A patio consists of a flat, stable foundation installed alongside your home. It can be made of multiple kinds of materials, with bricks, paving stones, and poured concrete acting like the typical choices. But your home’s patio is much more than just a humble flat surface — it’s an opportunity. Enclosing the space and turning it into a patio room lets you enjoy the endless benefits of the great outdoors, without exposing yourself to rain, hail, bugs, wind, or harsh rays of the sun. They’re popular home additions, and it’s easy to see why. They enhance the comfort of your patio, coaxing you, your family, and your guests outside even during inclement weather.
While the benefits of a patio room might be a no-brainer, there are a few things you should know about their design, installation, and cost.
What’s the difference between a patio room and a sunroom?
Patio rooms and sunrooms share plenty in common. In most cases, a sunroom can technically be considered a patio room if it’s built on top of an existing surface. The main difference between the two kinds of structures is project installation cost — because a patio room already has a foundation ready-made, it’s a less complicated project requiring less equipment, fewer materials, and fewer hours of labor.
What kinds of patio rooms are available?
As with a sunroom or solarium, you can choose to install a four-season patio room, which is heated and cooled by the same HVAC system as the attached house. Or you could go with a three-season structure, which has an independent heating and cooling system, or no heating and cooling system at all.
When it comes to design and aesthetics, your options are essentially endless. The team at Global Solarium will work with you to design a patio room that blends seamlessly into your house while providing an attractive aesthetic centerpiece.
The simplest and most affordable option is a lean-to patio enclosure, which has straight eaves and a flat roof usually covered in shingles to match the house. The interior and exterior are typically made from extruded aluminum or vinyl, though the shape and size of the closure may vary. Owners can also choose between multiple frame colors and kinds of glass.
Like the lean-to enclosure, Edwardian and Georgian patio rooms are built with square or rectangular floor plans. But they differ in the roof — both include slanted roofs, with a ridge that runs perpendicular to the adjacent house. Square and rectangular floor plans are usually more flexible, giving a homeowner more options during the design and installation process.
The most striking kind of patio room is in the Victorian style, which is most challenging to design and install. A Victorian patio room is built in a half-hexagonal or semicircle shape. Like the Edwardian and Georgian options, the Victorian patio room boasts an eye-catching ridge along the roof. To boost the wow factor, you can incorporate eye-catching, luxurious details like stained glass and custom window grid designs.
How much does a patio room cost?
The cost of constructing a patio room will vary based on a wide range of factors. For a homeowner, the main considerations are the size of your patio and the materials you choose to use to construct your addition. A floor made of exotic hardwood, for example, will cost more money than a floor made of affordable materials like aluminum or vinyl.
HomeGuide lists the average cost of building a patio room as $70 per square foot, though costs for an entire project start as budget-friendly as just $180 and go all the way up to $45,000 for bespoke, high-end enclosed patios. So it’s really up to you — you can choose to spend however much you’re comfortable with in order to expand your home’s living space and enjoy all the benefits indoor-outdoor living has to offer.
At Global Solarium, our patio room, solarium, skylight, conservatory, and sunroom materials are of the highest caliber, and our top-notch team of experienced professionals can help guide you through the process of making a valuable addition to your home. For a patio room quote, a sunroom install or more information on prefab solarium kits and solarium repair, give us a call at (800) 810-7666, (360) 810-7666 or email us at info@globalsolariums.com. We provide dealer service for solariums near me in Portland OR, Los Angeles CA, Sacramento CA, San Jose CA, San Francisco CA, Salt Lake City UT, Seattle WA, and Spokane WA.