Four Ways to Make Your Sunroom Warmer

Sunrooms, conservatories, or any glasshouse extension are great ways to enjoy the outdoors all year round.

The only downside, of course, is that they can be unreasonably warm in summer thanks to the greenhouse effect and freezing in the winter.

If you want to spend more time in your sunroom, but find it far too cold in winter, then use this guide to help you understand your options. 

1. Cover the Roof 

While having a glass room looks great, it’s not practical. It lets in too much sun and heat (not to mention dangerous UV rays) in the summer and lets too much heat escape in winter.

A good compromise is to add a roof that has skylights. You don’t need these skylights, however, as you’ll still have walls of windows to rely on instead. 

Covering the roof is one of the most common improvements made to any sunroom. Most homeowners find that they help reduce energy costs and make the sunroom in question more appealing. 

2. Add Heaters 

There are great heater options for sunrooms. While you can always get a portable radiator, these can be expensive, bulky, and just not a great fit for anyone’s design.

If you want a more permanent way to heat your sunroom, consider investing in an electric radiant heater. Infrared heaters like this are up to 94% efficient, so you can run them for less and enjoy a warm, cozy environment even in winter. 

Adding heaters like Heatscope is a cost-efficient option as well when you consider the alternatives. Extending your home heating to include a new room is a big renovation.

Adding an additional, independent heater is cheaper and will cost less to run since you’d only use it when you’re in the room itself. 

3. Use Carpets or Rugs

Carpets and rugs work to hold heat and are much nicer underfoot than hardwood, tile, or stone.

If you have beautiful hard floors, then pair them with a great rug. It will elevate the design of your sunroom and make it cozier. If you want to do away with cold floors entirely, then using carpet is a great solution. 

4. Cover the Windows

While the entire point of a sunroom is to bring in the sun, in winter, those very same windows are the source of all heat loss.

If you’re happy to have just one wall of windows instead of three, then consider covering your windows.

You can do this either temporarily or as a way to winterize your home. On the outside, you’ll want to look into storm shutters, and on the inside of your sunroom, you’ll want to use curtains. 

Shutters are a great way to seal off additional windows and protect them during storms and in winter.

If you have a sunroom extension, for example, you can shutter two of the walls of windows for winter. Try looking into storm shutters for a multi-purpose investment.

There are metal, fabric, and roll-down shutter options that will help minimize heat loss caused by wind. 

Inside, using curtains is a great way to retain heat and how you can elevate the design of the space in winter.

If you keep storm shutters up all throughout the season, they can also be a great way to hide them for the ultimate cozy look.