Large Wintergarden Glass Extension Adds Light-Filled Luxury to Yorkshire Home

A large Solarlux Wintergarden glass extension in South Yorkshire created exactly what our customers had been dreaming of: an amazing indoor-outdoor space perfect for everyday living and family get-togethers.

At over 37 square metres, this luxury home extension is bigger than two standard conservatories. And with high performance glazing and innovative thermal break technology, it delivers true year-round comfort - just as a bricks and mortar extension would.

The Wintergarden's bespoke design meant it could be specified to meet every aspect of our customers' vision and requirements. This included not just the dimensions and roof pitch, but the colour, type of glazing and doors, lighting and shading.

And the end result has been life-changing, completely redefining how the home is used. It has created the connection our customers were aiming for between the main property and the extension, as well as the house and the garden.

This beautiful German-engineered Solarlux Wintergarden will enhance how the homeowners and their family live for decades to come. Floor-to-ceiling glazing frames garden views like a picture, ultra-slim sliding doors dissolve the barrier between inside and out, and the glass roof floods the space with natural daylight throughout the seasons.

The Vision

Family was at the heart of this project. The homeowners place huge importance on bringing their family together and sharing special moments between the generations. They wanted a space where extended family members could meet, relax and enjoy each other's company.

The original property had already been fitted with bi-folding doors leading from the living room to a decking area outside. At the other end of the decking was another set of bi-folds leading from the kitchen. This can be seen in the 'Before' images above.

Our customers opted to keep both these sets of existing bi-folds, although they could have chosen to do away with them altogether. This is because Solarlux Wintergardens offer such high levels of thermal efficiency and insulation that it's possible to have a completely open plan design with no connecting doors at all.

For this project, however, the homeowners wanted the rooms to remain separate from each other, while also being able to open up the kitchen, living room, new extension and garden into one large and cohesive light-filled space for family gatherings.

The Solution

A large Solarlux Wintergarden glass extension, custom made to the customers' unique specifications, not only offers the light, space and connection to the outdoors that they were looking for, but also creates additional living space that can be used throughout the year.

This bespoke aluminium and glass structure is thermally broken and precision engineered in Germany to provide high levels of functionality, energy efficiency, stability and safety.

The glass extension was to be as big as possible without eating into the garden. At over 37 square metres, this particular Wintergarden is the largest we have installed across Yorkshire. Spanning the floor space of two standard-size conservatories, it features ultra-slim Cero II sliding doors, fixed glazing, and a glass roof that maximises natural light and garden views.

During the colder months, the glass extension maintains a consistent warmth, and when the weather improves, the option to open up the expansive sliding doors allows for a seamless connection to the outdoors.

Design and Survey

We worked closely with the design and engineering specialists at the Solarlux factory in Germany to ensure every detail of the Wintergarden was correct. We checked and double-checked every single thing - from the fixings and wind loads, to the drainage and the alignment of the fixed windows next to the sliding doors. This ensured measurements, functionality and aesthetics were spot on.

We also collaborated with our customer’s builder and structural engineer, managing the project and providing information to them when required. This allowed us to make sure the structure had been calculated correctly and that everything was in place for the installation, such as the foundations and below-ground drainage.

The structural engineer, recommended by ourselves and appointed independently by our customers, was fully involved right from the very beginning. They estimated the site wind load and snow load and, as with all structures, designed all the feet and wall fixings. It also meant we could check that all mullions, glass, eaves beams and rafters were in excess of the specific site location and design requirements.

Manufacture, Delivery and Installation

As a one-system design, every single element of the Wintergarden was manufactured at Solarlux's huge single-site factory complex in Melle, Germany. The parts were then transported in a 40ft lorry to the site in South Yorkshire, where we were waiting to check that everything was unloaded and stored correctly, ready for installation.

We had planned meticulously for the lorry's arrival, covering all angles, from managing traffic outside the property to getting all the parts to where they needed to be at the back of the house. This area was only accessible via a narrow garden path from the driveway, so every single piece of the Wintergarden had to be manually carried or wheeled there. In addition, part of the driveway had to be left free for access and electric car charging.

