Many people have taken advantage of some extra money that has come their way to build a conservatory extension on the side of their house. It's a great addition in the summer. They are great for having friends over for a barbeque, with the sun beating down you don't have to worry about wind or sudden rain which is an all too familiar scenario in our changeable northern climes.

As the seasons change and the weather becomes colder you might find that you aren't using your conservatory as much if at all. A grey sky hanging over conservatory roofs might be enough to put you off sitting out there but when it starts to get properly cold you probably wont want to use it at all. Trying to heat a conservatory is rarely if ever a practical idea. Even the best made conservatories, built using triple glazing and without any gaps in the seals are going to cost a small fortune to keep warm for any amount of time. It is often easier and cheaper to just close that conservatory door and stay inside.

Then you wonder, what was the point in paying for a conservatory in the first place if you only end up using it two or three weeks in the year? Maybe you could have put that money towards a new car or a holiday abroad. It seems like a terrible waste. It can still be lovely to sit under conservatory roofs in autumn and look out at the garden you spent the summer tending as the foliage turns to gold. The addition of a conservatory roof can change your conservatory from a twice a year treat to an all year round pleasure.

Conservatory roofs can turn your conservatory into a sun room. By creating a properly insulated layer over the top of the sun room it becomes financially viable to heat your extension even in the summer. This means that even when it is snowing you can sit out in your sun room and admire the beautiful icy sheets that cover your garden. As warm air rises a further layer of insulation forms in the pitch of conservatory roofs as the warm air gathers there rather than drain out through a glass ceiling. This further lessens the burden on your heating bills.

If you are lucky enough to live where it is so warm that you find your conservatory is often too hot to sit out in during the summer conservatory roofs can be a solution in that situation. It is not that uncommon a problem. The construction of a conservatory is not unlike that of a greenhouse. As such a conservatory can produce a 'greenhouse effect'. This is where heat comes in through the glass of conservatory roofs in the form of sunlight and heats up the air inside. This air is unable to escape and so the room continues to heat up. Even with the doors open the heat can sometimes become stifling and unpleasant especially if you are not used to it. Conservatory roofs act as a sun shade. They still allow plenty of summer light in through the side windows but by shading direct sunlight they keep things nice and cool.

Conservatory roofs are not just a good idea for extensions that have already been built. They are something to keep in mind if you are thinking about a new build.