Projects 4 Roofing Blog | Conservatory Roof Conversion

5 questions you should ask your roofer before replacing your conservatory roof

Written by Clare Whitehall | Jan 27, 2023

Have you decided you want to convert your current conservatory to a comfortable room you can use all year round?

Investing in an insulated solid roof conservatory can deliver the extra room in your home you’ve always dreamed of.

But investing in a conservatory transformation project is not a decision to be taken lightly. It’s a big investment.

It’s absolutely normal to have questions and queries about the process of installing a solid conservatory roof and the outcome you might expect. You might even have a few doubts and insecurities.

We’re here to help.

To help give you the peace of mind you need, we’ve put together five questions you should ask your roofer before embarking on a conservatory transformation project.
 

 



1. How much will it cost?

Especially in the current economic climate, the affordability of your conservatory transformation project is likely to be one of your main concerns.

It’s essential to be realistic. Upgrading your old conservatory into a well-insulated room that is comfortable for you to enjoy all year round is a significant project. But a very worthwhile one.

To make sure you’re not left with any unexpected bills at the end of the project, it’s crucial to make sure you have a clear understanding of what your conservatory transformation will cost.

Some roofers are deliberately vague with their quotations, adding hidden costs along the way for services like electrics, plastering, and even tidying up after themselves!

Make sure you have an open conversation with your conservatory roof specialist before your project begins and insist on having an itemised quotation put together that you can both refer back to if needed.
 

2. Are building regulations approvals needed?


Unless you work in the construction or home improvement sector, likely, you’re not an expert on planning permissions or building regulations.

And no one expects you to be. That’s the job of your conservatory roof specialist.

It’s important that the conservatory roof specialist you choose for your project is aware of all the relevant regulations and guidelines, including the 2022 update to the Part L regulations.
  
Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation out there.

Some roofers even suggest that planning permission and building regulations approval might not be needed when installing a solid conservatory roof. This isn’t quite true.

Since changes to legislation in 2010, it is correct that planning permission is often not required if you’re looking to replace your glass or polycarbonate conservatory roof with a solid roof. But building regulations approval is always needed.

As a homeowner, if you make any adjustments to your property and don’t get building regulations approval, you may be liable for the costs of adjusting the work. And when it comes time to sell your house, buyers will certainly ask for a completion certificate for any work you’ve completed.

So, building regulations approval is absolutely required when you choose to upgrade to a solid conservatory roof.

At Projects4Roofing, we know that our customers aren’t building regulations experts. That’s why we take on the burden of taking care of building regulations for all of our clients.

We will complete the building regulations application for you, arrange all of the necessary inspections during and after the conservatory roof installation, and make sure you have a completion certificate for the project.




3. What are the best materials?


Traditionally, conservatory roofs were built with either glass or polycarbonate.

These materials are great for letting in a lot of light, but lead to some common conservatory problems:

  • Too hot in summer
  • Too cold in winter
  • Too noisy (especially in heavy rain)
  • Condensation, dampness, and mould.

A lot of homeowners are choosing to upgrade to a solid roof conservatory to give themselves a comfortable room that they can use all year round.

A solid roof conservatory is insulated and uses lightweight solid tiles to transform your conservatory into a beautiful extra living space on your property.

But not all solid roof conservatories are the same.

At Projects4Roofing, we regularly review the quality and affordability of the materials we use in our conservatory roof projects. Our mission is to deliver solid roof conservatory transformations of the highest quality at a price that is accessible to homeowners.

Our transformations team completed their latest review of materials in 2022, and based on our findings and experience, we continue to use the Guardian Warm Roof system.

The Guardian Warm Roof uses lightweight materials that are incredibly durable. It is also highly energy efficient, meeting all the updated Part L building regulations.


4. Are there past projects you can see?

One of the best ways to decide if a conservatory roof specialist is the right choice for you is to look at their previous projects and review their previous client testimonials.

Reading reviews left by past customers and seeing pictures of previous conservatory transformation projects is a fantastic and reliable way of understanding the quality of work you can expect.

If a conservatory roof specialist that you’re considering for your project doesn’t have any previous client testimonials to share, we would advise that you treat this as a bit of a red flag and consider looking elsewhere. 

Over the last 10 years, Projects4Roofing has collected hundreds of testimonials from our happy customers, which can all be found on our testimonials page.

We’re also proud to be listed as a Which? Trusted Trader.

 

5. Does the service include guarantees?

One thing you should ask your potential conservatory roof specialist about is the duration of their guarantees.

It’s one of the most important questions to ask to give you peace of mind about the quality of work that will be completed.

Choose a company that has the confidence to stand by its work. We’d advise against choosing any company that isn’t upfront about their guarantees or only offer a guarantee for the first few years.

At Projects4Roofing we have the confidence that our conservatory roof replacement services are of the highest quality.

If you choose Projects4Roofing as your conservatory roof specialist, here's what you'll find:

  • All materials in our Guardian Warm Roofs are covered by a 10-year manufacturer's guarantee.
  • We stand by the quality of the work completed by our team and offer a 20-year installation guarantee.
  • All of our installation guarantees are insurance backed for the first 10 years by the Consumer Protection Agency (CPA).


Do you have any further questions?

Choosing a conservatory roof specialist can be a big decision, and you need to make sure you have all the information you need to make the right choice.

If you’ve reached the end of this post, you already have five of the most important questions to ask your roofer before they install your new conservatory roof.

These questions should help you get a lot of the information you need to make an informed decision.

But if you have any further questions or queries, feel free to reach out and get in touch with our team.

With over 10 years of experience installing solid conservatory roofs, our team at Projects4Roofing will be able to support, advise, and help you achieve the insulated conservatory you have dreamed of.