A glass extension of this size takes more time to install than many people realise. It's a specialist job that can only be carried out by Solarlux-trained installers to ensure the structure is constructed and fitted exactly as it should be.

We assigned a team of our in-house installers to be solely dedicated to this project, as we do for all our jobs. They were on site for 15 consecutive working days, maintaining consistency, cleanliness and attention to detail from start to completion. They even finished a day ahead of schedule, despite a flurry of snow towards the end.

The Challenges

There were no major challenges on this project, but rather various smaller issues that needed to be addressed. We worked closely with the builder to remedy these niggles.

To ensure the extension was stable, safe and connected correctly to the property, a new wall had to be built and a garden wall modified. We had a gluelam at the back because we couldn't find the fixings through the existing render that had to be designed. The fixings, new end wall and wind post all had to be designed and then built by the builders.

Below ground, there were unexpected drainage issues and a hidden void was uncovered once the decking was removed.

As this Wintergarden was greater than 30 square metres in total, it had to comply with more building regulations than the smaller structures we install. Additionally, new building safety documents were introduced midway through the project. However, Approved Document Q compliance, which covers security standards for doors and windows, was not needed as the house was built before October 2015 and the Wintergarden is separated by the existing doors and windows for all other Building Regulation Approved Documents.

We managed all of these aspects for our customer, and provided all the necessary information for the different questions that were raised during the approval process.

And not so much a challenge but rather an inconvenience were the snow, sleet and freezing conditions that hit Yorkshire towards the end of the project.

Large Solarlux Wintergarden: The Details

• Fully bespoke, thermally broken aluminium and glass structure

Dimensions

• 10.95m wide
• 3.3m deep
• 3.45m high, dropping to approx 2.1m high at the underside of the eaves beam
• 36 square metres

Glass Specification

• Heat soak tested glass for safety and longevity - reduces the risk of nickel sulphide inclusion, a microscopic impurity in toughened glass that can cause it to spontaneously shatter, often years after installation
• In the centre and to the right, when viewed from the outside, are two large two-pane Solarlux Cero II double glazed sliding doors. Each set spans 3.65m and all panels able to move in either direction. They comprise 8mm toughened clear glass – 90% argon filled – 8mm toughened clear glass (soft coat low E). The doors have shoot bolts at the top and bottom with handles on the inside only and no cylinders
• To the left, when viewed from the outside, is a large two-pane fixed Solarlux Highline double glazed window framing the garden. Each pane is 1.825m wide and comprises 6mm toughened clear glass – 90% argon filled – 6mm toughened clear glass (soft coat low E)

• Roof glass of 8.76mm laminated clear glass – Black Warm Edge Spacer – 90% argon filled – 6mm toughened clear glass (soft coat low E)
• The orientation of the Wintergarden was northeast, so no solar control glass was required as the customers wanted to maximise the sun and the heat

Lighting, Awning and Controls

• 33 integrated dimmable LED spotlights, 3 on each of the 11 internal rafters
• Two external Warema awnings for solar control. The left is 5.478m wide x 3.3m deep and the right is 5.472m wide x 3.3mm deep
• Manual lighting and awning controls via rocker switches

Thresholds

• The Cero II sliding doors were specified with flush thresholds for full accesibility and seamless indoor-outdoor flow

• All thresholds are fully weather rated
• 160mm of two layers of adjustable purenit® - a high-density, rigid polyurethane (PUR/PIR) foam material known for its exceptional thermal insulation, moisture resistance and durability - was installed below the threshold. This made up the floor height difference from the structural slab to the final finished floor level. It was done to ensure a millimetre-perfect transition from the house to the patio / garden
• Full EPDM sealing (rubber DPC membrane) was installed from below the Cero II threshold down to the structural slab. This provides a full weather barrier as recommended and tested by Solarlux - see the image below

