Top Tips for a Toasty Sun Room

The sun room is undoubtedly the place to be during a long hot American summer! Typically, it will be a space brimming with natural light, and provide a perfect area in which to chill out and entertain family and friends.

But in colder times of the year, more so in some states than others, a sun room can become an afterthought, and very rarely used. Cold, dreary and uninviting are descriptions often levelled at the area during winter. Obviously, the climate of different states will dictate to what extent any of those terms are accurate.

However, we’re here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be this way – your sun room can be used all year round! The top tips included in this article explain how to keep a sun room warm in winter. Essentially, your guide to ensuring warmth stays locked in and cold is kept out, enabling you to enjoy the area at any time.

Tip 1 – Don’t underestimate the importance of Glazing

Glass is not renowned for its insulation properties.

It won’t keep a space as warm as brickwork will for a start. Even modern triple glazing doesn’t prove as efficient as an insulated wall in terms of retaining heat.

That said, there are all sorts of different glazing types available of contrasting quality. So take a close look at potential double glazing costs and compare them with your overall budget.

Of course, replacing all the glass within a sun room will result in a rather hefty bill. Much will depend on how much time you spend in the facility year-round. But especially for older sun rooms, it could be well worth looking into an upgrade. Particularly so if you spend a lot of time relaxing in the room.

Tip 2 – Stop the Draughts

There really isn’t anything good about draughts! As well as being extremely irritating, they also provide a huge obstacle to maintaining a comfortable temperature within the sun room.

Ensuring that each of your doors and windows feature proper draught-proofing will largely contribute to keeping your sun room warm.

If you are thinking about the construction of a new sun room, professional assistance is vital. This will combat the loss of heat through bad joints and seals caused by poor workmanship.

Tip 3 – Add Drapes, Blinds and Throws

Adding drapes, blinds and throws to a room will really enhance the space’s capacity to hold heat.

An ideal means to negate draughts, blinds and drapes can be opened on the brighter winter days to maximize available heat. And you can close them when your radiators are turned on to prevent the heat from escaping via the glazing.

Also, to maximize the effect of your designer radiators, place a blanket or a throw onto your furniture to remove the cold edge from these surfaces. This is especially useful for leather sofas and chairs, swapping an icy tinge for a toasty warm and inviting aura.

Tip 4 – Does your Flooring need attention?

If you would like, and your budget and time constraints allow for it, you could consider the installation of underfloor heating to your sun room. Of course, this will enhance the overall temperature of the room and the comfort it provides, but the flooring will also assist in insulating the space.

Whilst you won’t lose a lot of heat via the floor, simply walking on a cold sun room surface will make for a less welcoming atmosphere within the area.

In addition to underfloor heating, there are some alternative solutions for a warmer floor. They come in the form of deep-pile carpet or specially-rated floor tiles or underlay. To really keep the costs as low as possible, you could just opt for a large rug to add a sense of warmth.

Tip 5 – Roof Insulation

The older your sun room, the more likely its roof is to be constructed from polycarbonate. Unfortunately, this plastic-like material offers very limited insulation and will play a big part in lowering your sun room temperature.

Whilst it can prove a costly piece of work, replacing an existing roof with a fully insulated version will be well worth the extra effort and added expense. Just don’t sacrifice your budgetary principles to invest in one!

There’s several styles on offer, including insulated tiles and glass to name just a couple. And each type will upgrade the efficiency of your sun room, leading to reduced heating costs and generally making the space look a lot better as well. Overall, the improved aesthetics and performance quality will add value to the home.

Tip 6 – Is Electric Heating a viable option?

It can be a risky proposition to connect your home central heating system with a sun room. Boring legalities such as planning permission might be needed, and the design waters could prove difficult to navigate, with much time and money required to get the job done properly.

A tempting alternative proposition is to install electric radiators or towel warmers instead – given a glowing reference in our Ultimate Guide to Radiators.

Electric heating solutions convert all the energy they use into heat. As such, they are wholly efficient and will help to retain a warm and comfortable temperature in your sun room at a relatively low cost. Plus, they look great too!

Tip 7 – Efficient use of Heating

Many will suggest to keep your heating solutions switched on constantly. We must protest!

If a standard convector radiator features in your sun room, the heat will vertically rise, and most of it will be lost through the glass before even really beginning to warm the room.

With that in mind, it makes more sense to switch the heating on when the sun room is being used. Otherwise, you’ll waste energy and cause your heating costs to spiral, also creating a larger carbon footprint.

Sun Home Heating Solutions

With the winter season upon us, these tips can help you maintain a warm and welcoming temperature in a sun room. In turn, it makes the space available for use in the colder months of the year, as well as the warmer ones.

Think smart and implement a few of the tips listed above to maximize the potential of your sun room all throughout the year.

Below is a quick summary of the best ways to keep your sun room warm and inviting for winter…