When it comes to conservatories, or rather, glazed extensions as we should say these days, the polycarbonate roof has grown to become a symbol of the typical UK glass box. So that would be green, mossy, baking hot, freezing cold and generally tacky. You can’t really argue that a polycarbonate conservatory roof looks good on any conservatory. Luckily, you don’t have to.

Range and choice

If you’re an installer, just take a minute to think about how many glazed extensions you’ve sold in the past couple of years with polycarbonate roofs. I bet it’s not many. At our place, I reckon we’ve sold and installed about two conservatories with polycarbonate roofs in the past two years. Not that we didn’t try to demonstrate the benefits of the other types of roofs available.

If you’re a conservatory roof fabricator, take a minute to think about how many polycarbonate conservatory roofs you’ve made and delivered recently. I bet it’s not that many. And maybe the one’s you’ve made are mostly for insurance contracts for storm damaged conservatories where the insurance company will only replace like for like!

Point is, the polycarbonate roof is dead because there is better choice out there now. Glass, solid with real tiles, solid with mock tiles, the list goes on. And all have at least a dozen advantages over their old plasticky counterpart.

Dead and should stay dead

As far as I’m concerned, the polycarbonate conservatory roof should remain dead. Think about it, it’s that roof that is the primary reason the existing crop of crappy conservatories is so poor.

It’s the roof’s fault they are too cold in the winter. It’s the roof’s fault they get too hot in the summer. It’s the roof’s fault it’s too loud to think when it rains. It’s the roof’s fault it gets moss. There are many faults, all of which can be put right with the correct roof. There are millions of existing glazed extensions out there that could be dramatically changed with the help of a decent glass or solid roof conversion.

This is why the polycarbonate roof has to stay dead. There is no room for such an outdated and archaic product in a modern glazed extension market. Price doesn’t come into the equation either. The cost difference between a glass roof and polycarbonate conservatory roof is minimal now, prices have come way down on the glass option in recent years. Yes the solid roofs are still on the high side in comparison, but the long term benefits outweigh the initial cost uplift.

Does a polycarbonate roof have any place at all in the market. I’d say only for the insurance companies who insist on replacing like for like when an existing conservatory suffers damage of any kind. That’s it. With the range and quality of conservatory roof products out there now, I cannot think of a single good reason why a polycarbonate roof would be chosen over glass or solid products.

As always, comments are welcome on this, and any other post, in the section below.

To get daily updates from DGB sent to your inbox, enter your email address in the space below to subscribe:

[wysija_form id=”1″]