Recommendations for making this at a sensible price?

[cjard]

As part of my conversion project I have to replace some skylights in the roof of my industrial building. The existing setup appears to be upside down T shaped rods that carry plate glass approximately 600 x 1800. On the ouside a clip holds the glass down and stops it sliding. Lead flashing is present in abundance, the building is victorian. The roof lights are connected in a strip forming a hole about 6.6 metres wide overall

I'm looking for economical ways of replacing this with something more thermally efficient:

The biggest velux that exists seems to be 1000x1600, and apparently velux do jointing kits that allow them to be combined in strips without a break. This route seems rather more cost effective than I thought, but the veluxes are about £500 each so it's still quite a punch in the nose

Velux have a modular/component system but I haven't been able to get any prices

The more i look at it, the more I realise that it's rather quite like a conservatory roof and I can't see why rooflight companies would charge the earth for what seems to be a very simple construction of T or I shapes supporting glass panels

Might it even be possible to remove the existing glass, drop in replacement double glazed panels and insulate the carrier bars on the inside?

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I'm not after these things to open necessarily, but after having quotes from rooflight companies that run into tens of thousands I can't quite believe that installing a row of veluxes would be the most cost effective option.

Does anyone else have any ideas of what I could do to fill the gap with something self supporting (between where it fixes to roof at top and bottom), double glazed and can be made to look heritage enough that it won't ruin the look of the building?

 

[catlad]

Well without any pictures I can only suggest looking at whitesales continuous rooflights.

 

[Xenon]

http://www.architecturalproducts.co.uk/apc50-glazing-bars

 

[cjard]

Well without any pictures I can only suggest looking at whitesales continuous rooflights.

Thanks catlad. Here's a pic of the inside:


[img=http://s27.postimg.org/ckqgko5lr/photo.jpg]

This is the best one I have of the outside:

[img=http://s29.postimg.org/xarktkbcj/Capture.jpg]

Both of these shots are of the rear roof plane, but the front windows are identical, just a smaller run of them..

 

[cjard]

http://www.architecturalproducts.co.uk/apc50-glazing-bars

Thanks Xenon, I'll give those guys a call!

 

[KenGMac]

cjard Hi.

How about this for an off the wall [or ceiling] way to look at this?

You could consider looking at this problem from the "bottom" up rather than top down?

Leave the existing glazing in situ.

Fix a form of "Secondary Glazing" on the inside, the underside of the glass?

Using lets say double or triple polycarbonate sheets, same stuff as used in Conservatory roofs this will increase the insulation value of the glazing and at what could be a "reasonable" cost.

Thoughts are that [from what can be seen from the photos] utilise the upper and lower purlins on to which the Polycarbonate could be fixed?

It should be possible to fix commonly available "conservatory parts" to fill between the purlins and the roof sheet, this joint will require to be "sealed" to stop moisture entering the gap between the Polycarbonate and the glass above. a further similar filler will be required on the "Inner face" of the purlin to be treated similarly, in effect both of the faces of the purlin will need to be treated thus and sealed with a mastic compound again to prevent moisture ingress.

The gap between the top of the Purlin and the roof could be insulated as well, glass wool? pre-cut insulation board?

The polycarbonate itself can be restrained top and bottom using [again] Conservatory type rails, the rails mastic sealed to the purlins, as for the width of the Polycarbonate this will depend on the advice of the manufacturer of the Polycarbonate.

Seal both top and bottom of the polycarbonate with the proprietary end fillers to enhance the insulation values.

Advantages?
1/. probably cheaper than replacement of the existing glazing?
2/. cannot be seen externally.

Down sides?
1/. condensation?
2/. possible fire implications?

Sorry to ramble but TV is poor [again]

What do you and the Board think?

Ken

 

[Xenon]

http://www.architecturalproducts.co.uk/apc50-glazing-bars

Thanks Xenon, I'll give those guys a call!

Used them to make this one, bars came in at £800 for both sides.

 

[hardmetalking]

There are some big bays in that gutter.......... Hope it's code 8?

 

[Xenon]

There are some big bays in that gutter.......... Hope it's code 8?

T Pren all to LSA Guidelines.

 

[cjard]

Used them to make this one, bars came in at £800 for both sides.

£60 a bar, it's a lot better than the other material prices I've had, and I'd imagine the window panes are not much different to a regular toughened/laminated pane. Kinda makes me wonder where the rooflight companies invent their prices from - they were quoting somewhere in the region of £700 a pane

Neat work too. I should invite you to come and do mine..

 

[cjard]

cjard Hi.
You could consider looking at this problem from the "bottom" up rather than top down?

You know, I think I'd so set my mind on the idea that they'd have to come out and be replaced by something double glazed that the notion of secondary glazing never entered my head.. I'll give it more thought, as it might well come to leaving the roof space for a few years depending how the budget works out but it could end up being a good alternative!

 

[Xenon]

Neat work too. I should invite you to come and do mine..

Thank You The building i pictured is Grade 2 listed so we had to put single pain Georgian Wire in, that was £200 a pane, and luckily we only broke 1

The problem with your building is not actually fitting the glazing, its standard stuff and you can change your current bar to take a double glazed unit, the problem is one of access. You will either need a big cherry picker for the duration, if it can get in internally, or a heap of scaffold.

 

[cjard]

I'm thinking to build the timber frame house underneath it first, then carry the windows into the loft area which will be boarded out and fit ot that way,frame first then panes. The final pane might require me to go on the roof but should lift into place from below at least.. Well, i hope anyway!