A roof for all applications
Dave Jackson, managing director of Icotherm, discuss the importance of roof design and application. We must be able to address the whole replacement conservatory sector and more if the sector is to reach its full potential, he argues.
With over two million conservatories in need of upgrade, alongside the growing demand for new single storey applications, the solid roof market is enjoying strong growth across the UK. Homeowners are eager to re-discover that lost space and the nation’s love affair is seemingly over with the humble conservatory if the national press is to be believed, though I do not as it just needs to be re-invented.
While the conservatory market accelerated with the cost-effective, small footprint rooms back in the noughties, that were outside of the remit of planning or building regulations, the solid roof market comes under the full remit of legislation and that is a good thing in my opinion. But material choice, configurability and energy efficiency credentials need to be considered by installation companies if they are going to make the best out of this opportunity.
While all the major players are able to offer Georgian, Victorian and gable roof solutions at varying price points, the lean-to market is a little more difficult to assess and yet it makes up for over 20% of the UK’s conservatory stock. The challenge here is to be able to offer a solid roof solution that’s slimline enough to be installed on typical bungalows with a low pitch lean-to solution.
Thankfully we’ve worked hard to develop our Ico600 solution which can go down as low as 3 degrees, meaning it’s the perfect replacement for existing conservatory roofs and it meets building regulations in England at 0.15 W/(m2K) and for Scotland and Wales at 0.12 W/(m2K) with our Pro variant. With the roof replacement market accelerating, the fact that we have several roof solutions that have been carefully designed and engineered with a structural engineer has helped our customers close more sales through our thoughtful, technically-led approach.
Our Icospan roof solution is proving particularly popular on the kitchen extension market offering that Orangery room feel, thanks to the Sheerline lantern that we now offer as standard, as we believe it’s the best lantern out there from a performance and security perspective. This roof solution is designed to stand out as opposed to our standard roof offering which is offered with the same look and feel as the main fabric of the house.
While additional light is important in these new room conversions and new construction projects there is a choice between Velux rooflights, a trusted market leader in the sector, along with Icoview, a favourite design option within our offices. This provides our striking, design-led eaves to ridge full length glass panel with contemporary appeal inside and out.
All of these roof solutions are underpinned by our #TrustInTimber mantra in that we are harnessing timber roof construction, which is used by many of the premium housebuilders in the UK, with our application of the latest offsite construction techniques. Installation partners enjoy installing our products on site too, as speed of installation is paramount.
We can do anything with timber as our base material within reason and we’re not governed by an aluminium chassis nor the poor insulation properties of the material. As we’re converting tired old conservatories into real life extensions, it seems pertinent that we’re using the same materials and methodologies that you’ll find in a house roof. It’s a simple premise, but one that has served us well and will do so well into the future even if the regulations do change again.