Glass and polycarbonate roofs create a greenhouse effect by trapping solar heat inside. A SupaLite tiled roof features high-performance thermal insulation that reflects the sun’s heat away from the building. This keeps your conservatory naturally cool and comfortable all summer long, without needing fans or air conditioning.

In most cases, no – replacing an existing conservatory roof with a tiled system falls under permitted development, meaning you won’t need to apply for planning permission. This applies as long as the structure remains the same size and shape as your existing roof.

However, there are some situations where you may need to apply:

• Your property is a listed building or in a conservation area
• Your conservatory was originally built without the correct permissions
• The new roof would materially alter the appearance of the property beyond a like-for-like replacement
• Previous permitted development rights have been removed by your local council (this sometimes happens on newer developments)

If you’re unsure, the simplest step is to contact your local planning authority before work begins – it’s a free call and gives you certainty. As a SupaLite approved installer, our team has completed hundreds of tiled roof installations across Essex and can advise you on what’s typically required in your area during your free onsite survey.

Whether building regulations apply depends on your specific conservatory setup. Generally, you won’t need building regulations approval if your conservatory remains separated from the main house by external-quality walls, windows or doors, and has its own independent heating system with separate controls.

However, if your conservatory is already integrated into the main living space – or the new tiled roof would make it feel more like a permanent room – building regulations are likely to apply.

The good news is that SupaLite tiled roof systems are fully building regulations compliant with a U-value of 0.15 as standard, pre-approved by Stroma. Where building regulations are required, we handle the entire process on your behalf and provide you with all relevant certification and paperwork on completion – so you don’t need to worry about navigating it yourself.

If you’re unsure whether your conservatory requires approval, we’ll assess this during your free onsite survey and advise you before any work begins.

Not as much as most people expect – and for many homeowners, the interior actually feels brighter after installation.

Here’s why. When we replace your existing roof, the new ceiling is plastered and finished in white, following the natural pitch of the roof to create a vaulted effect. That bright, reflective surface amplifies the natural light coming in through your conservatory’s existing windows and doors, giving the room an open and airy feel despite the solid roof above.

That said, it’s true that a tiled roof does reduce the amount of light entering from above compared to a fully glazed or polycarbonate roof. If maximising daylight is important to you, there are two options worth considering:

• Roof windows – discreet skylights that sit flush with the roofline and flood the room with natural light without compromising the clean external appearance
• Sky Vista glass panels – a SupaLite feature that replaces sections of tiling with full-length glazed panels, giving you the best of both worlds: the thermal performance of a tiled roof with the light of a glazed one

During your free onsite survey we can show you examples of both and help you decide what’s right for your space.

You can also choose roof windows if you want even more daylight.

Yes, dramatically. Polycarbonate roofs act like a drum skin, making rain deafening. Because a tiled roof uses solid timber, thick acoustic insulation, and external tiles, it absorbs impact and reduces rain noise by up to 90%, giving you a peaceful room regardless of the weather.

Here’s why. When we replace your existing roof, the new ceiling is plastered and finished in white, following the natural pitch of the roof to create a vaulted effect. That bright, reflective surface amplifies the natural light coming in through your conservatory’s existing windows and doors, giving the room an open and airy feel despite the solid roof above.

That said, it’s true that a tiled roof does reduce the amount of light entering from above compared to a fully glazed or polycarbonate roof. If maximising daylight is important to you, there are two options worth considering:

• Roof windows – discreet skylights that sit flush with the roofline and flood the room with natural light without compromising the clean external appearance
• Sky Vista glass panels – a SupaLite feature that replaces sections of tiling with full-length glazed panels, giving you the best of both worlds: the thermal performance of a tiled roof with the light of a glazed one

During your free onsite survey we can show you examples of both and help you decide what’s right for your space.

You can also choose roof windows if you want even more daylight.

Most tiled conservatory roof installations take between 5 and 8 days from start to finish, depending on the size and complexity of your conservatory. Here’s what a typical installation looks like day by day:

• Day 1 – Site setup, scaffolding if required, and removal of your existing roof.
• Day 2 – Installation of the new structural frame, external insulation, ply and vapour control layer.
• Day 3 – Leadwork and commencement of roof tiling.
• Day 4 – Completion of tiling, installation of new fascia, soffits and guttering, first fix electrics.
• Day 5 – First layer of internal insulation fitted.
• Day 6 – Internal insulation completed and plasterboard fitted.
• Day 7 – Internal ceiling plastered.
• Day 8 – Second fix electrics and final completion.

