Tips

How to pick out windows for a sunroom

Let the light in, feel the breeze, and create a space that truly blurs the line between indoors and outdoors — there’s no room where windows present more of an opportunity than in the sunroom.

A dusty blue sunroom with tiled floors and tall double-hung windows overlooking a rolling green lawn.

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Sunrooms, porches, three-season rooms — whatever you call these spaces, they’re an especially common feature in older residences where they played an important role as the “lungs” of the home, letting in fresh, cool air before the convenience of air conditioning. Because of this, windows are typically plentiful in rooms like these, making window choice especially impactful. So, what should you consider when choosing windows for a sunroom or porch? Let us explain!

Which windows are best for a sunroom?

The best windows for a sunroom or porch will be windows that maximize the amount of natural light and fresh air while also balancing energy efficiency. Of course, you could say this for any room, but porches, with their many windows, offer more opportunity and more risk. The opportunity they offer is to serve their original purpose of helping the house “breathe” fresh air. They also present a major opportunity to bring more natural light into the home. At the same time, if the windows don’t perform well, the house may run less efficiently, which can lead to discomfort and higher energy bills. We’ll explain more about how to pick out windows that balance these considerations, but if you’re looking for a quick answer, joined casement windows can be an excellent choice for a sunroom. To find out why and to better understand sunroom window options — read on!

a porch with a monochrome blue color scheme, large windows and a dining table and chairs

The oversized A-Series Double-Hung Windows have a cottage sash (shorter top than bottom sash) and were ordered unfinished and painted onsite to perfectly match the dusty blue walls and ceiling.

a kitchen with hutch, worktable, and bench and a pet duck waddling about.

The sunroom in this country house is just off the kitchen where it makes an inviting dining room with its bucolic views and abundance of natural light.

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What are the benefits of joined windows for a sunroom?

Joined windows have less framing and more expansive glass overall. This allows for more unobstructed views, natural light, and fresh air, which is why we love joined windows for a porch or sunroom. Joining is one of those window details that you might not even be aware of, especially if it’s your first time buying windows. While it seems like minutia, it’s quite impactful when windows are created in this way, particularly in a sunroom or porch where the point is to blur the line between indoors and outdoors.

What to know about selecting joined windows for your sunroom

Windows can either be joined at the factory or onsite by your builder or contractor. Either way, this is an option that you’ll select when you order your windows, so make sure to factor it into your planning. If you’d like joined windows, we have factory joined combinations in all of our product lines.

Four men installing a joined window unit made of four 400 Series Casement Windows.

These four 400 Series Casement Windows were factory joined, so they arrived at the building site as a unit that the contractors installed as one. The homeowner chose them when she converted a screened-in porch into a four-season sunroom.

Products Shown

400 Series Casement Window

Products used in this image

400 Series Casement Window

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How to pick out energy-efficient windows for a sunroom

Glass options like dual-pane and low-emissivity (Low-E) coatings will help your windows perform more efficiently. Both are standard with our windows. Dual-pane glass consists of two sheets of glass with an air space in between and is more insulating than single-pane glass, which you might have in your sunroom windows, if yours is an older home. A Low-E coating, like our Low-E4® glass, can help your home keep heat in during winter and out during summer. While Low-E4 glass is a great option in most climates, it’s not the only option. There are a number of different Low-E glass options designed to suit different climates. In addition to these options, there are other choices you can make to improve the energy efficiency of your windows. Here’s what you should be aware of:

Triple-pane glass: Even more insulating than dual-pane glass, triple-pane glass has three sheets of glass and two air pockets. This makes it a great option in northern climates. It’s available with our A-Series, and E-Series windows.
Casement windows: The design of this window makes it more efficient than other types of windows. It seals tighter when the window blows against it and has only one sash (the glass and framing around), meaning there’s less chance for air leakage. Awning windows are similarly efficient. But the most efficient of all window types is the picture window, which doesn’t open (called fixed). And while you probably don’t want to fill your entire sunroom with picture windows, since this would prevent you from enjoying fresh air, strategic inclusion could help the space be more energy efficient.
No grilles: Grilles can lead to more energy loss because they touch both sides of the glass and help conduct energy in that way. If your home has a very traditional style that grilles would complement, there is a grille option that’s more efficient – a full divided light grille with energy spacer. This option is like a traditional grille (bars inside, outside, and between the glass) but the energy spacer prevents the part in between from making contact with the glass, resulting in improved efficiency. The energy spacer option is available on all our windows that have full divided light grilles.
SmartSun™ glass: This Low-E glass option provides the benefits of Low-E4 glass while also providing added protection from the sun. As the name implies, lots of sunrooms tend to face south, so they have a lot of direct exposure. SmartSun glass can help reduce fading in furnishing and textiles as it filters out 95% of harmful UV rays.

