Conservatory roof colours: choosing a panel shade for your home

Shades our customers choose most

Builders and manufacturers across Europe use the RAL chart, which gives each colour its own four digit code. Quoting that code guarantees the panels, trims and any replacement gutters come out in an identical shade instead of a near miss.

So many new doors and windows now come in anthracite grey that it sits comfortably on most homes. White makes sense when the frames, gutters and fascia are already white uPVC and you would prefer the roof to fade into the background.

• Anthracite greyRAL 7016
• Agate greyRAL 7038
• Traffic whiteRAL 9016
• Jet blackRAL 9005
• CreamRAL 9001
• Chartwell greenRAL 6021
• Sepia brownRAL 8014
• Basalt greyRAL 7012

Colours on screen are only approximate. We bring real samples to your survey, and any RAL colour can be ordered.

Combinations we fit most often

• Grey roof over white frames: the pairing we see most on older white uPVC conservatories. The darker roof acts as a crisp lid, and it looks right on the majority of brick houses.
• Grey roof over grey frames: a single colour throughout, popular once the house itself has had new grey windows.
• White roof over white frames: the most understated option, ideal on white rendered houses or where passers-by can see the conservatory.
• Cream roof over cream frames: right for cottages and stone homes, where brilliant white can jar.
• Black roof over black or charcoal frames: crisp and contemporary, and striking next to oak or dark brick.

Planning new windows for the house in the next year or two? Pick the roof colour to go with those, because the garden view will show both side by side for a long time.

Four ways to narrow it down

1. Begin with your window frames

Because the roof rests directly on the frames, you always see them as a pair. Customers usually either match the two or put a darker roof above paler frames. Grey over white looks neat and is very common, but white over grey rarely looks right.

2. Check the house roof

Stand in the garden and you will normally see both roofs at once. Under a dark house roof, a black or deep grey panel roof looks at home, and a paler house roof often pairs better with white or a softer grey.

3. Consider the walls

Orange and red brick tend to go best with black or anthracite grey. Cream render, stone and buff brick usually look better with a mid grey or cream. If your walls are rendered white, almost any colour will work.

4. Judge it outdoors

Phone screens and printed charts never show RAL shades quite as they appear in real life. Before you decide, hold an actual sample against your walls and frames outside, and look at it on an overcast day as well as a sunny one.

A white ceiling underneath

Every one of our insulated conservatory roof panels has a white inner face, and that face is your new ceiling. White bounces back more daylight than any other finish, which counts for a lot when the roof is no longer see-through. You never have to plaster or paint it, and a damp cloth is all it needs to stay clean.

Planning roof lights and LED spotlights? The white surface also spreads their light more evenly around the room.

Matching gutters, fascia and trims

Eco Tech makes the hip, ridge and edge trims in the same colour as your panels. Unless you ask us to replace them, your current gutters and fascia are left in place.

That is worth thinking about if a dark roof will sit above tired white guttering. Matching gutters and fascia cost £295 and go on during the same visit. Since the roof edge is exposed anyway, it is also the ideal time to swap any gutters that are split, sagging or stained.

Will a darker colour make the room warmer?

In bright sun a dark outer skin heats up more than a white one, much like a parked car. With our panels that warmth stays on the outer face, since 75 mm of foam between the two skins stops it getting through to the room. Whatever the outside colour, the white ceiling stays near room temperature.

Pick the colour you like the look of, then, since the insulating work happens in the core. Our guide on why a conservatory gets too hot in summer looks at what matters more, such as which way the room faces and how well it is ventilated.

Do I need permission to change the colour?

Provided the conservatory keeps the same footprint and height, a new roof colour does not normally need planning permission. In a listed building or conservation area, ask the council before ordering, as they may have an opinion on colours visible from the road. More detail is in our guide on planning permission for conservatory roof replacement.

Caring for the coating

The outer skin leaves the UK factory already coated, so it never needs painting. Once or twice a year, wash it down with warm water and a little mild detergent to keep it bright and stop moss and leaves clogging the gutters. Keep scouring pads and pressure washers away from it, since both can harm the coating and the seals.