Glazed roof lights are sealed glass units set into your new panel roof, bringing daylight straight down into the room. Most people choose one or two, at £395 each fitted. For the evenings, LED spotlights set into the white inner face of the panels cost £345. Both are chosen at the survey and included in your fixed written quote.
Why add roof lights to a panel roof
Changing a clear roof for an insulated one is the biggest change to the feel of a conservatory. The walls are still mostly glass, so the room stays light by day, but the light now comes in from the sides rather than from above. Parts of the room furthest from the windows, usually near the house wall, are where you notice it most.
A roof light fixes that in the places that need it. Light from above is stronger than light through a window of the same size, because it faces the open sky rather than the garden, fences and houses around you. One well placed roof light makes a bigger difference than its size suggests.
How a roof light fits into the panel roof
Each roof light is a sealed double glazed unit that takes the place of a panel, or part of a panel, in one bay of the roof. It sits between two roof bars, under the same caps and seals as the panels either side, so the roof keeps one continuous weather line. The width is set by the spacing of your roof bars, and the length is agreed at survey.
Because the roof light is part of the roof rather than a hole cut through it, there is no separate upstand or kerb to leak. The panels above and below it are made to measure around it, just like the rest of the roof.
Fixed or opening
Roof lights come as fixed units or as opening vents. A fixed unit is simpler, has no moving parts to wear, and is the most common choice in a conservatory where the doors and windows already give plenty of ventilation. The £395 price is for a standard glazed roof light. If you would like one that opens, ask at the survey and we will confirm whether it suits your roof and what it adds to the price.
How many roof lights, and where
Most people choose one or two. The right number depends on the size and shape of the room and which way it faces.
| Roof size | Typical number of roof lights | Best place |
|---|---|---|
| Small, up to 12 m² | 0 or 1 | Near the house wall |
| Medium, 12 to 25 m² | 1 or 2 | Side slopes, over the middle of the room |
| Large or P-shape, 25 m² and over | 2 or 3 | The part furthest from the windows |
Put them over the part of the room where you sit, read or eat, and away from where the television goes, as screen glare from above is hard to fix later. On a lean-to, that usually means near the house wall. On a Victorian or Edwardian, the side slopes are best, as the bays there are rectangular.
Which way should they face?
A roof light on a north facing slope gives soft, steady light all day with little direct sun. One on a south or west facing slope gives more brightness but also lets in direct sun and heat in summer. If your conservatory already gets hot, put the roof lights on the shadier side.
The trade-off: light against heat
Glass does not insulate as well as our panels, and it is fair to be clear about that. A modern roof light unit has a U-value of around 1.0 to 1.2 W/m²K, against about 0.43 for a panel. A roof light of about 1 m² loses around 24 W on a 0°C night with 20°C inside, compared with about 9 W for the same area of panel.
So each roof light gives back a little of the saving, around 15 W each in those conditions. On a medium roof of 17 m², two roof lights still leave the roof losing far less heat than 16 mm polycarbonate, which is why one or two is the sensible limit for most homes. Our guide to whether a solid roof makes a conservatory dark helps you decide how many you need.
Keeping roof lights clean
The panels around a roof light are smooth and pitched, so rain carries most dirt off the glass. Leaves and bird mess can still collect in the lower corners, so wash the glass with a soft brush on an extendable pole once or twice a year. Never kneel or stand on the roof or a roof light to reach it, as neither is made to take a person's weight.
LED spotlights
Once the roof is insulated, many people use the conservatory much more in the evenings. LED spotlights set into the white inner skin of the panels give an even light across the room and cost £345. They are flush with the ceiling, so there is nothing to hang down or collect dust.
Electrical work in a home has to meet Part P of the Building Regulations, so the spotlights are wired and certified by a qualified electrician. We agree the switch position and the cable route with you at survey, so nothing runs across the ceiling.
Adding them to your quote
Roof lights and spotlights are the two most popular extras, alongside new gutters and fascia at £295. They are much easier to fit at the same time as the roof than later, as the panels are made around them. The cost calculator lets you add them to your guide price, and the full list of prices is in the roof panel price guide.
Questions people ask
How many roof lights should a conservatory have?
One or two suits most homes. A small roof may need none, and a large roof or P-shape often has two or three.
Do glazed roof lights leak?
A roof light sits between two roof bars under the same caps and seals as the panels, so it is part of the roof rather than a hole cut into it. It is covered by the same 10 year insurance backed guarantee.
Can a roof light be added after the roof is fitted?
It is possible, but it means replacing a panel and making a new one around the roof light. Adding it at the start costs less and is quicker.
Will a roof light make the room hot in summer?
A little, if it faces south or west. Put it on the shadier slope if your conservatory already gets hot, and consider a blind for it.
How much do LED spotlights cost in a panel roof?
LED spotlights set into the inner skin of the panels cost £345, wired and certified by a qualified electrician.
