Conservatories are a popular, relatively cheap way of adding space to your home. Unfortunately, many conservatory owners find that these spaces are too cold to use in winter and uncomfortably hot in the middle of summer. This means that cheap extra space is only usable for a few months a year, making it much less of a bargain.

Finding ways to insulate your conservatory can make it much more comfortable and valuable. At least a quarter of the heat lost from these spaces escapes through their roofs, making this a sensible area to target. Focusing on the roof also means you still get the benefits of light flooding in through the sides of the room, giving you a space which is both warm and light.

Insulated blinds

The simplest and cheapest option is to add some form of blinds or drapes to the space between your rafters. Using a heavy fabric or more expensive insulated curtains can reduce the amount of heat that escapes. This should be quite effective at keeping your conservatory cooler in the middle of summer as it will block out some sunlight and the heat it brings with it.

However, fabric will only be of limited effectiveness at keeping heat in during winter and is unlikely to make you conservatory usable during the colder months. There is also the danger of condensation forming on the underside of your conservatory roof making your blinds damp and leading them to become mouldy.

Insulated ceiling

Many companies are now offering to insulate your conservatory roof by adding traditional insulation between the rafters and concealing this behind a new ceiling. This will completely cut out any light from entering through the roof and leave you with a warmer space. The new ceiling can be plastered and painted, giving your conservatory the appearance of a more traditional room.

This method can be quite effective if carried out properly by skilled professionals but unfortunately a lot of companies offering this process fail to take account of damp. As with blinds, condensation will still tend to form on the underside of your conservatory roof. This will then drip onto the new insulation, causing it to become damp and degrade. Not only will this ruin the insulation, the moisture is also likely to penetrate through to your new ceiling causing unsightly damp patches.

Convert to a solid conservatory roof

If you want a permanent solution to make your conservatory warmer without worrying about damp, converting to a solid roof is the answer. Lightweight metal roofing can usually be supported by your existing conservatory frame, but is just as strong and durable as traditional clay or slate roof tiles. This allows you to add insulation and a new ceiling, but without the risk of damp associated with simply adding an insulated ceiling to your existing roof.

Metrotile’s conservatory roof replacement systems comes with a 40 year weatherproof guarantee. That means you can have peace of mind that converting to a solid roof will be an effective long term solution, not a quick fix you come to regret.

To find out more or to ask for a quote, call Metrotile today on 01249 658 514 or use our contact form for a swift response.