Frequently asked questions

General

Are there any limitations on where I can have windows and doors?

You can place windows and doors anywhere you wish in your design, learn more about the design flexibility of hup!.

Can my existing conservatories base be used for a hup! extension?

Yes, hup! is so lightweight that you can build your new extension onto an existing conservatory base – saving time and money.

How do I find my local hup! builder?

A nationwide network of highly experienced hup! builders are waiting to guide you through your hup! project, find your local hup! builder here.

I already have a builder in mind – can he build in hup!?

If your builder doesn’t already know about the hup! system, we can arrange training – either at one of our nationwide hup! training sessions or on-site, or both!

I don’t want my neighbours to be affected by any building work.

If you are conscious of your neighbours not being affected by your building project then hup! is the perfect choice. There is no cutting on site that could be noisy and a hup! build is so fast that most projects are fully completed (including plastering and all internal works) in just a few weeks, compared to months for a traditional build.

I’m worried about tradespeople not turning up or letting me down

With hup! you will have one small team who will take care of your entire project, so you won’t have any worries about managing multiple teams of tradespeople.

I’ve heard horror stories about home extensions, what makes hup! different?

Many of the horror stories associated with building extensions are due to managing multiple trades, weather delays and price increases – with hup! every one of these worries is eliminated. One team manages your build, most builds are completed in around 4-5 days and you will be given a price at the beginning of your build that is guaranteed.

If I replace my conservatory with hup! how will it affect the amount of floorspace?

As hup! walls are so slim, you will typically gain 10-15% more floorspace than if you had built on the same footprint with bricks and mortar.

Is hup! too good to be true?

hup! offers so many benefits that some homeowners have questioned if what they read about it can really be true – and have subsequently been reassured that hup! IS every bit as good as it sounds by homeowners who have already had their hup! built!

One of these homeowners is Sarah and you can read her hup! story here.

Accreditations & Approvals

Has hup! been fire tested?

Fully assembled hup! walls have been independently tested by Applus to confirm that they comply with Building Regulation fire safety requirements. Independent fire tests also confirm that the fully assembled structure of the hup! tiled and hybrid roofs comply with all Building Regulation fire safety requirements.

How strong are hup! walls?

The Steel Construction Institute (SCI) conducted two strength tests on hup! walls and compared them to traditional brick and block walls. Vertical loadings are the same strength as a brick wall and lateral strength is 70% stiffer than a brick wall.

Is hup! compliant with Building Regulations?

Yes, of course! All hup! components are fully compliant with the latest Building Regulations. To find out more, click here.

Is hup! sustainable/environmentally friendly?

Yes, hup! is extremely sustainable as there is zero waste during the manufacturing process. It is also highly environmentally friendly thanks to its energy efficiency credentials.

Building & Installation

How do I know I can trust my local hup! builder?

All hup! builders have undergone training to ensure they are fully competent to build any style of hup!.

How long does it take to install a hup!?

It all depends on the size of your hup! but most ‘typical’ sized builds of around 4m in length and width can be built from damp proof course (DPC) to being watertight in around 4 days.

How will the weather affect a hup! project?

hup! can be built in any weather including rain and even temperatures lower than 5 degrees which would stop a traditional build.

I already have a builder in mind – can he build in hup!?

If your builder doesn’t already know about the hup! system, we can arrange training – either at one of our nationwide hup! training sessions or on-site, or both!

I’m worried about tradespeople not turning up or letting me down

With hup! you will have one small team who will take care of your entire project, so you won’t have any worries about managing multiple teams of tradespeople.

Can I paint the calcium silicate board? (usually on a boundary)

If you want to use a paint on your boundary wall we would suggest the Empreror Exterior Wall Protection paint. It has a lifetime guarantee and costs £52 for 5 litres. We would suggest your hup! builder paints the calcium silicate boards in a warehouse or somewhere under cover individually then leave to dry. Once dry they can be assembled into a wall and hinged into place using the hup! boundary wall solution.

Can I render directly onto your Calcium Silicate Board?

Yes – it is designed for this purpose and does not need any extra preparation vs any other render board.

Which renders do your recommend?

Most renders are appropriate- we do not recommend specific brands, this is up to you.

What external cladding systems do you recommend?

Most cladding systems can be used with hup! and we supply a brick mesh. If you are close to a boundary you will need to make sure that ‘protected areas’ have adequate fire protection. The Calcium Silicate board used on hup! has an A1 fire rating and must be combined with a cladding of at least a A2 fire rating to be suitable for a ‘protected areas’ near a boundary.

Can I hang heavy items such as kitchen cabinets to the hup! walls?

Yes you can. There are suitable plasterboard fixings for certain situations, but you may prefer to counter batten/plyboard to add extra support.

Can I put radiators on the hup! wall?

Yes you can – ensure you use suitable fixings for dry wall anchoring e.g grip-it or Bullfix heavy duty dry wall anchor.

