What actually happens when we install your veranda
The survey is where the thinking happens. Installation is where that thinking gets executed, and the reason a good install looks effortless is that every awkward decision was made weeks earlier. Here is the sequence as it usually runs on a domestic veranda, what you will hear, and the handful of things that make our day faster and yours quieter.
Before we arrive
Clear the patio, move furniture and pots well back, and make sure we can get down the side of the house with long sections and glass units. If the only route is through the house, tell us at survey rather than on the morning, because we plan the lift differently. Park a car off the drive if you can, since materials come off the van in order and get staged near the work.
- Patio and border clear to about a metre beyond the structure
- Side access unobstructed, gates unlocked
- Outside tap and a power socket available
- Pets kept indoors while the drilling is going on
Setting out
The first job is establishing datum: a level line along the wall, the exact post positions marked, and the fall checked so water will run towards the outlet rather than sit in the gutter. Nothing is fixed until the setting out is agreed against the survey drawing, because a millimetre of error at the wall becomes a visible slope across a six metre front beam.
The wall bar and the fixings
The wall bar takes a large share of the load, so this is the part we take slowest. Fixings are chosen to suit what the wall is actually built from, resin anchored where needed, and spread to pass load into sound material rather than a weak outer skin. Expect hammer drilling in bursts for an hour or so, and expect us to stop and reassess if the wall reveals something the survey could not see.
Posts, bases and getting the frame square
Posts are stood, plumbed and packed onto their bases, then the front beam ties them together. Where the patio needed correcting, the bases were formed earlier and left to gain strength. The frame is checked square across the diagonals before anything is finally tightened, because the glazing bars will show any twist immediately.
Ready to get a date in the diary?
Every installation starts with a measured survey, so we can tell you exactly how many days your job needs and what preparation, if any, is worth doing first.
Glazing
Glass units are heavy and awkward, so this is a two or three person operation with the garden clear. Each panel is bedded, sealed and secured, then the roof is checked for run off along its whole length. If the weather is against us, glazing is the part we will postpone rather than rush, and we will say so on the day.
Drainage, extras and making good
Gutters are connected, downpipes routed to the agreed outlet, and any lighting or heating wired in and tested. Then the site is cleared, drill dust washed off the wall and paving, and the offcuts taken away. Rubbish going with us is part of the job, not an extra.
Handover
We walk the structure with you: how the drainage runs, how to clean the glass safely from the ground, how the controls work if there are any, and what the warranty covers. Frames are covered up to 10 years, glass and electrical parts carry manufacturer terms, and our workmanship is guaranteed. You get the paperwork before we leave.
Questions people ask us about this
How long does a veranda take to install?
Two days is typical for a straightforward domestic structure. Groundworks, drainage runs, wide spans and difficult access add time, and your survey will tell you which applies.
Do I need to be at home?
We need access and someone available at the start for setting out and at the end for handover. You do not need to be present all day.
Will the wall be damaged?
Fixing holes are inevitable, but they are placed deliberately and sealed. Render and brick are made good around fixings, and we clean drill dust off before we leave.
What happens if it rains on install day?
Frame work continues in normal British weather. Glazing and sealing need reasonable conditions, so we will move that part rather than compromise the seal.
Can you install in winter?
Yes. Ground conditions and daylight hours change the schedule more than temperature does, and we plan around them.
In short
Installation runs setting out, wall bar, posts, beam, glazing, drainage, handover. Clear access and honest information about your wall are the two things that keep it to schedule.