Benefits of a Tiled Conservatory Roof

An uninsulated polycarbonate conservatory roof has a U-value of around 1.8–3.0 W/m²K — meaning heat escapes through it at a rate comparable to a single-glazed window. Our tiled roof system achieves a U-value of just 0.15 W/m²K, which is roughly ten times more efficient than even a modern A-rated window, and comparable to an insulated house wall.

In practical terms: a polycarbonate conservatory without supplementary heating will be around 5–10°C in winter. With a tiled roof, most customers report temperatures of 16–19°C without the heating on at all — and comfortably warm with a single radiator or small electric heater. The room becomes genuinely usable rather than a place you walk through quickly with a coat on.

We retain up to 90% of heat in winter, and the majority of our customers report substantial reductions in the energy cost of heating the room — typically £150–£300 per year depending on size and usage.

Polycarbonate and glass conservatory roofs transmit solar radiation directly into the room, creating a greenhouse effect in warm weather. On a sunny summer day, a polycarbonate conservatory can reach 42°C or above — genuinely dangerous to spend time in, and completely unusable for working, relaxing, or entertaining.

A tiled roof eliminates the greenhouse effect entirely. Because there's no transparent or semi-transparent material, solar radiation cannot enter the room through the roof. The multi-layer insulation system above the ceiling also prevents heat conducted through the structure from entering the room. Most customers report that their conservatory stays at a comfortable 18–22°C even on the hottest days — without any air conditioning or fan cooling required.

This is perhaps the single biggest quality-of-life improvement. The room goes from something you avoid in summer to one of the most comfortable rooms in the house.

Rain noise is one of the most commonly cited reasons that people stop using their conservatory. The drumming of rain on polycarbonate — particularly during heavy showers or hailstorms — makes it impossible to hear a conversation, watch television, or concentrate on work. Many customers tell us their conservatory effectively has only about four usable months per year as a result.

Our tiled roof system eliminates rain noise almost completely. The combination of the structural tile layer, breathable moisture barrier, and insulated ceiling board absorbs virtually all impact sound from rain. In an independent test, the noise level inside a tiled conservatory during a shower was measured as similar to that of a standard room inside the house.

If you've ever sat in a conservatory in heavy rain and had to raise your voice to be heard, you'll understand why this is such a significant benefit.

Polycarbonate and glass conservatory roofs transmit significant levels of UV radiation — even panels with UV coatings allow some UV through, and those coatings degrade over time. The result is furniture that fades and bleaches, carpets and rugs that discolour, wooden floors that lose their finish, curtains that weaken and tear, and even photographs or artwork on the walls that fade.

A solid tiled roof blocks UV radiation entirely — there is no transparent element through which UV can pass. Many customers who've replaced their roof are able to keep furniture, flooring, and furnishings in the conservatory without any concern about sun damage. Over a 10–15 year period, the cost of replacing faded or damaged furnishings can easily exceed the cost of the roof replacement itself.

Heating a polycarbonate conservatory is expensive and largely pointless: the heat you generate escapes through the roof almost as fast as you can produce it. A typical gas or electric heater running in a polycarbonate conservatory costs significantly more per hour than heating an equivalent room in the main house.

With a U-value of 0.15 W/m²K, our tiled roof retains significantly more of the heat generated by your heating system. The room also benefits from solar gain through the walls and glazed sections during the day, storing some warmth for the evening. Most customers report reductions in heating costs of £150–£300 per year — meaning the roof can pay for itself in energy savings over its lifetime, in addition to all the other benefits.

Many customers also find they no longer need the electric or portable heater they previously relied on in the conservatory, removing it from their energy consumption entirely.

An uninsulated conservatory is typically excluded from a property's habitable floor area by estate agents and mortgage surveyors. It adds garden room value only — typically marginal. A fully insulated, year-round conservatory is treated differently: it is classified as usable living space and counted toward the property's floor area.

Estate agents in our area consistently tell us that a well-converted conservatory adds £5,000–£15,000 or more to the perceived value of a property, depending on size and location. More importantly, it makes the property more attractive to buyers — a year-round room versus a seasonal one is an obvious advantage when viewing in November or February.

See our full guide: Does a New Conservatory Roof Add Value?

Perhaps the most profound benefit isn't thermal — it's about how you use your home. Most customers who contact us are using their conservatory for perhaps 4 months of the year, between April and September, and even then only in reasonable weather. For the rest of the year it sits largely empty, used as a storage area or a room you rush through on the way to the garden.

After a roof replacement, the conservatory becomes genuinely useful 12 months a year. Many customers tell us it becomes their favourite room — a bright, comfortable dining area; a home office; a playroom; a second sitting room. The investment in the roof is repaid daily in the quality of the living space it creates.

Our customers frequently say variations of the same thing: "I wish we'd done it years ago."

All materials used in our tiled roof system are BBA (British Board of Agrément) certified, which requires independent testing for fire performance, structural integrity, and durability. The BBA is the UK's leading independent construction product testing authority, and BBA certification is required for many building control applications.

Our Eco Friendly tile system has been tested to withstand sustained wind speeds of up to 147mph — well in excess of anything experienced in the UK. The tiles are manufactured from recycled materials and are designed to last 40+ years with minimal maintenance. Fire performance data is available on request and is provided to building control as part of the installation documentation.