All You Need to Know About Distinguishing and Selecting Glass for Sunrooms

There are many types of glass for sunrooms: insulated, laminated, Low-E coated glass... This time,Rikuker Doors & Windows will not focus on sharing sunroom case studies, but on clearly distinguishing the differences and application scenarios of various types of sunroom glass.

Sunroom – Insulated Glass
Insulated glass is a practical type of glass with thermal insulation and soundproofing properties.

• Glass Characteristics:Wide range of applications, good thermal insulation performance.
• Common Specifications:5+9A+5, 5+12A+5, 6+12A+6, 5+20A+5
• Suitable Applications:Doors, windows, and sunrooms are all suitable (Note: Except for sunroom roofs).
• Unsuitable Applications:Scenarios with significant low-frequency noise like living near roads or railways; sunroom roofs.
• Other Related Products:Triple-pane double-cavity insulated glass, frosted insulated glass, insulated glass with built-in blinds, etc.

Sunroom – Laminated Glass
Laminated glass performs particularly well in shock resistance, security, and impact resistance, making it a type of safety glass.

• Glass Characteristics:Better sound insulation than insulated glass, good safety; thermal insulation is inferior to insulated glass.
• Common Specifications:5+0.76 PVB +5, 6+0.76 PVB +6, 8 +1.14 PVB +8
• Suitable Applications:(1) Scenarios requiring safety, such as sunroom roofs, interior partitions; (2) Scenarios requiring high sound insulation.
• Unsuitable Applications:Scenarios with strong thermal insulation requirements, such as bay windows, south-facing bedrooms.

Now, let's talk about insulated laminated glass. You can simply think of it as a combination of insulated glass and laminated glass, incorporating the advantages of both, offering superior sound insulation and thermal performance.

• Insulated laminated glass has a wide range of suitable applications; it can be used in most scenarios at home, especially for street-facing bedrooms, sunroom roofs, living balconies, etc.
• To save costs, it is not recommended for use in scenarios with lower demand, such as kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry balconies.

Sunroom – LOW-E Coated Glass
Low-E glass, scientifically known as low-emissivity coated glass, has a thin metal silver coating applied to the inner surface of the glass. It utilizes the property of special metals to reflect far-infrared light waves, enhancing the glass's ability to reflect heat energy, thereby significantly improving the thermal insulation effect of doors/windows/glass.

• Glass Characteristics:Significantly reduces the U-factor of the glass, thereby improving its thermal insulation properties.
• Suitable Applications:Suitable for scenarios with large glass areas and ample sunlight, such as south-facing bedrooms, sunrooms, and bay window seats.
• Unsuitable Applications:Shaded areas, kitchens, bathrooms, and similar locations.

Sunroom – Glass Selection and Application

In sunroom applications, insulated glass and laminated glass serve distinct purposes.

• If the sunroom application is away from significant low-frequency noise sources like roads or railways, then insulated glass (for the sunroom vertical glazing) would be a good choice.
• However, if located in high-rise, windy areas (with less impact from external noise), choosing laminated glass is more prudent.
• Generally, sunroom roofs mostly use laminated glass or insulated laminated glass (an advanced option); while the vertical glazing of sunrooms often uses insulated glass.
• Considering the risk of falling objects from height, laminated glass offers better safety and impact resistance and is less likely to shatter and fall, causing injury, ensuring the safety of people inside the sunroom.
• If the budget allows, we can also apply coating to the sunroom glass to enhance the overall sunshade and solar heat gain control function of the sunroom.
• It is worth noting that LOW-E coated glass also comes in high-transmittance and medium/low-transmittance options. Sunrooms on low floors with poor lighting can choose high-transmittance Low-E glass with a light transmittance above 70%, while sunrooms on high floors with good lighting can choose medium-transmittance Low-E glass with a light transmittance of 50-60%.