Drainage

• Face drained
• Solarlux curved gutter to the bottom of the Wintergarden roof, with downpipe to the front of the furthest left and furthest right post/leg
• Drainage directly into a bottle gully together with all necessary below ground drainage

Structure

• The Wintergarden legs (posts) go below the final finished floor level as to provide a seamless connection below the visible floor finish
• The legs connect to the foundation via a large metal base plate, with this point load taken into account by the structural engineer
• Purenit® is used below all the doors and windows, for millimetre-perfect installation in accordance with Solarlux recommended methodology
• An EPDM was bonded from the doors and windows down the face of the purenit® onto the structural foundation, ensuring a high quality lifetime damp proof connection to the structure

Colours and Finishes

• Internal colour: Anthracite Grey (nearest RAL colour 7016)
• External colour: Anthracite Grey (nearest RAL colour 7016)
• Paint finish: Fine Structure (Textured), which we recommend as it is scratch resistant
• Hinges / hardware colour: Black Anodised
• Handles colour: Solarlux Stainless Steel

The Finished Result

Not only does this large Wintergarden glass extension look stunning, but it has also completely changed how our customers use their home.

The new structure feels architectural, calm and incredibly generous, without dominating the original property, garden or surroundings.

This is a truly premium glazed home extension. Fully bespoke, it offered our customers the freedom to design their new living space exactly as they wanted it. And with exceptional thermal performance, it will stay cosy and warm in winter before transforming into a fantastic indoor-outdoor space during the warmer months.

From the beginning, our customers totally understood the quality of the product and the costs and time needed to get it right. They trusted what we did and we listened to what they were wanting to achieve. The result is a home extension that fulfils their vision and requirements perfectly and will be enjoyed for a lifetime.

Timescales

Our award-winning seven step approach to delivering a successful Wintergarden project, shown below, ensures an outstanding end result.

The whole process took around 11 months, which is fairly quick compared to other projects of this size. That's even including a three-month break while the customers were on a big holiday and the Wintergarden was held at the Solarlux factory waiting to be shipped when they returned.

The timescales on this project were helped by the fact that the customers came to us with fairly advanced ideas about what they wanted. They knew a Solarlux Wintergarden would tick all the boxes for the house extension they envisaged, so by the time they visited our Leeds showroom they had already received the Budget Proposal. This worked really well because they were able to finalise the Detailed Quotation with us with the product actually in front of them in real life.

Our showroom is open to homeowners at any stage in their home extension journey. If you would like to chat through your plans while seeing for yourself the various features of the Akzent Plus Wintergarden that we have on display, please contact us to arrange a visit. 

Approach and Aftercare

We offer a full service from start to finish, listening to our customers and guiding them through every stage to ensure their bespoke Wintergarden looks and functions exactly as they want it to.

Our Yorkshire team of architectural glazing specialists act with integrity and honesty, and aim to do the job right every time. We cover all bases to ensure your glass extension is structurally sound, extremely safe and will last a lifetime. Above all, we hope it will make you smile every day.

Utilising our industry skills and product knowledge, we manage each project and minimise unwanted surprises. We also ensure that it meets all British Building Regulations, standards and practices. We work closely with architects, builders and other contractors on site, but do not carry out architectural works, planning, building control, structural engineering, foundations, builder's works, roofing such as flashings, electrical works or finishes.

We think it's important to turn up to the job when we say we will be there. We commit a team fully to each project, and they stay on that project 100% until they've seen it through to the end and handed over to the customer.

While on site, our team are always respectful of the fact it is a home and are often complimented on their politeness and cleanliness.

And, to cap it all off, we believe our work doesn't just end when we leave the site. That's why we offer something rare in the industry: a free 12-month aftercare visit to check that your Wintergarden is as perfect as the day it was installed.

Why not start your journey to your perfect Wintergarden by getting in touch with us to arrange a chat. We'd love to find out what you are hoping to achieve with your home extension, and we would welcome the opportunity to show you around our display in Leeds. Contact us by clicking the button below, and let's get the ball rolling!