If your conservatory is too hot in winter and too cold in summer, the culprit is probably right above your head.
The roof.
Specifically, cheap plastic roofs, which have very poor insulation.
The long-term solution is to change the roof entirely. Or to knock the conservatory down and start again. However, there is a cheaper, simpler option.
How to insulate an existing conservatory roof (without changing the whole thing).
It’s perfectly viable to use insulation on the inside of the existing roof. And it’s possible to do it yourself.
It works in four layers:
- Screw wooden battens to the inside of the existing roof frame
- Staple foil insulation over these battens. YBS SuperQuilt is a popular brand
- Screw another grid of battens on top to sandwich the foil insulation
- Attach plasterboard or uPVC cladding to this final grid
There are some variations. For instance, some people prefer to use solid insulation board (e.g. Kingspan/Celptex). This offers better insulation, but is heavier and more labour-intensive. But the principle is the same.
I always like to have a visual guide with these things. I’ve watched 12 YouTube videos (so you don’t have to), and I think this one explains the job most concisely:
It’s a slightly weird video as he presents the job backwards. But I quite like that you have some real-world usage. You can see he hasn’t got any damp, and the weight hasn’t been an issue. These are the two main things you need to look out for with conservatory roof insulation – ask an expert if you’re unsure.
Is conservatory roof insulation worth it?
Put it this way: there are lots of happy conservatory insulators out there. It’ll cost under £500 if you do it yourself, and a couple of thousand if you get a pro in. So well worth it, as you’re essentially adding a whole new room to the house.
Even so, insulating a conservatory roof like this is not exactly an ideal solution. You’ll still have worse insulation than the rest of the house, and ugly polycarbonate on the outside (which you may need to paint).
But it’s a good stopgap until you can properly upgrade the roof or the entire conservatory.
