scheme for replacement windows and doors, to allow companies to self certify compliance to Building Regulations.
- Screwfix
- B&Q
- Wickes
- Homebase
- Velux
- Everest
- Anglian
A to B
- Abutment: is the place where one side of a conservatory is touching an existing wall.
- Air leakage rating: a measurement of the rate of air leakage around a window, skylight or door.
- Aluminium blinds: referred to as venetian blinds constructed of horizontal strips of aluminium.
- Apex: the highest point, typically the ridge.
- Base: defines the foundations and sub-structure of a conservatory.
- Bay window: an arrangement of three or more individual window units, attached so as to project from the building at various obtuse angles.
- Box gutter: a rainwater collection point used when the conservatory roof slopes towards the host wall or fascia board.
C to D
- Centre deadlock: door and window locking device.
- Conservatory roof blinds: roof blinds usually (usually custom made) with high shading and thermal properties.
- Control or push rods: these are used to adjust the louvres on shutters, so you can get as much or as little light as you want.
- Cresting: is a decorative moulding at the top of the ridge to add character to a conservatory.
- Cross brace: a structural term for a tie rod or additional support to a conservatory which is designed to prevent 'racking' (movement).
- Damp proof course (DPC): is placed between brick courses at the internal floor level. The external ground level should usually be two bricks below the DPC.
- Divided light: a window that consists of a number of smaller panes of glass separated and held in place by muntins.
- Duo pitch: a conservatory with two slopes with a central ridge.
- Dwarf wall: a wall under the window frames on a conservatory.
E to F
- Eaves gutter: a roof gutter attached at an eaves overhang.
- Elbow shoe: is the final piece of pipe work that empties rainwater into a gulley/soakaway.
- End cap: is placed at the end of a gutter section.
- Fall (slope): the slope of the roof or gutter, often expressed in degrees, or as a ratio of vertical height to horizontal distance.
- Fogging: a term to describe a deposit of contamination left on the inside surface of a sealed insulating glass unit due to a failed seal or extremes of temperatures.
G to H
- Gable conservatory: a conservatory that has a gable front.
- Gallows brackets: used to support the underneath of a box gutter.
- Gasket: the black rubber strip that runs around the pane of glass in a window to create a weatherproof join.
- Gutter: horizontal channels installed at the edge of a roof to carry rainwater or melted snow away from the house.
- Head drip: head drips are at the top of windows to channel water away from the front face of the window or door.
- Hip bar: the glazing bar that goes from the front to the ridge end. It carries most of the structural load of the conservatory.
- Host wall: the existing property wall that a conservatory adjoins.
I to J
K to L
- Lantern style roof: this is when a small roof effectively sits on top of another roof.
- Leader: a pipe that carries rainwater from the gutters to the ground, sewers, or wells.
M to N
O to P
- Offset: a pipe fitting that directs a downpipe from the gutter, under the eaves soffit and down a wall.
- Pleated blinds: pleated blinds have horizontal pleats forming a concertina effect.
Q to R
- Rain head: a box-shaped receptacle used between gutters and downpipes as an external overflow point.
- Roller blinds: a type of conservatory blind that is rolled up as the blind is raised.
- Roman blinds: a type of conservatory blind that are drawn up into horizontal folds the blind is raised.
- Running outlet: is the gutter outlet in the middle of a run of gutter.
S to T
- Shoe: a fitting used in a downpipe, to change direction of the downpipe by about 45 degrees.
- Shutter: usually lightweight louvered decorative frames in the form of doors located on the sides of a window. Shutters are used to close over the window for protection.
- Sidescreen: fixed full window to the side of a residential, French or patio door.
- Siesta blinds: a blackout blind for a Velux window
- Snow drift: refers to the amount of snow that should be able to settle on the roof of a conservatory without it collapsing under the resulting weight.
- Soffit: part of the roofline system on a house that seals the house from the elements, between the tiles and the brickwork.
- Sump: a roof gutter pit used to connect downpipes to internal roof gutters.
- Thermal break: a way of stopping heat or cold transfer between two surfaces. In windows, thermal breaks are often used within the double glazed unit.
- Tie bar: is the triangular bracing system designed to keep a roof in the correct position under extreme snow and wind loads.
- Top light: narrow height opening or fixed glazed panel above door or main window.
U to V
- uPVC (unplasticised polyvinyl chloride): is a rigid plastic material widely used in the construction industry in the form of pipes, guttering, window and doorframes, fascias and soffits.
- U-value: a measure of heat loss. The lower the u value, the more energy efficient the window.
- Valley gutter: a gutter at the bottom intersection of two sloping roofs.
- Velux blinds: a type of blind manufactured specially for Velux windows commonly found in lofts.
W to X
- Warm edge spacer: used to separate the two panes of glass in a double-glazed unit with a spacer made of a different material (often plastic) that transmits less heat.
- Weep hole: a small opening in a window cill or wall member through which water may drain to the building exterior.
Y to Z