Advice needed on conservatory please.

[oldoakknives]

We have a conservatory which has a box gutter between the house and conservatory. When it rains heavily we get water dripping into the conservatory. The guttering isn't blocked, just a few small pieces of moss which get washed away when it rains. Have made sure it can't be the downpipe blocked as well. So I'm thinking when we get heavy rain it's just the volume, which either spills over the guttering or leaks on the joints. It's pretty inaccessible without clambering on the roof and even then you can't get at it properly.
So what I'm thinking is, would it be worth getting a new roof put on the conservatory and the guttering replaced at the same time when it would be accessible? Thinking of one of the tiled type roofs as an update as well.

Any thoughts from the hive mind appreciated thanks.

[TheTigerUK]

Our conservatory is now 20 years old and over the last 10 years or so I have had to maintain the roof (Edwardian style) continually as the panels tend to slide down and bring the rubber seals with them causing leaks, during the last week we have started the process of getting quotes to do away with the roof and have a tiled roof in its place, ours is only a small conservatory (3m x 3m) that my wife uses as a reading room/walk in wardrobe.

I regretted having a conservatory style roof very soon and have advised anyone/many who have asked for advice to have a tiled roof instead, no need for blinds, no noise, no leaks etc.

First quote came in at £3500 to replace with a tiled roof.

[mk1974]

I’d recommend reroofing it and insulating it,to make it more usable,but I’d try and change the shape ,in order to get rid of the box gutter .


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[ralphy]

We’ve had polycarbonate, glass and tiled roofs, never again will we have the first two.

Our latest one incorporates composite tiles that replicate the look of the house roof and it has all the benefits of being a bricks and mortar extension.

If the rest of the conservatory is sound then replacing the roof with a solid construction is a good investment, cooler in summer and warmer in winter.

R

[TomGW]

With the box gutter between the conservatory and house, would I be right in assuming a two storey house and a single storey conservatory with roof hipped on all sides? If that's the case, and leaks only in 'heavy rain', the box gutter itself might be watertight. After all, it would otherwise leak every time there's any water in it.
It might be worth examining the flashing that's built into the wall of the main house, as, in the assumed scenario, it's as likely to be the culprit.

[oldoakknives]

With the box gutter between the conservatory and house, would I be right in assuming a two storey house and a single storey conservatory with roof hipped on all sides? If that's the case, and leaks only in 'heavy rain', the box gutter itself might be watertight. After all, it would otherwise leak every time there's any water in it.
It might be worth examining the flashing that's built into the wall of the main house, as, in the assumed scenario, it's as likely to be the culprit.

It's a bungalow with single storey conservatory similar in layout to this...

with the water from the roof and conservatory feeding into the gutter in-between.

[reggie747]

It's a bungalow with single storey conservatory similar in layout to this...

with the water from the roof and conservatory feeding into the gutter in-between.

Consider getting the first 5 or 6 courses of tiles stripped, Re-felt (with a breathable membrane as felt is old hat now) and batten whilst getting a closer look at the gutter which you'll be able to see after removing tiles.
Is there any chance of fitting a 2nd running outlet on the other side of the conservatory to a gully at all ? That should deal with the huge flows of water better.

[oldoakknives]

Consider getting the first 5 or 6 courses of tiles stripped, Re-felt (with a breathable membrane as felt is old hat now) and batten whilst getting a closer look at the gutter which you'll be able to see after removing tiles.
Is there any chance of fitting a 2nd running outlet on the other side of the conservatory to a gully at all ? That should deal with the huge flows of water better.

I could easily put a second outlet on the other end of the conservatory but presuming there is a fall towards the end with the outlet I didn't think it would help. But perhaps it's worth considering. Didn't really want to start stripping roof tiles, as it seems to be just a problem inside the conservatory. But some good points to consider thanks.

[reggie747]

I could easily put a second outlet on the other end of the conservatory but presuming there is a fall towards the end with the outlet I didn't think it would help. But perhaps it's worth considering. Didn't really want to start stripping roof tiles, as it seems to be just a problem inside the conservatory. But some good points to consider thanks.

From experience, the box gutter between house/conservatory is or should be essentially level so you could certainly try it. A 2nd outlet I feel could help.
The commonly held mis-belief of gutters having huge falls on them isn't necessarily correct. As long as they're kept clean, they'll flow more than adequately.

[oldoakknives]

From experience, the box gutter between house/conservatory is or should be essentially level so you could certainly try it. A 2nd outlet I feel could help.
The commonly held mis-belief of gutters having huge falls on them isn't necessarily correct. As long as they're kept clean, they'll flow more than adequately.

It's certainly something to consider. I just wonder if there is something wrong with the jointing on the guttering. Trouble is it's pretty inaccessible unless you remove the conservatory roof panels or clamber around on the bungalow roof.

[reggie747]

It's certainly something to consider. I just wonder if there is something wrong with the jointing on the guttering. Trouble is it's pretty inaccessible unless you remove the conservatory roof panels or clamber around on the bungalow roof.

Well if it's letting in and bugging you, the bungalow roof clamber and tile removal is the easiest option to start investigating.

[oldoakknives]

Well if it's letting in and bugging you, the bungalow roof clamber and tile removal is the easiest option to start investigating.

You're probably right. So the next move I suppose is looking for someone doing conservatory repairs in the area.

[TomGW]

Either the water is leaking out of the box gutter or is not all going into it. If the gutter is folded metal it should be fairly secure. An obvious weak spot is the bottom of the roofing felt which tends to rot if your house is 30+ years old. Ordinarily this would cause a leak into the soffit box and rot the fascia. As suggested earlier, this can be resolved by using a proprietary tray or even 600mm wide dpc.

[oldoakknives]

Either the water is leaking out of the box gutter or is not all going into it. If the gutter is folded metal it should be fairly secure. An obvious weak spot is the bottom of the roofing felt which tends to rot if your house is 30+ years old. Ordinarily this would cause a leak into the soffit box and rot the fascia. As suggested earlier, this can be resolved by using a proprietary tray or even 600mm wide dpc.

Looking at the way water acted when I directed it onto the roof I think it is making it into the gutter. But whether all of it is, is another matter. Thanks it's something else to consider.

[mk1974]

Where the conservatory roof panels meet the gutter there’s probably little gaps has you can’t really get in to seal it ,if the box has some debris in it ,when there’s an heavy down pour the water can’t get away quick enough so the water builds up and flows over the top which will then come through any little gaps,it could be an hole no bigger than a pin head .


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[deanlad]

We had this issue on our bungalow. I decided to go for an orangery type conservatory. No planning needed as long as 70% glass?
To avoid a box gutter and potential overflow issues, I went went with a large roof lantern, and flat roof around,to make the rear section large enough to flow water away. Roof finishing is fibreglass.
To be fair, the 8 years or so it’s been up it’s been fine. We do have an occasion minor leak, as evidenced by a slight water mark on ceiling/wall. It’s at the opposite side to where it joins the house, so have no idea where it gets in from? I’m sure the fibreglass isn’t porous, and there’s no holes/cracks/damage anywhere. It also doesn’t manifest itself every time it rains, only periodically.