If you happen to particularly enjoy basking in the rays of the sun during the summer (safely of course) the fall and winter months likely won’t be your favorite seasons.
During the colder, darker months of the year, sunshine is limited and when the sun does decide to make an appearance, it’s usually far too cold to sit outdoors and soak up some rays. There is, however, a solution. In fact, there are several, including solarium rooms or sunrooms.
These rooms help to bring sunshine and warmth into your home, offering you a space to relax and enjoy the sun’s warmth, even during the coldest months of the year.
But what are solariums and sunrooms, and are they basically the same thing, just with a different name? Well, let’s find out. Here’s a look at solarium rooms and sunrooms and how they differ from one another.
What are Solarium Rooms?
To get things started today, we’re going to begin with a look at what solarium rooms, also known simply as ‘solariums’ actually are.
Made primarily from glass, a solarium is typically an additional room added onto a home, though it can also be freestanding.
Most solarium rooms have glass walls and a glass ceiling to allow for optimal views outside. Not only that, but the glass can also help to magnify the sun’s rays, making the room much warmer, even when it’s cold outside.
Solarium rooms are designed to be used all year round. As a result of this, they have thicker glass than sunrooms and offer more insulation. You can also fit blinds for privacy and added insulation, while also adding heating units for when it’s particularly cold.
Solarium Advantages
Solariums offer a wide range of advantages for homeowners and people looking to enjoy nature and soak up more of the sun’s rays.
Here’s a look at several advantages of solarium rooms.
Fantastic Views
One of the best things about solarium rooms is the fact that they offer such amazing views.
Solarium rooms are predominantly made of glass, and feature glass ceilings. This means you can enjoy unobstructed views outside.
During the day you can enjoy your garden, watch the birds, and enjoy nature. At nighttime on a clear night, you can sit and look at the stars. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Enjoy the Sun During Winter
There’s nothing better than clear blue skies and sunshine on a cold, crisp, winter’s day. The problem is that, even though the sun may be warm, the ambient temperature won’t be. It certainly won’t be warm enough to sit outside.
A solarium room allows you to sit, enjoy, the sunshine, and enjoy the warmth it emits, without having to worry about getting too cold.
Extra Living Space
Not only are solarium rooms great spots for enjoying the sun and unobstructed views outside, they’re also great living spaces.
A solarium room is essentially an additional room in your home. Because of this, you can make it as homely as you like. With some comfortable furniture, a nice rug, some pictures, and some indoor plants perhaps, you can create an extra living space which is warm and inviting.
Solarium Drawbacks
As wonderful as solariums can be, they’re not perfect, and there are some drawbacks you’ll need to be aware of. These include:
Extra Maintenance
Arguably the main disadvantage associated with solarium rooms, is the cleaning and maintenance.
Because they’re made almost exclusively of glass, they require a lot of cleaning and maintenance.
Glass can get dirty, dusty, and streaky quickly, so you’ll need to clean the panels regularly, or arrange to have them cleaned professionally, and regularly. This includes the inside, the outside, and the roof.
Keeping the solarium glass windows and panels clean will either require a lot time and effort, or extra money, so just be aware.
Lack of Privacy
If you live in a secluded spot, or have a private garden or backyard, this isn’t an issue. If you are overlooked, however, solarium rooms do not offer much privacy, if any.
They are essentially fully transparent so people will be able to see inside. With blinds installed, you can rectify the lack of privacy with relative ease.
What are Sunrooms?
We’ve looked at solariums, so now we need to look at sunrooms. Are sunrooms just solariums with a different name, or are they different?
Well, sunrooms are in fact different from solariums. They do feature a large number of glass windows, but unlike solariums which are primarily made from glass, sunrooms usually feature a solid roof and a skylight, and often a frame as well.
Sunrooms are more like extensions of the home as they offer more privacy and better insulation.
They usually also feature a door which allows you to access your patio/garden directly from your sunroom. You can also leave the door open in the summer if it gets too warm.
You can enjoy four season sunrooms, or alternatively, opt for a three-season sunroom which would likely not be suitable for winter as they are not integrated into the home like four season sunrooms.
Sunroom Advantages
Here’s a look at a few key advantages of sunrooms:
Low Maintenance
As sunrooms feature far less glass than solariums, they require far less cleaning and maintenance. This will save you time, effort, and money.
More Privacy
Because they feature an enclosed design and a solid roof, sunrooms offer users much more privacy than solariums do.
Can Be Enjoyed All Year
If you opt for a four-season sunroom, it can be integrated into your home’s HVAC system so you can enjoy the room all year round, regardless of the weather or temperature.
Sunroom Disadvantages
Though popular, sunrooms are not perfect, and they do offer some drawbacks including the following:
Expensive to Install
Because these rooms are more like home extensions, they require more construction and therefore cost more. This is especially true with four-season sunrooms which need to be integrated into your home’s HVAC system.
Less Light
As they don’t feature as much glass, and have a solid roof, sunrooms don’t let as much light in as solarium rooms do.
Final Thoughts
So, that brings that look at solarium rooms vs sunrooms to a close. As you can see, both installations offer a wide range of pros and cons, and allow you to enjoy the sunshine, nature, and fantastic views virtually all year long.
While they may look similar, and even sound similar on paper, sunrooms and solariums are very different to one another. When deciding on which is right for you, it will all come down to personal preference, budget, privacy preferences, location, and how much space you have.
One thing that is for certain, though, is the fact that both structures can make any home much more desirable, welcoming, and homely.
