DIY Conservatory & Fitting One-self Buying Kit on Ebay or Second Hand

ronan45

Hi DIYers, Has anyone attempted number one to buy a conservatory over the net and number 2 try to erect it themselves?
Wanted to get a nice summer room, but the price to have supplied in fitted is just not in my budget. I was thinking to buy a kit on Ebay, and have a proper Irish builder to prepare the ground and fit it.
Im ok at DIY but i dont have the skills or confidence to tackle a foundation or block work. Has anyone bought one and erected them selves? was it hard? How much would you reckon it would cost a builder to throw a kit up?

ART6

ronan45 wrote: »

Hi DIYers, Has anyone attempted number one to buy a conservatory over the net and number 2 try to erect it themselves?
Wanted to get a nice summer room, but the price to have supplied in fitted is just not in my budget. I was thinking to buy a kit on Ebay, and have a proper Irish builder to prepare the ground and fit it.
Im ok at DIY but i dont have the skills or confidence to tackle a foundation or block work. Has anyone bought one and erected them selves? was it hard? How much would you reckon it would cost a builder to throw a kit up?

I built myself a lean-to one three years ago. It was UK manufactured but sold by Homebase for self erection. Cost then about four grand and is 5 metres by 31/2 metres, double doors and four windows.

I built a low block wall for it -- not difficult to do at all. The erection of it really needed two people simply because of the weights of some of the components, but everything clipped together perfectly and it has been fine ever since -- no leaks or any problems. The instructions that came with it were clear and easy to follow. The worst bit was hand mixing the mortar and concrete!

ronan45

ART6 wrote: »

I built myself a lean-to one three years ago. It was UK manufactured but sold by Homebase for self erection. Cost then about four grand and is 5 metres by 31/2 metres, double doors and four windows.

I built a low block wall for it -- not difficult to do at all. The erection of it really needed two people simply because of the weights of some of the components, but everything clipped together perfectly and it has been fine ever since -- no leaks or any problems. The instructions that came with it were clear and easy to follow. The worst bit was hand mixing the mortar and concrete!

Cheers Art! Foundation wise, How deep did you have to dig down?

martinn123

Be careful what you buy, you can get a glass to ground model, which will only require a concrete slab, or a model that goes on a dwarf wall.

However using a polycarbonate, or plastic roof, which is lightweight.

If you purchase a glass roof model the weight is substantial, and you will have to get the base right first time.

If you are using a local builder expect to pay 3-4K for say a 12 X 12 base with some electrics and a radiator connected.

You should also find someone local to fit the Conservatory if you do not feel you are up to it.

Should take 2 days for 2 men.

What area are you in

ART6

I didn't dig a foundation since I was building it on a concrete patio that I knew was 75 mm thick and cast on a deep bed of rubble (I bored a couple of test holes), and the wall, was only going to be 1 metre high. However, to make sure the patio was dead square to the house wall I first cast a concrete ring to build the wall on (a) to spread the weight evenly and (b) to give me a dead level surface for the block work.

If I had needed to prepare a foundation, then given that my ground is very rocky, I guess I would have gone down the width of one block plus the thickness of one (320 mm) plus another 100 mm for a dry mix concrete blinding. I would have then built a slip foundation -- a course of blocks on their flat faces followed by a cavity course of blocks on edge with the cavity filled with concrete.

In m y case, since I was starting from a patio, I covered the whole patio inside the walls with HDPE membrane (from B&Q) and continued it up the single thickness walls to act as dry lining. That saved me the trouble and expense of building a cavity wall all round, and it made it easier to install the conservatory bottom frame -- it all just fitted together better that way.

Instead of using plasterboard for the internal walls I used 9 mm ply, which was half the price and much easier to fit shelves etc to -- the brackets were simply screwed into the ply board.

Since the patio was about 350 mm below the back door I decided to build a wooden floor in the conservatory using flooring grade chipboard on 4 x 2 beams. That and the wall height carefully measured meant that there was no step down from my back door and no step up to the conservatory door. I built a couple of air bricks into the end walls to ensure underfloor ventilation.

Don't know that all this helps you much, but that was my experience. I was happy with the result.

ronan45

martinn123 wrote: »

Be careful what you buy, you can get a glass to ground model, which will only require a concrete slab, or a model that goes on a dwarf wall.

However using a polycarbonate, or plastic roof, which is lightweight.

If you purchase a glass roof model the weight is substantial, and you will have to get the base right first time.

If you are using a local builder expect to pay 3-4K for say a 12 X 12 base with some electrics and a radiator connected.

You should also find someone local to fit the Conservatory if you do not feel you are up to it.

Should take 2 days for 2 men.

What area are you in

3-4k for a 12 x 12 base hmmm i think ill be going the decking route. I wouldnt want a radiator it would just be a summer room. I was thinking the full job for a bout 5 or 6 k lol. I think Ill be sitting on my deck this summer lol
Dam this reccesion the banks arent giving me money hand over fist for unneccesary stuff

gsxr1

ART6 wrote: »

I didn't dig a foundation since I was building it on a concrete patio that I knew was 75 mm thick and cast on a deep bed of rubble (I bored a couple of test holes), and the wall, was only going to be 1 metre high. However, to make sure the patio was dead square to the house wall I first cast a concrete ring to build the wall on (a) to spread the weight evenly and (b) to give me a dead level surface for the block work.

Thats a bit of a gamble is it not. There would be no steel in a patio unless you where lucky. I see a lot of them crack or slip from the house after a number of years.
I take it yours has not moved


I built a home bace one for my father 8 years ago and it worked out good. cost 4k and is the same price now I believe

ART6

gsxr1 wrote: »

Thats a bit of a gamble is it not. There would be no steel in a patio unless you where lucky. I see a lot of them crack or slip from the house after a number of years.
I take it yours has not moved


I built a home bace one for my father 8 years ago and it worked out good. cost 4k and is the same price now I believe

Not really much of a gamble -- the single course low wall was well distributed and not especially heavy, and neither was the conservatory. The patio was built with the house in 1974 and hadn't gone anywhere (and hasn't since). Certainly, given my own experience, and yours by the sound of it, I would recommend the Homebase units. They have a good range and are simple enough to assemble.

Sparkpea

ronan45 wrote: »

3-4k for a 12 x 12 base hmmm i think ill be going the decking route. I wouldnt want a radiator it would just be a summer room. I was thinking the full job for a bout 5 or 6 k lol. I think Ill be sitting on my deck this summer lol
Dam this reccesion the banks arent giving me money hand over fist for unneccesary stuff

conservatory's will melt u in the summertime.

u keep talking about a summer house so why not just buy one like the shed type from b&q

ronan45

Sparkpea wrote: »

conservatory's will melt u in the summertime.

u keep talking about a summer house so why not just buy one like the shed type from b&q

Hi Spark Pea Yes thats DEFFO in my budget !

JUst had a google there i think is more in my budget. Cheers for that

http://www.waltongardenproducts.ie/summer-houses?gclid=CLXO3ZTfr6cCFYFB4Qod1lAqnQ

Sparkpea

looks the business!