Lightweight conservatory roof tiles explained

What are lightweight conservatory roof tiles?

They are tiles and slates made from lightweight materials such as stone-coated steel, composites or recycled plastic, rather than concrete or clay. They sit on an insulated solid roof system and give it the look of a house roof, at a weight a reinforced conservatory frame can carry.

The tiles are made by a separate set of companies from the roof systems. Metrotile, Britmet and Envirotile supply coverings, and the system makers build roofs around them. Ultraframe’s UltraRoof 380 certificate, for example, names BBA approved Metrotile as an alternative covering, and Eurocell added slate-effect Envirotile to its Equinox roof.

The roof underneath does most of the work. The tiles keep the weather out, while the insulation, membrane and plastered ceiling make the room warm. Our guide to warm roofs explains the whole build-up.

Types of lightweight roof tile

Type	Examples	What the makers say
Stone-coated steel tiles	Metrotile	Originated in New Zealand. Up to 70% lighter than traditional roofing, with a 40-year weatherproof warranty. Claims BBA, ISO 9001 and 14001 and LABC.
Tile-effect and composite slate	Britmet	Made in Banbury. Up to 7 times lighter than traditional roofing, suitable down to a 5 degree pitch, with a 50-year guarantee.
Synthetic slate	Tapco Slate, offered on SupaLite roofs	Six colours, with a 10-year tile guarantee as standard
System tiles	SupaLite ExtraLight, Guardian Slate	SupaLite says its ExtraLight Classic tile weighs under 8kg/m²
Recycled slate-effect tiles	Envirotile, offered on Eurocell Equinox	Described as 75% recycled in coverage of the Equinox launch
Composite or concrete-effect tiles	Leka	Composite slate or lightweight concrete-effect tiles on Leka’s GRP roof

Some retailers also offer sheet finishes instead of individual tiles. Anglian, for example, sells solid roofs with tile, replica tile or anthracite panels. On MoneySavingExpert one homeowner described a roof built from lightweight tile sheets on marine plywood.

How much do lightweight roof tiles weigh?

It varies by product, and makers rarely quote like for like. SupaLite says its ExtraLight Classic tile weighs under 8kg per m², and ExpertSure quotes Equinox tiles at 18kg per m². The finished roof, including frame, insulation and ceiling, weighs more: 31kg/m² for LivinRoof and 46kg/m² for SupaLite, on the makers’ figures.

One SupaLite installer quotes about 40kg per m² for the same system, and Leka’s installer guide says its roof is a “similar weight, or lighter than a glass roof”. What matters to your conservatory is the extra load on the frames. LABC’s guidance puts a typical glazed roof at under 10kN/m on the frames and says a lightweight composite solid roof is only likely to add about 0.5kN/m, which it describes as less than 10% more.

Can you put ordinary roof tiles on a conservatory?

Generally not. LABC and SupaLite both caution that a traditional tiled roof can add more load than the structure was designed for, and LABC notes that frames built for polycarbonate may only have enough reinforcement for that lighter load. Lightweight systems exist precisely to keep the added weight small.

Even with lightweight tiles, building control checks the frames for steel reinforcement and may ask for a trial hole to check the foundations. If the survey finds the frames are too weak, LABC says new windows or structural posts may be needed. Read our guide on whether your conservatory can take a solid roof before choosing a finish.

Which tiles suit a low-pitch or lean-to roof?

Check the minimum pitch before you choose. Britmet says its products go down to 5 degrees, Ultraframe says LivinRoof suits pitches from 5 to 40.9 degrees, and Guardian’s roof windows need at least 15 degrees. Lean-to roofs are often shallow, which can rule out some tiles, and building control checks the pitch suits the covering.

If you have a lean-to conservatory, ask each installer to confirm in writing that the tile they quote is approved for your roof’s pitch, and what happens to the pitch if the roof is rebuilt.

Colours, finishes and matching the house

Colour and profile ranges differ from one system to the next, so ask to see real samples rather than brochure photos. Tapco Slate, for example, comes in six colours on SupaLite roofs. Tile fading is among the themes in low-star Trustpilot reviews of Guardian Building Systems, so ask what the tile guarantee says about colour.

Matching the house can matter for planning too. England’s permitted development rules exempt conservatory materials from having to match the house, but national guidance does not say whether that still applies once a conservatory has a solid tiled roof, so the safe choice is a tile that resembles the main roof. Scotland’s rules ask for a roof covering “as similar in appearance to the existing roof covering as is reasonably practicable”. Our planning permission guide has the detail.

How long do lightweight roof tiles last?

Warranties are long, but real-world records are short. Metrotile offers a 40-year weatherproof warranty and Britmet a 50-year guarantee, while SupaLite’s Tapco Slate carries 10 years as standard. Guardian and SupaLite date from 2006 and 2012, so real-world lifespans beyond about 20 years are unproven.

Product	Warranty or guarantee	Who says so
Metrotile	40-year weatherproof warranty	Metrotile
Britmet	50-year guarantee	Britmet
Tapco Slate on SupaLite	10-year tile guarantee as standard	SupaLite
Eurocell Equinox tiles	25-year tile warranty	ExpertSure
Ultraframe LivinRoof tiles	25-year tile warranty	ExpertSure (not confirmed on Ultraframe’s site)
Leka components	40-year warranty, some supplied products excluded	Leka

A SupaLite installer also rates the tile finish at 40 years or more. A long tile warranty is only as good as the company behind it, so check who issues it and what it covers.

Do lightweight tiled roofs need building regulations?

Yes, when they replace a glass or polycarbonate roof. LABC says a solid roof in place of a translucent one needs a building regulations application, and Leka says even an LABC tested and approved lightweight system needs building control involvement, approval and certification for your installation. Lightweight tiles do not change that.

The new roof also has to meet the insulation standard: 0.15 W/m²K in England, 0.13 in Wales and 0.12 in Scotland. Our building regulations guide explains what building control checks and why the completion certificate matters when you sell.

Can you buy lightweight roof tiles for DIY?

Materials are sold, but the branded roof systems they sit on are mainly sold through installers. Guardian roofs are fitted by certified installers and SupaLite by independent approved installers, made to measure. A DIY tiled roof still needs building control approval and structural checks, and VAT is charged at the standard rate on supply-only materials.

MyJobQuote puts materials alone for a tiled roof on a 4m x 4m conservatory at £2,000 to £7,000. Ultraframe warns that it is not safe to stand directly on a conservatory roof. Our guide to replacing a conservatory roof yourself covers what DIY involves.

What does a lightweight tiled roof cost?

On our researched prices, a lightweight tiled roof on a medium conservatory of about 4m x 3.5m costs £7,400 to £12,100 fitted, typically £9,600. The tile is one part of that price; the frame, insulation, ceiling and labour make up the rest. Ask each installer to price the same tile so quotes compare fairly.

Installers usually quote including VAT, but check. The tiled roof cost guide breaks prices down by size and style, and our page on tiled conservatory roofs compares the systems. When you get quotes, ask for the tile name, colour and guarantee to be written on each one.