A conservatory roof determines the level of comfort of the conservatory. There’s a good reason many conservatories go unused for months on end — they can be too hot to use during summer, and too cold to use in winter. Because of their poor thermal insulation, traditional polycarbonate and glass roofing, can also sit empty for months. Fortunately, there are alternatives.
Polycarbonate is the cheapest and most commonly used conservatory roofing material. While it offers the basic protection from the elements, it needs to be replaced if you want a conservatory that can be used year-round. Aside from poor insulation, polycarbonate also has poor thermal performance. Glass is a big step in the right direction. Aside from being more aesthetically pleasing and better at blocking noise, modern glass is newer glazing technologies is better than it used to be at blocking heat. Despite the thermal performance of modern glass systems, roofed conservatories can still be uncomfortable too.
Solid and tiled roofs
One solid roofing option uses insulation to create a tiled roofing system. This is a big departure from the traditional conservatory. Instead of a solid panel system, the entire roof is more reminiscent of a home extension. It is an improvement in the temperature control system. A solid conservatory roof captures heat in the system throughout the winter, and provides a much improved temperature control in the summer, allowing the conservatory to be a more fully utilized space throughout the year.
The appearance of the conservatory is drastically altered as well. A conservatory solid tiled roof looks integrated as part of the home from an exterior view. No longer looks like a glass box that has been an appended to the home. A tiled conservatory solid roof is fully treatable with the appropriate finishing materials because it provides a surface that is fully enclosed. You do sacrifice the open sky and the overhead light that comes with glass roofs. This can be addressed with the installation of rooflight systems.
A final item of consideration is the weighted system for the solid tiled roof. The solid tiled roof is heavier than the glass roofing systems, so the framing system has to be checked to make sure it can support the additional weight. A good solid roof installer will check the framing system before the install. The roof replacement is solid and looks good, so no need to worry.
Solar control and options in between
Solar control glass can be a good option if you want to keep the light that your glass roof provides, but want to alleviate the overheating problem. This type of glass is designed to let light through while reflecting some of the sun’s heat. A glass roof conservatory that is bright and open, but becomes unusable in July due to overheating, is a perfect example of when you would want this type of glass. It helps mitigate the greenhouse effect while providing a glass roof.
Solar control glass will be a much better option for a room that is mainly too hot as opposed to a room that is too cold. Since this type of glass will not help as much with heat loss, it can help with the greenhouse effect while still allowing you to keep your conservatory roof as glass.
This will ultimately depend on how you want to use the room and how it behaves. If the conservatory is mainly too hot in the summer, it might need to have solar control glass. A conservatory that you want to be usable year-round will likely need to have a solid tiled roof. The orientation of the conservatory will also impact the design, as a south-facing conservatory tends to be too hot while a north-facing conservatory tends to be too cold.
A conservatory should not be unusable for half the year because something’s wrong with the roof. You have bought that conservatory so why should it sit unused for so long when the roof is most likely what is stopping you from using it.