Conservatory Contractor in Teddington | Luxury Conservatory Extensions

Building on Teddington's Victorian and Edwardian Streets

Much of Teddington's housing dates from the building boom that followed the arrival of the railway in 1863. Within a few decades, the village had grown into the close-knit network of Victorian and Edwardian streets you see today. These houses often have narrow rear elevations, original brickwork and gardens of varying depth, so a generic off-the-shelf extension rarely sits well against them.

This is where a bespoke approach matters. Dimensions, frame material, glazing specification, roof type and finish are worked out for your house and your plans for the space, not chosen from a fixed catalogue range. A well-designed extension should look as though it belongs to the property rather than being attached to it.

Conservatory or Orangery? How to Choose Between the Two

A conservatory is mostly glazed, with a low brick base and a glazed roof. It brings in the most daylight and suits people who want a bright room that feels connected to the garden.

An orangery has more masonry: brick piers, a more solid structure, and a roof that is typically flat with a central glazed lantern. It feels more like a room of the house, holds temperature more steadily, and usually sits more comfortably against period brickwork, which is a real consideration on many Teddington streets.

Which one fits depends on a few practical things. The first is how the room will be used: a dining room or home office used all year needs better temperature control than a room used on sunny weekends. The direction the extension faces matters too, since a south-facing glazed roof gains a lot of solar heat, while a north-facing one loses heat quickly. Finally, the style of the house plays a part, as brick colour, window proportions and roof lines all affect which option looks right.

Our Conservatory Services for Teddington Properties

Design and Installation

Every Richmond Bespoke Conservatories build starts with a site survey: levels, boundaries, drainage runs, and the aspect of your rear elevation. Teddington’s plots vary a lot, from narrow Victorian terrace gardens near the station to deeper gardens running towards Bushy Park and Hampton.

Groundworks are specified to suit the site. Near the Thames, where the ground is low-lying, we consider ground conditions and flood risk early. Near mature trees, foundation depth is adjusted for root influence and clay shrinkage. We then build the base in brick or block with a damp-proof course and damp-proof membrane, followed by the frame, roof and glazing.

Conservatory Extensions

Many older conservatories in Teddington sit on shallow bases that were never designed to grow. Before extending, we check the foundations, the frame's load capacity and the surface water drainage, because adding a bay or lengthening the structure changes all three.

Where the room is to feel part of the house, we can widen the opening to the kitchen or living room. That means a properly supported structural opening with a steel lintel, and a thermally broken threshold so the join doesn't become a cold spot or a draught.

Orangery Extensions

An orangery is built more like a room of the house. Its masonry piers, insulated flat roof and central glazed lantern allow a much warmer, steadier interior than an all-glass structure.

For Teddington's Victorian and Edwardian homes, Richmond Bespoke Conservatories can match the existing London stock brick as closely as possible, and detail the cornice and lantern to suit the house. Because an orangery usually opens fully into the home, it normally falls under Building Regulations, including structural calculations and thermal performance requirements under Part L.

Roof Replacement and Upgrades

Older polycarbonate roofs are lightweight but have limited thermal performance, and basic glazed roofs can overheat quickly in summer. Upgrade options include solar-control glass, a laminated glass roof, or a part-solid roof with insulation and an internal plastered ceiling.

Solar-control glass has a coating that reflects part of the sun's energy while still letting daylight through. Laminated glass adds safety and reduces noise, which helps if you're near the busy A313. Each roof type puts a different load on the frame and base, so we check the structure first and reinforce it where needed.

Repairs and Maintenance

Most leaks come from the details around the glass rather than the glass itself. Common culprits include perished gaskets, failed sealant, slipped glazing bars, poor lead flashing where the roof meets the house, and gutters blocked by autumn leaf fall.

Misted double glazing means the sealed unit's edge seal has failed, and the unit needs replacing. We also look at sticking doors, worn hinges, failing locks and drainage, and Richmond Bespoke Conservatories can service conservatories we didn't build.

Commercial Conservatories and Orangeries

Teddington's High Street and Broad Street businesses often work with tight plots and busy pavements, so access, deliveries and trading hours shape how we plan a build. For cafes, pubs and restaurants, we can work in phases to keep the business open.

Public-use spaces bring extra requirements, including fire escape routes, step-free access, safety glazing, ventilation and comfort across long opening hours. Heating, blinds and opening roof vents are designed in from the start so the space works in January and in July.