With all the wonderful weather over these last couple of weeks, and plenty more ahead of us, it’s no surprise that you’d be looking forward to spending as much time as you can in your conservatory over this summer. And who could blame you. They’re the perfect place to enjoy the sunny weather.
Except for when they’re not. When they’re hot, and stuffy, and uncomfortable. Everyone who owns a conservatory is familiar with this problem. When the air goes dead and your lovely, sunny room turns into a furnace seemingly designed to boil you alive.
It SUCKS when this happens, especially since the sunniest days are when you’re going to want to use your conservatory the most.
Fortunately, there is a way to solve this problem. All you need to do is insulate your conservatory roof — and not only are we going to tell you how you can do that, but also why it will help.
How to Insulate a Conservatory Roof
When it comes to home improvement projects, you’ll pretty much always have two paths to choose from: DIY or professional.
The choice is always going to be down to dozens of little factors, but ultimately we’re going to assume that you know what suits you best — which is why we’re going to explain how we’d recommend you approach both paths.
Approach 1: Do It Yourself
If you’re inclined to tackle the problem yourself, then what you’re going to need are some clear, concise instructions to help you through the process.
We’ll cover that in broad strokes here, but if you’re looking for something a little more specific, then you can always get in touch with our expert team for some personalised advice.
Our amazing team will be more than happy to help you find the best solution for your project, and our support is always free, so don’t hesitate to reach out if you’d like the help.
That being said, let’s get down to brass tacks and take a look at what you need to do to insulate your conservatory roof.
To start with, let’s take a look at the “short version” of what you’ll need to do:
- Assess and Measure Your Conservatory Roof;
- Choose the Right Insulation for the Job;
- Take Care of Pre-Installation Preparations;
- Install Your Insulation;
That list covers everything you’ll need to do to insulate your conservatory roof, but now let’s take a look at how you should actually go about doing each of those steps, along with some advice on the tools we’d recommend using.
Step 1: Assess and Measure Your Conservatory Roof
Before you begin, it’s crucial to understand the type of conservatory roof you have and its current condition.
The best way to do that is by measuring the area accurately, which will allow you to determine how much material you’ll need and how you’ll need to prepare it.
This step ensures you approach your project properly and that you aren’t wasting any materials unnecessarily.
A tape measure is the ideal tool for this kind of measurement, along with a simple notebook to note down your measurements along with any repair work that needs to be handled before starting your insulation project.
Step 2: Choose the Right Insulation for the Job
Selecting the appropriate insulation is vital for effective temperature control and energy savings.
Multifoil insulation, such as SuperFOIL, is an excellent choice for conservatories thanks to its multipurpose design, allowing it to protect from all forms of heat transfer. What’s more, the vapour barrier properties of many multifoil products can also provide significant value to a project like this.
Regardless of the product you ultimately choose, you will need to take care to consider the thermal performance of your products, and the U-values you’re aiming to achieve.
If nothing else, you need to be sure that your insulation upgrade will be in line with appropriate UK Building Regulations.
Step 3: Take Care of Pre-Installation Preparations
Proper preparation is key to a successful insulation project.
This involves cleaning the roof thoroughly, repairing any damage that you might come across, and ensuring the surface is completely dry.
You may also need to remove some of the existing coverings and external finish materials in the structure of the roof, depending on the insulation method you choose.
Above all, safety is paramount, so you should always make sure that you have the right PPE for the tools and materials you are working with and a stable, clean workspace prepared.
Step 4: Install Your Insulation
For multifoil, this typically involves cutting the material to size, carefully fitting it to the roof structure, and sealing any gaps with appropriate tape to create an effective thermal barrier. All while ensuring there is an air gap on either side of the insulation to provide maximum protection.
Our products are designed to emphasise a simple, straightforward installation process, saving you time and effort, which we do our best to support with easily accessible installation guidance.
However, even if you decide to go with a non-SuperFOIL insulation product, it should still be possible to learn the best way to install your chosen insulation — either by following the guidelines provided by the products manufacturer, or by searching for guidance online.
Approach 2: Invest in a Professional
If you’re looking to find a professional to handle your conservatory insulation for you, then there are a couple of options available to you. Let’s take a look at them quickly…
- You could spend some time figuring out the insulation product that you want to use, then spend some more time finding that product at the best price, and then spend even more time finding an installer to fit it for you.
OR
- You could find a full-service solution, where every stage of the process is handled for you by a seasoned professional; saving you time and often leaving you with a far better result overall.
As you can probably tell, we think the second option is the best way to go. But both will get the job done, and if you prefer to know exactly what is going on in a project like this, then you’d probably find the first option is a better choice for you.
So let’s take a closer look at each path you could take, and some free tools that we’d recommend to make the job easier for you.
Path 1: Find Your Solution and Installer Separately
If you’d prefer to take this path, then your first step should always be to make sure you understand exactly what your preferred solution will be.
That knowledge is essential, not just in making sure your chosen solution is right for you, but also in making sure you find the right installer for your chosen solution.
So, how do you go about finding your ideal insulation solution? Well, the best place to start is by taking a look at the problems you’re hoping to solve.
We won’t take up too much of your time suggesting potential issues to check for here. After all, you know your conservatory best. In fact, you probably already know exactly what you’re hoping to fix with your insulation upgrade.
That being said, we will get into a few of the bigger issues that insulation can help with later on in this post, so if you want to make sure you get everything covered, feel free to scroll down quickly and take a look.
