A lot of our customers wonder about the use of roof cresting on a conservatory; the little fleur-de-lis that grace the top of the roof. The origins of this concept come from the Victorians who discovered that birds will not sit on the conservatory roof with this piece implemented (and thus will not do what birds do that will mess up the roof!).

We recently retained the services of an Ohio State graduate student who was doing her thesis on this very subject. After much testing, it was discovered that birds will not perch on any object more than ½’ horizontal. So, the implementation of the roof crest has a very deliberate function.

We add our standard cresting during the installation of our conservatories. A few design options are available to choose from. Each roof crest is made from all cast aluminum and then powder coated.

Implementation of a custom roof cresting design is available as an upgrade. One example was a ‘Prairie Style’ home where the homeowner did not want a Victorian design on the roofline. A custom roof cresting was created for this project. The cresting was laser-cut aluminum and then powder coated. Another example of custom design was a customer located near the Grand Tetons that had their cresting custom made to look like the Teton range.

All things to keep in mind while designing your conservatory from Conservatory Craftsmen!

Finials and cresting are one of the most beautiful features of a conservatory and they serve a very practical purpose at the same time.