A conservatory is a good way of extending your home – as long as you make allowances so that you can get the most use possible out of it. A conservatory with poor insulation will be unusable for large stretches of the year, and unpleasantly hot at other times, rendering it poor value for money. To get maximum value and usage out of your conservatory, insulation needs to be a primary concern, either when building it, or afterwards, when improving it for longevity. Fitting your conservatory with an insulating conservatory roof will help to make it more energy efficient and a better all-round environment for your and your family – so what is the best way of insulating your roof?
A roof will let in and out most of the conservatory’s heat and light. So if there is a lot of sun, for example, this will come in through the roof, shining directly onto you and causing lots of glare and an unpleasantly high temperature. If you have a south-facing garden or a particularly sunny garden, then you might notice your conservatory becoming hotter than it needs to be, very easily indeed. This can result in an uncomfortable experience when using it. The roof should certainly be the focal point if you are going to enjoy your conservatory all year round.
These are some of the options of insulating your conservatory roof and making it a better space all round:
- Using solar films on the roof. You will keep the glass or polycarbonate roof that you already have, and fit the roof with a window film. This will help to reduce heat and light, making it more pleasant to spend time in your conservatory. However, you might notice that films begin to crack and peel over time. They can be a good solution, but ultimately, if you are going to make a more long-term change, this will need to be to do with the roof and the glass itself.
- Use a UV solar glass in the roof of your conservatory. This is a better option than standard glass or polycarbonate, deflecting UV rays and making your conservatory a better temperature. It will help shield you from the sun’s harshest rays and can go some way to making your conservatory warmer in winter as well. It is better insulated than a standard glass roof and will probably give you a longer lifespan for your roof than a window film.
- A tiled conservatory roof. This is a great all-round option for people looking to get the most out of a conservatory. A tiled roof will of course stop the sun beating down on your on hot days, and the materials will be well insulated to keep the conservatory warmer in winter as well. You will be able to enjoy a lot of benefits with this kind of roof. Many modern homeowners like tiled roofs because they look similar to the roof on the rest of the house, making the conservatory less like an extension and more like part of the home.