Best roof glass for conservatory

Rhino666

I am building a south facing conservatory - 4 metres deep and p metres wide.
Looking to install double glazed units for the roof. I want the best double glazed units - low u, self clean, coated, argon filled.
Can anyone advise what products are available.

cyclonebri1

Rhino666 wrote: »

I am building a south facing conservatory - 4 metres deep and p metres wide.
Looking to install double glazed units for the roof. I want the best double glazed units - low u, self clean, coated, argon filled.
Can anyone advise what products are available.

Are you doing this or a conservatory company?

If the latter they will offer the options, and confirm the structural capabilities of their design, your size may rule out certain options,

If you are DIYing, just ensure the structure can take the weight of DG glass, it will likely be 5 times that of 3 cell polycarbonate.

I think this overides the quality question.

Rhino666

Hi


Thanks for the reply - conservatory is 9 metres wide by the way, don't know where the 'p' came from Bob:-)


All UPVC will be supplied by a company who will also be specifying the roof.
They have priced to use blue active self-cleaning glass.
I would like an independent opinion on this glass if possible and if there are any alternatives available.

teneighty

I've got Pilkington activ blue double glazed units in my roof patent glazing (like a conservatory but part roof slates). I installed it about 4 years ago and it seems fine.


I have not done any scientific tests but it does seem to keep the solar heat gain down even during recent hot spell so the room is still comfortable but mine is only about 75% glass roof and 50% glass walls (ordinary glass). The self cleaning is great as parts of the roof are quite difficult to get to, all I need now is self cleaning frames.


From memory the planitherm version may have been slightly cheaper but I was happier with Pilkington just because I trusted the name.

ytfcmad

SGG Cool-Lite SKN 174 (solar control)- Warm Edge Spacer with Argon Gas -Planitherm Low E, 4/16/4 or if your flush and the roof can take it swap the 4mm SKN 174 for the laminated version (added acoustic benefits).

Wouldn't bother with the self clean, it's not all it's cracked up to be, 9 years working for the inventors and manufacturers of all the above.

Reference the Blue glass (Original name is Ford Blue, designed for the Ford motor group many years ago)
I don't want to course offence to anyone but Blue roof's are so last year.
I bet every Conservatory roof round your way is either Blue or Polycarb.

Have a look at a top end conservatory manufacturer/installer by this i mean a company that fits to £million + houses (they will be timber or Aluminium conservatories), a good example would be David Salisbury, look at the gallery, fantastic houses and not a bit of Blue in sight.

teneighty

No offence taken here, always interested in the latest products, I have downloaded a copy of the brochure for future reference. Bit ironic that the cover photo is very very blue. Out here in the sticks blue glass is still quite new and not that common unless you go out onto Sandbanks and all the new multi-million pound houses have got it.


Any idea how this Cool-Lite compares price wise with the Pilkington Activ Blue? As they describe it as their high performance range above their Azura blue tint I'm guessing it isn't cheap.


As for the self cleaning glass I think it is great. I only have to clean the glass once a year and even then it doesn't really need doing, it is just that I need to wash down the dirty frames.

cyclonebri1

I'm going to ask a simple question for everyone's ref as this is a MSforum after all:

What is the price of this fancy blue glass/self cleaning stuff, compared to the standard fare of triple wall polycarbonate offered by all conservatory suppliers????

PasturesNew

That's a biggun .... as big as my whole house!

What do you hope to gain from your new conservatory? "The best" might not be the best for your intended delights..... there is no "the best" as the definition will change depending on your expected use of the space and other constraints.

cyclonebri1

PasturesNew wrote: »

That's a biggun .... as big as my whole house!

What do you hope to gain from your new conservatory? "The best" might not be the best for your intended delights..... there is no "the best" as the definition will change depending on your expected use of the space and other constraints.

The bigger the better as far as I'm concerned, but I do however accept that to heat it would cost a fortune, so for me its spring to autumn use only.

Mine was sized for a full size snooker table. Never happened, it's now a green house/lounge in summer and a gym/ darts etc the rest of the year.

PS, I went with opaque poly 3 wall. Never seems to get too hot, the heat retention isn't an issue for me, we don't heat it.

6.5mtr x 4.5mtr app;)

teneighty

When I get a chance I will dig out the paperwork to get costs.


Although from memory the glass was 2 or 3 time the price of polycarb, about £100 per square metre possibly. However, at the risk of also offending people, I really hate the polycarb so it could have been 10 times more expensive and I still would have chosen it.


I like to be able to look up and see the sky, clouds, stars, moon etc. and not be deafened everytime it rains. Plus polycarb would have looked really naff with my patent glazing system on a lovely slate roof.


I'm sure in certain circumstances it is ideal but just not my cup of tea.

Rhino666

Thanks for the replies - this thread is getting very interesting.
My quote, including VAT for the active blue glass alone was around 3K for the roof(approx. 9m x 4m), so teneighty is very close to the mark on price. Polycarbonate would cost a fraction of this, perhaps a third and could be fitted with a lower spec roof. Be careful here though as a major consideration has to be snow weight - not what you think about at this time of year:-)
I would be very interested in a comparative price for the glass suggested by ytfcmad(Yeovil town?).
My house is not cheap but I am not a millionaire and have no problem with being a bit 'last year', if not last decade or the decade before if it works.
Proud to say that I laboured for my builder on the conservatory base that incorporates a 3.5 - 4 foot void for wood storage, etc below it. If I were happy to double the cost of the project, may have gone for aluminium or wood but want a relatively maintenance free budget conservatory without too much compromise.
Looking forward to more feedback on the glass as will probably be ordering early next week.