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DIY Conservatory Foundations

03 January 2011

Once you have ordered your DIY conservatory, the first step of constructing your conservatory is to build your foundations. There are two options of building DIY conservatory's foundations. The first option is laying traditional excavated foundations, similar to what a normal house is built on. Just because your conservatory is made of lightweight materials such as uPVC, the conservatory can still be prone to movement in the ground, and therefore building a solid base gives you the best start to ensure that your DIY conservatory lasts as long as your house does. The second option for the foundations of your DIY conservatory is using a prefabricated steel base and is less time consuming than the more traditional option. There is also no waste to dispose of, from digging the trenches. Steel bases now come in DIY build it yourself kits so there is also the advantage of not having the costs of a builder to lay your foundations. Finally if you move house, you are able to take your conservatory and base with you!

Traditional Foundations

If you opt for the traditional excavation method of laying foundations, you need to ensure that the area that you are going to build on is thoroughly cleared, clearing any topsoil down to a depth of around 150mm. You then need to dig your trenches, which generally should be between 650mm and 1000mm in depth, depending on what sort of ground you are building on. You need to also ensure that the trenches are built down to the natural sub soil and make sure that they are on solid ground. Keep a watch out for any tree roots on the way (we will cover your options on what to do if you find tree roots in a later post). The cement then needs to be added to the foundation and allowed to set, which can take up to 3 days. If you feel that the ground that you are building on is not solid, lay your concrete foundation on a bed of hardcore.

Steel Base Foundations

If you opt for using a steel base, you need to ensure that the ground that you are building on is stable and should not be sloping. When you order your steel frame, ensure that your measurements are correct and take into account of any protruding obstacles such as drain pipes.

This is a general overview only and we recommend that you seek an experienced tradesperson for in-depth advice on building your foundations and any regulations that you may need to adhere to.