The short answer
Winter can work well, as long as the weather is allowed to set the pace. Large panels and sealants need dry, calm spells, and the old roof is off for a stretch while the new one goes on. A temporary cover keeps the room dry between visits, and the room is out of use for the duration. A new insulated roof then works through the coldest months.
Dry spells and wind decide the day
A conservatory roof job is more weather-dependent than most interior work, because the old roof comes off before the new one goes on. Rain over an open roof wets the room beneath, and wind is a problem for large sheets of glass, which act like sails when lifted.
So the work runs in windows. We look at the forecast, choose a start when a settled spell is likely, and hold back if it turns. That is a better plan than a fixed date that ignores the sky, and it is why we do not promise dates before the survey.
Cold matters as well as wet. Sealants, adhesives and some membranes have a lowest working temperature, set out on the product data sheet. Below it, they may not cure or bond as intended. Frost on the frame has to clear before sealant goes on, and a cold morning can push the start back by a few hours.
Short daylight also limits what can be finished in a visit. A roof that is half done at dusk needs to be left weathertight, which is the next topic.
Wind needs its own look on the day. A gust that is harmless on the ground is stronger at roof height, and a tall conservatory on an open plot gets more of it. If the wind is up, the glass stays in its crates.
Temporary cover and keeping the room dry
Whenever the roof is stripped, something has to keep the weather out overnight. A temporary cover, usually a heavy-duty waterproof sheet fixed to the frame, or temporary boarding with a membrane over it, closes the gap between visits. It is not elegant, but it should keep the room dry.
We plan the stages so that as little of the roof as possible is open at once. On a large conservatory that may mean working in sections: strip one area, fit its replacement, then move to the next. The more the roof is divided, the less of the room is exposed to a change in the weather.
If something does go wrong, such as a gust that lifts the cover, it is a matter of making the room safe first and tidying afterwards. We photograph the stage before leaving each day, so you can see the roof was left closed.
A dry run through the weather forecast on the morning, with the homeowner, is a good habit. If the outlook has turned, it is cheaper to move the date than to rescue a wet room.
Living with the room, and the benefits of a winter job
While the work is under way the conservatory is out of use. Furniture, plants and electrics need to come out of the room or be covered, and heaters should be switched off at the wall while the roof is open. Dust and noise travel through the house door, so shut it, and keep children and pets out of the working area.
Winter has an upside. A conservatory that has been too cold to use, or running with condensation all season, is no longer put up with for another winter. Our answer on condensation in a conservatory roof explains why the old roof may have been struggling.
Winter is also quieter for some owners, since the room is less in demand than it would be in summer. If you plan to use the conservatory for a particular occasion, say so on the first call, so the programme can be built around it.
No roofer can promise a timetable in winter. You get the programme alongside the written total once the survey is done, and we tell you when the weather has moved it.
Inspections and approvals do not take a holiday
The Building Regulations apply to a solid replacement roof, and where an application is made the building control body inspects at set stages. Their availability does not change with the season, but the weather can delay a stage that has to be visible when they arrive, such as the structure before it is covered.
Tell the building control body your plan and ask how much notice they need for an inspection. If rain delays the work, that notice can often be moved, and it is better to ask early than to cover work they wanted to see.
Made-to-measure glazing, lanterns and roof windows also have a lead time that has nothing to do with the weather. Order early, and agree the delivery date before the old roof comes off.
The conservatory roofs page covers the types of roof, and how long a conservatory roof replacement takes looks at the programme. If the forecast looks wrong for a start, we would rather wait for a better week than risk your room.
It also helps to have the room emptied the day before. A cleared floor, a dust sheet over anything left behind and clear access from the garden gate to the conservatory save time on the first morning.
