The questions we hear on most surveys.

A lightweight tiled conservatory roof system designed to replace polycarbonate or glass without rebuilding the conservatory. The system is LABC and LABSS approved, achieves a U-value of around 0.15 W/m²K, and has an internal vaulted plastered ceiling.

In most cases, yes. The Supalite system is engineered to be lightweight (around 40 kg/m²) specifically so it can drop onto existing bases and frames. Our surveyor confirms the structure on site and tells you straight away if it can’t take the load.

A proper tiled roof. You choose between Extralight (slate-effect or shingle) or Tapco Slate (composite slate), available in nine standard colours across the two systems. From the kerb, it reads as a solid roof — not a converted conservatory.

A smooth vaulted plastered ceiling, taped, jointed and skim-coated, ready for paint. Standard build includes vapour barrier, insulation and plasterboard. Optional extras include recessed downlighters, a decorative pelmet, and Velux roof windows.

Nine standard colours across two systems. Extralight (lightweight tile): Classic Black, Charcoal, Ember and Walnut. Tapco Slate (composite slate): Pewter Grey, Stone Black, Brick Red, Chestnut Brown and Plum. Non-standard finishes are available on request.

It doesn’t have to. A Supalite installation replaces the existing translucent roof with an opaque tiled finish, but the conservatory’s existing windows and doors stay in place and continue to provide daylight. For most rooms — especially those with full-height glazed walls common on 1990s and 2000s conservatories — the daylight from the walls alone is comparable to any other room in the house. If you’d like to retain overhead light, the Supalite system supports optional Sky Vista rooflights and Velux roof windows fitted during the build at no thermal-performance penalty. One or two rooflights typically deliver the same daylight as a domestic skylight in a kitchen extension. Most clients fit recessed downlighters into the new vaulted plastered ceiling regardless, for switchable evening light. See the rooflight and lighting options on About the Supalite System.

Yes — Velux roof windows are a standard optional extra on every Supalite tiled conservatory roof installation. They are fitted during the build itself, integrated with the structural frame, breathable membrane, insulation and tile finish, so there is no thermal-performance penalty around the opening. Choose between manual operation, electric, or rain-sensor variants — one window or several, depending on conservatory size and how much overhead daylight you want. The Supalite system also supports Sky Vista rooflights as an alternative — a flat double-glazed option designed specifically for the system, with an optional heated-glass upgrade (Sky Vista with Glow). Rooflight choice is decided at survey before the install begins, since both Velux and Sky Vista are first-fixed during the spaceframe and tile stages, not retrofitted afterwards. See About the Supalite System for full glazing options.

For year-round use, a tiled conservatory roof outperforms polycarbonate on every meaningful measure. Thermal performance: polycarbonate U-values typically range from 1.2 W/m²K (modern 35mm five-wall) to 2.7 W/m²K (16mm twin-wall, the 1990s–2000s default), versus 0.15 W/m²K for a Supalite tiled roof — between an 8-fold and 18-fold reduction in heat loss. Solar gain: polycarbonate roofs greenhouse heavily in summer; an insulated tiled roof eliminates the issue. Rain noise: polycarbonate drums; a layered tiled roof reduces it to almost nothing. Building Regulations compliance: replacement polycarbonate isn’t typically notifiable, but a tiled roof installation is — the Supalite system is LABC and LABSS approved as standard. The trade-off is upfront cost (£8,000–£20,000 for a tiled upgrade vs a few thousand for replacement polycarbonate) and a 5–10 day install rather than 3–5 days. See the head-to-head comparison on Why Choose a Tiled Roof.

Supalite, Guardian Warm Roof and LEKA are three of the leading lightweight tiled conservatory roof systems available in the UK. All three are designed to replace polycarbonate or glass conservatory roofs without rebuilding the conservatory itself, and all three carry Local Authority Building Control approval. They differ in construction materials, system weight, tile ranges, U-value, internal finish options and warranty terms — a head-to-head comparison should look at the specific spec sheet each system publishes. The Supalite specifics: aluminium spaceframe with multi-layer PIR and reflective insulation, complete system weight around 40 kg/m², U-value of 0.15 W/m²K, available in nine tile colours across the Extralight and Tapco Slate ranges, and a 10-year insurance-backed guarantee underwritten independently by IWA. We install Supalite exclusively because we are trained and audited on the system itself. See About the Supalite System for the full spec.

Most installs take five to ten working days. The roof is normally weather-tight within two to three days; the rest of the time is internal finishes, plastering and decorating prep.

No. Our installation teams are based at our Worsley facility — the same teams that work on Absolute Window Co installations. From strip-down to handover, it’s the same team on site.

Yes. The conservatory itself is unusable for the duration, but the rest of the house is unaffected. The team is in and out by 4pm and we always seal the doors back into the house properly each evening.

Typically 4–6 weeks from quote sign-off to install start, plus 5–10 days on site. We aim to complete the survey within a few days of your enquiry, with a written quote within 3–5 working days after that.

