Anyone got a conservatory with a polycarbaonate roof?

hampshirebabe

I'm adding a 3 x 2.5m conservatory on to the back, it comes with a 32mm polycarbonate roof, is that enough to make the room usable in winter, i'm considering either adding a radiator or putting in underfloor heating.
Obviously glass would be better, but is it really that much better?

Ruski

Wet UFH and Glass roof it really to only way to make it habitable all year round.

HTH

Russ

Mankysteve

There allways expensive to heat regardless of what r of it has. It's just terms of reducing the bill. The more you pay the cheaper ypu heating bills will be.

SuzieSue

Don't add a conservatory if you need space you can use all year round - add an extension.

The conservatory will be freezing cold in winter and too hot in the summer unless your garden is north-facing. I have a glass roof but would never use the conservatory in winter because I don't like burning pound notes.

Find someone who has a conservatory and ask them if you can visit it in December on a cloudy day. It will be as cold as it is outside and if you try to heat it it will be very costly unless you are one of these people who does not feel the cold.

hampshirebabe

What would I need building regs for if its just a smallish room, is it difficult?
I've found a wufh kit that you add on to your other radiators for £140, so thats not too bad.

SuzieSue

hampshirebabe wrote: »

What would I need building regs for if its just a smallish room, is it difficult?
.

I don't know but whatever you have to do it will be worth it if you need the extra space all year round.

Furts

A polycarbonate roof is a flimsy, noisy, poorly insulated and short life means to roofing a conservatory. As a concept it is obsolete. If a conservatory is to be built there is only one sensible roof and that is glass.

robotrobo

SuzieSue wrote: »

Don't add a conservatory if you need space you can use all year round - add an extension.

The conservatory will be freezing cold in winter and too hot in the summer unless your garden is north-facing. I have a glass roof but would never use the conservatory in winter because I don't like burning pound notes.

Find someone who has a conservatory and ask them if you can visit it in December on a cloudy day. It will be as cold as it is outside and if you try to heat it it will be very costly unless you are one of these people who does not feel the cold.

go for a orangery ! or dont bother at all is my advice, after 30 years of different conservatories.

SuzieSue

robotrobo wrote: »

go for a orangery ! or dont bother at all is my advice, after 30 years of different conservatories.

An orangery will be better, but I don't know if you will still be able to heat it economically in the winter as I have no experience of one.

firefox1956

I have had a polycarbonate roof on a south facing conservatory for 25 years.
We manage the heat in the summer by opening the large door etc.
We use it all winter one radiator in there only on in the evening.
There only thing that annoys us about the roof is the noise when it rains heavy.
HTH

Davesnave

I have an unheated, glass-roofed conservatory facing south with large French doors leading into it from the living room.

I disagree with posters who say it's unusable in winter, as it actually creates warmth on clear days and keeps that part of the house warmer. Even on most dull days, it has a positive rather than negative effect.

Yes, there are times in summer when it is unpleasantly hot in there, though mostly the double doors to the outside cope with that. In the summer we've just had, heat hasn't really been much of an issue!