Conservatory roof problem - please help

[NickB_99]

Hello all,

Struggling with sorting an existing conservatory roof.

Moved in to a place in Sept 08 and the conservatory was a bit of a shocker in how poorly it had been done. Don't know what the official conservatory type is but is probably best described as a 'lean to'.

I'm no expert, but for example - the polycarbonate roof panels did not have any seal on the exposed ends and were full of moss at the end etc.

The ends of the roof struts supporting the polycarbonate sheets had just been filled with sealant, so that all the polycarbonate roof panels had slid down and away from the main house wall.
In fact one had such a big gap with the wall that you could see the sky through the gap!

Anyway, guess you get the gist.

I've managed to push the polycarbonate sheets back up to where they should be (using a hammer and some wood to protect the ends in of the polycarb sheets).
But the seal on the inside at the end was getting folded back on itself and was restricting movement a bit so I took it out.
Now the sheets are back in there must only be 0.5mm clearance pic provided View media item 13797The side ones are still in, but I cant push the end seals back in.

Any suggestions where can I go from here?

The sheets seem in too firm to try to slide out - is there an easy way to get them back a bit?
When should this seal be fitted - before or is just badly made and they should be possible to slide in?

Help appreciated!

 

[foxhole]

The roof bars should snap in from above , you should be able to prise them out and reposition the sheets and then resecure.There should be a capping to the exposed end to prevent insects etc entering.

 

[NickB_99]

The roof bars should snap in from above , you should be able to prise them out and reposition the sheets and then resecure.There should be a capping to the exposed end to prevent insects etc entering.

Hi foxhole, thanks for the reply.

That would be a relief.

Do the roof bars just snap in from above usually? Or do they have screws at each end also? (Currently one end typically gummed up with sealant, and the top edge covered by 6 inches of lead flashing - so don't want to cause too much damage unnecessarily)

 

[foxhole]

They snap in from above with a seal down each edge, no screws, though I have put a self tapper in the base of each of mine to prevent them slipping as although a tight fit they do move over time as the roof expands and contracts in the heat.

 

[NickB_99]

cheers foxhole, will give it a go.

 

[Jandiy]

Whilst you are moving the panels you may want to check to see if you still have tapes sealing the open ends of the poly. There should be a solid aluminium tape at the top end to stop water getting in and a breather tape at the bottom to stop flies etc getting him but letting moisture out. They are readily available and easy to replace, You then need to put a sheet closure over the breather tape at the gutter end to protect the end of the panels. If you need any help sourcing them let me know as the company I work for can supply them. Regards

 

[big-all]

a roof insulation system would never ever overcome the high heat loss or gain and make the conservatory useable in winter months
you may reduce the approximate 6kw losses to 4kw per hour but still to much for reasonable use