Throughout the process we work to minimise disruption to your home – your conservatory will be weathertight within the first couple of days, so you won’t be left exposed to the elements while work is ongoing.

For a precise timeline for your specific project, we’ll give you a full schedule during your free onsite survey.

Yes – a tiled conservatory roof is actually far better suited to a log burner than a glass or polycarbonate roof, which struggle to retain heat and make it difficult to achieve the right flue configuration.

There are a few requirements to be aware of before installation:

• Building regulations – a log burner in a conservatory will typically bring the space under building regulations, as it’s considered a heat source connected to the main dwelling. Your installer and a HETAS-registered engineer will be able to confirm what applies to your specific setup
• Ventilation – adequate air supply is required for safe combustion. This needs to be factored into the design of the room, particularly if the conservatory is well-sealed after the new roof is fitted
• Flue positioning – the flue will need to pass through the roof or an external wall. With a tiled roof this is straightforward to accommodate during installation, and we can plan the flue position as part of your project from the outset

We’d always recommend appointing a HETAS-registered engineer for the log burner installation itself, and coordinating with us early so the flue position and any ventilation requirements are built into the roof design rather than retrofitted afterwards.

Yes – and it’s something many of our customers choose to do at the same time as their tiled roof installation, since the two projects work naturally together. Replacing the roof transforms your conservatory into a properly insulated, year-round room, and removing the dividing wall then opens that space up to the rest of your home, creating a significantly larger living area.

There are a few things to consider before going ahead:

• Structural assessment – the dividing wall between your house and conservatory is often load-bearing, so a structural engineer will need to assess it and specify the correct steel beam (RSJ) to support the structure above.
• Building regulations – knocking through will bring the entire project under building regulations, covering both the structural work and the thermal performance of the new space.
• Heating – once the wall is removed, your existing home heating will need to extend into the new space. This is worth planning early, particularly if you’re also considering underfloor heating or a log burner.
• Timing – combining the knockthrough with the roof installation is more cost-effective and less disruptive than doing them separately, as scaffolding, skips and site setup only need to happen once.

We regularly project manage both elements together and can recommend trusted local structural engineers and builders we’ve worked with across Essex. Get in touch to discuss what’s possible for your specific property.

Yes – in most cases any existing glass or polycarbonate conservatory roof can be replaced with a lightweight tiled roof system, and it’s one of the most popular home improvements we carry out across Essex.

The key word here is lightweight. Modern tiled roof systems like SupaLite are specifically engineered to replace existing conservatory roofs without requiring any strengthening of the original conservatory frame or foundations. At just 38kg/m² – lighter than any other solid roof system on the market – SupaLite can be fitted onto the vast majority of existing conservatory structures without additional groundwork or structural alterations.

The process typically involves:

• Assessment – we survey your existing conservatory frame to confirm it’s suitable for a tiled roof replacement, which the vast majority are
• Removal — your existing glass or polycarbonate roof is removed, usually within a day.
• Installation – the new SupaLite tiled roof system is fitted onto your existing frame, leaving your conservatory weathertight within the first couple of days.
• Finishing – internal plastering and electrics are completed to leave you with a fully finished room.

The result is a conservatory that looks and feels like a natural extension of your home, usable all year round regardless of the weather outside.

A SupaLite tiled conservatory roof is built to last for decades – significantly longer than the glass or polycarbonate roof it replaces.

The tiles themselves carry an average life expectancy of 50 to 60 years, making them one of the most durable roofing materials available for conservatories. For context, a standard polycarbonate roof typically lasts 10 to 15 years before deteriorating, discolouring or becoming brittle – meaning a tiled roof can outlast it three or four times over.

To give you complete peace of mind, every Greenoak tiled roof installation comes with:

• 25-year guarantee on SupaLite tiles.
• 15-year manufacturer warranty on the roof system.
• 10-year insurance-backed guarantee on our workmanship.

That last point is particularly important – an insurance-backed guarantee means your investment is protected even in the unlikely event that anything were to happen to our business, which not all installers offer.

Greenoak Concept & Design provides unique tiled conservatory roofing solutions to customers based all over Essex. We cover locations such as Southend-On-Sea, Westcliff-On-Sea, Chalkwell, Benfleet, Wickford, Brentwood, Rayleigh, Braintree, Chelmsford , Thorpe Bay and more locations. If we haven’t mentioned your location, please don’t worry. Take a look at the additional areas we cover.