Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

An orangery is built with a more solid structure than a conservatory and it usually has a roof lantern, thus offering more privacy and opportunity to decorate the walls to match the home interior. Orangery’s can be used as an extra living space.

A conservatory has much more glass with optimal outside viewing, and glazed roof. The main advantage is viewing the garden and giving the illusion that your home integrates fully with the outside space. Due to the ambient luxury of natural light, conservatories are often used for peaceful, stress free rooms to relax in.

In most cases, planning permission is NOT required for a conservatory, but there are stipulations such as keeping within the maximum height limit and permitted square footage of your property. There are also boundary laws to adhere to. Wye Valley Home Improvement are based in Hereford but the proprietor Jon Carr is happy to travel to other areas to advice and provide a free site survey and quotation.

Our PVCu doors have been tested to the British Standard Institute kitemark BS 7412 PAS 24. They have a multi-chamber design,  with Yale locking and BS7412 PAS24 certification.

PVCu doors are cheaper than composite doors and fantastic value for money. They can be matched to your window profile & have low maintenance, whilst offering effective insulation from the outside elements. Our UPVc door comes with a shoot bolt system designed with your safety and security as paramount for protecting your home.

They come in an array of stunning, attractive designs, giving your home valuable kerb appeal.

They are thicker than PVCu doors, therefore more thermally efficient.

Composite doors have a solid inner core, making them sturdy and more robust to withstand an attempted break-in.

They give the entrance to your home a “wow factor.”

They are low maintenance and no painting required for the lifetime of the door.

Our composite doors are fitted with high security multi-point locking systems. These locks meet the requirements of PAS 23/24. The doors are also designed with dog bolt system as standard, securing the composite door to the frame and protecting you against intruders. They are also thicker than PVCu doors, therefore offering valued added security.

uPVC doors are 28mm thick, made from plastic with an internal foam panel. A composite door is 44m thick and made from compressed foam or 48mm thick and made from compressed wooden/laminated materials, creating a solid inner core and sturdy door.

Wye Valley Home Improvements ensure our double glazed units have argon gas filled cavities with a warm edge spacer bar running all around the inside of the unit, combined with specialised glass coatings on the glass to reduce condensation and outside noise whilst also improving home efficiency for heat loss.

Some roofs have systems in place to supply adequate airflow, but if your roof has no such provisions, it is essential to use vented soffits as a substitute.

Deep guttering is a lot deeper than the standard gutter system and is used on roofs with a steeper pitch. The extra depth allows for the collection and free flow of a higher volume of water.

Hedgehog brushes are a perfect light weight addon to your gutters as they prevent leaves and roof moss from falling into the gutter and causing blockage. Thus allowing constant flow of water throughout the gutter system and keeping the gutter weight to a minimum.

Hedgehog gutter brushes are made of long lasting stainless steel wire combined with polypropylene bristles on the outside. These bristles are shaped to prevent leaves and roof moss from falling into the gutter system so that water can flow freely in the required direction, away from your property.

A well fitted gutter system is essential because they catch the rainfall from your roof and redirect it away from your home, thus protecting from water damage. Unwanted water can causes erosion, weaken property structure and causes basement flooding.

Exterior soffit board is located underneath and fascia board is fitted to the end of the rafters and along the eves of the property. Both these products are usually fitted at the same time to enhance kerb appeal and to protect from water damage.

UPVu or PVCu are two abbreviations referring to the same material, which is Poly Vinyl Chloride un-plasticised. The only difference is the words are placed in a different order.

Increase the value of you home whilst also making it anaesthetically pleasing.
Enhance your home security and safety with the latest window locking system & safety laminated or toughened glass.
Improve energy efficiency and reduce energy bills with the latest glass technology.
Improve your home comfort with accurately fitted windows to reduce and illuminate drafts.
Reduce outside noise by using argon gas filled units or specialised laminated noise reducing glass.
UPVCu windows require low maintenance, therefore no painting is required.

You DO NOT need planning permission if you are replacing your windows for “like for like”

You WILL NEED planning permission if you planning on cutting a new opening and adding new additional windows.

All new or replacement windows require building regulation approval, unless you use an approved registered installer such as Wye Valley Home Improvements.

Wye valley home improvements will carry out a FREE site survey and advice on all building regulations and will always adhere to glazing building regulations as below:-

We will ensure your home is fitted with toughened or laminated glass where required for safety and home security reasons.

We will ensure your windows meet with the required ventilation building regulations and provide trickle vents where required.

We will ensure your home has means of an escape in case of fire, by fitting special fire safety hinges and designing your windows with the relevant size openings or floating mullions to allow easy escape. Or for a fireman wearing full equipment to enter the home.

We will ensure your windows meet with the latest thermal U-Value, therefore improving your homes energy efficiency rating.

Listed building will require a more detailed site survey to discuss individual requirements and solutions as planning permission can be more specialised in these areas.

Outside noise can be reduced by fitting new double glazing units which are argon gas filled, combined with warm edge spacers. Most people find these measures are enough but for houses close to roads we can also provide specialist acoustic laminated glass or triple glazing with one laminated glass barrier in the middle glazing pane.

Wye Valley Home Improvements ensure our double glazed units have argon gas filled cavities with a warm edge spacer bar running all around the inside of the unit, combined with specialised glass coatings on the glass to reduce condensation and outside noise whilst also improving home efficiency for heat loss.