Choosing a sunroom is an exciting step toward expanding your living space and connecting with nature. Before you can relax in your new addition, you face a critical decision: glass sunrooms vs solid roof sunrooms.
This decision impacts everything from the amount of light you get, to how well the room maintains temperature during a long Southern Wisconsin winter.
For over 52 years, Kool View has been designing and building beautiful, customized sunrooms, helping homeowners make this exact choice. Here is our expert breakdown of the pros, cons, and essential factors to consider when selecting between an all glass vs solid roof sunroom.
The All-Glass Sunroom: Maximum Light, Maximum View
Often referred to as a solarium, the all-glass sunroom is designed for one purpose: to maximize natural light and provide truly panoramic views, including the sky above.
The Benefits of a Glass Roof Sunroom
- Immersive Natural Light: Light floods the space from above, creating an open, airy feeling that can boost mood and well-being. This is ideal for plant lovers, artists, or anyone seeking to capitalize on passive solar gain during sunny winter days.
- Unobstructed Views: Imagine gazing up at the stars on a clear summer night or watching the first snowflakes fall directly overhead. A glass roof offers an unparalleled, uninterrupted connection to the outdoors.
- Modern Aesthetic: An all-glass structure provides a sleek, contemporary look that is architecturally striking and adds a “wow” factor to your home.
Key Considerations for All-Glass
- Heat Management: While Kool View uses premium, high-performance insulated glass (such as Low-E glass) designed to minimize heat transfer, glass is still less insulative than a solid roof. This requires more consideration for shading and HVAC integration, especially on hot, south-facing exposures.
- Maintenance: A glass roof is exposed to tree debris, rain spots, and winter residue. While modern glass is easy to clean, you should plan for routine maintenance to keep the overhead views crystal clear.
- Privacy: Due to the transparency, all-glass rooms offer less privacy from above compared to a solid structure.
The Solid Roof Sunroom: Comfort, Control, and Seamless Integration
The solid roof sunroom—often built with materials that match your existing home, such as shingles or insulated composite panels—functions much like a seamless, traditional home extension, but with walls of glass.
The Benefits of an Insulated Sunroom Roof
- Superior Energy Efficiency: A thermally insulated solid roof provides excellent value, making temperature control significantly easier and more consistent. For Southern WI homeowners facing cold winters and hot summers, this is a major advantage for solid roof sunrooms.
- Architectural Harmony: The solid roof can be designed as a gable, cathedral, or single-slope structure, allowing it to blend perfectly with your home’s existing roofline for a cohesive look.
- Shade and Glare Reduction: The solid roof provides natural shade, eliminating overhead glare and creating a cooler, more comfortable environment for activities like watching TV, reading, or working on a laptop.
- Noise Reduction: Heavy rainfall or hail can be loud on a glass roof; a solid roof offers significantly better noise reduction, ensuring a quieter, more peaceful space.
Key Considerations for Solid Roofs
- Less Overhead Light: While you still get abundant light through the large glass walls, the solid roof eliminates light coming from above, which may feel less immersive than a solarium.
- Passive Solar Gain: By blocking direct overhead sun, a solid roof reduces the passive solar heating effect you get from a glass roof during the winter.
Our Expert Advice: Glass Sunrooms vs Solid Roof Sunrooms. Which is Right for You?
The choice between all glass sunrooms vs solid roof sunrooms depends on your lifestyle and the primary use of the room:
- Choose the All-Glass Sunroom if: Your number one priority is a greenhouse-like environment, you want to see the sky and stars, and you are willing to manage the lighting with blinds or use the room primarily as a seasonal space (though our four-season glass options make them highly usable year-round!).
- Choose the Solid Roof Sunroom if: You want a true year-round extension that functions like a standard room (office, dining, den), you need maximum insulation against Southern Wisconsin’s extreme temperatures, and you prioritize architectural matching and lower long-term utility costs.
No matter which option you choose, Kool View offers free consultations to walk you through the structural and efficiency details that matter most. With 52 years of experience, we know how to engineer both all glass sunrooms and solid roof sunrooms to stand up to the elements while offering the comfort you deserve. Visit our Galleries to learn more.