Can I put hup! on an existing base?

As long as there is no sign of movement and the base is a minimum of 150mm concrete, yes you can. This is because hup! will be lighter and no sufficient extra load to cause an issue.

Can we use goalposts to support openings?

Yes – this can be supplied by us or you can source it yourself. The hup! goalpost sits inside the door frames and is not hidden in the wall.

Are cavity barriers required with hup!?

In Scotland, these are needed as standard, in England, these need to be considered depending on location and external cladding. For further information please seek advice from your local building control.

Can you provide the data I need to show the product performance for Building Regulations?

Yes we can – your hup! builder will be able to provide this for you.

Can you put downlighters in the vaulted part of the hup! tiled roof ceiling?

Yes – however you must consider what the room is used as. If there is high humidity a vapour control layer may be required. This is not provided by us and must be placed between the plasterboard and the steel clips.

How should I make good the floor if I am knocking down a wall that is wider than a hup! wall on a conservatory conversion?

We would advise using some sort of PVC trim or window board to fill the gap.

What fixings are used to secure the base tray?

Any suitable fixing (for the substrate) with at least a 1 kilonewton pull out force. Fixings must be placed in every pre-punched hole which are set at a minimum of 600mm.

What is the loading of the hup! wall on the base?

0.4 kiloNewtons per meter squared.

Can electrical cable be run along the hup! walls?

Yes. Cable management panels can be specified to incorporate a trunking system allowing the electrician to easily run cables along the hup! wall to the desired locations. If running up the wall, the cable should run in a flexible conduit to separate it from the EPS insulation.

What happens if I want to make changes to my hup! window and wall layout in the future?

hup! is incredibly flexible and can be easily altered and changed throughout the design stage. If you wanted to change elements / features of your hup! build once installed or a few years’ down the line then it is a relatively easy process that can be quicker and produce less mess dependant on the scale of the change.

For example you can change one or several of the hup! wall panels by adding in different windows/doors, or if you had a window, then this could be changed to a door or a full height window. Records of the size and location of each walling panel are kept for each build, to help make the alteration process easier and these changes can be made by a hup! builder specifying additional components for the conversion.

If a you wanted to change or update the roof on your hup! extension, there are some things within the glazed areas that can be easily amended. Simply changing glass specification or adding opening roof vents to glass is straightforward. If a more significant change is required, then a new roof will need to be ordered, however as the hup! building system is designed to be used with any hup! roof, in most cases the hup! walls require no amendments when changing a roof.

Your hup! builder will be able to advise on any changes, alterations, and any structural supports that may be required.

How can I insulate an existing conservatory base if I am converting it using hup!?

You have 50mm to play with including the insulation and floor finish. Using a threshold this could be increased to 70mm, but the height of any existing internal doors would need to be considered (there are many floor insulation options on the market.)

For Tiles you can choose Pro-Warm Tile backer which is available in 6mm (U-value 5.5W/m2K), 10mm(U-value 2.62W/m2K) 12.5mm or 20mm(U-value 1.65W/m2K) and 30mm U-value 1.1W/m2K).

For other floors Eco-tec floor foam is only 6mm thick, or if you can use a threshold and want to be Building Regulation compliant you could use two Kingspan products – Kingspan TF70 which has a U-value of 0.55W/m2K (insulation only) and is 40mm thick +18mm chipboard. Any floor finish would need to be less than 12mm, to come in less than 70mm. Kingspan Optim R 20mm which has a u-value of 0.25W/m2K as a floating floor which can be used with a floating floor like laminate or used with a Fermacell 15mm board to adhere other finishes to.

Can I extend my conservatory base to make a bigger extension?

Yes, this is possible. However, if you are extending the base, you will most likely need a Building Regulation Approval (only conservatories below 30m2 are exempt). To comply with building regulations the existing base may need to be insulated. Any extension to the base will need to comply with Building Regulations and some underpinning of the existing base may be required. You will need to consult with your Building Regulations Approver before commencing basework.

Pricing, costs and budgeting

How do I find my local hup! builder?

A nationwide network of highly experienced hup! builders are waiting to guide you through your hup! project, find your local hup! builder here.

How do I get a hup! quote?

Simply get in touch with your local hup! builder. They will help you to create your hup! design (or designs!) and supply you with a quote or you can get a free online quote here.

How do I know I can trust my local hup! builder?

All hup! builders have undergone training to ensure they are fully competent to build any style of hup!.

How much does a hup! cost?

Every hup! is different just like a brick built extension and so you will need to ask your hup! builder to give you a quote for your specific hup! project.

I already have a builder in mind – can he build in hup!?

If your builder doesn’t already know about the hup! system, we can arrange training – either at one of our nationwide hup! training sessions or on-site, or both!

I’m worried about costs spiralling and exceeding our budget.

At the start of any hup! build, you will be given a written quote by your hup! builder which will not fluctuate.

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