Conservation rooflights in Newcastle upon Tyne

A conservation rooflight is a design, not a legal category. It takes the proportions of the metal-framed rooflights that were fitted to older houses and builds them again with modern sealed glass and modern weathering. We fit a window in the slope that looks as though it belongs to the roof.

Flush, slim and quiet

A standard roof window usually sits on top of the covering, with a visible frame and a flashing kit that raises it above the slates or tiles. A conservation unit is set into the roof so the glass is close to level with the surrounding covering. The frame is thin, often steel or aluminium, and the outer face is finished in a dark colour that reads as part of the roof from the street. From the pavement you see a pane of glass and a thin line, not a box.

The glazing bar

Many designs carry one vertical bar down the middle of the glass. It echoes the divided panes of older rooflights, breaks up a wide opening visually and suits the hand-built look of a period slope. Some units leave it out, and our answer on whether conservation rooflights need glazing bars explains when the choice is yours and when it follows from the roof.

How it differs from a standard unit

The two products solve the same problem with different priorities. A standard roof window leads with hinges, blinds and a wide range of sizes. A conservation rooflight leads with appearance. In brief, the contrast is clear-cut, and our guide to the choice between a conservation rooflight and a standard roof window works through it for particular houses.

Makers, ranges and where the product goes

Several brands, VELUX among them, sell a manufacturer range of conservation units, and independent makers build slim steel units to order. We fit from the range that suits your roof and name it in the quote. These units are glazed with glass rather than polycarbonate, and their frames are metal rather than GRP, which is part of why they last and look right. They belong on pitched roofs. The back extension of a terrace with a flat roof wants a roof lantern or a flat roof rooflight instead, and a pitched slate extension roof can take a conservation unit like any other slope.

Looks are the point of this product, so it deserves a considered choice. The questions are mostly about proportion, and the best answers come from standing in the street and looking at the roof.

Frame and finish

Conservation frames are slim because the strength comes from the metal. Steel and aluminium are the usual materials, and each has its supporters. Steel gives the finest line and a look closest to old ironwork. Aluminium is lighter and takes a factory finish well. The outer face is normally a dark tone, such as black or a deep grey, which reads as part of a slate roof. Some makers offer a patinated surface that dulls with time. Look at samples against your own slates, in daylight, because a colour can look different on a bench than on the roof.

Proportion and position

A tall, narrow unit lines up with the vertical rhythm of a terrace roof, while a wide, short one can look like a hatch. Placing the unit so its sides sit on the line of the rafters keeps the roof structure tidy, and aligning it with the windows below makes the elevation read as designed rather than added. On a terrace, matching what a neighbour has done, where the house type allows, helps the street look consistent.

Inside the room

The view from underneath counts for as much as the view from the pavement. A thin frame with a clean lining gives the most sky for the opening, and a splayed reveal spreads the light over the ceiling rather than leaving it in a hard box. The glazing bar frames the sky and a bar-free pane gives an unbroken view. Neither is better, and the survey shows how each looks from the room itself.

Light across the day

Slope direction changes the effect. A rear slope facing south gives bright, warm light and deserves attention to glare, while a north-facing one gives an even, cool light that suits a study or a bathroom. Roof pitch plays in as well: a steep slope shows more sky from a seated position, and a shallow one lets light fall further into the room.

Blinds and other fittings

If the room will need a blind, plan it at the start, because a slim frame leaves little space for a standard cassette. Some blinds are made for these units; ask before you order.

Pricing splits in two: the unit built in a workshop, and the labour on your roof that prepares a place for it. Both vary with the building, so no figure is printed here.

The unit

Size comes first, and so do the frame material and its finish. A bespoke finish, a patinated surface or a bar pattern outside the standard set adds to the make. Glass counts as well: solar control, extra coatings and a heavier build all move the figure. Where a room needs ventilation, an opening version costs more than a fixed one. A made-to-order unit for an odd-shaped gap in the rafters will usually price higher than a stock size that suits the span.

The roof work

A unit between two rafters is the quicker job. A wider one means cutting and framing, and a steep or tall roof needs more access equipment. Slates that are brittle or bedded in lime need careful handling, and the time taken is part of the quote. A slope you can only reach by working above a passage takes more time than one you can get to from your own garden.

The paperwork

A flat needs planning permission, and a listed building needs consent. Both bring drawings and a wait for the decision, and the written quote sets that out. The Building Control notification is part of every job where the work is notifiable.

Comparing two quotes

Two quotes only compare if they describe the same thing: frame, glass, size, and how much roof and interior work each includes. A figure that omits the lining or the flashing is cheaper only on paper. Our costs page explains what pushes prices up or down across the products we fit, and a free survey gives you the real figure for your roof.