Conservatories UK roof options

There are a range of styles available to choose from when it comes to new conservatories UK, and whilst you may get wrapped up in which to choose, don’t neglect the conservatory roof. You want something that’ll suit your home all year round and meet any regulations and be approved.

Below you’ll find the different roofing options available to you in order to make an informed decision.

Glass roofs

With conservatories UK much of the installation is comprised of glazing. In fact, only 25% can be brickwork if it’s to meet planning permission and Building Regulations.

Victorian conservatory
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And glass is also one of the favourite roofing options for the conservatory, allowing plenty of light into the installation and giving you the most all through the year.

With glass roofing you need to ensure the frames can hold the material as it’s heavy and these will need to be constructed accordingly. Strong beams for support will be essential and aluminium is the best material when it comes to strength.

Heat reflective glass

Heat reflective glass, otherwise known as energy efficient glass or low-e, has a metallic coating to retain heat whilst not limiting the amount of heat and light allowed in. This coating gives the glass a slight brown or grey tint.

Another bonus with the heat reflective glass is that glare can be reduced on sunny days, but light entering the conservatory isn’t reduced.

What’s important to remember though is that heat reflective glass won’t act as a form of insulation in itself and would need to be part of a double glazed or triple glazed unit.

Self-cleaning glass

Self-cleaning glass is yet another possibility for the conservatory. The thin photocatalytic coating will break down organic dirt using natural sun rays, helping to loosen grime that gathers on the glass.

Self-cleaning glass also has hydrophilic properties. Rain is able to wash away the grime that accumulates, ensuring the glass will stay cleaner for longer periods. This will cut the maintenance time required.

It is possible to combine self-cleaning glass with heat reflective properties, but remember to specify this to the installer as soon as possible.

Tiled roof

A conservatory with a tiled roof is often called a sunroom or garden room. They are particularly popular in traditional homes as they blend well with the existing property.

Tiled conservatory roof
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Planning permission is much easier to gain with this type of roofing, particular for those living in a conservation area or listed building. They’re also appropriate no matter if our garden is north or south facing. The tiled roof will make a conservatory more economical to heat, whilst you don’t have to worry about overheating during the summer months.

Of course, replacing a glass roof with tiled also gives you more privacy, without prying eyes being able to see what you’re up to.

Lead roof

There are a range of reasons you may need a partially flat roof for your conservatories UK. Popularly this is because access to an upstairs window would be blocked, not meeting Building Regulations for emergency purposes.

Of course, it could simply be that you spend a lot of time upstairs and want an aesthetically pleasing finish. For flat conservatory roofs, zinc, lead and copper are very popular because of the beautiful finish they provide. They can, however, be quite costly to integrate into your installation.

If you need to stick to a tight budget, then a lead roof could be a stretch too far for you and a weather-proof synthetic material could be more suitable.

Solar Glass Roof

Solar glass roof is beneficial to your home throughout the year, not just in the summer months. The way the glass is manufactured and treated makes it an excellent way to control heat entering your home.

Solar conservatory
Image from pinterest

A coating on the external part of the glazing will keep unwanted heat out of your home, which is particularly beneficial in the summer to stop you sweltering in the conservatory.

The inside of the glazing is separately treated to reduce heat radiation so there is less heat loss. Your conservatory will keep warm in the winter without you seeing a dramatic rise in fuel bills.

Polycarbonate Roof

Another material you could make use of for your conservatory roof is polycarbonate. Polycarbonate is great for preventing your conservatory from absorbing too much heat and 80% of the sun’s rays can be restricted. This ensures a consistently comfortable temperature throughout the hotter summer months.

Glare from the sun is also reduced by as much as 86% with polycarbonate and in the winter heat won’t be able to escape either. This dual quality means you won’t have to worry about energy bills escalating in the colder parts of the year, lowering your carbon footprint as well.

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Tom Crosswell

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