Conservatories are wonderful in spring and autumn and often unusable at the height of summer. Because they're surrounded by glass — usually including the roof — they trap solar heat like a greenhouse. Here's how the main solutions compare.
Blinds
Conservatory blinds help with glare and look smart, but they're expensive to fit throughout, gather dust, and do relatively little to stop heat that has already passed through the glass. They also block your light and view when closed.
Air conditioning
Effective but costly to install and run, and it's treating the symptom rather than the cause — you're paying to remove heat that's still pouring in through the glass.
Solar window film
This tackles the problem at source by rejecting much of the sun's heat before it enters. Conservatory window film is applied to your existing glass and polycarbonate, costs a fraction of replacing the roof, and is fitted in a single visit. Most customers find it transforms a room that was previously too hot to sit in.
Replacing the roof
A new solar-control glass or tiled roof is the most thorough — and most expensive and disruptive — option. Film achieves a large share of the benefit for a small fraction of the cost.
The verdict
For most homeowners, solar film offers the best balance of effectiveness, cost and convenience. It won't make a glass room as cool as a brick one, but it typically turns an unusable summer conservatory back into a usable one.