Sunroom extensions and how they differ from conservatories.

A sunroom extension to a home is usually only at the ground floor level. Some sunroom extensions can be built at higher floor levels but this is very unusual. So how does a sun room extension differ from a conservatory extension?

Well first off, most conservatories are very impractical and inefficient to be utilised as a dedicated room within the home. They still overheat in the summer & need extortionate amounts for power for heating in the winter. To be exempt under building Regulations, conservatories also need to be separated from the main habitable room areas on f the main dwelling house so opening up is often illegal.

Sunroom extensions on the other hand are only partly glazed at around 50% of the wall and roof areas. This means that the remaining solid elements of the extension build (walls, floor & roof) can be over-insulated to compensate for the excessive glazing under Building Regulations for the sunroom extension.

This means that sunroom extensions can be opened up into the main dwelling unlike conservatories.

Most sunroom extensions will add greater value to a home as they form properly built structures that have a feeling of completeness matching the main dwelling with the added benefit of being utilised throughout the whole year.

A sunroom extension is perhaps nothing more than a highly glazed normal home extension. A merging of the conservatory and the traditionally built extension.

There is a great selection of sunroom extension designs from pitched roofs to flat roofs incorporating an orangery central lantern roof light. Most sun room extensions will have door sets that can be the modern bi-fold or a simple French door set. Whatever the design of the sunroom extension, it will still probably be very much bespoke designed to fit the siting and the physical constraints for the existing property.

Very few sunroom extensions can be treated as an off the shelf bolt on item for extending a home as the variations are just too wide. However, it is important to ensure that the sunroom extension is well designed with consideration given to the design detailing to prevent it from looking like a compromised DIY home built project.

Most bespoke conservatories seem to cost just as much as a properly built home extension these days so my advise would be to always consider a sunroom extension first rather than a fully glazed conservatory.