Glass options for conservatory roofs

Kathryn Dalgleish, Marketing Manager at Solaglas gives her views on why glass roofs are an excellent choice for conservatories.

Kathryn Dalgleish, Marketing Manager at Solaglas gives her views on why glass roofs are an excellent choice for conservatories.

Purchasing a conservatory is a major decision.

The cost associated with the choice of conservatory and installation is not insignificant and can actually be considerable, depending on size, quality and design.

Naturally, therefore, those factors which have a big impact on the satisfaction of the purchaser need careful consideration by those involved in the influencing / decision-making process.

After all, a satisfied customer will talk about their fabulous new investment (and the company that supplied it) to family and friends.

Such a personal recommendation, of both product and supplier, can be an invaluable source of new business.

One factor that has a major impact on the overall feel and comfort of a conservatory is the choice of material for the roof.

As a result, there are several reasons why a customer may prefer a glass roof over a polycarbonate roof.

Enhanced Vision Area Glass roofing has a dramatic impact on the vision area from within the structure.

Being able to clearly see through the roof with the same level of clarity as you can through the vertical glazing creates an open, spacious feeling.

Dramatic new views are opened up and more light is allowed in.

This creates a more inviting, relaxing living space - particularly on fair weather days.

Noise Reduction So what about those all too frequent rainy days? To those with a polycarbonate roof, it can sound like they are sitting inside a drum when it is raining.

This incessant noise may even drive them inside the house.

Glass, however, has more sound insulation than polycarbonate, particularly in double glazed unit (DGU) form.

As a result, the noise from rain is dramatically reduced.

This is effectively demonstrated using the SGG STADIP SILENCE CD ROM, which has sound recordings of rain falling onto polycarbonate and onto glass DGUs (as well as onto laminated DGUs and acoustic laminated DGUs).

Copies of the CD are available from Solaglas.

Cleanliness and Clarity Whilst on the subject of rain, if a dual action self-cleaning coating such as SGG BIOCLEAN is incorporated into the DGU then the benefits are two-fold.

As well as harnessing the sun's UV rays to break down the dirt (photocatalytic properties of the coating) and then using rain to wash it away (hydrophilic/water-attracting properties), clearer vision is also possible.

The hydrophilic properties cause rain to form into a sheet of water flowing across the pane of glass, rather than droplets and rivulets that obscure vision.

This means that you can enjoy the view even in a downpour.

SGG BIOCLEAN also means that consumers can spend more time relaxing rather than cleaning.

Even in dry spells simply spray the water from a hose pipe over the roof whilst watering the garden.

Dirt quickly disappears, as demonstrated in the SGG BIOCLEAN CD ROM, available from Solaglas.

Coating (i.e Benefit) Combinations Glass coating technology has advanced significantly over recent months.

It is now possible to combine several functionalities in a single DGU, offering multiple benefits to customers.

Prime examples of this are the SGG CLIMAPLUS COMFORT and COMFORT+ ranges of units from Solaglas.

High performance low-E coatings, offering neutrality as well as heat insulation, are combined with coatings that reduce glare and over-heating from the sun.

By controlling these extremes of temperature and sunlight, the conservatory can offer year-round comfort.

It becomes an additional living space to use even on hot days or cold nights.

These functions are also combined with coatings that reduce cleaning requirements.

Laminated glass can be used for enhanced security, also reducing the bleaching effect of the sun.

Glass Can Simply Look Better.

This point may be more a matter of personal preference rather than demonstrable fact, but it is worth examining.

We have already noted that from the inside glass enhances vision area.

From the outside, a glass roof can create a more pleasing aesthetic and enhance the impression of quality and value.

A customer spending money on a conservatory will want it to look as good as their budget will allow, for as long as possible.

A glass roof is a cost-effective way of achieving this.

Glass is very resistant to ageing and, despite the huge impact it creates, a glass roof is a relatively small proportion of the overall price of the conservatory purchase and installation.

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