Solarium installation in Redlands, CA - a glass room you can use all year
If your back patio gets too hot by noon and sits empty by fall, we build a heated, cooled glass room you'll actually use.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
What does it take to add a solarium to a Redlands home?
Solarium installation in Redlands means building a one-story glass room onto your house that's fully enclosed, insulated, heated and cooled, so you can sit in it on a July afternoon or a January morning.
Most people who call about a solarium have a patio or a back wall that gets plenty of sun and not much use. The price moves with the size of the room, the glass you pick, how much insulation goes into the walls and roof, and how we heat and cool it, and if you don't need it heated and cooled at all, a three-season room is simpler and costs less. The schedule mostly turns on how quickly the design and glass get settled and when that glass arrives. After I come out and look, you get a written estimate that lists what's in it and what isn't, so you can see your own number.
How do you know a solarium is the right fix for your space?
A patio too hot to use
You've got a slab out back, but by early afternoon the sun makes it too hot to sit there, so it mostly holds the barbecue. That usually means the space is fine and what's missing is a roof and walls that control the heat, and every summer you wait is another one you don't use it.
A room you use half the year
Your screened or closed-in patio is nice in spring, then too hot in summer and too cold on winter nights. That usually means it was never built to be heated and cooled, and patching it with fans and space heaters costs money without fixing the walls and glass.
Water where the old roof meets the house
You see stains on the ceiling or a drip along the wall where an older glass room ties into the house. That usually means the roof tie-in or the seals have failed, and the longer it runs, the more water reaches the framing of your house wall.
How we handle solarium installation
A solarium is mostly glass, so we spend real time on the glass choice and on how the roof overhang shades the windows before anything gets ordered. Before that, I look at what's going to hold the room up, the slab or deck and the house wall it ties into, because a room that looks good the first week but leaks or sags isn't work I want to stand behind. Then we settle the insulation and the glass for each wall, since those get decided before the build and not after. Once the plan is set, our crew frames the room, ties the roof into the house so water runs away from it, sets and seals the glass, and finishes the inside.
If what you really want is shade, patio cover installation keeps the patio open and costs less than a closed room. If you're still working out the size, the roof line or where the doors go, our sunroom design work gets the plan on paper first.
Heated and cooled solarium
This suits you if you want a room you use every month, like a family room or a place to read. Insulated walls and roof plus all-weather glass let it hold a comfortable temperature the way the rest of the house does.
Simpler three-season room
This suits you if you mostly want shade and a bug-free place to sit from spring through fall. Leaving out the insulation and the heating and cooling keeps the build simpler and the price lower.
Get a written solarium estimate, with the glass spelled out
We get back to you within one business day, and I'm usually the one who answers. The estimate is free, done at your house and comes with no obligation. Once you send this, we call to set a time for me to come out, measure and talk through how you want to use the room.
(909) 488-7044Solarium installation in Redlands: what to plan for here
If your house is a designated landmark or historic property, or it sits in one of Redlands' historic, scenic or urban conservation districts, a solarium counts as an alteration, and it goes through review by the city under its design guidelines. I want to know that at the first visit so we plan the room's look around it from the start. California's Energy Code also sets efficiency requirements for additions to existing homes, which is one more reason the glass and insulation get settled on paper before we build. The State Fire Marshal maps fire hazard areas and gives those maps to local governments, so if you live up toward the hills, it's worth asking the city or county about your property while we're still planning.
We're based in Redlands and work in many of the cities around it in San Bernardino and Riverside counties. A lot of the back patios we see face the afternoon sun, and we run into the same thing on jobs in Yucaipa and Loma Linda, so glass and roof shade come up on most visits.
What happens after you call about a solarium?
Call or send the form
Call (909) 488-7044 or fill out the form, and we'll get back to you to set up a visit. Tell us roughly how big a room you're picturing and how you'd use it.
I measure and look it over
I come out to measure, look at the base and the house, and ask how you plan to use the room. You get a written estimate that lists what's in it and what isn't, so the glass, insulation and heating and cooling are spelled out before you decide.
Paperwork first, then the build
We sort out the paperwork with the building office before the build begins. Our crew does the work, and I check in along the way, mostly on the roof tie-in and the seals.
Walk the finished room together
When it's done, we walk the room together and I point out what to keep an eye on. The work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a solarium cost in Redlands, CA?
A sunroom in the San Bernardino area usually costs about $95 to $195 per square foot, and that's the going rate around here, not our price. Larger rooms with heating and air conditioning sit toward the top of that range, so a fully heated and cooled solarium usually lands higher than a simple enclosed room. Some regional price figures leave out insulation and extending your heating or cooling, so check what any number covers before you compare.
What is the difference between a solarium and a three-season room?
A solarium is a fully enclosed one-story room attached to the house, heated and cooled, with all-weather windows. Three-season rooms, enclosed porches and enclosed patios generally aren't heated or cooled and have uninsulated windows or screens. The choice comes down to whether you want a room you live in all year or a simpler place to sit outside.
What causes condensation on the inside of sunroom windows?
Moisture on the inside of the glass is very common, and one sunroom maker explains that the glass shows extra moisture that's already in the room rather than creating it. Plants, cooking and people in a closed room all add moisture, so getting more air moving through the room usually helps.
What is the best way to keep a solarium cool in a Redlands summer?
The best way is to choose the right glass and give the roof enough overhang to shade the windows. Low-E coatings, thin layers of metal or metal oxide on the glass, cut the heat passing through and block the UV rays that fade furniture, and general glass guidance puts that coating on the outer pane in warmer climates and the inner pane in cold ones. A roof overhang can keep direct summer sun off the windows while still letting the lower winter sun in.
Can I add insulation to a sunroom later?
You can, but highly insulated windows and insulation in the walls, floor and roof are much easier to put in while the room is being built, and adding them afterward can often cost more. If there's a chance you'll want the room heated and cooled down the road, plan for it now.
How do I take care of a solarium once it's built?
Most of the upkeep is keeping it clean and draining, and one sunroom maker's care guide suggests a yearly look at the roof and gutters. The same guide advises keeping door and window tracks clean, using pure silicone spray instead of an oil-based lubricant, and keeping the weep holes, the small drain openings in the frame, clear so water can get out.
Redlands, CA
Start your solarium with a plan
If you call with a rough room size, whether you want it heated and cooled, and whether the house is a designated historic property, the first visit gets straight to what matters.