How to Fix a Leaking Conservatory

You're sitting in your conservatory, winding down from the busy day you've had and enjoying some peace and quiet. When all of a sudden, you hear dripping from the corner of the room. You see the water running down the inside of your conservatory and forming a puddle on your nice clean floor. Your conservatory roof is leaking and you need a fix. 

No one likes this feeling, and no one wants a leaking roof! So, what do you do?

Why is My Conservatory Leaking?

The usual cause for a leaking conservatory roof is outdated framework which has gradually deteriorated over time, creating holes. This can be caused by a few different things. If your framework is wood, it could be rotting or swelling which compromises the seals. 

Another common cause is failing seals. Many glass and polycarbonate roofs use sealant or rubber seals to keep water out. As these age, they can crack or deteriorate. If your conservatory gets very hot and/or very cold inside, this can speed up the breakdown of these seals. 

If your conservatory has shifted or settled at all since installation, the framework itself could have moved which may cause seals to malfunction or the entire frame to be off which lets in water. 

One final reason your conservatory roof leaks could be an issue with the original installation. When slotting panels into frames, the installer may not have fitted them correctly, or the company may have measured the pieces wrong. That could result in gaps that let in water or poorly functioning seals. 

Unfortunately, if your roof is leaking, you will like need to do some serious work to identify and fix the issue. If seals are failing all the seals are probably at risk and should be replaced. If the frame is off, rotting or damaged, you will need to set it right or replace it before the roof will be watertight again. 

How to Stop Your Conservatory from Leaking

If you have recently had your conservatory installed and discovered a leak. The first thing to do is call the company who you bought it from. They should offer advice and have one of their installers revisit the roof and fix it. A good installer will generally offer a warranty that should at least help cover the work. 

In the meantime, you need to block the hole to stop more water from getting in. This will prevent water damage to furniture and other interior decor.

Trace the water back to where it is getting in and find the hole or crack. Once you have found the leak, you may be able to use duct tape to temporarily block the hole. 

Unfortunately, the majority of conservatory owners find their framework rotting away and a quick fix will only buy them a bit of time. Therefore, they have two solutions, a short term and a long term.

Short Term Fix to a Leaking Conservatory Roof

Short term solution is to wait until the weather is dryer and climb onto the roof to seal the hole using a sealant. If you have a polycarbonate roof, you may find that the roof panel has just slipped and needs to be repositioned and resealed. To do this, pop out the problem roof panels, clean them, get them dry and run a bead of silicone around the edge. Then put them back into place. This will require you to get access to the top of the roof so if you can not do that safely, you will need to call an expert. This is a short-term solution for a reason, it might solve your problem for the time being but who's to say that a leak won't appear on another part of your conservatory roof.

If your leaking conservatory roof is made of glass, things can get a bit more complicated. Glass is set in a frame like polycarbonate but the panels are usually much heavier. You will need two people and some tools just to get the glass out. If you break the panel while removing it, you will need to get a custom replacement with is likely to be quite expensive.