A roof light is a sealed glass unit built into the panel roof so daylight falls directly into the room below. Most of our customers pick one or two, priced at £395 each fitted. LED spotlights recessed into the white panel ceiling cost £345 for evening light. We plan both with you at the survey and list them on your fixed written quote.
Where the light comes from after the change
Of everything that changes when a clear roof becomes an insulated one, the feel of the light is the thing you notice first. Daylight still floods through the mostly glazed walls, but it now arrives from the sides instead of overhead. The difference shows most in the corners furthest from the windows, which is normally the strip beside the house wall.
A roof light puts brightness back just where it is missing. Glass that faces the open sky collects far more light than a window of equal size looking out at fences, trees and neighbouring houses. So a single roof light in the right spot does much more than its modest size would suggest.
Choosing how many and where
One or two is the usual answer. The best number for you depends on the room's size, its shape and which direction it faces.
| Size of roof | Roof lights most people choose | Where they work best |
|---|---|---|
| Small (12 m² or under) | none, or 1 | Close to the house wall |
| Medium, between 12 and 25 m² | 1, or 2 | On the side slopes, above the centre of the room |
| Large or P-shaped (25 m² or more) | 2, or 3 | Over the area furthest from the windows |
Position them above the spot where you read, relax or eat, and keep them clear of the television, because glare on a screen from overhead is awkward to cure afterwards. On a lean-to conservatory roof that tends to mean close to the house wall. On a Victorian conservatory roof or an Edwardian, the side slopes suit best because their bays are rectangular.
North, south, east or west?
On a north facing slope a roof light gives gentle, even daylight from morning to evening with hardly any direct sun. A south or west facing slope is brighter, but brings direct sunshine and summer heat with it. Where the conservatory already runs hot, we put the roof lights on the side that sees less sun.
How Eco Tech builds a roof light into the roof
Each roof light is a double glazed sealed unit, and it replaces a panel, or a section of one, within a single bay. It sits between a pair of roof bars and is held by the same caps and seals as its neighbours, so there is one unbroken weather line across the roof. Bar spacing fixes the width, and we agree the length with you at the survey.
Since the unit forms part of the roof, rather than sitting in a hole made in it, no separate kerb or upstand exists that could let water in. The panels above and below are made to measure to fit around it, exactly as the rest of the roof is.
Opening vent or fixed glass?
You can have a fixed unit or one that opens. Fixed glass is the simpler option with nothing to wear out, and it is what most people choose, since the conservatory's windows and doors already let plenty of air through. Our £395 price covers a standard fixed roof light. If an opening vent appeals, mention it at the survey and we will tell you whether your roof suits one and what the extra cost would be.
Balancing daylight and warmth
We will be straight with you: glass insulates less well than our panels. A modern roof light unit sits at around 1.0 to 1.2 W/m²K, while a panel is about 0.43. With 20°C indoors and 0°C outside, roughly 1 m² of roof light lets out about 24 W, where the same patch of panel lets out about 9 W.
That means each roof light hands back a small part of the saving, around 15 W apiece on a night like that. Even with two of them, a medium 17 m² roof still loses much less heat than 16 mm polycarbonate, and that is why we suggest most homes stop at one or two. To work out how many you need, read our guide does a solid roof make a conservatory darker.
LED spotlights for the evenings
With the roof insulated, customers find they spend far more evenings out in the conservatory. LED spotlights recessed into the white underside of the panels spread light evenly across the space for £345. They sit flush, so nothing dangles and nothing gathers dust.
Any electrical work in a home must comply with Part P of the Building Regulations, which is why a qualified electrician wires and certifies the spotlights. We plan where the switch goes and how the cable runs with you at the survey, so no wiring shows on the ceiling.
Cleaning a roof light
The surrounding panels are smooth and sloped, so rain washes most of the grime off the glass. Leaves and bird droppings can still settle in the bottom corners, so give it a gentle scrub with a soft brush on a long pole once or twice a year. Please never put your weight on the roof or the roof light by climbing, kneeling or standing, because neither is designed to bear a person.
Putting them on your quote
Together with replacement gutters and fascia (£295), roof lights and spotlights are the extras Eco Tech customers ask for most. Fitting them with the new roof is far easier than adding them later, because the panels are made to measure around them. Add them to a guide figure with our roof price calculator, or see every price on our conservatory roof panel prices page.
Questions people ask
How many roof lights does a typical conservatory need?
For most homes the answer is one or two. Small roofs can manage without any, while a large or P-shaped roof often takes two or three.
Will a roof light let water in?
It is fixed between two roof bars and held under matching caps and seals, just like the panels around it, so it forms part of the roof instead of filling a hole cut into it. The HomePro 10 year insurance backed warranty covers it just like the panels.
Could I have a roof light fitted later on?
Yes, but a panel would have to come out and a new one be made to fit round the roof light. Including it from the start is cheaper and faster.
Does a roof light make the conservatory hotter in summer?
Slightly, when it faces south or west. If the room already gets warm, put it on the shadier slope and think about adding a blind.
What do LED spotlights in a panel roof cost?
They are £345, recessed into the white panel ceiling, and a qualified electrician wires and certifies them.
