Outdoor SunSpaces News

Over recent years, more and more households up and down the country have added a sunroom to their property with the aim of combining their outdoor space with the indoors. As well as this, sunrooms bring a host of other fantastic benefits such as providing extra space and adding greater value to your property. For these reasons, it comes as no surprise that more homes are seeing the introduction of sunrooms, rather than conservatories, which have been the go-to for UK homes over the last 20 years. 

Despite the popularity of conservatories, one of the biggest drawbacks that they bring during the warmer, summer months is overheating, another reason why more homeowners are switching to sunrooms. Now, we're not saying that sunrooms do not get hot during the summer, they do, we are just saying that they are far less likely to turn into a walk-in oven that's attached to your home. However, if we are lucky enough to get a sustained period of warm weather in the UK, you may feel the temperature beginning to rise within your sunroom, something you might want to avoid if you or your family spend the majority of your time there getting away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

So, what can you do lower the temperature? Here we present you with five simple ways to keep your sunroom cool in the summer! 

Insulate, insulate, insulate 

As sunrooms are often added to homes after the home is initially built, homeowners tend to forget to insulate them which can lead to increased temperatures during the summer. Therefore, an easy way to keep your sunroom cool during hot periods of weather is to add proper insulation. One great way to insulate your sunroom is to add multi-foil insulation. This acts as a vapour-controlled insulation blanket that will not only keep your sunroom cool in the summer but warm in the winter. It also helps to prevent damp, reduce glare and minimise the risk of the fading of your furnishings as a result of extensive exposure to the sun. 

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Our stylish glass sunrooms are fast becoming an extremely popular alternative to more traditional home extensions.

This is partially because our sunrooms can be installed with no foundation whatsoever.

So installing a SunSpaces garden room is far quicker and less labour-intensive than building a conservatory.

What's the Difference Between a Sunroom and a Conservatory?

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Conservatory. Sunroom. Orangery.

These three words are often mixed up and misused. We explained the difference between a sunroom and a conservatory in a previous blog post - today we're going to try and define what an orangery is, and how it differs from the other two.

Here's an example of what an orangery looks like:

Photo by Elliott Brown

As you can see, an orangery looks very similar to a conservatory, but there's one defining difference: a conservatory has a glass roof, whereas an orangery has a solid roof.

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Our sunrooms take 2-3 days to install, while SunSpaces verandas can be installed in just 1-2 days!

Nobody likes having their routine interrupted. We've met a lot of people who wanted to add a picturesque sunroom to their properties, but refrained because they thought the building work would mean weeks of noise and disruption.

The good news is that adding a SunSpace to your home is a far quicker job than building a traditional sunroom or conservatory. Our expert installation and fitting team are organised and efficient, and they're able to complete most jobs in a couple of days.

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In previous times, sunroom construction was a lot simpler. There were only a handful of styles to choose from and the materials used to construct them were limited to just wood, brick or stone. However, thanks to advances in technology, this has all changed. Nowadays, there is a wide variety of materials that can be used to bring a sunroom to life including wood, vinyl and aluminium. All of which bring their own benefits and drawbacks. The material that you choose to use for your sunroom will depend on several factors such as the style you want to create, whether you plan to use your sunroom during a particular season in the year or year-round and of course, your budget.

Here, we take a look a closer look at the most common materials used to make sunrooms today.

Sunrooms made from wood

Traditionally, all sunrooms have been made from wood. It is easier to feel like you are outdoors when you are surrounded by the natural feel of organic wood, which is unmatched by the other common materials of aluminium and vinyl. Wood for sunrooms provides excellent insulation properties as well as the ability to withstand extreme fluctuations in temperatures and resist the effects on condensation. However, wood can be expensive, especially now as more people are becoming environmentally sensitive. Additionally, sunrooms made out of wood require a lot more maintenance and upkeep than other materials. Despite these slight negatives, wood is a great option for homeowners looking for a unique look to their sunroom.

Sunrooms made from vinyl

If a high level of insulation is what you’re looking for, then vinyl is the material to choose. When combined with double or triple-pane energy-efficient windows, vinyl will keep your sunroom comfortable all year round whilst saving you money through reduced energy costs. Additionally, vinyl is super low-maintenance, resists rust and is available in a range of style, colour and size options – perfect to match any sunroom need that you may have.

Sunrooms made from aluminium

Despite aluminium being lightweight, it is one of the most robust materials available and has the ability to hold heavy loads with ease. One of the main reasons why homeowners choose aluminium for their sunroom is down to the fact it allows larger windows and glass panes to be installed. With less supporting material required, you will get more for your money, which is the main purpose of a sunroom. Aluminium is also manufactured in a variety of colours which allows you to match your sunroom to the rest of your home’s décor. The only slight drawback to aluminium is that its insulation properties fall short from the other two materials. You, therefore, have to deploy other insulation techniques to ensure your sunroom doesn’t reach extreme temperatures throughout the summer and winter months. Whilst the insulation qualities of aluminium have improved over recent years, it is still not adequate enough to be used alone. As a result, many manufacturers use a combination of vinyl and aluminium to achieve the insulation needed for a comfortable living space.

Our sunrooms

Here at SunSpaces Garden Rooms and Verandas, we supply a whole host of sunrooms in a variety of styles and looks to suit your every need. All of which are made out of aluminium to provide the most sturdy and long-lasting material available. All of our sunrooms come with a range of optional extras such as heating and shade to make your sunroom the ultimate year-round living space. Learn more about our collection of sunrooms below.

Browse Our Sunroom Range >

If you would like to learn more about what our sunrooms are made of or for more information on one of our sunroom models, then please contact a member of the SunSpaces team today. We’d be more than happy to help.