Tiled or glass conservatory roof?

Dobbess

We are thinking of getting a conservatory and are concerned about the amount of noise that the roof would make. We've ruled out polycarb, but the companies have suggested a self cleaning glass roof called Pilkington and were told it was about as noisy as having a tiled roof.

However, these companies only seem to want to sell us a lightweight version of a tiled roof, and are reluctant to mention the heavier ones (they want to avoid building regs). We suspect this is because the conservatory isn't strong enough for the heavy ones. I asked one of the representatives what the merits are (especially noise level) of having a normal tiled roof (and fulfilling building regs) over the lightweight ones and/or the Pilkington glass roof and she said she couldn't think of any.

Does anyone have any experience with a glass roof conservatory and is it noisy?

We've been quoted £13,000 for a 3m x 3.4m glass roof conservatory. Does anyone have any idea how much more we'd expect to pay if we built a proper extension with a tiled roof?

Please help!

sillysid

I used to have a conservatory - think the roof was glass or polycarb - it was meant to retain heat and reflect sun?

I think it depends on a few things - is the room to be used year round - is it in direct sun? Blinds are vital and costly. Where are you putting it - if added on to an existing room be mindful of effect of this. For example mine was added onto patio doors from dining room - which also had double doors leading into lounge. I felt it became on big room, (tho I had doors and could close it over) Furniture placement was compromised. The heat in summer baked all the adjacent rooms. I eventually added a window to dining room, created walls, lounge to dining room, dining room to conservatory, accessed via a single glass paned door to separate rooms.

My personal experience was freezing in winter, roasting in summer - the heat was worse than the cold. Heavy rain was like gunfire hitting off roof- tho bizarrely, I actually liked that, unless I was watching TV at volume 30!

I eventually knocked it down and built an extension creating a room that could be utilised whatever the weather. With benefit of hindsight I didn't research properly, went for the appeal of an instant extra room rather than go thro the rigmarole of planning. The builders doing the extension offered to put it back up, but I didn't want it - a shameful waste of money.

I know people who have them and love them - but are using it as a seasonal room which is after all its purpose.

I realise my experience is not exactly glowing, just if I'd got a proper roof to begin with, rather than being an eejit I'd have saved a huge amount of money. Hope others offer more positive responses. cheers.

greyteam1959

I have 2 conservatories & I would agree with comments above.
Very noisy & the south facing one gets very very hot in the summer.
13 000 GBP sounds a lot to me.....but I might be out of touch on prices.
HTH

sillygoose

I suspect sillysid had a poly roof as I have a large one with a glass roof and its barely audible when it rains. Also gives the pleasure of being able to star gaze at night with the lights out.

Heat isn't too much of an issue as mine is East facing so the house shades it later in the day.

One thing to consider, if your conservatory is being added to a room over where there is an existing patio door - is light.

Adding anything will reduce the natural light into the existing room but adding a conservatory with a tiled roof may plunge the room into permanent gloom and darkness.. another reason we went glass roof as it lets far more daylight in than a typical polycarb. Even so we need to use electric lighting more often, with a tiled roof the lounge would have needed permanent use of lighting.

southcoastrgi

A tiled roof isn't a conservatory it's an extension with lots of windows, google the glass area req for the diff in the two

Gloomendoom

We have a massive glass roofed conservatory at the place I work. It's pretty quiet. You would only really notice the noise in a hailstorm. In contrast, my parents have a plastic roofed conservatory and heavy rain is deafening in comparison.

Lightweight metal roofing is also pretty loud. Part of my house has a steel roof and I can hear heavy rain through the tin roof, a layer of 1" thick boards, 8" of insulation and the plasterboard ceiling.

andrewf75

If what you want is a conservatory then I'd go for a glass roof. Presumably having been quoted 13k thats going to be top quality modern glass which is well insulating and not too noisy.

jamski07

Ok, think I can help here.

We've literally just had a conservatory finished. It's a dwarf wall with one full wall and another pillar built in brick. We have argon filled 20mm cavity windows and door, and the same in the roof but it's also Pilkington Activ Blue which has the anti-reflective coating and self cleans.

So far we are very pleased. Not that we've had really hot or cold weather, but we also haven't used the heating once or had to throw doors/windows open. Noise wise you have nothing to worry about. It's not loud in rain at all.

Ours is also north east facing, so get the sun in the morning, but by the heat of the day it has gone. Think we'll probably suffer more with cold than heat.

Ours is 3m x 3.4m and the cost for the conservatory and underfloor heating was £14k.

A couple of rather dark pics below.





Hope that helps.

andrewf75

Looks interesting jamski. It looks like there is no door to divide it from the house.

Doozergirl

You've removed the door between house and 'conservatory' jamski? Does the build conform to building regs?

jamski07

andrewf75 wrote: »

Looks interesting jamski. It looks like there is no door to divide it from the house.

Doozergirl wrote: »

You've removed the door between house and 'conservatory' jamski? Does the build conform to building regs?

It will have a door go back in. The old one was removed, it's all been plastered and the floor needs tiling. We will then put in a new wooden external door that opens into the conservatory rather than into the kitchen.

So it will all conform to building regs. Just easier to get it all finished, make sure the floors are perfectly level, then put the door in. Is lovely being all open though. Hoping to get one with a very small threshold so there isn't much of a step.