Combating Conservatory Glare: Roof Solutions For Too Much Sunlight

Why Conservatories Glare So Badly

A conservatory is mostly glass, and the biggest sheet of it is over your head. In a normal room the sun comes in at an angle through a window and lands on the floor. In a conservatory it comes straight down through the roof and lands on you, the television, the laptop and the dining table.

Scotland makes it worse in a way people do not expect. Our sun sits low in the sky for much of the year, so on a bright spring or autumn afternoon it shines in through the side frames and the roof at the same time. You get light from two directions and nowhere in the room to turn your chair.

Older roofs add to the trouble. Clear polycarbonate sheets and early glass units let almost everything through, light and heat together. That is why the same room is dazzling at lunchtime, stuffy by three o'clock and cold again by teatime.

Blinds, Films And Other Quick Fixes

It is worth being straight about the cheaper options, because plenty of people try them first.

• Roof blinds. They cut glare well on the day they are fitted. The catch is that the sun has already come through the glass by the time it reaches the blind, so the heat is inside the room. Blinds in a roof also gather dust and dead insects, and the cords and tracks tend to be the first thing to fail.
• Stick-on window film. A tinted or reflective film takes the edge off the brightness. On an old roof it can bubble and peel, and you should check with the glass maker before filming a sealed double glazed unit, as a film can make the glass heat up unevenly.
• Shade sails and parasols outside. Fine for a still summer day. Not much use in a Scottish wind.

None of these is wrong. They are simply sticking plasters. If the room is too bright and too hot in summer, and too cold in winter, the roof is what needs to change.

Solar Control Glass: Keep The Sky, Lose The Glare

If the light is the reason you love the room, a new glass roof is usually the right answer. Modern roof glass is nothing like the clear panels fitted years ago.

Solar control glass has a tinted layer that reflects a large share of the sun's heat and harshness before it gets into the room. From inside you still see sky and clouds, but the light is softer and easier on the eyes, a bit like wearing good sunglasses. The sealed units are filled with argon gas (a harmless gas that slows heat passing through) and have a coating that keeps warmth in during winter.

The outer pane also has a self-cleaning coating. Daylight breaks down the dirt and rain rinses it off, which matters more than it sounds: a grubby roof scatters light and makes glare worse.

A glass roof is also far quieter in rain than polycarbonate, so you can hold a conversation through a downpour.

A Solid Warm Roof: The Complete Cure

If glare is only one of several complaints, and the room is also freezing in January, a warm roof solves the lot in one go. The old glass or polycarbonate comes off and an insulated solid roof goes on, finished inside with a plastered ceiling and downlights.

With a solid roof overhead, the sun can no longer come straight down onto you. Light still comes in through the side windows and doors, as it does in any other room of the house, so the space stays bright without being blinding. Screens become usable. Furniture and flooring stop fading in stripes.

You also gain the things that have nothing to do with glare: a room that holds its heat in winter, no drumming when it rains, and a ceiling you can decorate. From outside you can choose lightweight tiles, a slate look or a smooth rendered finish to suit the house.

The Middle Road: A Solid Roof With Glazed Sections

Many people worry that a solid roof will make the room, and the room behind it, too dark. That is a fair worry, especially if the conservatory sits in front of a kitchen or living room window.

The answer is a hybrid roof: a solid insulated roof with rooflights, glazed panels or a roof lantern set into it. You decide where the daylight falls. Put the glazed section over the middle of the room or towards the house wall, and keep the solid part above the seating, where the glare used to be.

Because the glazed area is much smaller than a full glass roof, and can use the same solar control glass, you get a shaft of daylight without the dazzle.

Glass, Warm Roof Or Hybrid: How They Compare

What matters to you	Solar control glass roof	Solid warm roof	Hybrid roof
Cutting glare	Good. Softens the light across the whole roof.	Best. No direct sun from above.	Very good. Sun only where you place the glazing.
Keeping daylight	Best. Full view of the sky.	Light from the sides only.	Good. A shaft of daylight from above.
Summer heat	Much better than old glass or polycarbonate.	Best.	Very good.
Winter warmth	Good.	Best.	Very good.
Rain noise	Far quieter than polycarbonate.	Quietest.	Quiet.
Typical time on site	2 to 3 working days	3 to 5 working days	Similar to a warm roof

There is no single right answer. It depends on how you use the room and how much you value the view upwards.

Which Way Does Your Conservatory Face?

The direction the room faces changes the advice, so it is the first thing a surveyor looks at.

• South facing. Sun for most of the day and the worst glare and overheating. A warm roof or hybrid roof makes the biggest difference here.
• West facing. Pleasant until late afternoon, then low sun straight into your eyes at exactly the time you want to sit down. Think about where the glazed sections of a hybrid roof go, and keep them away from the seating.
• East facing. Bright at breakfast and calm for the rest of the day. Solar control glass is often enough.
• North facing. Glare is rarely the issue. Cold is. If you replace the roof, do it for warmth, and keep as much daylight as you can with glass or a generous lantern.

Cost, Timescales And Permissions

Most glass roof replacements we fit land between £3,000 and £7,000, and most warm roof conversions between £4,500 and £9,500, fully fitted. Larger conservatories, premium glass and tiled finishes cost more. Size, roof shape, the finish you pick and whether the frame needs any strengthening are what move the price.

In most cases the new roof sits on the frame and base you already have, which is what keeps the cost well below a rebuild. We check the frame at the free survey and tell you plainly if it is not suitable.

On permissions, swapping a conservatory roof does not usually need planning permission, but listed buildings and conservation areas are different, and a full conversion to a habitable room can need a building warrant. Rules are applied locally, so confirm with your council's planning and Building Standards teams. Where a warrant is needed, we handle the application.

If you would rather spread the cost, a new conservatory roof is available from £22 a week, subject to status. See our finance page for how it works, or look at the full range on the conservatory roofs page. We fit across Scotland, including Glasgow and Edinburgh. All workmanship is guaranteed.

Quick Answers

What is the best roof to stop conservatory glare?

A solid warm roof stops overhead glare completely. If you want to keep the view of the sky, solar control glass softens the light across the whole roof.

Do conservatory roof blinds stop the heat?

They cut glare but not much heat, because the sun has already passed through the glass before it reaches the blind.

Will a solid roof make my conservatory dark?

It will be less bright than a glass roof, but light still comes in through the side windows. Adding rooflights or a roof lantern brings daylight back where you want it.

Can I keep my existing conservatory frame?

Usually, yes. Most frames and bases take a new glass or lightweight solid roof without changes. We check this at the free survey.

How long does a new conservatory roof take?

Most glass roofs take 2 to 3 working days and most warm roofs 3 to 5 working days. The room is made weathertight each evening.