What’s the best conservatory roof system?

What do you want your conservatory to be?

Before you embark on any home-improvement work, it’s good to ask yourself what your vision is for the space. The best conservatory roof system for you depends on your answer! 

It might be as simple as transforming your conservatory into a fully-fledged room, like any of the others in your house — too often, we meet customers who only get about half the use out of their conservatories as other rooms, thanks to privacy and temperature concerns. In this case, we’d maybe suggest a more substantial roof, either fully or partly tiled.

On the other hand, you might want to build a glass-house plant paradise, perfect for airy, wakeful home-working, hosting houseguests or sitting back at the weekend with a tall beer and newspaper. If that’s the case, you’ll want a clear roof made from either polycarbonate or glass.

You can read a little more about the various conservatory roof replacement options we offer — it might spark some inspiration!

Polycarbonate and glass roofs

In the bad old days before modern materials, clear conservatory roofs were rightly regarded as the culprit for a space that was sweltering hot in summer and bitterly cold in winter. Nowadays this couldn’t be further from the truth.

Tough, long-lasting polycarbonate roofs are cost-effective, insulative and can be installed with minimal fuss. Fitted properly, they can retain their structural integrity and high thermal rating for decades. Even better, at the end of their life they’re almost always recyclable!

Looking for something a little more traditional? Our glass roofs blend old-style quality with the very latest mod-cons. We include highly insulative glass as standard, as well as options for UV-filtering panes and a self-cleaning titanium dioxide coating. 

This reduces glare and makes for a comfortable ambient temperature all year round. What better way to revitalise your old conservatory?

Tiled and hybrid roofs

Putting a tiled roof on a tired old conservatory frame is a great way to give your space a complete makeover. While we have to do a quick structural check before we commence work to check everything’s safe and in order, most modern tiled roofs are in fact lighter than their glass counterparts!

Tiled roofs are supremely insulative, can make a conservatory feel like an integral part of your home and come with plenty of options. We’ll work with you to choose a colour and design that suits your preferences, as well as offering “hybrid” designs that blend tiled and glass roof systems.

If you’re really interested in roofing quality, you should check out the designs we stock by Ultraframe, one of Europe’s leading conservatory roof manufacturers. These include the Ultrasky glass-lantern design (for a blend of light and warmth) and their lightweight, stylish Ultraroof. 

We particularly like the hybrid Livinroof, which mixes A-grade glazing in with solid roof panels to give a mix of warmth and natural lighting.

If you like the sound of this, you can read more about Ultraframe options or give us a call for a chat!

Should you have velux windows in your conservatory roof?

Velux windows are immensely popular windows specially designed to be fitted into pitched roofs. They come in a variety of forms, from simple hinged casement designs at the cheaper end, to more complicated vented, lock-open windows that can open in a few different ways. They also usually have excellent insulative properties!

If you’re opting for a tiled roof, velux windows can look stylish and provide plenty of functionality, including much-needed summer ventilation! It can also be nice to lower their built-in blackout blinds at the end of the day.

On the other hand, you don’t want to fit lovely windows you can’t reach! This removes most of their useful function — here, you’d be better off opting for plain glass panes

Clean your conservatory roof easily

Normally, cleaning a conservatory roof can be a tricky business. Most of them aren’t made to bear weight or even be leant on by ladders! This can mean their owners are forced to make shaky ascents of tall step ladders with a long brush or spend money on professionals!

Fortunately, modern materials arrived on the scene. Glass roofs with a titanium dioxide coating can help your conservatory to “self-clean”. This coating stops dirt and grime from sticking to the glass by encouraging rainwater to pick up dirt and slide off the conservatory roof quickly. 

Even more incredibly, any dirt that does stick around is broken down gradually by the coating’s natural reaction to sunlight, enabling it to wash off easily once the rain comes back around again. If it hasn’t rained for a little while, simply hose the roof down. Magic!

Get in touch

As always, we’re happy to speak to anybody and everybody about our conservatories. Just call our team!