Life is full of regrets. For many homeowners they don’t come much bigger than wishing they hadn’t invested in a conservatory.
Conservatories might not come with the price tag of an extension, but equally they often come with none of the benefits.
Many conservatories are too hot in the summer and impossible to heat in winter, they can also quickly look dated, doing little to blend in with the rest of the property.
For many this leads to thought of change - the I want to turn my conservatory into an extension of the title.
Is it possible though and is it worthwhile?
At Guardian Roofs we believe it is not only possible, it is actually straightforward.
The key advantage extensions have over conservatories is that they are usable space, they are rooms that can be used for a variety of reasons all year round.
Many conservatories, by way of contrast, become virtual no-go zones in the summer, often used simply as extra, expensive storage.
If a conservatory can be turned into that usable space then it effectively becomes and extension. If a room can be used as a second lounge, or a games room, or a home office it perhaps doesn’t matter too much whether technically it is called an extension or a conservatory.
At Guardian, we looked to solve the problem by focussing on what makes conservatories flawed. Looking directly up answered that question - the issue is the roof. Conservatories usually have either glass or polycarbonate roofs, both materials wholly unsuited to the job in hand, both materials that turn the room into a greenhouse (there’s a reason greenhouses have glass roofs…)
The problem was that only glass or polycarbonate roofs were permissible. We needed to work to not only create an alternative but then get regulations changed to make the product permissible.
For their part, the regulators wanted (entirely reasonably) to be convinced that any replacement conservatory roof was worth paying for. There would not be much point giving backing to a new style of roof if it did nothing to rectify the issues of the old.
To cut a long story and years of research and development short, we did prove the worth of our lightweight, solid, tiled replacement roofs and so regulations were changed in 2010. From that point, tiled roofs have been allowed on conservatory roofs, whether that is as a newly built conservatory or replacing the roof of an existing one.
With the change in roof, the conservatory effectively becomes an extension. The Guardian Conservatory Roof come in a wide range of styles and subtle colours and so will blend in with the rest of the property, they also keep the room within a pleasant temperature range.
Better still, independent research by AEcom found that a homeowner would save £200 per year on their energy bill on average post roof change, that because heating bills would be reduced in winter.
The cost of a replacement roof of course comes in at just a fraction of the cost of ripping up the conservatory, starting again and having an extension built, this is a solution that makes use of what is already there, turning it into the space it always should have been.
With a range of interior finish options, including skylights and spot lights, the room can have any feel and be designed to fit any future use.
Using the existing conservatory structure but replacing the roof also keeps upheaval to a minimum - typically it takes just three days to remove and recycle the old roof and install the new. We’ll repeat that - just three days to turn a flawed conservatory into that extension-like space.
On this site, there is a wealth of information about the Guardian Roof and how it helps transform conservatories.
We would also be happy to answer any queries you might have - please get in touch by calling 0800 066 5832 or using our Contact Form.
