Difference Between Sunroom and Patio Cover

6 min readJan 21, 2022

If you have extra space at your home and you are thinking to utilize it in a productive manner, then either it will be a sunroom or a patio cover which will become a beautiful addition. But out of both, which one to get and why? What is the difference between a sunroom and a patio? All these questions will be answered as we proceed in the blog.

First let us learn about patios.

What is a Patio?

A patio is a paved area of ground which is either adjacent to, or near, your home. Patios can be made with materials like concrete, bricks, pavers, or any other material that gives a flat and a steady foundation.

You can even call it an outside platform. One of the most common features of patio enclosures is this — These are the enclosed spaces that feature high-quality mesh fiberglass screening.

Benefits of Patio Covers

Getting a patio cover at home means that you will be able to enjoy the cool and gentle breeze without having to fight bugs, dirt, debris, or any other foreign particles. It can also be used as a perfect place as a home office, exercise area, social entertaining spot, guest accommodations, kids play area, or even as a pet resting place.

You might be wondering that the sunroom also functions and offers the similar comfort. However, both differs in terms of the foundation of the structure.

We will see the similarities and differences between the sunrooms and patio covers later in the blog. Now, let us learn about sunrooms.

No matter where you are residing, having a sunroom will always be a good decision. For instance, if you are living in Vancouver and are also looking forward to getting a sunroom at your place, contact the best Sunroom Builders in Vancouver i.e., StrongBuild Sunrooms.

Sunrooms in Vancouver — Definition

A simple definition of a sunroom says that it is a glass-enclosed porch or a room that allows you a sunny exposure. It is known by different names like sun parlor, sun porch. Depending on its use, the names of the sunrooms vary like some people would call it solarium, conservatory.

The sunrooms are attached to the house and are accessible from the indoors. People get these built into their home space to add an additional living area.

Benefits of Adding a Sunroom

If you get a sunroom installed at your place, you will enjoy number of benefits like:

A Higher Real Estate Value of your home
Reduced Electricity Bill
Natural Sunlight that too in abundance
Personal Time in the Extra Space
Extra Space for Hobbies, or entertainment
Added Luxury
A Perfect and a different Space for Your Plants
Energy and mood booster

Not just this, a sunroom also adds to the beauty of your space. Since these are enclosed by the glass, these look attractive and are certainly the head turners.

Believe me, the sunrooms look attractive all by themselves but you can even make them more appealing by decorating them with curtains, plants, hangings, or any other decorative items. You can even add bedding if you feel like making it a rest room, install fans for your comfort. You can dop anything that you want within the sunroom since these are enclosed by the glass from all sides.

However, there is a drawback that you may lose privacy as your neighbours will be able to see you through the glasses. So, for that, you can get drop curtains and solve that issue as well.

Not just this, you can even keep the sunroom simple and not accentuate it. All depends on your preferences.

Sunrooms vs Patio Covers

As said earlier in the blog too, sunrooms and patios differ in their foundation.

Sunrooms have inflexible frames, windows, and are developed as an extension of the home–unlike patio covers which are a freestanding structure.

If we go by the basic understanding, people often refer sunrooms as patio enclosures, get confused because after all, both start as a paved outdoor space. But the sunrooms are built from the scratch. On the other hand, patios are just the extension.

Types of Sunrooms and Patio Covers

Sunrooms are mainly of two types — Three-season and four-season sunrooms.

Three-season sunrooms: These are perfect to use during warm spring and fall days. You get protection from weather year-round. A three-season sunroom does not have its independent heating and cooling system.
Four-Season Sunrooms — As the name suggests, these are used all the year round. Four-season sunrooms have their independent heating, cooling, insulation and ventilation system.

Types of Patio Covers

There are mainly three types of patios.

Open Patio Covers- These act as a roof and won’t fully protect you from the outside elements. But these are good in terms of cost as these offers overhead coverage on rainy and hot days.
Covered Patio Covers — These are comfortable during the warm months. The covered patios do not have climate control or the level of insulation so these are more useful during spring, summer and warmer days. The biggest benefit of covered patio covers is gives you full protection from rain, wind and snow.
Screen Rooms — These offer a bit more structure to your patio. Do not go by the name as these are not enclosed by the glass. These patio covers keep pesky insects at a distance, gives an impression of an enclosed space without adding actual windows. These patios need a little higher investment than the other simple patio covers.

Construction

When it comes to building a sunroom and a patio, the former is built from a scratch and always needs a foundation. Because of the strong floor, the sunrooms last for decades. To get a sunroom built, you generally require a building permit as it will be treated as a permanent addition to your home. On the other hand, the latter is a freestanding structure. It is not a home extension and would not require a foundation to build a patio.

Design and Style

There are variety to offer in terms of styles and design — for both sunrooms and patio covers. You can contact the best sunroom builders in Vancouver i.e., StrongBuild Sunrooms.

With a large selection of gorgeous silhouettes and materials, our sunrooms and patio covers bring seamless transition to your indoor and outdoor spaces.

Sunrooms

Today sunrooms and patio covers are designed keeping in mind the architecture of your home. If a sunroom has a glass roof, it is referred to as a conservatory or solarium. If it has a roof that extends from the roof of the house, it might be called a studio, gable or even a traditional sunroom.

At StrongBuild Sunroom, we also offer the choice between fine structural materials such as aluminum, vinyl and engineered wood.

Patio Covers

We offer a wide range of patio cover options too that are designed to match and enhance the aesthetics of your home.

Choose from frames in white, black, or any colour of your choice — whether you want a full glass, partial glass, or aluminum roof and other styles. You can view the styles from our gallery of custom patio covers.

Similarities Between the Sunroom and Patios

Both the sunroom and patio cover provide convenience and comfort. Whether you have a sunroom or a patio, you can enjoy staying outdoors any time of the day or season.

Above all, you can stop worrying about the threat of insects’ bites and enjoy your meals or gathering with family and friends without having to worry of the unpredictable weather.

Many times, people used both the terms interchangeably but the fact is that these are both quite different to each other.

People often decide to modify an existing patio to add more functional space. A common choice is also to enclose the patio which can be done in different ways like by adding screens, supporting structures, drop curtains and so on.

You can always explain your preference to the sunroom and patio cover builders in Vancouver.

If you are ready to maximize your outdoor space, you can choose anything from a sunroom to a patio enclosure. We are here to fulfill your desire.

As space professionals, we have options for everything you might need. So, get customized beautiful, and perfect additions to your outdoor spare space.