A conservatory should be a space you can enjoy throughout the year. But when summer arrives, all that glass can sometimes make it one of the hottest rooms in the house.
If you’re wondering how to keep a conservatory cool in summer, there are plenty of things that can help. Some are simple changes you can make straight away, while others involve upgrading the glazing or roof to provide a more permanent solution.
Modern conservatories have also come a long way. Solar-control glass, energy-efficient glazing and insulated solid roofs can all help create a room that stays more comfortable in both summer and winter.
Here are nine ways to keep your conservatory cooler when the temperature rises.
Why Do Conservatories Get So Hot in Summer?
Conservatories are designed to bring natural light into your home. However, sunlight passing through large areas of glass can also cause the temperature inside to rise.
This is known as solar heat gain. The sun’s energy passes through the glazing, warms the surfaces inside the conservatory and can leave heat trapped within the room.
The problem can be particularly noticeable in older conservatories with basic glass or polycarbonate roofs. Poor ventilation and the position of the conservatory can also make a difference, especially if the room receives direct sunlight for much of the day.
Fortunately, there are several ways to tackle the problem.
1. Improve Ventilation
Good ventilation is one of the easiest ways to reduce heat in a conservatory.
Opening windows and doors on opposite sides of the room can encourage air to flow through the conservatory rather than allowing warm air to become trapped.
If your conservatory has roof vents, these can be particularly useful. Warm air rises, so opening vents higher up can allow hot air to escape while cooler air enters through doors and windows below.
On very warm days, it can also help to ventilate the conservatory early in the morning before the temperature outside reaches its peak.
2. Create Shade Outside the Conservatory
Preventing some direct sunlight from reaching your conservatory can help reduce overheating.
Depending on the position of your home, external shading could include an awning, pergola or carefully positioned planting.
Even a garden parasol positioned outside a particularly sunny section of glazing can provide temporary shade during the hottest part of the day.
If you’re considering permanent planting, remember to think about maintenance and how close larger plants or trees will eventually be to the conservatory.
3. Use Fans to Keep Air Moving
A fan doesn’t actually reduce the temperature of the air, but moving air can make a warm conservatory feel considerably more comfortable.
Freestanding fans are an inexpensive option, while ceiling fans can work particularly well in larger conservatories.
For the best results, combine a fan with good ventilation. Positioning it near an open window or door can help move warm air out of the conservatory rather than simply circulating it around the room.
4. Consider Conservatory Blinds
Blinds can provide additional shade and help reduce glare on particularly sunny days.
Roof blinds can be especially useful where a conservatory receives direct sunlight for several hours, while window blinds provide extra shade around the sides of the room.
If you’re ordering a new conservatory from Elmhurst Windows, blinds can be supplied as part of your conservatory order, allowing you to create a finished space that is ready to enjoy.
However, blinds aren’t the only answer to an overheating conservatory. If excessive heat is a regular problem, it’s worth considering the performance of the glazing and roof itself.
Please note that Elmhurst Windows does not offer a standalone conservatory blind supply or fitting service.
5. Choose Solar-Control Glass
If you’re buying a new conservatory or replacing older glazing, solar-control glass can make a significant difference.
Solar-control glazing is designed to allow natural light into the conservatory while reducing the amount of solar heat passing through the glass.
This can help prevent the room from becoming excessively hot on sunny days without turning your conservatory into a dark space.
Modern energy-efficient glazing can also help retain warmth during colder weather, making the conservatory more comfortable throughout the year.
For homeowners who love the bright, open feeling of a traditional glazed conservatory, solar-control glass can offer a good balance between natural light and temperature control.
6. Consider a Solar-Control Glass Roof
The roof represents a large proportion of the glazed area in many conservatories, so it can have a major impact on how hot the room becomes.
If you still want the traditional appearance and brightness of a fully glazed conservatory, a modern solar-control glass roof may be worth considering.
Unlike older conservatory glazing, modern roof glass can be designed to reduce the amount of solar energy entering the room.
