Can I temporarily insulate a conservatory roof?

I spent a good two weeks planning and researching but it only took a couple of weekends from start to finish.
There are fairly distinct stages: battoning > insulate > rebatton > finishing. You can walk away at any time and break it into smaller stages.

You've got to listen for the rain to notice it.

 

Thanks for the reply, is it also a lot warmer in the winter ? We don't have a radiator in ours, we have a flame effect fire. How much did it cost you to do, if you don't mind me asking.

 

Hi, I did this myself a couple of years ago for all the same reasons stated here. I think this is the 3rd winter coming up since doing it so I can give a good summary I think.

I insulated the floor and the ceiling and fitted blackout blinds so bear that in mind when I say that in my experience it will not stabilize your conservatory temperatures from extreme highs in summer and extreme lows in winter, it will also reduce light to your adjoining room. It will make it more able to retain heat (when directly heated) and it will keep it cooler from the sun however if it's anything like mine it does not become an extension to the house, you have to accept it is a compromised space albeit an improvement on what was there before.

Cost me about £500 I think, possibly less in the end. I have used it almost daily as a computer/media room but in the darkest winter months I have a portable oil radiator next to me and that is sufficient to warm it up in 10 mins and then maintain it on a low setting.

I have never been happy with the ceiling, I first struggled with screwing through rolls of YBS Superquilt to the existing beams, it matted up around the screw or drill bit, so I used that on the floor instead. Then I struggled with keeping wedges of Kingspan up there and have gone through a variety of solutions but ultimately without plasterboard it needs something light and rigid to help keep the insulation up. Chris Sheraton's looks fantastic and I will be redoing my ceiling in the same way this winter.

 

My conservatory is north facing and absolutely fine in the warmer months. Glass roof and cold in winter months and don't want a permanent replacement ceiling or roof. Any ideas for temporary only winter fix?

 

Useful feedback indeed.

Can I confirm - you can heat the connie in the 'darkest winter month' with just an oil-filled rad? What power is this rad?

 

Yes, sure it is just this one http://www.heatstore.co.uk/products/hsofr2000tn-2kw-oil-filled-radiator-cw-timer think I paid about £30 for it. It's next to me now whilst I type this, it felt chilly so it turned it on 2 mins ago, now i feel warm in here, simples. I can try and put up some pics of what I did, I probably have some questions for Chris Sheraton myself. I wouldn't want to put people off but I think it's important to keep some perspective of the limit of what you can achieve via DIY on insulating something like this.

 

Pics would be great.

I don't understand what you mean by 'limits' and stuff, tho'. You say you can heat this connie in winter with just an oil-filled radiator, so that would be considered by most as pretty bludy brilliant.

 

Interesting to hear some feedback after three winters. That small oil heater suggests that yours is holding the heat well, and you'd have had no chance before the work was done.
@randomspam do you have any pictures you could show us of yours please? Would you still do it if you had the chance to start over?

I'm (well a carpenter friend is) about to embark on my lean to conservatory in the next few weeks, insulated ceiling and floor with carpet.

I can appreciate it is not going to be like a brick extension, I mean inside your home gets cold without direct heat applied, so somewhere in between i'll be happy. I dont have a rad in there, so one of those oil heaters is going to be a must unless the rad in the kitchen can pump enough heat out to it.

Actually my main concern is the light, wondering how dark my adjoined kitchen is going to get, makes me think twice...
I'm south facing and have full glass front with upper windows each side, im hoping its not going to put a downer on the finish.

Some more feedback from people who have done this work would be great to see opinions!

 

Yes, perhaps I am being overly negative and it is my expectations that should adjust! It genuinely does hold heat, that has been apparent since the moment I start putting up the insulation above my head, you can immediately feel warmth reflecting on to you. I'm actually working in it now, I do not have the heater on, have not all day. there is some low sunshine catching the corner but other than that it is 13degrees outside and 22degrees on the inside. It's just that when it's more extreme outside that's when it stops being so comfortable, the gap between the out and in reduces significantly, whereas the temp of an unheated house stays a bit more relative.

First it looked like any typicl cold, dirty conservatory-
Then I tried the Superquilt on the ceiling - but I stapled it to the upvc, but slowly that came loose, i tried screwing through it but couldn't stop the layers from wrapping round the drill. In retrospect I now know I didn't have a good enough drill

So then I created a false floor with the superquilt, some batons and a T&G chipboard flooring, fortunately there was a big difference in height betweem the conservatory and the living room, plus it was tiled directly on to concrete which wasn't helping matters!

