Converting from a glazed roof to a solid roof is an increasingly popular option among conservatory owners. The principal benefits are an increase in the usability of the conservatory space in colder months, reduced heating bills from greater heat retention, and increases to the resale value of the property.

With conservatory constructions being so widely varied in shape, it is easy to see why some conservatory owners are uncertain about the feasibility of a conversion. L-shaped, gable, and other shapes all place specific design requirements on a conversion. There is however, no reason for the shape of your conservatory to make conversion out of the question.

Key Considerations

Considering the shape of your conservatory as a design challenge when converting is a useful way of looking at it. A reliable and experienced contractor will be able to meet the design challenge of a conservatory of any shape and size.

There are several methods of re-roofing an existing structure on the market – the easiest and often cheapest way is simply to wrap a new roof over and under the existing roofing system. However, this method is the most likely to overstress the existing roof and wall structure and great care is needed. If you are offered this solution, you should ensure the company quoting to do the work can evidence the stability of the structure with the increased loading and satisfy both you and your local authority building control team of its adequacy.

Other methods require removal of the existing roof and replacing it with a new roof that is supported by a reinforced eaves beam. This transfers the additional weight either through vertical supports within the existing windows or by new columns introduced either inside or outside of the structure. It is important to ensure that existing foundations can carry this weight so a trial hole is also needed to check adequacy.

Lightweight conservatory roofing

Ensuring that the structure of the conservatory can support a replacement conservatory roof is much easier if you can reduce the load of the roof by using lightweight materials. The roofing tiles used make up a large percentage of the weight of a solid roof, and reducing the weight of each tile used dramatically reduces the load on the structure.

Lower pitch roof tiles

Often the biggest design consideration in a solid roof conversion is ensuring the pitch of the roof is shallow enough to minimise and ideally eliminate blockage of windows in the upper floor(s) of the property.

Metrotiles are up to 7 times lighter than traditional roofing materials, and can be installed on pitches as low as 10 degrees. At Metrotile, our high-quality lightweight roof-tiles come with a 40-year weatherproof guarantee, ensuring that your conservatory will stand the test of time. For more information, contact Metrotile today by filling in our contact form or you can call us on 01249 658 514.