News: How A Tiled Conservatory Roof Changes The Game For Temperature Control In Your Home

People who have had a conservatory in their home for a while know that conservatories have serious temperature issues. They tend to get an extreme heat or extreme cold. They usually have a pretty low temperature range in the middle. While the polycarbonate or glass roof may have looked amazing when it was installed, it is very likely that you have spent an entire summer avoiding the room and an entire winter pretending it doesn’t exist. 

Once you put in a tiled roof everything becomes different. The differences are like night and day.

Why Your Current Roof Can't Handle Temperature  

The polycarbonate and glass materials do a poor job at insulating against the heat and cold. polycarbonate does a little bit better than glass when it comes to insulating, but it is still just a thin layer of plastic and does little to prevent heat to flow straight through it.  

The worst of the worst are summer months. When direct sunlight hits the polycarbonate roof, the entire space turns into a backyard greenhouse. You may have to open all the doors and windows just to cool the space, which is ironically, the opposite of what a roof is supposed to do. Winter is just as bad because all the heat will escape through the roof equals heating the space is just like burning money.  

What Actually Makes Tiled Roofs Work  

Unlike a polycarbonate roof, a tiled roof is built in a completely different way. Instead of clear panels covering the space, they will have insulating and waterproofing materials as well. The materials built into a tiled roof will have a layer of insulation boards, then a layer of waterproof membrane, followed by a layer of battens, then finally a layer of lightweight tiles.  

The make-up of a tiled roof allows for a 'real' barrier against heat transfer and insulation. Heat cannot escape during winter months, and summer months heat will not be able to come into the space = instead of just replacing the roof, insulating it will keep the space air conditioned. The Change in Temperature That Gets Noticed. 

People always mention the change in temperature first after the work is done. In summer, under a polycarbonate or glass roof, the room is about 10 to 15 degrees hotter. There is a big difference between a place you can’t sit in and a place that is comfortable. 

Winter is also pretty obvious. No more heat streaming out of the roof, so the room stays at that temperature. Many owners can finally run their heating into the conservatory without their bills going crazy. They can use the space twelve months a year, unlike spring and autumn when the weather is mild.

The Improvement in the Energy Bill

With the comfort improvements, there is also the uncertainty of the running costs, which is more important now than ever. Before a tiled roof goes on, most people don't heat their conservatory because there's no point, as the heat goes away too quickly. Once you have good insulation in there, the space is actually warm and you won't be throwing your money away warming the garden.

Conservatory roof insulation may also lower cost on energy bills. Without overheating, you can stop using air conditioning and running fans all day. You might not need cooling devices anymore.

What You Need to Consider

Your conservatory must be capable of supporting the weight of the more than polycarbonate or glass. Most modern ones handle it fine, but older structures may be less certain. Best to stay safe and check.

You're also changing how natural light enters the conservatory. Before, it was all natural light pouring through the glass. Now it will be light that comes through the adjacent windows, which some may have to get used to more than others. However, the feeling is easily forgotten when the room is being used instead of abandoned for half the time.

You may need planning permission, and it can depend on the location of your property. Requirements really depend on your location so look to see whether you need to.

Utilising the space effectively

What really matters isn’t the roof, but the new possibilities for the room underneath. A conservatory that might have been too hot, too cold, or just too awkward becomes usable living space. People shift their home offices there, create dining areas, and buy actual furniture, instead of garden stuff, that can cope with temperature swings.

Most people see the value in the change from “we’ll use it when the weather’s nice,” to “this is part of our house now.” The change is quite dramatic, and most people shift focus from the empty room for most of the year to the new addition that becomes their favourite part of the house.

Getting Expert Advice  

Getting a professional evaluation of your conservatory if it`s starting to show its age and you are not sure if a replacement is needed is a good idea. Smart Conservatory Solutions has installed thousands of conservatory roofs. We know a thing or two about the roofs that have been in different conditions.  

Other than pressure, we can give you a realistic idea about how much time your current roof has left and what your options are, no pressure. It could be just a replacement that is quite simple and like the original, or it could be an entire renovation into a solid, tiled roof. We know from experience which advice is the most honest and most helpful from thousand installations.  

Getting a conservatory roof replacement is not an instant event. You can take care of the roof properly, and catch problems before they become too serious to be easily managed in order to extend the lifespan.

To arrange a free, no obligation assessment of your conservatory roof, give us a call on 01604 713 335. We'll discuss your options and how we can create the perfect conservatory for your home.