It has been said that the roof is the most important part of your conservatory. In our opinion this is true. This section deals mainly with the glazing material. Please
click on the images for an enlarged view.
Some of the Glazing options include.
10 mm
Polycarbonate - Not really a professional
product - but still used in some of the
"cheaper" designs. Has a fairly high
"U" value. (U values are now you
measure insulation qualities - the higher the U
value the less good an insulator the product
is). We do not recommend this option.
16 mm Polycarbonate - Probably the most popular glazing material in conservatory roofs today. A typical "U" value is 2.3, which is actually better than most normal double-glazed units. Recently it has been become slightly less popular as 20 mm and 25 mm options have been introduced.
25 mm and 35 mm Polycarbonate
- These options have been
introduced relatively recently. Now growing in
popularity, as consumers become more concerned
with having a "room for all seasons".
Typical "U" value for 25 mm
polycarbonate is 1.6. This compares very well
with the typical insulation qualities of a brick
built extension.
Polycarbonate is available in Clear, Bronze, Opal tints plus Opal/bronze combination and "Venetian" shaded polycarbonate options. Do note "Clear" is not completely clear!
(Ask your supplier for a sample.) Also "Venetian" is one brand name for a polycarbonate with opaque striped pattern, screen-printed on one side. It is well suited for many glazed spaces where there is a need to reduce the effects of solar gain.
ULTRALITE 500 - This product from Ultraframe PLC has been used primarily in lean-to designs. It is particularly good in "low pitched" situations working as it does down to pitches as low as 2.5 degrees. It also has the benefit of remarkably good insulation. (Around 1.6 "U" value).
Double Glazed Glass
Roofs - If you want to have the best view of the stars at night or view all of the surrounding countryside then there is nothing really to compare with a glass roof. For many glass roofs have a "classier" more quality feel. Quite a bit more expensive than polycarbonate and therefore not specified so often.
Glass Roofs with Pilkington K Glass or Low E
glass - One of the advantages Polycarbonate has over "normal" double glazed roofs is that it's a better insulator. One way round this is to specify glass with a Low E coating (most frequently referred to as Pilkington K glass in the UK). This reduces the "U" value to around 1.7 (increasing the insulation). This increases the cost but most people who have already opted for the extra cost of a glass roof will also opt for Low E glass.
Glass Roofs with Argon filled units and Low E
glass - For the "ultimate" in insulation consider adding "argon" (an inert gas) to the double glazed units. As an example a normal sealed unit has a "U" value of around 2.67 whilst Pilkington K units and Argon filled units have "U" values of 1.7 and 1.48 respectively. As a further comparison triple glazed units would typically have a "U" value of 1.77.
The glazing material used in your conservatory or sunroom roof has a considerable effect on the look and feel of the room. It is worth taking a little time over this choice (and perhaps spending a little more) in order to get exactly what you want.
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