Yes. We can take out a glass conservatory roof and fit insulated panels on the frame you already have. Sealed roof units from before 2002 sit at a U-value near 2.8, against about 0.43 for our 75 mm panels, which cuts roof heat loss by around 85 percent. Prices start at £3,000 fitted, normally under the £350 to £550 per m² that new glass costs.
The trouble with a glass roof
Glass was marketed as the top option, and on a gentle April afternoon it does look good. For most of the year, though, you are living under one big window facing the sky. These are the complaints homeowners raise with us again and again.
- Heat and glare in summer: sunshine pours through the roof and the temperature under glass can reach 35 to 40°C. A solar control coating takes the edge off, but the room is still close to unusable after lunch.
- Cold in winter: older double glazed units let heat out quickly, and even today's best low-e roof glass loses over twice what our panels do.
- Fogged units: once the edge seal on a sealed unit breaks down, moisture creeps between the two panes and the glass stays cloudy for ever.
- Wet bars: the inner faces of the glass and the bars run cold, so water collects on them and trickles down.
- Dirt on show: leaves, moss and droppings are visible from inside, and nobody can safely climb onto a glass roof to clear them.
How Eco Tech removes a glass roof
- Floors and furniture are covered and the room is sealed off.
- We strip the caps and gaskets, then two fitters lift each sealed unit out by hand and stack it securely outside.
- We inspect the ridge, the gutter beam and each glazing bar, and any faults are shown to you before we carry on.
- Panels cut to your measurements are laid on the bars under fresh caps and seals, then the wall, hip and ridge trims are fitted.
- We take the old glass away for recycling.
Sealed units are heavy and clumsy to carry, so this stage runs a little slower than stripping polycarbonate. The room stays closed until every unit is safely out, and we sweep for broken glass before any panel is laid.
Small roofs are normally finished in 1 day, mid sized roofs in 1 to 2 days and large or P-shaped roofs in 2 to 3 days. On a single storey conservatory we rarely need scaffold.
A lighter load on the frame
Glass weighs a lot. A sealed roof unit built from two 4 mm panes comes to roughly 20 kg per m² before you add any framing. Our UK made panels are lighter than the units they take the place of, so swapping glass for panels reduces the weight your frame carries.
Replace the glass, or switch to panels?
New glass is one route if the old roof is failing. Expect to pay around £350 to £550 per m², so a roof measuring 3 m by 3 m lands at £3,300 to £5,200. It beats a tired old roof, yet the summer sun still comes straight in.
| Roof type | U-value (W/m²K) | Watts lost by 12 m² with a 20°C gap inside to out | Sunshine through the roof |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-2002 sealed glass units | about 2.8 | 672 W | Passes straight through |
| Low-e glass made today | between 1.0 and 1.2 | 240 to 288 W | Cut down, but some gets in |
| Eco Tech 75 mm panels | about 0.43 | 103 W | Stopped, apart from roof lights |
Across an English heating season, a 12 m² roof of pre-2002 glass lets out roughly 1,734 kWh, compared with about 266 kWh through our panels. Heat the room all winter and that gap is worth around £386 a year with electricity at 26.32p per kWh, or near £117 with gas at 7.97p. Our guide to conservatory roof U-values walks through the maths.
Planning the daylight
Going solid after years of a see-through roof is the change you will feel most, so we talk about light at the survey. Most households choose one or two roof lights set into the panels, at £395 each, positioned above the seating or dining area. Every panel is white on the underside, so it bounces round the daylight arriving through the side frames.
Concerned the space will feel boxed in? Our article asking does a solid roof make a conservatory darker covers it. The walls remain largely glazed, so light still reaches the room from the sides from morning to evening.
Prices
Fitted, an insulated panel roof comes to around £250 to £450 per m², which undercuts typical new glass. Guide prices by roof shape and size are below.
| Style | Small (0 to 12 m²) | Medium (12 to 25 m²) | Large (25 m² and over) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lean-to | £3,000 to £3,550 | £3,950 to £4,700 | £5,450 to £6,450 |
| Edwardian | £3,200 to £3,800 | £4,200 to £4,950 | £5,800 to £6,850 |
| Victorian | £3,300 to £3,900 | £4,350 to £5,150 | £6,000 to £7,100 |
| Gable end | £3,350 to £4,000 | £4,450 to £5,250 | £6,100 to £7,250 |
| P-Shape | £3,500 to £4,150 | £4,600 to £5,450 | £6,300 to £7,500 |
Each figure includes taking out the glass, panels in the colour you pick, installation and the HomePro 10 year insurance backed warranty. Optional extras: roof lights at £395 apiece, LED spotlights for £345, and new gutters and fascia for £295. For a number based on your own roof, try the roof price calculator, or spread the cost with finance through Kanda, subject to status.
Planning permission
As the conservatory keeps its footprint and height, planning permission is not usually required. Owners of listed homes, or homes in a conservation area, should ask the council before booking.
Questions people ask
Where do the old sealed units go?
Our fitters carry them out by hand, load them up and send them for recycling. Taking the old roof away is part of every quote.
Could solar control or self-cleaning glass sort out the heat?
It trims glare and keeps the surface a bit cleaner, but sunshine still comes straight through the roof. An insulated roof shuts out direct sun overhead entirely, other than through any roof lights you add.
Is it possible to replace just the units that have misted?
Yes, individual units can be reglazed. That makes sense when the rest of the roof is in good order and the room suits you. If the problem is that the room is too hot or too cold, new units will not fix it.
Will a panel roof cut down the rain noise under glass?
It will. Glass is already quieter than polycarbonate, and the 75 mm foam core inside each panel softens the sound of rain and hail even more.
Does a glass roof weigh more than insulated panels?
In most cases it does. Two 4 mm panes in a sealed unit come to around 20 kg per m², and the panels we fit are lighter than the glass they replace.
