Climate control
Keeping your conservatory cool
As a leading UK supplier of high specification DIY conservatories to the self build market we are specialists in providing an affordable Do It Yourself conservatory solution that will add value to your home and increase your living space all year round. Our genuine trade prices will provide you with considerable savings on typical installed retail conservatory prices by eliminating the installation company's profit margin when you install yourself.
Retaining your valuable heat during the winter is covered on our Insulation Values page but it is just as important to consider how you will control the temperature during the summer months.
Adding a new conservatory to your home will certainly increase your living space but you will need to consider carefully how you will control the climate inside the conservatory, especially during those long hot summer days.
There are several factors that will have an impact on individual requirements and these need to be reviewed at the design stage to ensure that you will be able to comfortably use the conservatory all year round.
North, South, East or West?
A south facing conservatory will endure long hours of direct sunlight during the summer months and requires careful thought when it comes to deciding on the type of roof glazing. The temperature inside could easily reach unbearable levels if no protection from the sun is specified. For polycarbonate roofs we would always recommend Heatguard or if you are considering a glass roof, our STAYCOOL conservatory glazing or Activ Blue solar control glass are the best options. These are covered in more detail below.
North facing conservatories will not receive much direct sunlight and clear glass or polycarbonate glazing can usually be selected with confidence. Conservatories facing east, west and particularly south will endure long hot summer days of direct heat from the sun and will become unbearably hot without careful consideration for the specification of the glazing. Our new STAYCOOL conservatory roof glazing provides the ultimate protection from direct sunlight reducing glare by 68% and reflects 78% of the sun's heat away from the roof and at the same time provides 94% protection against UV light.
Improve the air-flow in your new conservatory
EAVESFLOWTM Trickle Ventilation is standard
Our Ultraframe conservatory roofs have patented built-in trickle ventilators fitted into the eaves beam offering controllable secure air flow to the roof space all year round. Upgrade to the Classic Plus roof and increased trickle ventilation is provided to each roof segment.
You can read more about built-in roof ventilation by downloading the Classic Roof Overview.
Optional additional window vents
We provide four opening vents as standard but you can add extra openers to suit your budget. Adding more openers obviously improves ventilation but can also provide equal sightlines especially when all opening vents is specified. Each opener has a lockable night ventilation position and trickle ventilators can also be specified if required.
Roof glazing options
There are two main choices for the roof glazing of your conservatory, polycarbonate or glass. 35mm Polycarbonate has definite cost advantages over glass and is available in several finishes. Glass is the more expensive of the two but offers higher insulation and sound benefits and is also available in several specifications.
Glass Roof Choices
Staycool Solar Control Self Cleaning Glass
The number of conservatories supplied with glass roofs is increasing rapidly and with this in mind we have launched STAYCOOL glass which is now standard on all glass roof conservatories. STAYCOOL provides 78% shading against direct heat from the sun whilst the subtle green tint reduces glare by 68%. STAYCOOL roof glass is proven to reduce the temperature inside the conservatory by 20o F when compared to Pilkington K and Anti-sun glass and offers up to 94% improved protection against UV light protecting your furnishings against fading. It is supplied with a self clean coating and with an energy efficient 1.0 U-value is the ultimate conservatory roof glass helping to maintain a comfortable climate throughout the year.
We offer a full range of roof glass options including Activ Blue and Activ Neutral but would recommend Staycool glass as the best performing solar control and energy efficient glazing solution.
Pilkington Activ™ Blue Self Cleaning Solar Control Glass Roof
Specially designed for the optimum roof unit, ActivTM Blue is a revolutionary new glass that is perfect for use in conservatories. It uses daylight and rainwater to breakdown and wash away organic dirt from exterior surfaces, making it ideal for hard to reach places that are difficult to clean. Its unique blue colour also helps keep internal temperatures cool whilst still maintaining excellent light transmittance.
- Attractive blue colour offers excellent aesthetics and optimum performance
- Excellent solar control performance combined with good light transmission
- Uses daylight and rainwater to breakdown dirt and wash away organic dirt from the exterior glass
- Works even on cloudy days and during the night
- ActivTM coating lasts the lifetime of the glass
- Easily cleaned during dry spells by hosing down
- Low exterior reflection improves aesthetics of the conservatory
- Combined with Triple Shield and Argon Filled provide a 1.2 U Value
Pilkington Activ™ Neutral Self Cleaning Solar Control Glass Roof
Ideal for conservatories with all the benefits of Activ Blue but with subtle grey tint.
