Conservatories make a welcome addition to any home, providing a great place to relax with gorgeous, uninterrupted views of the garden. If you’re on a budget, you can opt for a lean-to to get some extra space and make the most of indoor/outdoor living. Meanwhile, if you’ve got a little more in the bank, a Victorian or P-shaped conservatory is the ideal way to create somewhere to entertain.
However, there are many problems with conservatories, and they’re notorious for being freezing in winter and baking in summer. Such issues are often caused by polycarbonate roofs, so if you’re looking for a change, a glass roof conservatory could be ideal.
Cheap Polycarbonates Create Numerous Issues
Conservatories are a popular home extension, but in the past, many people have been quick to snap up cheap deals. If you’ve had a conservatory installed with a polycarbonate roof, you’ll know just what a nightmare they can be. Not only are they deafeningly loud when it rains, but they can begin to leak too.
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They’re also extremely bad at being insulators, so you’ll end up roasting in the summer and not being able to get out of the conservatory fast enough in the freezing winter months.
Benefits of a Glass Roof Conservatory
Modern advances in glass technologies mean there are more options for shoppers than ever before. Did you know you can get self-cleaning glass now? Yes, you’ll never have to attempt to wash the roof of your conservatory ever again.
Energy efficiency gains have been made as well, and many glazing products not only reflect the majority of heat, allowing conservatories to remain cool in the summer, but offer thermal insulation in the winter too. Conservatory glass also comes with increased glare reflection to provide a more comfortable room than ever before. This also means you no longer have to install blinds and shutters, helping to keep the costs of a roof replacement down.
With the numerous benefits of glass, it’s easy to see why polycarbonates can be a disappointment. However, one major downside of glazing is that it costs a lot more and might be unaffordable if you’re working to a small budget.
Glazing Features will Increase Costs
As you might expect, having glazing installed is far more expensive than polycarbonate. Plastic sheeting is fairly light which allows the window and skylight frames to be made of cheaper materials. Polycarbonate roofs are also quicker to erect, meaning you’ll have fewer labour costs to pay. The converse is true for glass; it’s heavier, needs more support and requires increased care when it’s being installed. All of these factors will push the overall price up.
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In addition, there is now a huge variety of options on the market when it comes to glazing. Unsurprisingly, the more features you want, the more expensive your glass roof will be. Including self-cleaning, for example, will make a dramatic difference to the price.
However, the time and energy you’ll save not having to tirelessly clean will be more than compensated so you might think it’s a worthwhile expense. There are also various levels of heat and glare reflection options, not to mention different coloured tints, all of which will increase the cost of the glass panels.
Conservatory Glass Roof Prices
The total cost of replacing your conservatory roof will depend on numerous things, including the size and shape of your extension. If you’re on a really tight budget, you can opt simply to replace old for new, with the average polycarbonate roof costing between £2,000 and £3,000 for a basic design.
However, it’s extremely uneconomical to do this, and you should aim to have a glass roof installed if possible, even if it means waiting a couple more years to save up. The lack of energy efficiency, combined with the problematic temperature fluctuations throughout the seasons means that simply putting on a new polycarbonate roof won’t solve your problems.
The average cost of a glass roof is double that of a new polycarbonate one, at a minimum. Therefore, you should expect to pay over £4,000 for basic glazing. If you want to include features, such as tinting and self-cleaning, costs can quickly spiral by several thousand pounds.
It is important, however, to remember that by paying for new glazing, you’re creating a functional space you can enjoy at all times of the year. In addition, when compared to the average cost of building an extension, paying for a glass conservatory roof can be well worth the expense.
Great advice