The short answer
Yes, a solid conservatory roof can have roof windows, and most do. They are framed into the rafters, flashed into the tiles like any roof window, and finished with a plasterboard lining inside. They bring daylight back into a room that the solid roof has darkened. They must be planned at the design stage, because the rafters, the insulation and the structure around each opening are built to suit, and they add to the cost.
Why people add them
A solid roof keeps heat in and noise out, but it takes away the sky. The only daylight comes through the side glazing. Roof windows put some of it back, and they let you open the room for ventilation on a warm day. A pair of them on the south slope can lift the whole room. They also give a view of the sky, which is what many owners miss most after a conversion from glass.
Our guide on whether a tiled roof makes a conservatory dark looks at how much light you lose and how to judge it for your own room.
How they are built into a tiled roof
A roof window sits in an opening framed between the rafters. The rafters either side are doubled up, and short timbers called trimmers run across at the top and bottom to carry the cut rafters. The window is fixed to this frame, and a flashing kit, a set of metal pieces made to suit the tile type, seals the gap between the window and the tiles. Underneath, the insulation is cut to fit tightly, and a lining of plasterboard splays out from the window to the ceiling so the light spreads into the room.
Done well, the roof window is as watertight as the rest of the roof. Done poorly, the flashing is the weak point. Our survey and installation use the correct kit for the tile, and the guide to lightweight tiled roof systems explains why the system matters.
How many and where
The right number depends on the size of the room, the direction it faces and what you use it for. A small room may do well with one window, and a long room might want two or three. The windows on a south-facing slope bring the most light, and also the most heat, so a blind is useful. North-facing windows give a soft, even light with little heat gain. Roof windows also have to fit between the rafters, so the spacing of the structure affects where they can go.
A lantern or a long flat rooflight is another way to bring in daylight, and it suits a larger conservatory. These sit in the ridge or centre of the roof and are usually bespoke.
What the rules say
The load and the structure are covered by the Building Regulations application for a solid roof. Roof windows in a new roof are part of that design, and the energy standard for the windows themselves is set out in the guidance. The planning position for roof windows in general is covered in our roof windows and skylights guide and its planning page, which explains when permission is or is not needed, so we do not repeat it here. If the house has listed status or stands in a conservation area, ask your council's planning team first.
Opening or fixed?
A roof window can be fixed shut or made to open. An opening window lets warm air escape from the top of the room, which helps keep the conservatory comfortable in summer, and it gives you a way to air the room without opening the doors. Fixed windows cost less and have fewer moving parts to go wrong. Many owners choose one of each. Opening types come with manual poles or electric motors with a rain sensor that shuts the window if a shower starts, which is handy in a room you might leave on a warm afternoon. Blinds for the window are best specified at the same time, because the right blind depends on the window size and the pitch of the slope. Ask about a black-out version if the room doubles as a TV room or a spare bedroom, where light at night or glare on a screen would otherwise be an issue.
What it adds to the cost
Each roof window adds the unit, the flashing, the extra framing and the lining. Prices for a fitted roof window vary with the size and type, and our page on roof window installation cost has the typical UK ranges. Your fixed quote follows the survey, with the windows itemised so you can add or remove them.
Planning it with us
We discuss the light you want at the survey, check the structure, and put the windows into the roof design before the Building Regulations application goes in. That way, nothing is cut into the roof later, and the weather seal is part of the build rather than an afterthought. Other solid roof choices are covered under conservatory roof replacement in Basingstoke.
Every roof is different. A free survey with photos settles it for yours.
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