The best windows for a sunroom or porch will be windows that maximize the amount of natural light and fresh air while also balancing energy efficiency. Of course, you could say this for any room, but porches, with their many windows, offer more opportunity and more risk. The opportunity they offer is to serve their original purpose of helping the house “breathe” fresh air. They also present a major opportunity to bring more natural light into the home. At the same time, if the windows don’t perform well, the house may run less efficiently, which can lead to discomfort and higher energy bills. We’ll explain more about how to pick out windows that balance these considerations, but if you’re looking for a quick answer, joined casement windows can be an excellent choice for a sunroom. To find out why and to better understand sunroom window options — read on!
The sunroom in this country house is just off the kitchen where it makes an inviting dining room with its bucolic views and abundance of natural light.
Glass options like dual-pane and low-emissivity (Low-E) coatings will help your windows perform more efficiently. Both are standard with our windows. Dual-pane glass consists of two sheets of glass with an air space in between and is more insulating than single-pane glass, which you might have in your sunroom windows, if yours is an older home. A Low-E coating, like our Low-E4® glass, can help your home keep heat in during winter and out during summer. While Low-E4 glass is a great option in most climates, it’s not the only option. There are a number of different Low-E glass options designed to suit different climates. In addition to these options, there are other choices you can make to improve the energy efficiency of your windows. Here’s what you should be aware of:
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: Sometimes the best window is a door. What we mean by that is that a door can take the place of several windows, create an effect similar to floor-to-ceiling windows, and potentially offer cost savings as one product can take the place of several. There are a couple of places where doors play a prominent role in a sunroom.
One is obvious: the connection between the sunroom and the outdoors. But there’s another place where you might want to think carefully about a door’s potential, and that is where the sunroom attaches to the home. Since sunrooms are attached to a home’s outer perimeter, they can funnel more natural light into the whole home. This is why we sometimes see the opening between the home and sunroom widened during remodels. Here are three doors that we love in a sunroom:
If you’re looking for windows to use in a sunroom or porch remodel, the right windows will depend on your project. For example, if you’re turning a screened-in porch into a sunroom, your contractor might be rebuilding the walls to add framing and installation. In that case, you have a lot of freedom in your window choices because you’re essentially building new.
On the other hand, if you are replacing old single-hung windows in a three-season porch, you might need to look for windows that fit your existing rough opening. Whatever your scenario, we have windows that will work, and the guidance above still applies. If you’re looking for a place to start, here are some ideas:
