Sunroom Floor Options

Tile

• Tiling your sunroom proves especially beneficial if you plan to open windows and screens during warmer months for cross ventilation. For a patio-like feel, select tiles in warm colors, such as terracotta or brick tones. If your budget allows, a striking mosaic makes an interesting focal point and creates a Mediterranean vibe. Slate floors offer a sleek and contemporary look, their dark color providing a deep rich backdrop that lets furnishings in other colors pop. Natural quarry tiles feature interesting variation in color for a natural look. Tile or stone floors have an energy advantage over wood or carpeting in that they absorb more solar energy, helping to keep the sunroom warm through the winter.

Hardwood

• A flooring material widely prized for its natural beauty, hardwood adapts to sunrooms of any aesthetic. For a rustic sunroom, a pine floor can let the outdoors in, creating a cabin-like feel. For a more formal sunroom, you can continue your indoor hardwood flooring throughout. Hardwood flooring installed in a sunroom, will receive far more sun exposure than in other rooms. Thoroughly follow all recommended steps for the wood's care and maintenance for a long-lasting finish. If your sunroom is not insulated or designed for passive heating, select a hardwood flooring that can withstand sharp changes in temperature. Also expect the energy efficiency of hardwood to be somewhat less than tile as wood offers less "thermal mass" to absorb and contain solar energy.

Radiant Floor Heating

• Whatever material you select for the surface of your sunroom floors, one of the most important decisions may lie deeper. Opting for flooring with radiant heating may help to make your sunroom into an enjoyable room all year long. Radiant floor heating comes in several setups. The floor may be air-heated, electric or hydronic. Generally the radiation elements are built directly into the floor, though sometimes they are laid underneath the floor as well. Tile is the most efficient floor covering to use with radiant floors, with hardwood flooring coming in second place. Carpet is generally ill-advised; if you do opt for carpeting, stick to a very thin material.