How the colour works on our panels
Each panel has two aluminium skins. The top skin is made in the colour you choose, from the RAL range used across the building trade. The bottom skin is white on every roof, because it becomes your ceiling and white spreads daylight furthest.
Trims along the ridge, hips and edges are finished in your roof colour too, so the whole roof reads as one piece. None of this changes the price: colour is included from £3,000.
The swatches
These are the shades we are asked about most often. Screens change colours, so use them to narrow the choice, then check a real sample outside.
-
Traffic whiteRAL 9016
-
AnthraciteRAL 7016
-
Agate greyRAL 7038
-
Jet blackRAL 9005
-
CreamRAL 9001
-
Chartwell greenRAL 6021
-
Basalt greyRAL 7012
-
Sepia brownRAL 8014
Screens bend colours. The surveyor brings real samples, and any RAL shade can be made.
Common RAL shades, and where they sit well
| Shade | RAL | Tends to sit well with |
|---|---|---|
| Anthracite grey | 7016 | Red brick, grey windows, newer doors, most house roofs |
| Traffic white | 9016 | All white uPVC frames and gutters, white render |
| Agate grey | 7038 | Pale brick, stone, a softer look than anthracite |
| Jet black | 9005 | Black frames, dark brick, strong modern houses |
| Cream | 9001 | Cream frames, cottages, painted stone |
| Any other shade | Your RAL number | Coloured doors, period frames, a match to something you already have |
If your window company gave you a RAL number for your frames, bring it to the survey. It makes matching exact rather than close enough.
A four step colour check
- Stand where you look at it most. For most people that is the kitchen window or the far end of the garden, not the road. Choose for that view.
- Look down from upstairs. On a two storey house, the bedroom windows look straight onto the roof. A very pale roof shows every leaf and bird mark from up there. A mid or dark grey hides them.
- Hold the frames next to it. Put the sample against the conservatory frame, not on the table. The two are always seen together.
- Check it twice. Once in bright sun and once on a flat grey day. Some greys look almost blue in sunshine and almost black under cloud.
When your white frames are not really white
A uPVC conservatory from the 1990s or early 2000s has often gone slightly cream or grey with age. A brand new traffic white roof above it can make the frames look grubby by comparison. Three ways round it:
- Choose a mid or dark grey roof, which contrasts on purpose instead of nearly matching.
- Choose cream if the frames have drifted warm.
- Replace the gutters and fascia at the same time for £295, so the edge the eye lands on is fresh.
Small rooms and dark colours
On a small lean-to under a big house wall, a black roof can look heavy, like a lid. Anthracite grey gives the same modern feel with less weight. On a large P-shape or a tall gable end, darker shades hold their own well, because there is enough roof to carry them.
Does a dark top skin make the room hot?
A dark surface gets hotter in the sun than a pale one. On our panels, that heat has to cross 75 mm of solid foam before it reaches the room, and very little does. The underside stays white and close to room temperature whatever you pick on top. So choose for looks. If summer heat is your worry, the bigger factors are the direction the room faces and how well it ventilates, not the roof colour.
Matching the rest of the house
A few pairings that rarely go wrong:
- Grey on white: an anthracite roof over white frames. Crisp on red brick.
- All white: white roof, white frames, white gutters. Blends into a rendered house.
- Tone on tone: agate grey roof over anthracite frames. Quiet and modern.
- Warm pair: cream roof over cream frames next to buff brick or stone.
If the gutters and fascia will clash with the new colour, new ones cost £295 and go on the same day. There is more on the two most common choices in our guide to white or grey roof panels.
Keeping the colour looking right
A panel roof has no channels for dirt to collect in, so a rinse with a soft brush and water a couple of times a year keeps it clean. Avoid harsh cleaners and pressure washers on the top skin. Our roof care guide covers the rest.
Colour, planning and your street
A new roof colour rarely needs planning permission when the conservatory keeps its size and height. The exception is a home that is listed, in a conservation area, inside a National Landscape or national park, or one without permitted development rights, where a council may take a view on colours seen from the street. Read the conservation area guide if that applies.
Building control is about the roof itself, not its colour. Any panel roof normally needs approval because it is no longer translucent, and we handle that application whatever shade you pick. See the insulated conservatory roof page for the full picture, or look at roof lights to plan where daylight comes in.
Questions
Can the roof be a different colour from my window frames?
Yes, and it often looks better than a near match. A darker roof over lighter frames is the usual way round. Hold a sample against the frame before you decide.
Will a black roof look too heavy on a small lean-to?
It can, especially under a tall house wall. Anthracite grey gives a similar modern look with less weight, and suits most brick.
My white frames have gone creamy with age. Which roof colour should I pick?
Either a mid or dark grey that contrasts on purpose, or cream to match the warmer tone. A bright white roof can make aged frames look dirty.
Does choosing a colour change the price of the roof?
No. Any RAL shade on top is included in the fitted price. The only colour related extra is new gutters and fascia at £295, if you want them to match.
Do the ridge and edge trims come in the roof colour too?
Yes. The trims we fit are made in the same shade as the panels, so the roof looks like one finished piece.
