You’ve got a beautiful conservatory attached to your house. A perfect place to relax and unwind.

But when it comes to the middle of summer, the heat becomes so unbearable that you can’t stand to be in there for any length of time.

And when we enter the cold winter months, your conservatory becomes so chilly that you can’t sit in there without wearing multiple layers.

If you struggle to keep a stable temperature inside your conservatory, don’t worry. You’re not the only one.

Extremes of temperature in conservatories with glazed and polycarbonate roofs are a common problem.

Read on for an overview of why your old conservatory is often too hot or too cold, some tips for making yourself more comfortable, and our recommendation for solving this problem for good.

Why is it hard to regulate the temperature inside conservatories?

The reason why conservatories get too hot during summer and freezing cold during winter is simple. Thermal efficiency.

Many old conservatories have been built with either polycarbonate or glass roofs. Neither of these materials is thermally efficient.

If your conservatory roof is made from glazing or polycarbonate, it is likely to leak too much heat in winter and allow too much heat to penetrate in summer. This is what makes the temperature in your conservatory uncomfortable for you.

One of the measures of thermal efficiency in building projects is the U-value. It measures the energy transfer in different building structures. The lower the U-value, the more thermally efficient and energy efficient a structure is.

When you compare the typical U-value of a polycarbonate roof (2.4) against the U-value of a modern solid roof conservatory (0.15), it’s easy to understand why conservatories with polycarbonate roofs suffer from extremes of temperature.

How can you regulate the temperature inside your conservatory?

If you’re not yet ready to install a solid conservatory roof and upgrade your conservatory to a comfortable year-round room, there are things you can do to make the summer and winter months a little more comfortable.

Keeping cool in summer

In the summer months, you might consider using a fan.

Depending on the size of your conservatory, a small desk fan is unlikely to make a difference. Many homeware retailers and supermarkets now stock more powerful tower fans, which are better at helping people feel more comfortable in larger rooms.

But although fans might help you regulate your body temperature, they don’t actually cool the air.

If you want to reduce air temperature, you might consider a mobile air conditioning unit. But good air conditioning units aren’t cheap, and they can often have high running costs. If you decide to opt for an air conditioning unit, make sure you choose one that can handle the size of your conservatory, and pay careful attention to how you’re going to accommodate the venting of warm air.



Keeping warm in winter months

In the winter months, you’ll be looking for ways to either retain heat or create additional heat if you want to keep warm in a conservatory that has either a polycarbonate or glass roof.

If you’re looking to retain heat in the room, you should consider installing some heavy curtains on the windows to reduce the energy transfer through the sides of your conservatory. This might make a small difference, but it still doesn’t tackle the problem of most heat escaping through the glass or polycarbonate roof.

You can always try and keep yourself warm by covering up with a nice comfy blanket. But this isn’t always practical. It might be okay if you’re curling up to watch a movie or read a book. But if you’re trying to work or study, blankets are likely to get in the way.

An electric heater can add more warmth, but depending on the amount of space you have, you’re likely to need something more powerful than one you pick up from the supermarket shelves. And with the current state of energy prices, you’d have to question if running an electric heater is something you’d be willing to invest in throughout the course of winter.

You might consider adding your conservatory to your central heating system to help keep it at a comfortable temperature all year round. It’s even possible to add a thermostat to dynamically control the temperature.

But this solution will also likely increase your home heating bills and require an upfront investment for the additional plumbing and electric work. Additionelly, any heating source installed in a conservatory should be stand alone, if it is connected to the central heating system in the house it will need Building Regulations Approval.

Because of this, it’s worth weighing up the investment of central heating for your conservatory against solving the problem for good with a solid conservatory roof.

The real solution: install a solid roof

The only viable way to address conservatories that suffer from extremes of temperature is to tackle the problem at its source and look at your conservatory roof.

Consider replacing your glazed or polycarbonate roof with a thermally efficient solid conservatory roof. This will help prevent the sun's rays from heating up your conservatory to unbearable temperatures in summer, and will also stop heat from escaping through the roof in winter months.

All of the solid conservatory roofs installed by Projects4Roofing meet the updated Part L Building Regulations guidelines and have a fantastic U-value of 0.15.

By investing in a solid conservatory roof, you’ll be able to enjoy the use of your conservatory all year round without worrying about heating bills, fans, or having to cover yourself up with blankets.

Maintaining a stable temperature all year round is not the only benefit of having a solid roof conservatory.

By having an insulated conservatory, you reduce the amount of external noise that comes into your conservatory, and you also reduce the amount of UV radiation that can fade or discolour your furniture.

Upgrading your conservatory with a solid conservatory roof can also open the possibilities of open plan living and increase the value of your property.

Who can assist in replacing your conservatory roof?

Do you dream of an insulated conservatory that you can enjoy all year round, without the extreme temperatures?

We can help.

Our team of conservatory roof specialists has over 10 years of experience in replacing traditional glazed and polycarbonate roofs with thermally efficient solid conservatory roofs.

We’ve helped hundreds of customers transform their homes with the additional living space of a year-round conservatory.

We pride ourselves on our customer service and have achieved an impeccable reputation for quality. Check out our recent projects and testimonials.

We know time is valuable, so we work with a fixed price quote and make sure our projects are delivered on schedule. We even make sure your new living space is clear of any mess and clutter so you can start enjoying it right away.

So, what are you waiting for?

Contact us today if you want to transform your conservatory into your dream year-round living space.