An exterior shot of a black, two-story Cape Cod home with a porch and patio.

When this Cape Cod was renovated, triangular 400 Series Flexiframe® windows were added at the porch gable to bring more sunlight into the space. These windows are fixed (don’t open) which helps with energy efficiency.

Products Shown

400 Series Specialty Window

Products used in this image

400 Series Specialty Window

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Tips for choosing a sunroom door

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: Sometimes the best window is a door. What we mean by that is that a door can take the place of several windows, create an effect similar to floor-to-ceiling windows, and potentially offer cost savings as one product can take the place of several. There are a couple of places where doors play a prominent role in a sunroom.

One is obvious: the connection between the sunroom and the outdoors. But there’s another place where you might want to think carefully about a door’s potential, and that is where the sunroom attaches to the home. Since sunrooms are attached to a home’s outer perimeter, they can funnel more natural light into the whole home. This is why we sometimes see the opening between the home and sunroom widened during remodels. Here are three doors that we love in a sunroom:

Bi-parting gliding patio door: Opening from the center, this type of door includes four total panels, two that operate and two that don’t (called stationary). This door is a nice way to add lots of glass while still economizing on space, since the gliding opening is flush with the wall. A door like this could potentially replace one wall of a sunroom offering outdoor access, fresh air, and natural light in one go. It would work just as well as the opening between the sunroom and the home. And if you select an A-Series patio door, it can be up to 10 feet high.
Folding Outswing Door: This bi-folding door is made up of panels that accordion together and fold to one side to maximize the clear opening and allow you to combine spaces. It could be used to form a sunroom wall, or even two, since it can wrap around a corner, or you could use it to widen the opening between your home and sunroom. It also works well in a remodel because it runs along a single track and doesn’t require an extra thick wall, as some oversized patio doors do.
MultiGlide™ Door: This oversized patio door combines multiple panels that stack to one side when open or recess into the wall (called pocketing) to create an unobstructed opening. We love how this door can expand the opening between a home and sunroom or porch. If your space is three-season, this door will still work great because, despite its size, it’s still equipped to perform well in all climates, including cold ones.

sunroom before remodeling with old windows and old carpeting.

When plant stylist and author Hilton Carter remodeled his sunroom, he replaced the windows on the southern wall with a Folding Outswing Door.

sunny remodeled room, which features floor-to-ceiling glass that allows the potted plants to thrive.

The floor-to-ceiling glass allows his plants to thrive, and the Low-E coating he chose helps the room stay comfortable in all seasons. Perhaps best of all, he can open the door to combine the sunroom and deck into one large indoor/outdoor space — perfect for a party or just enjoying a warm day!

Products Shown

Folding Outswing Door

Products used in this image

Folding Outswing Door

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What are the best windows for a sunroom remodel?

If you’re looking for windows to use in a sunroom or porch remodel, the right windows will depend on your project. For example, if you’re turning a screened-in porch into a sunroom, your contractor might be rebuilding the walls to add framing and installation. In that case, you have a lot of freedom in your window choices because you’re essentially building new.

On the other hand, if you are replacing old single-hung windows in a three-season porch, you might need to look for windows that fit your existing rough opening. Whatever your scenario, we have windows that will work, and the guidance above still applies. If you’re looking for a place to start, here are some ideas:

Modern-style sunroom: For a look that’s sleek and clean, consider joined units combining picture and awning windows. These two types of windows are commonly paired to frame sweeping views, let through an abundance of light, and usher in lots of fresh air — since awning windows are operable.
Traditional-style sunroom: For a more classic look, you can’t go wrong with double-hung windows, especially because they open in two places. Though many people don’t realize it, you can also open a double-hung window by sliding down the top sash.

the view through the French doors into the remodeled sunroom

This room was transformed from a screened-in porch into a four-season sunroom.

children lounging on a bench in the sunroom reading a book with a Golden Retriever at their feet

The addition of 400 Series Double-Hung Windows with modified colonial grilles played a huge role in the transformation.

Products Shown

400 Series Double-Hung Window

Products used in this image

400 Series Double-Hung Window

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Sunroom window FAQs

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Need help in other rooms?

Let’s take it room by room.

A kitchen with white zellige tile, a large wood island, and a bank of three white windows above the sink.

Kitchen windows

Tall casement windows fit nicely and function well in a kitchen. Their shape makes them an easy fit amongst the cabinetry, their cranks make them seamless to open when you’re reaching over a sink or counter, and their top-to-bottom opening helps vent out cooking smells, heat, and humidity. All of this is why casement windows are such a winner in the kitchen. We’ll explain more about how to fit windows around appliances and built-ins that come with a kitchen, plus other creative solutions to help with your kitchen window selections.

Kitchen window tips