Conservatory Insulation DIY stylee!

[Peadee]

Hello all,

Could anybody tell me of there is a proven method for insulating the roof of my conservatory. I have found some company's on the net that do it but the prices are prohibitive to say the least. I have some ideas of my own but these are kind of based around the way that you would install a false ceiling in a room that is inside the house. I'm not sure that the same principles apply for a conservatory, my guess would be that they don't.
I am about to put a radiator in there but I just don't think it's going to cut the mustard when the winter rolls around again.
The current roof is polycarbonate and although I haven't measured it I have looked up the thicknesses available and I would say it's 16mm

Your thoughts and advice would be appreciated

Thanks

Peadee

 

[Agile]

The only way to insulate the roof is with a thick opaque material abiout 100mm thick.

Even with just side windows the heat loss is likely to be high.

Why exactly do you want to have it heated?

Tony

 

[Peadee]

I just want to be able to use the space all year round if possible. I'm trying to learn to play guitar and I want somewhere that I can slink off to on my own and pretend to be a rock god!!!
I'm just in the process of installing a new kitchen and the conservatory is off that so it just seemed sensible to me to be able to use the conservatory too. I know there won't be a problem during the spring and summer, it's warm already on a sunny day, but I want to be able to use it for as much of the winter as possible too.
I don't want to sit in the kitchen and look at the conservatory going to waste for 4 or 5 months at a time. I'm happy to throw a few quid at it but obviously I don't want to throw a fortune at it. Well, I do but I haven't got a fortune so I can't!!!

Peadee

 

[noseall]

So, once you have solved the problem of heat loss through the roof, you will then need to move onto the glazed sides or walls.

Where do you stop? When you have spent enough money wrecking the whole "conservatory" effect by obliterating all the incoming natural light.

Trying to turn a connie into an extension is not practical and begs the question........

 

[ajrobb]

A typical conservatory supplies daylight to the room it is attached to, fitting opaque insulation might make the house dark. Noise is also likely to be a problem, I hope your neighbours are 100% behind your burgeoning rock career. Rock on.

 

[Peadee]

Well, it's a bit odd the way that it's laid out so the light thing isn't really a big issue. I will lose some but not too much because the work that has gone on inside the house has now given me an extra window in the room that the conservatory is attached to.
I have no intention of doing anything with the windows either. Apart from maybe replacing them with thermo efficient alternative glass units, cos I don't reckon that these are.
I am happy to pay a higher heating bill to keep it warm but, in it's current state I don't think it's possible because the roof is the weak link. I will be paying for nothing and, whilst I'm willing to pay to heat it, I'm not willing to throw money away. It's too hard earned

Peadee

 

[digdilem]

You didn't mention anything about it looking nice!

Bubble wrap, plenty of it! It's what's used for polytunnels and greenhouses, looks fugly but traps air and it pretty good insulation. Cheap, easily put up and (when somebody complains about how horrible it looks) easy to take down. Doesn't block the light totally either so you still get some solar gain.

 

[Corgigrouch]

Build a brick extension with a well insulated roof round the conservatory... Or at least brick pillars to support a proper roof... Simples!

 

[RobinClay]

whilst I'm willing to pay to heat it, I'm not willing to throw money away. It's too hard earned

Well ? 18 month down the line - have you broken into the Big Time yet ?

And what did you do about the insulation ?

 

[nickeas]

Hi All,

i am looking at ways to do this as well, i thought of glueing kingspan thermapitch

http://www.insulationexpress.co.uk/...apitch-TP10-Pitched-Roof-Insulation-Board.htm

inside then sealing the edges and painting it white. Places like roof revive that do this for lots of pennies say you dont loose much light by doing this.

Anyone have any thoughts on this??

Cheers

 

[RobinClay]

My thoughts precisely - well, almost. I propose to use 100mm kingspan, painted white, but just clipped or wedged into place between the roof timbers so that it can be removed come summer. And for about half the windows, too.

And for the remaining windows that don't open (and as many as poss of the windows in the house), I propose to knock up some E-section pieces of wood from 30 x 20 run through the circular saw on each side to give a pair of 3mm wide grooves with a 16mm gap between; four of these to make a frame that will hold two sheets of clear acrylic, and wedge this into place with foam plastic draught excluder to give quasi "quadruple glazing".

I tried it out last year on one window and it worked a treat. Not very cheap (say £50 a window), but MUCH cheaper than branded stuff (say £200+ each).

 

[nickeas]

i was thinking of covering everything as our conservatory seems to have a lot of drafts inside, so hoping this would seal it to keep the heat in but still allow air to flow behind the panels so no condensation.

Lee...

 

[dcawkwell]

Buy a small shed for the garden. You can insulate that with kingspan
and make it nice and toastie.
A small blow heater will heat it in no time at all.

Don't try and insulate a conservatory waste of time. They just loose
heat all over.

 

[nickeas]

well it is for my lad and the inlaws at xmas mainly, so thats a good idea!! wife wont like it but hey!!

Its a brick wall one side ,and dwarf the other two, that has cavity insulation in it. so they should be ok, just the windows.

For the past two years i have used the cling film and double backed sticky tape method,and it did make a difference regarding the cold air getting in. so hopefully this will block that off and reflect a bit.

But just ordered the boards so its to late to abort!!£93 for 7*25mm celotex boards delivered. sounds good price to me. wickes was £136 odd.

Lee...

 

[RobinClay]

25mm is awful thin... I reckon on 100mm - yes, it's (nearly) four times the price, but worth it, I reckon.

Roughly speaking, every inch reduces the heat loss by half, so 1" gives 50% heat loss, 2" gives 25%, 3" gives 12.5%, 4" gives 6.25% heat loss. What they call "The Law of diminishing returns"; if you work out the "payback period", i.e. the cost vs. the saving, how many years to get my money back, it's probably not worth going over 4", despite what the Bldg Regs say !

That's actually for normal loft insulation; kingspan is a better insulator.

Make sure you leave an air-gap. 16mm is probably optimum; any wider and you get air circulation.

Did you have any problems with the sticky tape ? Did it peel off OK, or did it leave a nasty reminder ?