Robby Branson
A Professional You Can Trust.
Robby Branson Builders Ltd
A Professional You Can Trust.
Robby Branson Builders Ltd
Mention a conservatory in most circles, and all you’ll hear is how cold they are in winter or how boiling hot they get in summer. Or that it’s nothing more than a glorified shed. That reputation is well earned — especially in older conservatories built over 20 years ago… or even just 5.
But things have changed. With rising energy costs and a bigger push to make conservatories a proper part of the home, manufacturers and fitters have stepped up. Today’s materials and upgrades are far more advanced, and with the right tweaks, that tired old space can perform like a modern extension.
In fact, spending a little on the right repairs can quickly help restore comfort — by reducing heat loss and sorting out those annoying day-to-day issues, like doors and windows that don’t close properly. Sometimes, those simple fixes naturally become the first steps toward bigger improvements — without the stress, cost, or upheaval of moving house just to gain more space. You might even be able to reclaim extra usable area or extend slightly, often without needing planning permission or major disruption.
Many of the latest materials and techniques aren’t just for brand-new builds — they work just as well for general repairs. Some are simple, like fixing a blown double-glazed unit or replacing a stiff window handle. Others go further, like insulating the eaves beam, resealing problem joins, or upgrading individual panels — all without replacing the entire structure
They’ll happily price you up for a whole new roof or a full window and door replacement — but they’ll rarely stop to think whether that’s the right fix. And here’s why:
There’s less money in small jobs. But small jobs are often exactly what’s needed.
Before you rip out your old setup and commit to expensive finance deals, think about what can be done smarter.
These kinds of improvements don’t just save you money — by reusing existing materials wherever possible and reducing waste, they also avoid the disruption of major tear-outs and the risk of damaging surrounding landscaping.
That’s the kind of thinking our Free Conservatory MOT is built on.
You might be surprised how many older roofs can be saved — or improved — without full replacement and give many more years of use. And the same goes for windows and doors. They are ways to improve what you have in many cases.
Our FREE Conservatory MOT is a no-pressure inspection that shows you what can be done now, what can wait, and what’s not worth touching.
It’s about saving you money, not selling you a big job for the sake of it.
Let’s be honest — why would another company bother to reseal a door when they’d rather sell you a new one on credit?
Yes, a new roof is often the best long-term fix — no argument there.
But if your current roof is in fair condition and not leaking, it might be worth looking at other ways to improve what you already have. There are simple, smart fixes that can make a big difference to heat loss or gain — the most common complaint with older conservatories (and even many new basic ones).
But before you go all in, ask yourself this:
Would you leave a window or door open in mid-winter?
Of course not. But that’s effectively what’s happening when your conservatory has:
1: Loose panels
2: Faulty seals
3: Broken hinges
4: Missing caulking
5: No insulation in the walls
6: Air gaps everywhere
7: Roof panels that aren’t fixed properly
Small issues like these, when dealt with properly, can really improve your space. No, not every conservatory can be brought up to modern standards — but many can be made far more comfortable and usable than they are now.
And here’s something most people don’t realise:
Even a simple eaves beam upgrade can make a huge difference — improving strength, sealing up thermal gaps, and giving you a better base for any future improvements.
And if it’s done right, it won’t interfere with most new glazed or panel roofs later down the line.
Heat escapes. Cold creeps in. Bills go up.
These sorts of minor repairs don’t just fix comfort issues — they protect your investment, reduce energy loss, and help bring your conservatory back into real use.
And the best part?
They can often be done in stages, to suit your budget and priorities.
Out of Sight Out of Mind
That’s why so many leaks go unnoticed—until they cause real damage.
Flashings, box gutters, and ridge caps are all hidden away, but they’re some of the most common failure points on conservatories—and some of the things we get called out to fix the most.
And nearly always when it’s raining and cold.
1. Box Gutters
These can block, shift, or fail at the joints with the PVC gutter system. We’ve even seen people drill or screw through them while adding things to their conservatory, not realising the damage caused.
2. Flashings (usually lead)
These may lift, split, or pull away from the wall. And if flashing tape was used instead of proper lead, it may have simply reached the end of its lifespan—or worse, it may have been installed incorrectly:
No primer… wrong weather conditions… wrong material.
