This blog would apply to any conservatory - self build or supplied and fitted, but more important to the DIY 'er. In order to prevent some costly mistakes later, there are some very simple guidelines that need to be adhered to.
Firstly there is the site its self. Think about access to the site and remember that our conservatories are made in as few seperate frames as possible. Therefore some of them are going to be big. These are not suitable for taking through the interior of your house! You will need good access especially if your conservatory is not sat on a dwarf wall. This is because the frames on a full height conservatory will be 2.1 metres high and anything up to 4 plus metres in length. ( This is also one of the reasons that we supply the glass seperately - you would never move the frame otherwise ).
Secondly, look at where the floor of the conservatory will be. Mark it out and then check for obstacles such as manholes, access flaps for gas or water services and the like. Also, if you are digging out footings for a dwarf wall, try and determine the whereabouts of any drains. These can be extremely expensive to have moved. However in most cases they can be straddled by a concrete lintel to prevent them being crushed by the conservatory.
Lastly, look at the wall of the house. Obviously the roof does not need to get in the way of upstairs windows or be so low that it affects exterior doors. Pipes, flues, fan outlets and cables are definately the things to look for and work out how to move. The last thing you will want to do is start trying to modify the roof in any way!!!