Alternative Base

Alternative DIY Conservatory Base Solution

As an alternative base solution to traditional concrete footings we are proud to partner with Instabuild one of the UK’s leading supplier of steel bases suitable for most conservatories.

An Instabuild steel conservatory base provides a cost effective and highly insulated alternative base for self build conservatories without the hassle and inconvenience of requiring builders on site. This advanced conservatory base system has been developed over 20 years and is supplied with the manufacturer’s no quibble fifteen year guarantee.

A conventional concrete base will require footing excavation, may involve re-positioning of underground drains and of course, a bricklayer to build your dwarf wall. In terms of materials you will need to hire a skip to dispose of the many barrow loads of soil that need to be removed from the site and replaced with many barrow loads of concrete. As an example, for a typical 4m x 3.5m conservatory you could need:

• Concrete for foundations = 0.5 cubic metres
• Concrete for raising floor level = 1.6 cubic metres
• Aggregate = 2.3 tonnes
• Sand for building screen = 0.9 tonnes
• Bricks for dwarf wall = 303

Much of this can be avoided by selecting an Instabuild conservatory base. The step-by-step guide below will illustrate how easy it is to install a steel conservatory base quickly and with minimum disruption to your home and garden. There is no worrying about whether the builder will turn up and stay until the job is completed. Even poor weather conditions will not disrupt the installation process(just watch the video below to see for yourself!).

STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

DAY 1 Because of its unique steel frame, the Instabuild Conservatory Base System requires a minimal amount of digging. All that is required is a series of small concrete pads. No need for large scale excavations, soil removal, cement mixing and tonnes of aggregate to back fill. Also the lack of disruption to the garden is another great consideration.

DAY 2 The Instabuild frame is assembled, levelled and bolted to the exterior wall. The modular dwarf walls are then bonded and bolted to the frame (not required if glass is going to be full height). These walls come in various real clay brick, stone or rendered finishes to match the existing house. By the end of day 2 you are ready to start installing your new self build conservatory!

DAY 3/4 The conservatory windows, doors and roof are fitted as they would be in a conventional conservatory installation. Electrics and central heating pipes can be easily concealed within the specially designed wall cavity in the modular wall base system.

DAY 5 Under floor insulation and the conservatory floor is now fitted. The suspended floor is ideal for under floor heating. Walls are fitted with additional insulation if required and the internal wall panels are fitted.  You can choose brickwork or plaster internal wall surfaces.

DAY 6 The final trim is fixed to the conservatory and bridging tiles pointed with the supplied cement mix ensuring a perfect colour match to the rest of the wall. Surrounding ground is made good (soil, patio, crazy paving etc). Final clean up and your new DIY conservatory is finished and ready for use.

Installing self build PVCU conservatories using an Instabuild steel conservatory base is faster, cleaner and often cheaper than a traditional base installation.

Customers often remark that the hardest part of installing their DIY conservatory has been finding a good builder to build the base and dwarf walls. Usually they are expensive because they are not short of work(because they’re good) and will often quote a long waiting period before they can slot your job into their busy schedule.

With an Instabuild steel base there are no tradesmen to employ and no weekends spent digging out the footings yourself!  Simply order your new DIY conservatory with an Instabuild base and you literally can achieve a professional result faster and remain in complete control.

WATCH THE FULL CONSERVATORY BASE INSTALLATION VIDEO

• Conforms to building regulations
• Totally indistinguishable from a conventional build
• Can be carried through house when no rear access available
• No skips needed to remove soil, as no major earthworks are required
• No builders required
• Manufactured to exact sizes, so conservatory will always fit
• Standard base and walls will take about 2 days to complete
• Can be fitted over existing patios (no need to dig up tons of concrete)
• Manholes and drains can be left in place
• Moisture resistant wooden floor means no waiting for concrete to cure
• Dozens of brick finishes, plus render and pebbledash options
• Fifteen year no quibble guarantee

No need to move manhole covers. Trap door and removable joist allow access.

BRICKWORK

The dwarf walls and the skirt of the conservatory base can be faced with real brick tiles and mortar to match the brickwork of your house.  An aperture can also be provided to allow you to fit a dwarf wall air conditioning unit if required.

Brickwork Options - Our full range of brick tiles are here.

Whether it’s an Edwardian conservatory, Victorian conservatory or a simple Lean to conservatory we can supply an Instabuild base to suit.  They are available for full height glazing or dwarf wall conservatories and are made to order so unlike some brickwork, will be square and accurately built ensuring your conservatory is a perfect fit.

Glass to Ground Full Height Glazing

Dwarf Wall

Each steel base is manufactured specifically for your new DIY UPVC conservatory and preassembled in the factory.  Each component is clearly marked for ease of identification before the base is packed for transportation.

We will normally program your base to arrive a week prior to delivery of your conservatory to provide you with the opportunity to install the base before the frames and roof are delivered.  This will help minimise the amount of storage required on site and reduce any possible damage.

A two man installation team will install the base in under 2 days following the simple step-by-step Instabuild Base Assembly Instructions.

You can download Instabuild Base Ordering Guidelines to help you survey your site.

Here is a summary of the main advantages an Instabuild conservatory base has over conventional base construction:

• No builders required
• Custom made to meet your requirements
• Site disruption reduced to a minimum
• Installation couldn't be quicker or easier
• No large scale excavations. No soil removal
• No need for tonnes of aggregate for backfilling
• No need for large scale cement mixing or building work
• Ideal where site access is difficult, uneven or sloping
• No need to move manholes or drains
• Can be installed all year round , no bad weather hold-ups
• Can be built over existing patios or on flat roofs and balconies
• Integral insulation ensures warm in winter and cool in summer
• Conforms to building regulations and designed to BSI Standards

As leading UK suppliers of self build conservatories we are pleased to offer  the Instabuild conservatory base system as the alternative solution to a traditional concrete base.  Once installed you will not be able to tell the difference!

All our DIY PVCU conservatories are suitable for installation onto a steel base and we will be delighted to provide you with a personalised quotation.

View one of our customer's conservatory installation using an Instabuild steel base here.