Most people arrive at this question with a white uPVC conservatory and a nagging feeling that grey would look smarter. Sometimes it does. Sometimes a white roof is the calmer choice. Here is how to decide without guessing, using your own house as the guide.
What you are actually choosing
Each panel is 75 mm of foam between two aluminium sheets. The top sheet can be any RAL colour. The underside is white on every panel we make, so from inside the room nothing changes whichever colour you pick. Ridge, edge and wall trims are finished to match the top of the panels.
What we leave alone: window frames, doors and, if you say nothing, gutters and fascia. That last point matters more than people expect.
The five step garden test
- Stand at the far end of the garden and take a photo of the back of the house. This is how most people will see the roof.
- Go upstairs and look down on the conservatory from a back bedroom. You will see more roof from here than from anywhere else.
- List what is already there: frame colour, gutter colour, the main roof of the house, brick or render, and any recent windows or doors.
- Hold a real sample against the frame outside. Ask us to bring samples to survey. Screens and printed charts shift colours.
- Look again on a dull day. Anthracite looks nearly black under grey skies and much lighter in sun. White looks brighter on a dull day than you might think.
White against grey, point by point
| White (usually RAL 9016) | Anthracite grey (RAL 7016) | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Included | Included |
| Looks best with | White frames and white gutters, white or cream render | Grey or black frames, red or dark brick, a dark main roof |
| What shows first | Green algae, leaf stains and gutter streaks | Pollen, dust, dried rain marks and bird mess |
| Summer outer skin temperature | Stays cooler | Runs noticeably hotter in strong sun |
| Heat that reaches the room | Very little | A touch more; the foam holds most of it back |
| Existing white gutters | Match already | Contrast, or swap for £295 |
Four homes, four answers
A white Edwardian on a red brick semi
White frames, white gutters, a brown concrete main roof. Grey makes the roof read as part of the house rather than part of the conservatory, and it picks up the darker tones of the brick. White keeps everything matching and draws less attention. Both work. If the white gutters are yellowing, grey plus new gutters and fascia at £295 is a neat way to refresh the whole thing.
A rendered bungalow with white fascias
On a bungalow the conservatory roof often sits close to the main eaves, and the fascia runs straight past it. A white roof carries that white line along. Grey here can look like a patch.
A house with new anthracite windows
If the house windows went grey in the last few years and the conservatory frame is still white, a grey roof ties the conservatory to the house. If you plan to change the conservatory frames to grey later, the roof is already right.
A cottage in a conservation area
Your council may have views on anything visible from the road. Check before choosing a strong colour. Our guide to conservatory roofs in a conservation area covers what to ask.
The summer heat question, with numbers
A dark top sheet does get hotter in the sun than a white one, often something like 20 to 25°C hotter on a bright summer afternoon. The question is how much of that reaches you.
With a panel at about 0.43 W/m²K, each extra degree on the top sheet pushes about 0.43 W through every square metre. So a grey sheet running 20 to 25°C hotter sends roughly 9 to 11 W per m² more into the room. On a 15 m² roof that is about 130 to 160 W, around what one or two people give off sitting in the room. Noticeable on a thermometer, hardly noticeable in a chair.
Compare that with a clear roof. A polycarbonate or glass roof lets sunlight straight through, and the room heats by kilowatts, not tens of watts. Whichever colour you pick, the panel roof is a far cooler room in July than what you have now.
Keeping the colour looking right
The finish is factory coated and never needs painting. Rinse the roof with a hose and a soft brush in spring and autumn, and clear the gutters when you do. Skip pressure washers and scouring pads, which can harm the coating and seals. White tends to need that wash a little more often if you have trees nearby.
Other colours worth a look
You are not limited to two. Any RAL shade costs the same. Black (RAL 9005) suits dark frames and modern homes. Cream (RAL 9001) sits well with stone and older brick. Lighter greys such as RAL 7035 give a softer look than anthracite over white frames. See the full range on our roof colours page.
Colour and daylight
The outside colour has no effect on how light the room is, because the ceiling side is white either way. What changes the light is roof lights. A glazed roof light or two, £395 apiece, brings back sky where you sit. LED spotlights, at £345, are useful on winter evenings.
If you are thinking about selling
Neutral choices are easier on buyers. White on an all-white conservatory or anthracite on a house with grey windows are both safe. Our guide on whether a new roof adds value goes into the rest.
Choose it with samples in hand
Pick your colour on the day of the survey, with samples against your frame. Book it through get my price, or try both colours and extras in build your roof first.
Questions
Is a grey conservatory roof hotter than a white one?
The grey top sheet warms up more in sun, yet the foam holds nearly all of it back. On a 15 m² roof roughly 130 to 160 W extra gets through.
Will white gutters look wrong under a grey roof?
Some people like the contrast, others do not. We only replace gutters and fascia if you ask, and a new set in the roof colour costs £295.
Is the ceiling grey inside if I choose a grey roof?
No. The ceiling side is white on every panel, whatever colour sits on top.
Does white or grey show dirt more on a conservatory roof?
White shows green algae and gutter streaks sooner. Grey shows pollen, dust and dried rain marks. A hose and soft brush twice a year keeps either looking right.