So as the YBS hadn't worked I then cut Kingspan, or Celotex or something like that into pieces and wedged that up there with gorilla tape and glue, I created a wooden perimeter around the room for it to lean on and screwed through the biggest pieces onto the upvc beams.

I never came to the conclusion on how to finish it more permanently so we create a really nice fabric ceiling that stretched across the room.

So 3 years on, it had been in my mind to rework bits of it, especially the ceiling, overtime some of the bits of insulation have sagged slightly but it doesn't suffer from condensation and has given me a room I can use all year round.
I did it all on my own before and just worked it out from things I saw on the internet, it's a bit rough in places but I know more now, I think I even read this thread at the time

Floor is brilliant and I highly recommend insulating that, once I've reworked the ceiling I'll post back.

I'd do it again absolutely, but I'd ensure I had a good drill!

 

actually just remembered, it's not just Celotex stuff on the ceiling, before that is some thermal foil insulation, much thinner than Superquilt, and I could get that to stay up. It's just normal stuff from Wickes, bubble wrap and foil kind of thing, even that made a noticeable difference.

 

Thanks for the info randomspam, fills me with more confidence its worthwhile.
Cheers

 

That's encouraging stuff indeed, Ben.

Having read all the stuff on here, if I were to do this job for myself I would go the thin sheet of Celotex/Kingspan route, and either pin (if battens fitted first) or glue (straight to the ali spans) it up in place.

Flat. Rigid. Easy to trim into shape. Gaps easy to fill with exp foam. Joints easy to tape to make a sealed roof panel.

 

Just spent an entertaining 3 hours reading this stuff. Brilliant. One question DA is how would you finish it off?

 

Depending on finish required, I reckon you could glue PVC cladding straight on, or else paste on lining paper such as thick insulating stuff: http://www.gowallpaper.co.uk/thermal-wallpaper.html Finish with emulsion paint like any ceiling.

Bear in mind I haven't actually done this job myself, but I think that would be the easiest and most effective method.

 

Well mine is pretty much done now, very happy with it, it does hold the heat much better from what I can tell so far. The light difference is noticeable, that's the only downside.

Next to paint the internal brick work before the carpet goes down. Any advice on that please? What paint to use? Should I seal it before painting?

Will put some pictures up when I get on my computer later.

 

Hi Ben.

Not surprising the light levels are lower, but still brighter than most 'normal' house rooms?

Bare brick? If it's in good order, then ordinary emulsion paint should be fine. You could, of course, use masonry paint, but only if you wanted the extra durability - it isn't essential; emulsion will adhere perfectly.

If the mortar or brick surface is powdery at all, then it would be worth sealing/priming with Everbuild 406 Stabiliser first, but only if it's needed.

Looking forward to the photos

 

Hi DA,

Yeah still a good amount of light in there, the adjoining kitchen is much darker now - this terrible weather and dark days generally are not giving a true reflection i guess, when the sun hits the conservatory it's looking good.

I will put some more photos up when I have the carpet laid, as right now its returned to a dumping ground while we wait for the carpet

The carpenter who did my installation, he built a frame around the perimeter of the ceiling, and the attached batons and insulation in between, so we didn't actually attach anything to the ceiling as it was sagging. So there is a little airgap up there between each of the glazing bars, so should be draughty enough up there.
Everything was fully covered in foil tape and then UPVC boards screwed up onto the batons.

Same thing on the floor, and boarded over.

Last night I put the thermometer in there to see how the temp looked after having the heating on for a couple of hours, we only have a small radiator in the adjoining kitchen, it was 21C in the kitchen and 20C in the conservatory. So not bad at all, and the boiler wasn't full blast or anything like that.

Some before and after photos.

DA, what you reckon on painting these bricks then? They certainly do seem a bit powdery!

 

Nice job - good chippy

These bricks look fine.

By powdery I mean if you rub your hands on them they'll come away with obvious dust on them.

Your call - and there would be no harm is using stabiliser - but I'm pretty sure you could paint these like you would any plaster wall - first coat diluted ~10% with water. Use a stiff brush on the wall first - and fill them holes

Of course, you could also skim it with plaster first, if you wanted a smooth finish. But painted brick can look really good, especially if you go bold with the colours - a nice warm burnt orange, or even slate grey, or stuff. Do a Google for 'painted indoor brick' and see the pics.

 

Well Carpet is down and furniture in.

Now to save up for some new glass

 

I wouldn't skim straight to brick. Bring out with render and scratch and float coat and then skim.