Should it have been a proper lead flashing or a cavity tray? That matters.
3. Ridge Covers & Caps
These often break free—especially in high winds—or work loose over time at the joints.
Victorian and Edwardian styles are particularly vulnerable around the weathering hub—that centre point where all the rafters meet. There’s a lot going on here to keep the wind and rain out.
Yes, there have been big improvements over the years—but poor installation still causes problems even on modern systems.
These are the junction points—where roof meets wall, or one section meets another—and they’re under constant pressure from the weather, temperature shifts, and structural movement.
If you’re seeing a stain, hearing a drip, or noticing water where it shouldn’t be… it’s often one of these three areas.
The good news?
Most of these repairs can be done quickly, without replacing the whole roof.
And in many cases, they can even be upgraded to improve insulation values and overall performance.
We like to put things into perspective and explain things in a way that makes sense. Not everyone is a builder with years of experience.
In the UK, how many houses are over 100 years old? Close to 3.6 million, based on those built before 1919 — which, interestingly, is also around the current estimated number of conservatories in the UK.
To give that some perspective: back in 1922, there were only about 7.5 million homes across the entire country. Today, there are around 25.4 million.
The point is, even after the losses of WWII, over half of those older homes still exist. We didn’t knock them down — we improved them. So applying the same logic to conservatories today isn’t just practical — it’s actually a green move in many ways.
Most people think fixing a conservatory means stopping a leak or changing a few panels. Or — because of all the marketing hype — they think it has to be a full new roof, or worse, roof and windows.
That might be true in some cases. But for most conservatories, comfort and performance don’t come from one big fix. They come from understanding how everything connects: the structure, the insulation, the glass, the airflow, the materials used — and even the smallest sealing details.
1: A chilly draught, but no obvious gaps
2: The odd drip, stain, or streak near the ridge
3: That “always cold” feeling underfoot
4: Or just that nagging sense that something isn’t right
These aren’t isolated issues.
They’re usually signs of multiple smaller problems adding up over time —or ones that were never properly addressed during the original construction.
Now let’s take a look at a few of the most common ones—and why fixing them properly matters.
You could just fill the gaps where cold air comes in at the base of the roof. But a proper eaves beam upgrade doesn’t just seal — it adds:
It also helps cover up some of the least visually used glazed areas. And best of all? It doesn’t usually interfere with future upgrades.
It’s one of the smartest “stage one” improvements because it solves multiple problems and sets the stage for everything that comes next.
Even a hybrid roof
Old double-glazed units lose far more heat than people realise — and most offer no real UV protection.
That means it is a major contributor to your conservatory overheating in summer and cooling down far too quickly in winter. Even replacing just one or two panes in the right spots can dramatically improve comfort.
It’s also worth remembering: the glazing units used when many of these conservatories were built were at least half as efficient as what’s available today.
And as the name suggests, there’s usually a lot of glass in a conservatory—**but it’s not just the glass
Those white panels in the doors or lower walls? They’ve also gone through a quiet revolution. Modern versions are twice as efficient, and in many cases, far stronger and longer lasting.
But here’s the real issue — nearly all older conservatories were never inspected.
There was no one checking U-values, verifying materials, or assessing the quality of the work—except perhaps someone from the company that sold it to you, or you, the customer, who in most cases had no background in construction.
Some were built with poor-quality units that look fine but perform terribly.
That’s why you’ll see real budget conservatories on the market today — they may look the part, but their energy performance is shocking.
Upgrading your glass gives you the biggest immediate benefit. New frames help a little more, but glass does most of the heavy lifting. There are even ways to improve the thermal performance of older frames — but you have to know your glass and the tricks of the trade.
Think of it like this: would you spend money heating a room with the window cracked open all day? That’s what’s happening when seals fail, caulking shrinks, parts go missing, or settlement causes cracks to form and frames to move.
All of these small gaps add up. And forget “just a cracked window” — this is more like leaving the door wide open.
These gaps don’t just reduce comfort — they undo the benefit of everything else you’re trying to achieve.
A few tubes of caulk and some good quality expanding foam can work wonders in the right hands.
