The previous owners of our house knocked through from the kitchen into the conservatory, making a really nice light, airy space. However the conservatory is approx 20-25 years old, freezing in winter and boiling in summer. Due to house layout, windows etc we can’t just turn it into an extension, so want to retain the conservatory but make it as comfortable as possible. Lots of these grand designs on the telly box have fancy glass roofs, and atriums which must have the same issues.
Does anyone have any experience of this, what glass, fames etc will we need to be looking at and any recommendations of installers in South Wales?

Either accept its ‘failures’ and extend your central heating for winter and leave the door open in summer or replace with a ‘summer’ room – ie walls, roof but lots of windows and roof lights.

Solar reflective glass on the roof (Pilkington K glass I think) & a wood stove. We use ours all year. There are no roof blinds to prevent the sun getting in but it doesn’t get too hot all that often. If it does then we simply open the windows 😀 During the winter months it’s often the warmest place in the house. Our cat likes the temperature kept at approx 26 deg !

I’m in a similar situation, have a tiny house and want to make the conservatory more usable in the winter.

We’re looking to install a tiled roof this spring, fully insulated to retain heat in the winter and cool in the summer.

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I know you can get low weight “fake” roof tiles to convert conservatories into sun rooms.

Massively reduces the amount of heating via the glass.

We’ve explored the solid roof option, and even the lightweight ones are quite thick, due to the position of a window above this isn’t possible. Looking at the reflective glass option, woodburner possible, or big rad and underfloor electric heating to boost it when in use.

Would be good to get input on types of glass etc, and if there is any real difference in frames, or is UPVC UPVC?

I’d be looking at replacing the roof with slate/tiles and insulating (as karen is doing). If you could replace the side glass with DG that would be good also.

Out of interest, roughly what is the cost for these roof tiles? Wouldn’t that require building regs approval since you’d be effectively converting the conservatory into an extension?

I put an air conditioner in mine. Not eco friendly, but makes it a useable space when its too hot or too cold.

We recently had the old poly roof in ours replaced with the solar-reflective glass – it’s made a big difference in not getting so unbearably hot on sunny days. It also seems to keep the heat in during winter. Loads quieter when it rains too!

Will see how it goes in the summer, but not felt the need for roof blinds yet.

Would have been nice to add a stove, but would have added a lot to the cost.

Did consider think about converting to tiled roof, but would miss being able to look up at the sky

The only real solution is to change the walls/roof or basically rebuild it. IMO the conservatory has not been properly sited vs the house/sun, having one which catches the full sun in the summer means its guaranteed to be too hot, that’s a harder problem to fix than too cold. We had one and where careful to try and site it vs the sun but we where only partially successful. Another mate had his demolished and rebuilt as an extension.

I’ve got Pilkington double glazing filled with some special gas on my south-facing conservatory and have a mild sun reflective tint on it. It stops it getting *too* hot in Summer, but it is still too warm in there on a really sunny day.

It’s built to building regs, so has insulated floor and walls (it’s between the house and garage). It’s “cold” in the winter, but not unbearable. 5 minutes warm-up on the turbo and I’m normally OK

Edit : Technically I thought you were meant to have an external spec door between the dwelling and conservatory?

Parents have had one of these for about 15 years.

http://www.koalashade.co.uk/gallery.html

Works great in summer as internal blinds have already let the heat in. Takes about 30 mins to put on, stays on all summer, 30 mins off again in autumn. It still gets warm in summer but a lot less than it could as its facing due south!

instead of trying to make it work all year, you should be able to extended the seasons. In addition to the solar shading and potential improvements to the envelope consider insulating the floor with insulated chipoard t&G sheets.

As others have said, a heat reflecting roof makes a massive difference. Also the best glass you can afford in the windows. We don’t have roof blinds but have pleated blinds on the windows which stop direct sun & make it nice & cosy in the evening. Ours is heated with an oil filled rad which seems to manage most of the year. If it gets too hot then we just open the windows or door. There are only a few times a year when it really isn’t worth heating. We have had several Christmas dinners in ours. Also , we have never had any condensation on the inside glass but often get it on the outside in winter/cool mornings. As with a lot of things, you get what you pay for to a certain degree. We face North west so get most of the afternoon & evening sun.

not particularly helpful for you but as others have said there should be an external door between kitchen and conservatory for building regs. The builder shouldn’t have done it, and it would make me want to check everything else was done properly too. Your survey really should have picked that up.

the room needs a higher U value if its to be open plan to dwelling rooms. This is either achieved by it being a normal room with walls and a roof on or having very expensive posh glass with very high insulation ratings to get the same effect. The latter is what you see in grand designs.

My in Laws had a roof put on a large conservatory last autumn.

Positives – It feels much more like a room, and you feel more comfortable in it.

– Its quieter, less noise from the street etc

– Its a little bit warmer in winter, and a little bit cooler in summer.

– There isnt as much glare so less strainful on your eyes.

However

It still wasnt that warm in the winter, and they still didnt really use it.

This spring when the sun has been out, the windows have had to be opened, even when its not been that warm outside.

In short it made a bit of difference, but not enough.

Just to add, that ours (came with the house) was South-West facing.

Baltic in winter, in fact we moved in on a Monday in Feb and it had a plumbed-in radiator by the Wednesday. In summer even with blinds (windows and roof) it’d get hot enough that the carpet would lift…

I used to fit replacement solid/tiled roofs. Essentially you replacing the polycarbonate wit a traditional roof, isulating in and out. Op I Here what your saying about the space the ridge of your existing roof but it may be possible to alter the pitch of new roof to accommodate. If I where you I would find a couple if decent joiners and get then to do it. Gaurdians roofs were super dear from memory for what it is you are trying to achieve. Where are you based op?