Warm Conservatory Roofs

Most people come to us asking about a roof. Almost nobody actually wants a roof. What they want is the room underneath it to become usable for twelve months of the year instead of five.

That distinction changes the specification. If the goal is a room you genuinely live in, then the roof is only part of the conversation. Heating needs to be considered, because a warm room needs a heat source and many conservatories were never given one. Ventilation needs to be considered, because a well-insulated room with no airflow gets stuffy. Lighting needs to be considered, because a plastered ceiling can carry downlights and a glass one cannot. Existing glazing in the walls needs to be considered, because there is limited sense insulating the roof beautifully while the side panels leak heat.

We raise all of that at the survey rather than quoting for a roof in isolation and leaving you to discover the rest afterwards. Sometimes the honest answer is that the roof alone will do what you want. Sometimes it is not, and you should know that before you spend.

The objection we hear most is that a solid roof will make the room dark. It is a fair worry and it is the thing to design around rather than dismiss.

Roof windows are the answer, and how many you have and where they sit is a decision taken at design stage rather than left to the installer on the day. A conservatory on a north elevation usually wants more of them than one facing south. A room used mainly in the evening wants fewer than one used as a home office.

The trade is honest and worth stating plainly: you lose some daylight and you gain a room that is comfortable all year. Most people find that a straightforward exchange once they have lived with it, but it is your call and we would rather you made it with the trade-off in front of you.