With simple lines and more floor space a priority, Chris Cooke, Commercial Director at Sheerline Bespoke, discusses why lean-to roofs are now dominating glazed extension demand.
Spend long enough in this industry and you develop a sixth sense for when a shift is more than just a trend. After nearly three decades in conservatories, glazed roofs and extensions, the rapid rise of lean-to and mono-pitch glazed extensions is one of those moments.
At Sheerline Bespoke, around 60% of the conservative roofs we now produce are lean-tos. Some might incorporate a hip, but the vast majority are simple mono-pitch designs. That statistic alone tells a story. Homeowners are voting with their feet, and the trade is responding.
To understand why, you only have to look back through the decades. In the 1990s, the default option was the white, three-bay Victorian conservatory, usually PVC and usually glazed with polycarbonate. Five-bay and seven-bay designs followed, complete with facets and increasingly complex roof geometries. They had their place, but they came at a cost, both literally and practically.
Those ornate designs eat into usable floor space. Every facet reduces the footprint, and every additional junction adds fabrication complexity and installation time. Today’s homeowners are far more pragmatic; they want value, space and a room that genuinely works as part of the home, not something that looks bolted on.
That’s where rectangular footprints and lean-to roofs come into their own. Square, simple structures maximise internal space, sit naturally against the existing building and deliver cleaner architectural lines. Most properties these extensions are being added to are themselves rectangular, so the result feels intentional and well-proportioned.
For installers, the benefits are just as compelling. Simpler structures mean fewer components, fewer variables on site and quicker, more predictable installations. In a market where time, labour and margins are all under pressure, that matters.
This shift in demand is exactly why we developed the S3 Architectural Roof System. It’s a modern single-pitch solution designed with today’s projects in mind, fewer components than traditional systems, straightforward on-site assembly, and the kind of clean, contemporary look that suits aluminium-framed extensions, wide-span bi-folds and large sliders.
It also reflects a bigger evolution in our sector. The move from PVC to aluminium, from decorative to architectural, and from “extra room” to true extension. Homeowners want light-filled spaces that connect indoors with outside and that can be used all year round. The roof systems above them have to work harder, look better and install smarter.
Facets and ornate designs won’t disappear entirely; there will always be a place for them. But the momentum is clear. Bolder, simpler, lean-to structures are setting the pace, and as an industry, it’s our job to stay ahead of where the market is going, not chase where it’s been.
To find out more about Sheerline Bespoke, call 01332 978 070 or email sales@sheerlinebespoke.com.