A Supalite tiled conservatory roof typically costs between £8,000 and £20,000 in 2026, depending on conservatory size, tile profile (Extralight or Tapco Slate), internal finishes (downlighters, pelmet, Velux windows) and any optional Sky Vista rooflights. Smaller lean-to or 3m-frontage conservatories sit at the lower end of the range; larger Edwardian, Victorian or P-shape conservatories with full plastered ceilings, multiple downlighters and rooflights run towards the upper end. Pricing is fixed in writing within 3 to 5 working days of the free home survey, with no separate charges for the LABC and LABSS approval, the 10-year insurance-backed guarantee, or the system documentation. Surveys carry no commitment — see Get a Quote to arrange one.

For most owners of 1990s and 2000s polycarbonate or glass conservatories, yes — a Supalite tiled roof reverses the three problems that make a conservatory unusable: summer overheating, winter heat loss, and rain noise. The thermal upgrade alone is significant — from a typical polycarbonate U-value of 1.2 to 2.7 W/m²K down to 0.15 W/m²K — but most clients describe the most valuable change as how often the room actually gets used after the upgrade. Building Regulations compliance under the LABC and LABSS approval also reclassifies the room as habitable space, which can affect mortgage valuations and resale. Cost typically lands between £8,000 and £20,000 — a fraction of what a new single-storey extension would cost (£35,000–£60,000+) and a fraction of the time (5–10 days vs 8–16 weeks for a new extension build).

A Supalite tiled conservatory roof typically adds value in two ways: through reclassification of the conservatory as habitable, Building Regulations-compliant living space, and through improved appearance from the kerb. The first matters at survey, sale and remortgage — RICS-qualified surveyors and mortgage valuers treat insulated, regulations-compliant rooms differently from unheated polycarbonate or glass conservatories. The second reflects a typical buyer’s experience: a tiled roof reads as part of the house rather than an add-on. We don’t quote specific uplift figures because they vary widely with location, condition, and the buyer pool — a £15,000 install on a £350,000 Manchester semi behaves differently from the same install on a £750,000 Hale detached. Talk to your local estate agent for area-specific guidance, and see our Why Choose a Tiled Roof page for the full benefits list.

For most clients, yes. Polycarbonate and glass roofs leak heat in winter and overheat in summer, so the conservatory either gets ignored or burns through energy trying to be comfortable. A Supalite roof at 0.15 W/m²K removes that drag on the rest of the home’s heating system.

Replacement conservatory roofs almost always fall under permitted development and don’t need planning permission. We’ll flag any unusual cases on survey — for example listed buildings or specific Article 4 areas.

Yes. The Supalite system is LABC and LABSS approved — meaning it has been pre-reviewed against Building Regulations and signed off as compliant. We install it the way it has been approved, so every roof is Building Regulations compliant as standard. If you need a formal Building Regulations completion certificate (typically for a future sale or remortgage), we can arrange one through Local Authority Building Control as a separate process.

The Supalite tiled conservatory roof system achieves a U-value of 0.15 W/m²K, measured across the full assembled roof including the lightweight tile finish, breathable membrane, aluminium spaceframe, multi-layer PIR and reflective insulation, vapour barrier, plasterboard and skim. That figure is better than the 0.18 W/m²K minimum that current Building Regulations set for new-build extension roofs. By comparison, polycarbonate conservatory roofs typically range from around 1.2 W/m²K (modern 35mm five-wall) to 2.7 W/m²K (16mm twin-wall, the common spec on 1990s and 2000s conservatories), and traditional glass conservatory roofs sit around 1.0 W/m²K. The Supalite system is approved at this U-value by both LABC (England and Wales) and LABSS (Scotland). For the full technical breakdown including system weight (~40 kg/m²) and fire rating (BROOF(t4)), see About the Supalite System.

A 10-year insurance-backed guarantee covering both the Supalite system and the workmanship of the install. It’s underwritten by an independent third party.

The lightweight tile finish on a Supalite system is rated by the manufacturer at 40 years or more, depending on tile choice (Extralight slate-effect or Tapco Slate composite). The aluminium spaceframe, breathable membrane, multi-layer PIR and reflective insulation, vapour barrier and internal plasterboard finish all carry comparable working lives in a domestic-roof environment, with no UV exposure, panel sag, or panel-seal failure typical of polycarbonate or glass roofs. The 10-year insurance-backed guarantee covers both the system itself and the workmanship of the install — underwritten by IWA and held by an independent provider, so the IBG is honoured regardless of our trading status. The system is approved at this lifespan profile by both LABC (England and Wales) and LABSS (Scotland). See About the Supalite System for the full technical specification.

Yes — a Supalite tiled conservatory roof can be removed, although in practice it is almost never wanted. The system is mechanically fixed to the existing conservatory frame and base, not bonded or chemically integrated, so removal is the reverse of installation: tiles, battens, membrane, insulation and plasterboard come off in sequence, and the spaceframe lifts off the conservatory frame. The conservatory base, walls, windows and doors are unaffected. In practice, removal is rare — the upgrade reverses the three problems (overheating, heat loss, rain noise) that drove the install in the first place, and the Building Regulations compliance, 0.15 W/m²K thermal performance, and habitable-space classification would all be lost. See How It Works for the install process.

You ring the office. Same number, same team, same Worsley premises. If it’s covered by the IBG, we organise the work directly. If it’s accidental damage outside the IBG, we’ll quote you the repair.

Yes — that’s the point of the IBG being insurance-backed and held by an independent provider. The cover continues regardless of our trading status.