So what glazing type should you choose for your new conservatory roof?
Well, one in three newly supplied conservatories are now sold with a glass roof as opposed to polycarbonate and this percentage is continually increasing. Its really a matter of taste and personal opinion, as well as personal needs.
There are several advantages and disadvantages with both polycarbonate and glass conservatory roof glazing.
To start with, polycarbonate is cheaper, safer and can achieve better solar reflection performance (reduction of the suns heat and glare) if fitted with foil inserts than any glass product. Its also more robust and longer lasting than glass sealed units. On the other hand, glass roofs for conservatories can create a visually more appealing effect, allowing clear vision of the sky and letting in more light. It is also a lot quieter in rainfall than polycarbonate and is available with self-cleaning and solar reflective properties.
The choice is quite vast. With polycarbonate, there are a choice of several thicknesses with different u-values (insulating thermal properties) and various colour options to choose from, the most common of which are clear, bronze (tinted) and opal (white), all of which can be fitted with solar control foil inserts that can provide up to a massive 80% solar reflection.
With glass, there is normally just one thickness for modern PVCu conservatories which is usually 24mm. Other options include easy clean coatings, true self-cleaning (such as Pilkington Activ self-cleaning glass) and solar control (such as Pilkington Activ Blue or Pilkington Activ Neutral self-cleaning, solar control glass).
The only other issue is the weight difference. Obviously double glazed glass units are a lot heavier than polycarbonate panels and often create the need for additional conservatory roof reinforcement, further adding to the cost of glass roof conservatories. Further, if you’re looking for a very large or wide-span conservatory, you may be restricted to how big you can actually go with a glass roof as opposed to the lighter polycarbonate option without the need for a portal frame.
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