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View Full Version : Sun room, leaks when it rains. Can i register it?



Ripeberry
21-09-2008, 08:24 PM
Hi, we've got a great big sunroom attached to the back of the house and it is single glazed with toughened glass and runs the whole lenght of the house.
When it's sunny and dry it's a lovely space to play in and of course very light and my children have direct access to the garden.
But when it's raining i do have to use buckets to catch some drips and there can be 5 out at a time.
We've looked into it and the only way it can be remedied is to take the whole thing apart and handle big sheets of glass just to sort out the joints where it's leaking.
My husband does not want to do it or get anyone in as 1) It's a dangerous job and 2) Will cost too much.
We have always managed with our kids but of course OFSTED knowing my luck will visit in a thunderstorm :(
Do you think that my sunroom should be registered as an OUTDOOR area?
As it would be difficult to heat in winter anyway. They could always wear their coats when in there.
In the meantime i'll have to save up some money from the childminding to use it as an INDOOR space.
Even if i don't get that many mindees, at least i'm finally getting hubby to agree to sorting some DIY out that he's been putting off for years!:laughing:

Chatterbox Childcare
21-09-2008, 08:42 PM
If you don't register it will you still be able to get to the garden outside? If not, you would be marked down on this.

I would register it and hope that it is dry.

I am sure they will tell you if it is not acceptable.

Jules12Wed
21-09-2008, 08:59 PM
I sort of have the opposite problem. My conservatory is also my playroom although the majority of the time the children do not play in it but bring the toys into my living room. However in the summer it does get extremely hot. It has the sun on it all day and it can get unbearable. My inspection was in a September and although the weather had not been good on the day that the inspector came it was a sunny day!!! The one thing she put down on my Ofsted report was the temperature in my house needed to be controlled, made it sound like my house was like a fridge!

I have done nothing to remedy the situation so I am not sure when I have my next inspection what she will say, but I have no idea what I can do to stop it getting hot when it is sunny, its not as if I force the children to play out there cos I don't.

sarah707
22-09-2008, 06:59 AM
In my conservatory, I have an air cooler... It's a bit like a fan. It's great when it gets too hot, it wasn't expensive, you can put ice blocks in to make it cooler and you can get one in B&Q...

http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav/nav.jsp?action=detail&fh_secondid=9376860&fh_view_size=6&fh_eds=%3F&fh_location=%2F%2Fcatalog01%2Fen_GB%2Fcategories%3 C%7B10096%7D%2Fcategories%3C%7B10098%7D&fh_refview=lister&ts=1221219248314&isSearch=false

As for your sun room, I would ask Ofsted! They will tell you whether they consider the glass safe etc. :D

Bushpig
22-09-2008, 07:24 AM
My home gets very hot in hot weather as we face the sun... I love it of course, being a Saffa ;) But it is hot for the mindees... and I have two fans in the lounge... and one in the playroom.... even if it's just to circulate the air on a humid day, I find it works well.

Re the sun room, I would try and get it fixed so you don't have the worry re OFSTED coming in the rain... but I understand re costs.. a huge factor. Could you not claim for any expense paid to fix it though? You are doing it for your mindees after all... ?

Ripeberry
22-09-2008, 12:04 PM
The room will HAVE to be registered as it is a way out into the garden.
The other way is out via the kitchen but i want to be able to put the kitchen out of bounds with stairgates.
The glass is safe as it's special toughened glass and i will be putting safety film on it as well.
Jules, you can get special mirrored film that you could maybe put on the roof from the inside (only if it's glass). This is very usefull at reflecting the sun's rays and keeps it cooler.
We had to do it years ago as the sun room was just TOO hot!
Thanks for all your suggestions, just got to pray for good weather .

My DH hates DIY but i don't mind having a go, but the glass is just too heavy.

Jules12Wed
22-09-2008, 12:34 PM
I hope you get your sun room sorted. I did buy an air conditioner for mine an expensive one actually as I was told that the ones that you put water or ice cubes in would just not work, because it gets incredibly hot out there the ice cubes would melt in seconds. The only way the air conditioner works effectively is if I turn it on first thing in the morning keep the door from my dining room into the conservatory closed. The air conditioner needed to be vented but it had a short hose on it which we added an extra hose (probably shouldn't have) and it then went out the window but this meant we had to keep the window open and therefore made the air conditioner less effective.

I also found that I might put it on first thing in the morning and then no one would even go in the playroom cos we'd be outside or something so wasted all that electricity for nothing!!!

Pauline
22-09-2008, 02:54 PM
I think the buckets of water would be their biggest concern, a child can drown in just 1" of water! Can you think of any other way of catching the drips?

Otherwise I don't think they would have a problem with it and using it as a covered 'outdoor' play area sounds great to me (but then I'm not an Ofsted inspector :rolleyes:)

Ripeberry
22-09-2008, 07:26 PM
Of course i would empty the buckets anyway before letting children in there.
I'm just so glad it's been dry! I have thought about using ducting for extractor fans as a "space age look":o But we will still need to move the glass just to mend the flashing as that has holes in it. Well it was built in 1985!
Thanks for all your replies!