Expanding your living area is an excellent way to increase your home’s value and create a more comfortable living space. You can increase your home’s square footage and invite more light inside by building a sunroom or a conservatory onto your home. Sunrooms and conservatories share similar characteristics, but they are unique in their own way.
While the terms are often used interchangeably, these are different rooms. It’s helpful to know the differences between the types of rooms when you’re considering adding one to your home. From the unique ceilings to the value they add to your home, both sunrooms and conservatories provide enticing advantages to homeowners.
Learn more about the characteristics of conservatories and sunrooms to see which option works best for your home.
What Are the Main Differences Between Conservatories and Sunrooms?
Despite both room options having similar advantages, conservatories and sunrooms have three main differences that make them their own:
- Materials: Conservatories will typically use more glass than sunrooms. Sunrooms will have opaque or solid roofs, while conservatories have all-glass roofs.
- Purpose: These rooms have a slight difference in purpose. Conservatories can be great for growing plants, while sunrooms are solely an additional living space. Conservatories can also be used as an additional living space with the right climate control features.
- Sunlight: A conservatory will allow more sunlight inside than a sunroom because of design and materials.
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What Is a Conservatory?
Conservatories are a popular choice for homeowners when they’re considering adding more living space to their home or want a room that easily transitions to their backyard. These rooms are typically built at ground level, are mostly constructed with glass or translucent materials and have extravagant glass ceilings.
The style of conservatory rooms traces back to 19th-century Europe, specifically from European indoor horticulture. While conservatories today are used for various reasons, the original purpose was to allow maximum sunlight to support plant growth inside the home.
Conservatories are known for their incredible glass ceilings. These roofs bring in optimal sunlight, creating a great place to relax and watch the clouds roll by. Conservatories are similar in appearance to a greenhouse — they both have large floor-to-ceiling glass windows and a glass ceiling to let in light and create a connection to the outside.
Weighing the pros and cons of a conservatory can help you decide on the best type of home addition for your property. These quick pros and cons lists for conservatories will provide an overview of this room style.
Pros of a Conservatory
There are many benefits of having a conservatory. Here are the main pros:
- Their grand glass roofs are unique and well-designed.
- You can use the space as a living area, dining room, office space, gardening area or nearly any purpose.
- Conservatories allow the maximum amount of natural sunlight in your home, bringing along numerous benefits.
- Four season conservatories allow for year-long use with climate control.
Cons of a Conservatory
A conservatory only has one significant disadvantage:
- Conservatories need proper insulation or thermal regulation for homeowners to enjoy them year-round.
The advantages of a conservatory and the boost it provides to your home’s appearance are what make this room option appealing to homeowners.
What Is a Sunroom?
Sunrooms make an excellent addition if you want to expand your living space and allow more sunlight into your home. You can enjoy the view of the outdoors without bugs or being exposed to the weather. Sunrooms are a common addition to homes across the country. With many nicknames like sun porches, patio rooms or Florida rooms, sunrooms are a well-known room style.
Sunrooms feature many windows and glass doors to allow ample natural light in your home. They provide a unique space in your home to enjoy a meal, unwind on the couch or host friends and family.
Homeowners can add a four season sunroom or a seasonal sunroom to their home. Four season sunrooms include their own heating and air system or connect to the home’s HVAC system for year-round comfort. A seasonal sunroom does not include a heating or air system, making the room only usable during the spring, summer and fall in most locations. Seasonal sunrooms will typically have a ceiling fan to keep the air moving during the hot summer months. The type of sunroom you choose depends on your location and the room’s purpose.
Sunrooms can be a wonderful addition to your home. Learn more about sunrooms with these pros and cons lists of this room style.
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Pros of a Sunroom
A sunroom has many advantages. The top three pros of a sunroom are the following:
- Sunrooms provide a great space to relax without being outside.
- Four season sunrooms are multi-purposeful rooms.
- Sunrooms welcome an abundance of natural light into your home.
Cons of a Sunroom
There’s only one downside to a sunroom:
- Sunrooms can lack energy efficiency without the right materials.
Which Is Best for Your Home?
If you’re deciding between adding a conservatory or a sunroom, the main deciding factor will likely be the appearance. Conservatories put more detail into the room’s design and will provide a more elegant look with the all-glass ceilings and the intricate construction of the roofs.
Sunrooms are the traditional room add-on when homeowners want to enjoy their backyard more without being exposed to the outside. The roofs for sunrooms will likely match the rest of the home or have fewer glass panels than a conservatory.
If you’re looking for more sunlight, a conservatory will be the best choice for your home because of the amount of glass used in the design. If you want limited sunlight in your addition, a sunroom is the best choice for your home.
Either option is an excellent option if you’re looking to improve the curb appeal of your home. They both increase the square footage of your home, provide a relaxing space to enjoy views of the outside and can offer the perfect spot for a small garden.
If you’re unsure what type of room is best for your home, contact the experts at Maryland Sunrooms. Our vast design options for conservatories and sunrooms help you find the perfect room addition for your home. We can construct beautiful and energy-efficient sunrooms or conservatories that will look exceptional with your home.
Schedule a Consultation With Maryland Sunrooms
Maryland Sunrooms is your go-to company for remarkable sunroom installation and design services. We provide the leading sunroom installation, design and maintenance services in Maryland, and we’re proud to offer quality sunrooms, conservatories and more to our customers.
If you’re ready to start the process of installing your new conservatory or sunroom, contact us today to request a design consultation. You can also browse our products to learn more about the types of room installations we provide.
Julie Shetter is the Marketing Director at Maryland Sunrooms. She has over a decade of experience in the home improvement and sunroom industry.