FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Our first intention when we develop our living space products is to ensure they’re fit for constant use. Nobody wants to be landed with a conservatory that gets unbearably hot in the summer, as typically happens with old polycarbonate roofs. Solar control glazing can make all the difference, and if you have a serious concern about thermal comfort, a solid tiled roof will be the best option.

Planet Windows is a long-standing member of the Conservatory Outlet Network and its sister company, Conservatory Outlet, is one of the country’s leading manufacturers of roofing products. These roofing systems are built in their state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, located in Wakefield, West Yorkshire.

The close relationship that we have with our manufacturer allows us to continuously monitor our supply chain and check that product standards are consistently maintained.

That is fine. Planet has a wide selection of shingle and slate roof tile options available. At your request, we can easily match the tiles to the tiles on the roof of your property. We also have multiple flat roof membranes available. More details can be obtained from a Planet advisor.

A-rated windows are the most energy efficient windows that you can currently buy in the UK, as defined by the BFRC Rating Scheme. This system rates the energy efficiency levels of replacement windows in this way so that people can recognise their energy efficient qualities and whether they comply with Building Regulations.

The traffic-light system used for Window Energy Ratings is very similar to the system used to determine the energy ratings of White Goods e.g., washing machines, freezers, and fridges. Knowing the energy rating of a set of replacement windows helps you to make more informed choices.

Solar control glazing has a special coating and the role of it is to stop heat from escaping and prevent excess heat from entering a room. The glass can be tinted in various ways. How it’s tinted will depend on what you’re looking to achieve, whether it’s a certain amount of light transmission or heat retention. A Planet advisor can assist with this.

You can leave it to the team at Planet to find the closest possible matching brick for your property before we get on with the business of designing and installing your living space. We do advise though that there can be weathering and manufacturing differences between existing and new bricks. If the closest match we find isn’t what you want, the brickwork can be tinted to suit, but this will require an additional charge.

You will generally need Building Regulations Approval to extend a property, but some classes of extension will not need it. The position will be clarified by one of Planet’s surveyors, who will be very experienced in dealing with planning permission and building regulations. In the event of Building Regulations Approval needing to be organised, Planet will take care of it on your behalf.

When your extension falls under Permitted Development Rights, you do not have to apply for planning permission, so long as these conditions are satisfied:

• The ground area covered by the extension and any other buildings within the boundary of the property, excluding the original house, is not more than half the total area of the property.
• Any part of the extension is not higher than the highest part of the roof of the existing house.
• The eaves of the extension are not higher than the eaves of the existing house.
• Any part of the extension does not extend beyond any wall facing a road if it forms the principal or side elevation of the original house.
• The eaves are no more than 3 metres in height if any part of the extension is within 2 metres of the property boundary.
• The materials used in exterior work, except in the case of a conservatory, are of similar appearance to the existing house.
• An upper floor window on a side elevation within 15 metres of a boundary with another house is obscure glazed; and is non – opening unless the parts which can be opened are more than 1.7 metres above the floor of the room in which the window is installed.
• A side extension does not exceed 4 metres in height or be wider than half the width of the original house.
• In a single storey extension
  • the extension does not extend beyond the rear wall of the original house by more than 4 metres for a detached house or 3 metres for any other type of house;
  • the height of the extension does not exceed 4 metres;
  • no part of the extension is within 3.5 metres of any property boundary with a road opposite the rear wall of the house.
• In an extension with more than one storey
  • the extension does not extend beyond the rear wall of the original house by more than 3 metres;
  • no part of the extension is within 7 metres of the property boundary opposite the rear wall of the house;
  • the roof pitch of the enlargement is as far as practicable the same as that of the original house.
• If you live in a house within a conservation area, World Heritage Site, area of outstanding natural beauty or National Park-
  • no part of the exterior of the house is clad with stone, artificial stone, pebbledash, render, timber, plastic or tiles;
  • the extension is not more than 1 storey or 4 metres in height;
  • no part of the extension extends beyond a principal or side elevation of the original house

We wouldn’t like to speculate until we know whether an application for planning permission needs to be submitted and how detailed the project is. Get a copy of our ‘What happens next’ for more information about installation timescales.

A test dig will be performed so that we can determine if the local ground conditions are sufficient for a traditional concrete base and foundation. If the ground is unsuitable, we will come up with an alternative foundation proposal, such as a specialist pile foundation or concrete raft.

A cavity tray is a series of high-level damp-proof courses that bridge a wall cavity to direct moisture to the external face of a wall where the extension roof joins the house wall. What a cavity tray does is stop any moisture that penetrates the outer wall of the extension from appearing inside the extension.

Yes. To make life easy for you, Planet can arrange a variety of affordable and convenient easy payment finance options (subject to application & status). Applying for finance is simple and we promise you a quick decision. Everything can be sorted out with you in the comfort of your home or at your local Planet Showroom, so you can enjoy whatever you’ve set your heart on right away.

If you’re arranging your own finance, you’ll need to call us as soon as you get the go ahead. If you’re taking up one of our offers, the company will tell us both directly, so there’s no need to call as we will get in touch with you.

Finance companies can turn down people for lots of reasons, for example if you’ve moved several times over the past few years. In these circumstances, we always do our best to help and sometimes it’s worth trying another provider, especially if they know you.

Sometimes our finance company will say ‘yes’ almost immediately and on other occasions it may take them a few days. This short delay can be for any number of reasons and you should not be unduly concerned.