Faringdon · 15 July 2026
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Glass Conservatory Roofs
Glass Conservatory Roofs
Modern solar-controlled sealed units in place of tired glass or failing polycarbonate. For homeowners who want the room to work properly without losing the light or the view.
- Personally Surveyed
- Premium Materials
- Professionally Installed
- Insurance-Backed Guarantee
- Free Home Survey
What It Is
The same shape of roof, a generation of glass later.
A high-performance glass roof replaces the single-skin glass or polycarbonate you have now with modern sealed units, set into a roof structure designed to carry them.
Most of the conservatories we survey were roofed in polycarbonate. It was cheap, light and easy to fit, and it does very little. It loses heat through the winter, gains it relentlessly through the summer, drums loudly in rain and tends to discolour and leak at the seals as it ages. Older single-skin glass roofs behave much the same way, only quieter.
A modern sealed unit is a different component. Two or more panes with a controlled cavity, a low-emissivity coating to hold heat in, a solar-control coating to keep a good share of it out, and seals designed for the weather a roof actually takes. The frames, gaskets and flashings around it have moved on as well, and a properly detailed modern roof simply does not let water in where the old ones did.
The room keeps its character. What changes is how it behaves.
Why People Choose It
When glass is the right answer.
- The daylight stays. A glazed roof keeps the room bright in a way no solid roof can, and for a lot of homeowners that is the whole point of the conservatory.
- The view stays. If the roof looks out onto trees, open fields or a garden you have worked on, a glass roof keeps that outlook rather than closing it off.
- The room still reads as a conservatory. Some people want the space to become part of the house. Others like it exactly as it is and simply want it to work better. This is the option for the second group.
- It is a lighter-touch upgrade. You are changing the glazing and the roof structure rather than rebuilding the room. There is no plastering, no new ceiling and no redecoration to follow.
It suits gardens and open outlooks particularly well. Where the reason the conservatory was built in the first place is what you can see from it, taking the sky away is rarely the right move.
The Honest Trade-Offs
What a glass roof will not do.
A glass roof will never be as warm in deep winter as a solid insulated roof, and it will never be as quiet in heavy rain. That is not a matter of specification or budget. It is what glass is.
What it will be is a very large improvement on old glass or polycarbonate, in both directions and in every month of the year. For a great many conservatories that is exactly the right amount of change.
But if the goal is a room that feels like part of the house in January — somewhere you leave furniture, put a light fitting in the ceiling and use without thinking about the weather — then a warm roof is the honest answer, and we would rather point you there than sell you the wrong roof.
Solar Control
Summer comfort, honestly described.
The complaint we hear about old conservatory roofs in summer is always the same: the room becomes unusable by mid-afternoon. That is solar gain, and it is the problem modern coated units were developed to address.
A solar-control coating reflects a substantial share of the sun's heat at the glass rather than letting it into the room, while still letting the daylight through. Set against single-skin glass or polycarbonate, which do neither, the difference through a hot spell is the change most homeowners notice first.
It is a reduction, not an elimination. A south-facing glazed roof under a clear August sky will still feel warm, and anyone who tells you otherwise is overselling. Which is why we talk about ventilation, opening vents and the way you actually use the room at the survey, rather than treating the glass as the whole answer.
Your Existing Conservatory
Will it take a new glass roof?
Usually, yes. Modern sealed units are heavier than the single-skin glass or polycarbonate they replace, so the existing frames, base and any dwarf wall are assessed properly before anything is ordered. That assessment is part of the free survey, not an extra.
Where the existing structure needs reinforcement, we identify it at survey, specify it, and include it in the fixed written quotation. What we will not do is discover it on installation day and present you with a revised figure.
Occasionally the honest answer is that a particular conservatory is not a sensible candidate. If that is the case we will say so.
Regulations
Building Regulations and planning.
- Building Regulations apply. Replacing a conservatory roof is notifiable work. Structural calculations, notification and inspection are handled by us as part of the installation, and you receive the certification on completion.
- Planning permission usually does not. Most conservatory roof replacements fall within permitted development. Listed buildings, properties in conservation areas — which covers a great deal of the Cotswolds and the Thames Valley — and unusually large or previously altered structures are the exceptions.
