conservatory footings

[mk2phil]

We've just moved into a new house and there is a conservatory fitted. It doesn't have a dwarf wall, the glass panes are full length, and as such I'm assuming it doesn't have any footings(?).

We'd like to change it to one with a dwarf wall to make it feel more homely, but we have the mains sewer pipe running right underneath that area connecting all the houses along our road. Am I right in assuming this mean we wouldn't be able to do this? How deep do the footings for a dwarf conservatory wall have to go, and would a building inspector kybosh the situation before we even tried to lift a finger?

Thanks in advance

 

[noseall]

you will probably find the conservatory is b.c. exempt.

do you have an external spec door separating the main house from the conservatory?

have you dug a test hole to see how deep the footings actually are?

does the drain pipe run directly under the wall in question?

if it doesn't then you can slot and lintel over drain pipes, no bother.

 

[mk2phil]

hi noseall,

yes we have an external spec door seperating the house from the consvervatory. There is a patio door fitted that was installed with the house (I presume) and the conservatory was fitted within the last 10 years.

I haven't dug any test holes yet - I assumed that full length glass conservatory's would only require a concrete base?

The drain does run directly under the conservatory at the moment, this is why I thought they may have fitted the full length glass version becuase it doesn't require deep footings that a dwarf wall would require - entriely my own assumptions here and would love to be corrected! I assumed that the existing base wouldn't go down as far as the drain pipe. How deep should the footings go for the type of conservatory I have fitted?

What does 'slot and lintel' over the drain mean? Cut a slotted section in the footings to sit over the pipe?

Thanks for your help

 

[noseall]

in the real world of building, (as opposed to the window company version) a foundation at or near a drain pipe needs to go down deeper than the invert of the said pipe.

this is so that the downward "push" created by the buildings weight, does not effect the drain pipe.

drains can pass through foundations and walls provided precautions are taken.

but a pipe running, in line, directly under the wall is a no-no.