How the two glazed roof options actually differ in use, and when neither is the right answer.
If your conservatory is uncomfortable, the roof is almost always the reason. Choosing the replacement means understanding what each material does to heat, noise and light.
This guide compares glass and polycarbonate honestly, then explains the third option most homeowners end up choosing.
Its strengths and weaknesses are both well known:
Today's conservatory glass is a different product from the glass of twenty years ago:
If you want the conservatory to behave like a room all year, an insulated solid roof — often with rooflights to keep the light — outperforms any glazed option thermally. It costs more and takes more light, and for many homeowners it's still the right call.
A modern conservatory roof is no longer a straight choice between clear polycarbonate and plain glass. Solar-control and low-emissivity glass, self-cleaning coatings, insulated solid roofs with lightweight tiles, and hybrid roofs that mix solid panels with glazed sections or a roof lantern all sit on the same shortlist now. Each balances heat, glare, rain noise, light and cost differently, so the right answer depends on how you use the room and which direction it faces.
We'll check the existing frame and base first, then quote the options that your structure can actually carry.
Sometimes, but the frame must be able to carry the extra weight. That's a structural check we make on survey, not an assumption.
Solar-control glass reduces heat gain substantially but does not eliminate it. Ventilation and blinds still matter.
Replacing a conservatory roof with a solid one can bring building control into scope. We'll set out the position for your project before you commit.
Yes, noticeably. Polycarbonate drumming in heavy rain is the most common complaint about older conservatories, and an insulated tiled roof removes it almost entirely. Modern glass is also much quieter than polycarbonate.
For a glazed roof, solar-control glass with a low-emissivity coating and a self-cleaning outer pane gives the best balance of summer heat control, winter warmth and maintenance. If year-round room-like comfort matters more than overhead light, an insulated solid roof outperforms any glazing.