- We will tell you which applies. Your surveyor will set out honestly what your property needs before you commit to anything.
Why Thames Frames
Considered craftsmanship, quietly delivered.
Personally Surveyed
Every project is measured and assessed by an experienced specialist, never a commission-driven salesperson.
No Pushy Sales
We offer considered advice and a fixed written quotation. There is no pressure at any stage.
Professionally Installed
Our fitting teams are directly employed and known for their precision and care.
Premium Products
We specify only proven, high-performance roof systems from trusted British manufacturers.
Attention to Detail
From flashings to plaster finish, every element is completed to a genuinely high standard.
Established & Trusted
Homeowners across Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire and Berkshire choose Thames Frames on personal recommendation.
Recent Installations
Conservatory roofs we have fitted recently.
Photographs of recent Thames Frames conservatory roof installations, shared from our own Facebook and Instagram.
Meysey Hampton · 13 July 2026
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Highworth · 23 July 2026
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Faringdon · 17 August 2026
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Highworth · 23 July 2026
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Witney · 29 July 2026
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Witney · 29 July 2026
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Kidlington · 20 July 2026
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Newbury · 17 July 2026
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Sandford-on-Thames · 4 August 2026
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From our archive
Recent Projects
Recent conservatory roof replacements.
A selection of recent Thames Frames installations completed across Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire and Berkshire.
Marlborough, Wiltshire
Conservatory transformed with an insulated tiled roof
A fully insulated tiled roof replacing tired polycarbonate, turning a seasonal conservatory into a calm, characterful room used every day of the year.
Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Flat roof and roof lantern above an open-plan extension
A contemporary flat roof paired with a generous aluminium lantern, architectural daylight for an open-plan kitchen extension, beautifully finished inside and out.
Wantage, Oxfordshire
High-performance glass roof on a countryside conservatory
A solar-controlled, thermally efficient glass roof preserves the light and views on a country conservatory, comfortable in summer, warm through winter and beautifully bright year-round.
Royal Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire
Insulated warm roof on a family conservatory
A fully insulated tiled warm roof with a plastered internal ceiling, genuinely warm in winter, cool in summer and pleasingly quiet in the rain.
Burford, Oxfordshire
Glass roof replacement on a Cotswold cottage
A solar-controlled glass roof replacing tired polycarbonate on a Cotswold stone cottage, restoring light, comfort and daily use of the room without altering the character of the property.
Lechlade, Gloucestershire
Flat roof and lantern above a kitchen extension
A clean, contemporary flat roof with a statement lantern above a kitchen extension, considered proportions, precise flashings and a beautifully finished internal ceiling.
Customer Reviews
What homeowners say.
"Absolutely delighted with our new 4-metre aluminium sliding door and roof lantern. The difference they’ve made to the room is incredible — it’s brighter, more spacious and has completely transformed the look of the house."
Maverick Litchfield-Kelly
Google review
"Really pleased with our replacement conservatory, new roof and glazing. It’s made such a difference and has completely transformed the space. The quality is great and everything was fitted really well. The whole job was straightforward and we’re really happy with how it’s turned out. Would definitely recommend Thames Frames."
Martin Delves
Google review
"After a recommendation, we got our front door and conservatory roof done by Thames Frames. Couldn't be happier with the work so far and will definitely be back for our windows."
Charlie Barker
Google review
Related
Explore more from Thames Frames.
Frequently Asked Questions
Glass conservatory roofs, your questions answered.
The glass itself. Older conservatory roofs were single-skin glass or polycarbonate — one thin layer doing very little in either direction. A modern roof uses sealed units with solar-control and low-emissivity coatings, so less heat comes in through the summer and less escapes through the winter. The frames, seals and flashings are also a generation on from the ones most of the roofs we survey were built with.
Free Home Survey
Keep the Light, Fix the Room
Arrange a complimentary home survey with one of our conservatory roof specialists. We will assess your existing structure, talk through solar control and how the room faces, and leave you with a fixed written quotation and no pressure at any stage.
Free Home Survey
Book Your Free Glass Roof Survey
Share a few details and a conservatory roof specialist will be in touch within one working day. No pressure, no pushy sales.