Either way, knowing the problem that you want to solve is the perfect place to start because it sets you up perfectly to start researching the right solutions for you.
And once you’ve identified the best product for your project, you can start working to find an installer who can work with it.
Finding a trustworthy installer is crucial, which is why we always recommend seeking out professionals who have experience with your chosen insulation IN THE APPLICATION YOU NEED.
Of course, there are plenty of ways to find these professionals, from online platforms, to local trade merchants, or even through recommendations from friends and family.
Regardless of how you find your installer, however, don’t forget to verify their credentials, ask for references, and check out their past jobs. Due diligence like this is essential to making sure you don’t make a mistake that you might regret.
Path 2: Find a Full-Service Solution
If a full-service solution sounds good to you, then we can help with that too! After all, our Approved Installer Programme is built to provide training and tools to expert installers so that they can continue to do incredible work.
As part of this programme, we offer comprehensive training to insulation professionals, ensuring they have the expertise and hands-on experience to install SuperFOIL products to the highest standards.
As a result, you know that choosing a SuperFOIL Approved Installer means that you’re getting a professional who’s more than just familiar with our products, but is expertly trained. What’s more, you can also rest easy knowing that we’re working with them to provide industry leading technical advice, whenever they need it.
We offer them this support throughout every SuperFOIL project they take on, so they’ll never have anything less than the very best information at their disposal.
Overall, you know that SuperFOIL Approved installers are dedicated to delivering an outstanding, long-lasting result on every job— and have the tools they need to make it happen.
We’re incredibly proud of the amazing work our installers have done, and continue to do every single day. So, if you’d like a full-service solution, then getting in touch with one of these incredibly skilled experts is one of the very best ways to do exactly that; especially since it’s entirely free to find an installer near you!
Why You Should Insulate Your Conservatory
So, now that you know all about how you can get your Conservatory Roof Insulation installed, it’s about time that we take a moment to consider why installing it is a good idea in the first place.
Fortunately, this isn’t a difficult question to answer.
You see, it’s no secret that conservatories, for all of their amazing qualities, often come with some pretty major issues too. And trying to keep those issues under control is an endless headache for conservatory owners.
But that’s where quality conservatory insulation comes in, because properly installed conservatory insulation can help you to get rid of the majority of incessant conservatory issues, including big problems like:
- Unbearably Uncomfortable Temperatures;
- Creeping Condensation and Mould;
- Runaway Energy Bills;
How will insulation solve these problems? Let’s find out…
How Conservatory Insulation Helps with Unbearable Temperatures
Conservatories have a terrible tendency toward uncomfortably extreme temperatures. This is such a common issue that 53% of conservatory owners reported it as their biggest frustration with their conservatory in the Great British Conservatory Census.
In summer, the glass surfaces of your conservatory act like a greenhouse, trapping heat and making the space unbearably hot. But in winter, those same windows are simply incapable of holding heat in, leaving your conservatory freezing cold in no time.
In both cases, quality insulation — and multifoil in particular — is the ideal solution.
In summer, multifoil’s radiant barrier reflects the majority of heat carried in sunlight, keeping your conservatory cool. Once winter rolls around, however, that same barrier helps to reflect your home’s heat back inwards, preventing it from escaping and keeping your conservatory warmer.
How Conservatory Insulation Helps with Condensation and Mould
Condensation and mould are common issues for homeowners in general. But they are often worsened by the fluctuating temperatures and poor ventilation that plague most conservatories.
When warm, moist air inside your conservatory comes into contact with cold surfaces, like uninsulated glass, it cools rapidly and condenses into water droplets.
That itself would be bad enough, but the moisture from condensation will then create the perfect breeding ground for mould.
Fortunately, insulation helps to prevent both by stabilising the internal temperature of your conservatory roof, reducing the difference between the indoor air and the roof surface.
By keeping your condensation issues at bay, this fix will also help to reduce the risk of mould growing in your conservatory too; making the whole space a healthier place to be.
How Conservatory Insulation Helps with Runaway Energy Bills
Last, but certainly not least, quality insulation in your conservatory can help you to save on your energy bills by cutting down on the amount of energy wasted by your conservatory.
How?
By preventing heat from escaping in winter and entering in summer insulation reduces the need for you to directly heat or cool your conservatory — especially when you’re making regular use of your conservatory.
As a result, when your conservatory is properly insulated, it won’t be quite as hard to bring your conservatory to a comfortable temperature. Or to keep it comfortable.
What’s more, it will also keep your conservatory from having as much of an effect on the cost of keeping your home comfortable.
After all, even when you aren’t using it, your conservatory will still have an impact on the temperature of the rest of your home. Insulation is the perfect tool to reduce that impact, in more ways than one.
When taken together, what all of this means is that insulation helps you to massively cut down your energy consumption. And that, in turn, will cut your energy bills down to size, helping you spend less and making your home far more sustainable too!
Want to Make Sure You Do What’s Right For Your Conservatory?
Ultimately, insulating your conservatory roof can revolutionise the space, not just for this summer, but for years to come. And that means that you want to be absolutely sure that you get it right, regardless of how you’re planning to approach the process.
Fortunately, we can help you to ensure you’re getting exactly what you want out of the project. Our team is always on hand to provide you with advice, expert knowledge, and guidance on the best products, installers, and tools available to you.
So, if you’d like to claim the benefits of decades of industry experience, our free discovery sessions are the very best place to start.