This means you can still enjoy plenty of daylight and views of the sky while creating a conservatory that is much more comfortable during warmer weather.
7. Upgrade to a Solid Conservatory Roof
If your existing conservatory becomes unbearably hot every summer and extremely cold during winter, the roof may be one of the biggest contributors to the problem.
Replacing an older glass or polycarbonate roof with an insulated solid conservatory roof can significantly improve thermal performance.
A solid roof reduces the amount of direct solar heat entering from above and provides much better insulation than many older conservatory roof systems.
It can also completely change the feel of the room, making the conservatory feel more like a natural extension of your home rather than a space you can only comfortably use at certain times of the year.
8. Combine a Solid Roof with Skylights or Rooflights
One concern homeowners sometimes have about replacing a glass conservatory roof with a solid roof is losing natural light.
Fortunately, you don’t necessarily have to choose between better insulation and a bright conservatory.
A solid conservatory roof can incorporate skylights or rooflights, allowing natural daylight to continue entering the room while giving you many of the thermal benefits of an insulated roof.
This can be a particularly attractive option if you want your conservatory to feel more like an extension while retaining some of the light and openness associated with a traditional conservatory.
It can also help bring additional daylight into adjoining rooms within the house.
9. Consider Upgrading an Older Conservatory
Sometimes fans, blinds and ventilation simply aren’t enough.
If you have an older conservatory that is too hot throughout summer and too cold throughout winter, it may be worth looking at the conservatory itself rather than continually trying to manage the temperature.
You don’t necessarily need to demolish it and start again.
Depending on the condition of the existing structure, upgrading the roof or glazing may transform how comfortable the conservatory feels.
Alternatively, if the conservatory itself has reached the end of its useful life, replacing it with a modern, thermally efficient conservatory gives you the opportunity to choose the glazing, roof and ventilation with year-round use in mind from the beginning.
Is a Solid Roof Better Than a Glass Conservatory Roof?
There isn’t one answer that will suit every home.
If maximising natural light is your priority, a modern solar-control glass roof may be the better choice. It retains the traditional conservatory appearance while helping to reduce unwanted solar heat.
If thermal performance is the priority, an insulated solid roof may offer greater control over the temperature of the room.
And if you want elements of both, a solid roof incorporating skylights or rooflights can provide insulation while allowing plenty of natural daylight into the conservatory.
The right choice will depend on your existing conservatory, how you use the room and what you want the finished space to feel like.
Can You Make an Old Conservatory Cooler?
Yes. An older conservatory doesn’t necessarily need to be completely replaced simply because it becomes too hot in summer.
Depending on its condition, improvements could include replacing older glazing with modern energy-efficient glass or upgrading an inefficient roof.
If the existing frames and structure remain in good condition, a replacement roof can be an effective way of improving the usability of the conservatory without replacing everything.
It is worth having the existing conservatory assessed before deciding which option is most suitable.
What’s the Best Way to Keep a Conservatory Cool in Summer?
For occasional hot days, simple measures such as ventilation, shading and fans may be enough to make your conservatory more comfortable.
However, if your conservatory regularly becomes too hot to use, the problem may be more fundamental.
Older glazing and poorly insulated conservatory roofs can make temperature regulation difficult regardless of how many fans or blinds you use.
Modern solar-control glazing, energy-efficient glass roofs and insulated solid roof systems provide longer-term solutions designed to improve the performance of the conservatory itself.
Enjoy Your Conservatory All Year Round
A conservatory shouldn’t be a room you avoid whenever the weather becomes too hot or too cold.
Modern conservatory technology means you no longer necessarily have to choose between a light-filled room and a comfortable one. Solar-control glazing can help reduce unwanted heat while retaining natural light, while insulated solid roofs can create a more extension-like space.
For those wanting the benefits of a solid roof without losing too much daylight, incorporating skylights or rooflights can provide an excellent middle ground.
Elmhurst Windows supplies and installs new conservatories and replacement conservatory roofs across Leeds and the surrounding areas.
Get in touch with our team to discuss your conservatory and find out how you could make it a more comfortable space throughout the year.