Cold bridging isn’t a draught. It’s when cold from outside is conducted straight through parts of the structure into the interior, without any air movement.
This usually happens where aluminium or steel, or other components run continuously from the outside to the inside with no thermal break — and it leads to condensation, cold spots, and discomfort.
Typical cold bridging points include:
The ring beam is a large aluminium extrusion, often 70mm wide where it sits on the frames and tapering to 30mm or less and about 150mm high. It’s rarely insulated and often includes recessed guttering — which means constant contact with cold and moisture. It’s one of the coldest parts of many conservatories.
Glazing bars-rafters have improved over time. Most modern systems include a plastic internal sleeve, a rafter cap, and sometimes two or more extruded plastic layers — all of which help reduce thermal transfer. But there’s still some cold bridging through the aluminium core, especially at junction points and older intersections.
Many homeowners assume their dwarf walls or full-height frames are insulated — but that’s not always true. As late as 2020, some major companies were still only specifying 25mm of insulation. Others used none.
That’s a huge source of heat loss — but there are ways to fix it without tearing the whole thing apart.
Floors are one of the hardest areas to fix in most conservatories because of height restrictions. With a typical 2100mm ceiling at the doors, there’s not much room to raise the floor level without creating problems.
But if you’re thinking of upgrading the roof in future, this is worth planning for. There are some thin flooring systems that, with proper preparation, can noticeably improve warmth and comfort.
The aim isn’t to turn your conservatory into a sealed box — it’s to seal it properly, letting air in only where needed, or when you actually want it.
I still remember the spec homes I worked on in the ’70s and early ’80s. Roofs had little to no insulation, double glazing was a sales gimmick, and cavity walls were just beginning to get filled. Back then we were told:
Those figures have changed with modern materials — but basic conservatories? They’re still stuck in the past.
You get what you pay for, as they say. And this industry has made a lot of people rich selling pretty-looking structures that perform terribly.
When you add it all up, these so-called “minor” repairs aren’t minor at all.
They’re the foundation for comfort, and often the cheapest and quickest way to get your conservatory back into daily use.
There are ways to deal with these problems properly—but they need to be done the right way, with the right materials. Otherwise, you can make things worse—and that’s when the repair becomes much more expensive than it needed to be.
Most people get uneasy when they hear the word settlement. If you’ve bought property in the past, you might’ve come across it in a home inspection report — or worse, had a mortgage declined because of it. So yes, settlement is one of those hidden issues that can cause a mix of visible and invisible problems, especially in its early stages.
It doesn’t always happen straight away — but over time, small movements in the ground or foundations can lead to cracks, gaps, and alignment issues that just keep getting worse.
With conservatories, it’s especially common. Many were built on lightweight footings, old patio slabs, or in poor ground locations without much thought given to ground conditions. Add in tree roots, drainage problems, or clay soils that were not correctly allowed for when the conservatory was first built, and things start shifting — sometimes subtly, sometimes not.
The good news? Most settlement-related issues can be fixed.
Whether it’s realigning the structure, strengthening the base, or retrofitting better supports, it rarely means tearing everything down and starting over.
If you’re unlucky enough to be dealing with it, the first step is always to fix the cause before attempting any upgrades.
There are several ways to tackle the problem:
Sounds complicated or expensive? Not always — not with the right contractor who knows what to look for. Once the ground is stabilised, fixing the knock-on effects becomes far easier. There are expanding grouts and other solutions for the tougher jobs, while most of the rest falls under standard re-fix or repair work.
The important thing is knowing what you’re looking at — and not just masking the symptoms.
Because if you try to fix a leaking roof or replace a window without addressing the movement below, you’re just putting a sticking plaster on a deeper problem. And you’ll likely end up wasting both time and money.
This is also the right time to remind (or inform) you of something important:
When upgrading to a lightweight tiled roof, flat roof conversion, or any roof type that falls under building regulations, surveyors will often ask about your foundations.
Specifically:
They also check your existing conservatory window and door frames to ensure they contain metal reinforcement inserts. If they don’t, additional structural support may be required before a new roof can be fitted.
So if repairs are needed anyway — this is the perfect time to get the groundwork checked, documented, and future-ready.