Watch this Pilkington video for the full story on Activ self cleaning glass or download Pilkington Activ Brochures from our Downloads page.
You can also visit the Pilkington Activ web site here .
NEW Aqua Green Solar Control Glass Roof
The new Aqua Green conservatory roof glazing option combines the latest innovative solar control glass option SGG ClimaControl™ with a subtle green tint, BioClean® self clean coating, argon gas filling and Planitherm® Low E glass to produce the best performing double glazed roof solution currently on the market.
Aqua Green reflects 78% of the sun's heat helping to reduce the temperature inside the conservatory by 9 degrees centigrade compared to standard glass. The green tint helps to considerably reduce the glare from direct sunlight and provides a pleasant comfortable enviroment to relax in.
Polycarbonate Roof Choices
Polycarbonate is still a firm favourite for conservatory roof glazing as it is lightweight, durable, thermally efficient and exceptionally strong thanks to it's multi-wall construction - up to 200 times stronger than glass and virtually shatterproof.
Our 35mm polycarbonate range is supplied as standard for white, light oak and rosewood finish conservatories in a choice of five colours all of which are designed to complement your conservatory and help reduce glare and minimise solar heat gain depending on the colour, position and orientation of your conservatory. Please note that our new extended range of coloured conservatories are currently only available with 25mm thickness polycarbonate roof.
CLEAR |
OPAL |
BRONZE |
 |
 |
 |
BRONZE/OPAL |
HEATGUARD/OPAL |
|
 |
 |
These images above are provided for guidance only and results may vary depending on your screen resolution. If you are in any doubt about the choice of polycarbonate colour and its affect on your proposed conservatory we strongly recommend you obtain a sample prior to purchase. |
35mm POLYCARBONATE PERFORMANCE VALUES |
||||
| POLYCARBONATE TYPE | LIGHT TRANSMISSION | SOLAR TRANSMISSION | U VALUE W/m2k | SHADING EFFICIENCY |
| Clear | 63% | 62% | 1.5 | 72% |
| Opal | 15% | 35% | 1.5 | 41% |
| Bronze | 20% | 23% | 1.5 | 27% |
| Bronze/Opal* | 10% | 15% | 1.5 | 17% |
| Heatguard/Opal** | 5% | 8% | 1.5 | 9% |
Light Transmission = percentage of light transmitted through the polycarbonate sheet Solar Transmission = The proportion of the Suns energy that is transmitted through the sheet. The lower the percentage the better it is. U Value = Measures heat loss to the outside. The lower the U value the more thermally efficient it is. Shading Efficiency = The lower the figure the more shade is created.
*Bronze/Opal gives a bright internal appearance even on a dull day, reduces solar heat gain and provides privacy.
**Heatguard/Opal limits the potential for heat build-up within the conservatory, whilst allowing light to enter the roof, deflecting solar radiation and reducing solar heat gain by up to 50% when compared to conventional polycarbonates.
Recommended Climate Control Options
Once you have decided on the roof glazing we recommend you consider the following options to help control the climate inside the conservatory:
 |
Opening Roof VentsAdding opening roof vents will help increase the flow of air into the roof space on a hot summer's day. Roof vents are available manually operated or by electric remote control. A rain sensor unit can also be added that will ensure that the vents close automatically if rain is detected. |
 |
Ultraframe Shades
Upgrade your conservatory roof to Classic Plus and fit Ultraframe's fully intergrated Shades system designed to provide shade and dappled light to your conservatory whilst also offering privacy. |
 |
Conservatory FansUltraframe conservatory fans are available in six different styles all with built-in lighting and dual settings for summer and winter operation. The summer setting will move warm air upwards whilst the winter setting will help move warm air in the roof space downwards. All fans have 3 speed settings, reversible blades and can be supplied with a remote control. |
Air Conditioning
Air conditioning units are a popular upgrade choice for many of our customers and we currently offer a split air conditioning system providing full automatic climate control for just £295 incl vat when ordered with a new conservatory.
The information provided on this page is intended as a guide to help you choose the best specification to suit your individual requirements - we hope it has been of help.
RSS Feed
