Glass roof or solid roof with windows for new lean to extension?

[Olive324]

Hi, wondered if those of you with extensions( part kitchen/ part diner) could tell me which you would go for if you had a choice?
Am erring on side of solid roof with windows due to fact that I can see glass getting very dirty if not cleaned regularly. The idea of more light is appealing though. Any thoughts?

We've just finished a kitchen diner extension. Solid roof with windows. It's really light.

Plus my architect pointed out that veluxes hardly ever leak but glass rooves do.

We have our kitchen in a glass roofed orangery. Not leaked yet. Depends on the quality of the workmanship really. Depends on what you are prepared to pay for heating it too. They can be hotter in summer so good ventilation is essential. If you go for glass it will probably cost more but we have several rooflights from The Rooflight Company heritage range elsewhere and they have been great. So maybe a mix of solid roof and rooflight?

My mum had a glass roof in her extension and was told she didn't need to have windows in it, a fan would be enough to keep it cool...

It's not - it gets ridiculously hot in summer and definitely needs to have had a window or two in it to create a draft and help keep it from becoming an oven relatively cool.

I know a couple of people that have had solid roof with several velux windows in and they have been great - bright and light, but don't get stupidly hot or cold, windows can be opened easily. Would definitely go for that option.

a glass roof will be really, really, really badly insulated.

We have got a solid roof with velux windows, and it's great. We knocked down our conservatory because it was freezing in winter and boiling in summer, and replaced it with a solid-roof exrension.

I would never have a glass roof again however thermally efficient the latest technologies say they are. Our extension still has a lot of windows, so there's lots of light, but it's warm in winter and cool in summer.

We went with veluxes and really glad we did. Extension is light and beautiful! With big glass folding doors already, I'm so glad there isn't more glass - it is not cosy at night or in winter. Quotes for a good glass roof with blinds were also crazy expensive, and cheaper obes look shoddy (a friend's v expensive conversion is imo ruined by a cheap looking glass roof, which i predict will bring leak/damp issues in future). The other thing to remember is noise when it rains. The veluxes are noisy enough, with glass right the way across it would be deafening.