Styles of Sunroom Additions

Windowed

• Many sunrooms are basic additions that workers outfit with large, south-facing windows, allowing for maximum sun exposure throughout the day. According to Service Magic, there are two main types of sunroom windows in use today: insulated and dual-glazed. Some of the most common insulated varieties are argon gas-filled windows, which use a layer of argon sandwiched between two panes to prevent heat transference. When it comes to dual-glazed windows, low-E glazing is the most popular. The windows use a metallic film to selectively reject certain waves of energy, reducing the flow of heat.

Aluminum Walls

• While framing your windowed sunroom with standard lumber beams and then covering them with plaster or drywall is one construction option, many people choose to use lighter building materials, which fit better with the light, open atmosphere a sunroom is suppose to create. One such material is aluminum. As Better Living Sunrooms notes, aluminum is a popular and inexpensive option for constructing sunroom walls and is strong enough to stand without the help of support beams.

Vinyl Walls

• Using vinyl walls is another popular and lightweight option for sunroom additions, although it is more expensive than using aluminum. In addition, while vinyl is strong, it still requires aluminum support beams to keep it standing. According to Better Living Sunrooms, the main advantage of vinyl is that it is energy-efficient. Unlike aluminum, which conducts heat, transferring it in and out of your sunroom, vinyl is insulated against it.

Knee Walls

• Using knee walls in your sunroom is an alternative to setting up traditional, windowed walls. As Service Magic mentions, the walls wrap around the perimeter of the sunroom and come up to approximately knee level on most adult individuals. The rest of the walls consist of glass. This style of sunroom allows for a large amount of sun exposure, while still providing well-defined boundaries that make the space feel like an actual room.

All Glass

• Enclosing your entire sunroom addition with glass is another common style and is also one of the most expensive. The high cost comes from the necessity for specialized, double-paned, tempered glass, which many hardware and home supply stores do not carry, as Service Magic notes. Also, while the style allows for maximum sun exposure, which is great for growing an indoor garden, the all-glass construction is not well-suited for colder environments, as snow can pile up and cause cracks.