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Conservatory Specialist terms explained — Bury St Edmunds glossary

Thermal Separation(Separation)

The external-quality doors dividing a conservatory from the house. They are what makes the structure exempt from the energy-efficiency regulations. Taking them out to create open-plan space converts the conservatory into an extension, retrospectively, with all the requirements that follow.

FENSA

The self-certification scheme for replacement glazing, allowing a registered installer to certify compliance without a separate building control application. The certificate is one a buyer’s solicitor will ask for at sale.

Replacement Solid Roof(Solid roof)

Swapping a polycarbonate or glass conservatory roof for an insulated solid one. It usually requires building control approval and a structural check that the existing base and frames can carry the extra load — the frames were designed for a light roof.

Orangery

A hybrid with more solid brickwork, a flat perimeter roof and a central lantern. It generally falls outside the conservatory exemption and is treated as an extension, which is why it costs more and takes longer to approve.